We hurried to the ferry filled with excitement at the prospect of exploring a new Thai island and joined the handful of other backpackers on board. Koh Phangan is just an hour away, by ferry, from Koh Samui and has a vastly different landscape due it being relatively undeveloped -in stark contrast with the bustling Samui.
We disembarked at a small pier in Haad Rin, the town famous for it’s wild Full Moon Parties, and sought out a scooter to rent for the weekend. At 150 baht per day this is the cheapest and easiest way to explore the Island. Just five minutes out of Haad Rin, Thong Sala bound we quickly discovered how beautiful Koh Phangan is.
Kupu Kupu is midway between Thong Sala and Haad Yao. I would recommend taking the ferry from Samui to the Thong Sala pier which is only 5-10 minutes away from the resort. We stayed there in April 2013, the hottest month in Thailand, and were left breathless by the beauty of the resort, with it’s Bali-style layout and its intimate beach. It dwarfs almost all of the other resort I have stayed at in terms of sheer beauty. The Villa rooms are large, spacious and decked with everything you could possibly need including a private pool with a breathtaking view. They also promote responsible tourism by encouraging you to take part in eco-friendly practises, such as putting you in charge of what really needs washing (towels, duvets, etc.) and this is only a pleasure as you find yourself almost growing closer to nature in their habitat.
My favourite part was:
Apart from architecture and location, the front office staff were extremely friendly and welcomed us wonderfully with glasses of crisp orange juice and in almost fluent English too.
Things that could be improved:
The restaurant food wasn’t at the level of a resort of this stature, however, since we have left a new French head chef has taken over the command and I think all has been rectified.
Price per night: From 4800 baht per villa.
By Vaughan McShane.
Our stay was sponsored but all views are our own.
