Haad Rin Beach

Haad Rin is the epicenter of Koh Phangan's party scene and home to the Full Moon Party. The beach itself is beautiful — a curved white sand bay flanked by rocky headlands. On a normal night it's a pleasant stretch of beach bars with decent music and a relaxed crowd. On Full Moon night it transforms into one of the most intense party environments in Southeast Asia.

The main strip of bars runs along the beachfront — Cactus Bar, Tommy Resort, Zoom Bar, and dozens more. Fire dancers perform on the sand. Music pumps from every direction. The crowd is overwhelmingly young and international. It's one of those experiences that's hard to describe and impossible to forget, for better or worse.