Koh Phangan is a beautiful little island in the Gulf of Thailand where there is something for everyone. It’s the perfect place to simultaneously be a beach bum, a yogi, and a party animal, and you can do it at an affordable price!
There are so many great Hostels to choose from where friendly people are happy to make your stay memorable, and you’ll make many new friends! We’ve picked a few of the most popular ones and listed them below - to help you choose the one that suits your style best.
We’ve separated the hostels into categories of what towns they are located in for easy picking.
Baan Tai is loaded with backpacker hostels because it is ideally placed at the centre of everything. It is a few minutes' drives from the Full Moon Party, and you can rent a motorbike or car to explore the rest of the island easily. Many travellers believe Baan Tai is the best place to base yourself and easily access the rest of the island.
Right on the beach at a bargain price, full of funny people in their cosy lounge area...this place is excellent! Echo rooms are simple, and the bathrooms are shared, but the price is attractive, and the beachfront location has a view of Koh Samui in the distance and unbelievable sunsets! There is a restaurant and bar, and the hostel is well known for its parties, where guests from other places even come to have an unforgettable evening. As you can imagine, the beds sell out quickly here during The Fullmoon Party week, so make sure to book in advance!
This hostel is one of a kind. It is built entirely out of shipping containers! Located right on the main road, it is easy to get a taxi anywhere from here. It’s also great fun to watch the world driving by as you enjoy lounging by the pool in their cosy garden atmosphere. As a bonus, they provide a complimentary breakfast to get you going!
Phangan Area is an extraordinary place because it doubles as a sports complex! Not only is there the usual (and necessary since you are, after all, coming to paradise island) swimming pool, but there’s also football courts, volleyball nets, tennis, an outdoor gym with machines and free weights, and much more. It’s super easy to make new friends playing games, and the hostel is very good at bringing guests together through sports activities and stellar communal spaces.
The vibe here is young, active and super fun! Aside from getting physically fit, the nightlife is excellent here too. Their beer pong tournaments are famous, and winners get free drinks! With 250 beds here, you can rest assured that staying here will be a very social and interactive experience.
Last but not least, the location is 100 meters from the beach and only 5 minutes drive to the walking street market and the night food market at the main pier.
Thong Sala is the main town (the capital in a sense), where the pier brings everyone to paradise on the main ferries. (There is also a pier in Haad Rin but just for the speed boats). Here you will find lots of great restaurants, bars and shops. Every Saturday, their town hosts a night market called Walking Street, where they shut down a whole street and stalls selling goods and food line both sides. A taxi ride to The Fullmoon Party from Thong Sala is cheap and about a 20-minute ride. All the hostels arrange the trip for their guests. It is also easy to visit the rest of the island from here if you rent a motorbike or car.
Lime and Soda is a backpackers resort with a beautiful beachfront location. It has a very relaxed vibe and a chilled party atmosphere simultaneously. There's so much to do here that you don’t even have to leave if you don't want to! On-site, there’s a restaurant, beach bar, swimming pool, travel desk, free wifi, ping pong, volleyball, the beach where you can watch incredible sunsets while sipping on a pina colada, and more.
Haad Rin Beach is the home of the famous Full Moon Party! However, it’s also a lovely place with no Full Moon Party. The town is small enough that you don’t even need a motorbike. It’s nice to walk around, down the rows of little streets lined with shops and restaurants of all kinds. The beach there is great for sunbathing or playing sports with its soft white sand and crystal clear waters that are perfect for swimming.
Simple rooms but full of memories on the coast of Haad Rin Nai, in Haad Rin but on the western sunset beach (opposite side Fullmoon Party beach). The service is excellent, they have cheap and tasty food, and a nice big pool right on the beach where they host well-known pool parties!
This legendary hostel is located right on the beach. It has clean, comfy dorm rooms, and while the property may appear a bit outdated, the service is superb. There is a nice big pool with a slide for some good-old big kid fun! It’s easy to spend the whole day here just lounging by the pool with the beach view ahead and mountains as a backdrop. Important note: you have to be ready to party here because the music is loud all night!
Jungle Gym and Eco Lodge is the most relaxed hostel for flashpackers. It is super stylish with its luxury resort feel, minus the price tag! The place has amenities, including unlimited access to the lodge pool and fitness centre, intimate dorms with A/C, and ensuite bathrooms...not to mention the breathtaking views of Haad Rin Beach.
It is highly recommended that you stay in different parts of the island if you have enough time. Every zone has a different feel, a unique atmosphere and experience. The scene on the west coast (Srithanu, Haad Yao, Haad Salad, Chaloklum) is more relaxed, with great snorkelling, diving, yoga, and big vegan culture. You can even stay up there and take a taxi boat to The Fullmoon Party! It’s got to be one of the best experiences you can have to ride up to The Fullmoon Party on a longtail boat...amazing! Plus, going from peaceful to a crazy party and getting to go back to soft again is very nice too! All this can also be done from the North East coast (Thong Nai Pan, Than Sadet, Haad Thien, Haad Yuan). It’s super quiet there with not too much going on, but gorgeous!
A luscious jungle surrounds this unique backpackers resort. The refreshing deep swimming pool is set in this gorgeous natural environment. The dorms are comfortable with privacy curtains on the beds and lockers for each guest to store their backpacks and belongings. The bathrooms are shared, but they are spacious and cleaned frequently. The overall vibe of the place is super chill, and the owners are attentive to the customers making you feel entirely at home.
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