Since I had some time on my hands & enjoyed the locale of the hippy Sanctuary on Haad Thien in Koh Pha Ngan in the Gulf of Thailand, I decided to spend awhile further exploring the island. While we somewhat enjoyed the destinations in the Andaman Sea (Krabi, Railay, Koh Phi Pho, Phuket), the sheer volume of international tourists there was intimidating & while I considered visiting the supposedly-less-oft-traveled Andaman Islands of Koh Lanta & Koh Lipe, my fear was tourists now flock to those places as well (yes, I know I’m also a tourist but my goal is to find places where there’s few of me). While Ko Pha Ngan may be known as a “party island” w it’s late night/early morning raves for the monthly full moon party, that hoopla really is centered in/around Haad Rin & once you get out, it’s just beautiful, relaxing & quiet. At least that’s what I was counting on.
I did stop for a couple nights just outside Haad Rin, after an adventure leaving Haad Thien, to do some laundry & to ride out a storm that never really materialized excepting large waves preventing any boats from accessing Haad Thien & thus leading to a very ridiculous/exciting/borderline dangerous 4×4 large pickup truck ride up & then down a mountain in order to leave the Sanctuary. I was sitting w 3 others on benches lining both sides of the rear of the truck w everyone’s luggage at our feet (3 others plus driver in cab). The “road” was actually a severely rutted dirt road dotted w intermittent boulders and ski-jump steep hills where I couldn’t see the bottom over the top of the cab. The benches were flush w the sides of the truck & there was nothing to hold onto but for the heaviest piece of luggage I could find within grasp, which was very necessary as several of the bumps came close to bouncing me right off the side of the truck as I was catching a lot of air. It was a bonding experience as we were all laughing hysterically, while holding on for dear life, & warning one another to duck in the event oncoming branches were aimed for your head. We made it, clearly, & I talked the driver into dropping me directly at my new hotel so pretty smooth sailing.
After Haad Rin, I went to the far NE coast to stay on Thong Nai Pan Noi & Thong Nai Pan Yai beaches. They’re in nearby coves & rated by Trip Advisor as the top beaches on the island. They didn’t disappoint but also provided reasonably quick access to where I really wanted to go once the wind died down…

Cute local kid on rope swing

https://youtu.be/6icKWop17JQ

Thong Nai Pan Noi beach & fire show entertainment during dinner on the beach one night.
https://youtu.be/WHuw8CF8OPY

https://youtu.be/2HNctcq2400