Koh Phangan

After a dozen days of onshore winds and choppy seas, the weather took a much needed change for the better!  We traveled from Samui on the big catamaran.  A driver from our resort awaited us and took us off on a wild ride over the mountains and through the jungle.  This is a very mountainous island and has serious jungle. The first time we came in 1992 there was only a dirt road and you needed 4-wheel drive. Now the road is paved and it takes half the time to reach our location.  We love Tan Nai Pan Noi beach. Actually it is two curved bays separated by a lush dense mountain.  Our hotel, Panviman Resort, is located between the two coves on the hillside.  Huge rock formations tumble to the shore. It’s wild and beautiful. Panviman has aged but it’s still one of the most beautiful places to be for the views, the sea, and the beauty of the natural surroundings.  It’s fairly far from the party beaches and didn’t used to have many tourists. This time there were two more resorts on the Noi side, and many smaller places on the other larger cove. It feels unique.  It was stunning the first eight days. A gift.  Perfectly smooth sea, like “morning glass”, soft breezes and warm water.  But the steps… up and down to the beach, to the pool, to our room… everyday, many times.  145 steps from our room the the beach.  At night, the single small street in the village had grown from a few basic restaurants last time we were here to about a dozen restaurants and several shops and of course the proverbial 7-11.  After walking down through the “ arboretum” as Ron named the lush jungle that rose up alongside the resorts driveway we’d enjoy dinner in town.  Later we would walk back up that steep driveway. The resort has cute stretch electric golf carts to take people up to their rooms.  You could have the guard call one for you, but we walked!  Our legs got strong!