Full Moon Party

Every month, around the 9th-12th"ish", backpackers all over South East Asia start making their way to the island of Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party on Haad Rin Beach! In fact, most people plan their entire route/iteneraries around making sure to fit one in! Just like the "when/if you've been tubing yet," "What Full Moon Party are you going to?" is a common topic of conversation amongst travelers! I had originally planned on going to the November Party but decided to do it in October because of how many friends I had met along the way that were going to be there!

So after our 4 days on Phi Phi island, the English boys and I began the full day journey that included a boat, mini van, coach bus, another boat and finally another mini van! We had heard that the nights before and after the party were actually more fun. We made it in just in time to shower, change clothes and head to the beach area to be reunited with Ryan and Jo, who had just done a quick 3 day trip through Cambodia and a 6 day stint on Koh Tao island where they got their Scuba certifications. We were so excited to see them again, and I was pumped to have my bucket partner back!!

The next day was spent mostly sleeping and preparing for the night's festivities! I'm all about looking the part wherever I am or whatever I am doing. So, I headed out and bought a fancy new hand-painted tank top and a couple neon bracelets for Elliot and I, and then we headed over to meet up with the rest of the group and begin the painting process! One thing I new about the Full Moon Party was that the more neon paint you could get on your body the better! So we got after it, adding velcro monkeys and flashing rings somewhere along the way!

 

 

We then paid 300 Baht, about $4, each to get a ride in the bed of a truck across the island to Haad Rin beach to join the 20,000 other people ready for the night's festivities! Lots of buckets, dancing, and fire shows entertained us for the rest of the night! I had planned on dancing my way to sunrise as most people on the beach do, but apparently I had too much fun on Phi Phi island and crashed out at a weak 2AM! That was still plenty of time to soak in all the outrageousness that is Full Moon Party!

The next night I took in a traditional Muay Thai Boxing match with the boys. And, of course, got talked into going back down to Haad Riin for one more night of buckets, staright arms, monkeys, and dancing!

 

 

 

 

We joined the masses of exhausted and dehydrated backpackers the next day on a ferry bound for Koh Samui. It was time to part ways: Elliot and some of the English boys were on their way to Australia in the next week, and Jo and the rest of them were headed back to the UK and their jobs. That left Ryan and I all alone to figure out where to go and what to do next. Our decision...Koh Tao, Recouperation and Scuba Diving!!!