The north of the island has become a lot more accessible since the north west concrete ring road was completed and the road to Had Khom was patched up. Koh Pha Ngan has been spending vast amounts of cash on its road network and the newly concreted north west ring road has created a more vibrant feel with more visitors and long-termers in the area. There a number of new bungalow parks in the northeast and the main northern village of Chaloklum is expanding to cater for more than just the fishing trade that it's well known for. It is still mainly a Thai village that hasn't yet been over-effected by tourism and there is a wealth of cheap Thai restaurants serving tasty fresh squid and other local catches; but the place is also getting a bit of a funky feel with the opening of some cool bars and cafes, and the Café Del Mar - the north's clubbing HQ.
Due to the high mountains in the north, there are a few good waterfalls to visit, and Chaloklum's maritime roots mean that fishing and diving trips are easy to organise from here, it is also home to Koh Pha Ngan's northernmost port making it the main transit point to visit Bottle Beach, or any of the other surrounding beaches by boat.
Most of the accommodation is on the only beaches, around Chaloklum Bay, Had Khom and Had Khuat; the rest of the coastline is either too rugged or is landlocked. All three are surrounded by stunning lush mountains that appear to be putting huge protective arms around the beaches inhabitants.
The northern coastline is fairly rough, the sea can be choppy, and the steep rocky cliffs make it difficult to inhabit in places. The area also claims the islands highest mountains making the off road terrain very challenging. The mountains in the north and east of Pha Ngan act as a barrier that breaks a great deal of the weather making its way across the Gulf of Thailand. The lush forests and steep climbs bring on the rain and force the clouds to open, making the North-Eastern side of the island a rich green tropical paradise and the south west and west's protective umbrella. This doesn't make for rain all the time in the north east, the micro-climate of the island is highly variable with many different weather patterns affecting it, but at certain times, all the rain can stay in the north east while the south and west stay dry. |
