During my volunteer in Koh Phangan, I stayed 2-minute walk away from Haad Rin Beach, the beach where the famous Full Moon party takes place. So, I decided to explore the surroundings on foot and visit Koh Phangan viewpoints which were within a reasonable walking distance. I have been to 3 of them and it was very worth it, so I will share them with you.
First of all some of these viewpoints are only reachable through the jungle and there is nothing on Google Maps about it. To check the paths to go there you should download the app Maps.me which will show you jungle trails that Google Maps don’t.
Haad Rin Rock’s viewpoint
My first one was Haad Rin Rock’s viewpoint. There is a very steep but proper street to get almost there, but still scaringly steep. I walked all the way up there while some others did the same on their motorbikes or even a car!! It is a tough walk under the sun but doable and the views are very worthy. I actually didn’t know the view would be so beautiful!
On the way up I can manage to see a bit of what is waiting for me up there and I’m already excited about it!
Before the main and most beautiful viewpoint, there is another one with a view of Koh Samui in the distance. Looks nice but not impressive.
The real and ultimate viewpoint is up on a rock that you need to climb up to from a tree and “Wow”. But it is sooo windy that it is scary to stand there at the edge. From here there is a view to Haad Rin Beach itself but also to Rin Nai Beach, and that is the delight of my eyes. So gorgeous is this one from above. It is protected by a coral barrier and several mesmerizing shades of blue are perceptible. I stared at it for quite a while haha Gorgeous! Visit it!
Haad Rin Beach
This is the beach where the mighty Full Moon party happens once a month. Besides that, this is a beautiful beach that actually doesn’t get that crowded when the party is not about to happen. Haad Rin Beach is actually pretty chill most part of days. Seems like most part of the people visit it because of the Full moon party haha. There are fire shows every night though and several night bars at the beach.
Rin Nai Beach
After this hike, I went down to Rin Nai Beach itself where there is a wooden boardwalk looking very charming. The beach looks much better from the top, but it is still beautiful from down there. There are several trees that provide some nice shade and therefore this is a nice beach to stay at, also cause there are not a lot of people here, it is very relaxed. That’s where I decided to spend the rest of the day.
Haad Rin viewpoint (north) and Haad Wai Nam Scenic Spot
Another day I decided to visit these two Koh Phangan viewpoints as the first was on the way to the latter. But this is a tough journey.
The first part of the trek is totally fine and within 30-40 min you will reach the first viewpoint called Haad Rin Viewpoint North on Google Maps even though the view is not to Haad Rin Beach haha. This viewpoint is easy to access and will provide views of 2 different beaches: Haad Yuan Beach and Tien Beach East. I did this trek on a gloomy day so I know that the views could have been more mesmerizing than they were, but it is still a beautiful view of the ocean! I decided to proceed all the way to Haad Wai Nam scenic spot and that is what makes this journey tough.
From the first viewpoint to Haad Wai Nam scenic spot, it will take more than 1h in the middle of the jungle. The thing is that after the first viewpoint, the trek turns into a very steep one for a long distance, very tiring!! So instead of going directly to the furthest viewpoint, I made a stop at Haad Yuan beach to recover some energy.
Haad Yuan Beach
Again the cloudy sky didn’t let the beach shine, but it was still a nice very quiet beach. These beaches here on this side of Koh Phangan are either accessible through a 2h walk in the jungle or by boat. That is why they are so chilled but they still have some bungalows and restaurants on these further beaches for whoever simply wants a quiet beach to lay down every day… seems kinda boring to me but ok, everyone is allowed to travel their own way. I say it cause there is nothing to do on those beaches. There are usually, one or 2 resorts and the same amount of restaurants and that is all. To get out of there 300bh for a taxi boat sounds a lot.
Tien Beach East
After Haad Yuan Beach I proceeded to Tien Beach East which is smaller but still has a few people. This one has half of the beach covered in rocks so the place to sunbathe isn’t wide. There are some cute-shaped trees that give the beach some charm.
Haad Wai Nam Scenic Spot
From Tien Beach East I went to the last viewpoint that requires a bit of rock climbing. At the top, the view is 360º. I really pity I didn’t visit this place on a sunny day cause the views would have been stunning!!! From up there I saw Koh Phangan’s coastline and the privileged sight of Tien Beach East which looked stunning even though the crappy weather. Tough hike to get there but gorgeous!!
Haad Wai Nam Beach
One more beach on the way down, a very small one too Haad Wai Nam. This one is really cozy in between the mountains, very quiet and relaxed. People were doing yoga, and playing drums, very hippie-like haha. There was a sign alerting to the jellyfish stating “get in the sea at your own risk”. I didn’t venture haha. They even had a bottle of vinegar near the sign haha
After spending all my day around this area, at about 4 pm I decided to head back to Haad Rin Beach cause I knew it would take almost 2 hours to get me back to town through that jungle. If to get here was mostly downhill, to go back was an excruciating steep hike in the jungle. I was sweating * off and couldn’t even stop for a second to hydrate or rest or I would be attacked by 50 mosquitos clinging to my legs- horrible. Take plenty of water with you and mosquito repellent will also be very helpful. It was an exhausting but rewarding day!
Check out more Koh Phangan beaches HERE!
