5 April 2008 - Ban Tao, Koh Phangan, Thailand


We'd managed to catch around two hours' sleep in total last night what with the bumpy roads, frequent toilet stops (why, with a toilet on the bus, was that necessary?) and the incessant snoring of certain nasally-deformed passengers. We were travelling south from Kanchanaburi near the Myanmar border to Koh Samui, which involved a long bus ride and then a ferry trip to the island itself in the Gulf Of Thailand. Red-eyed and in desperate need of coffee, we were on the ferry by 7.00am and glided past enormous hulks of grey rock sticking vertically out of the ocean, each topped with an ill-fitting toupe of green trees. Tiny silver fish, startled by the mass of the boat and the thudding of the screws, swam clear of the water and danced along on the tips of their tails for a few metres at a time. The deep blue horizon was full of the hazy shapes of distant islands and we tried to work out which was Koh Samui. As we drew near we saw the town loom up, busy even at this hour, and soon enough we'd docked.

Words: Will Jobbins
Pics: Will Jobbins & Maya Lewis
Film: Will JobbinsWe found a hotel on the seafront - it was nothing fancy, but it had air conditioning and a huge comfy bed. We checked in at about 11am and decided to crash out for a couple of hours. Up and out again later that afternoon, we left our bags chained up in our room and walked down to the ferry port to catch the last boat of the day for the ninety-minute crossing to Koh Phangan. Once on the ferry, we realised we had no idea a) if the Black Moon Party was even still on, b) if it was still on tonight, c) where it was or d) how to get there. All we'd seen was an unconfirmed date on some anonymous webpage two months previously. I had assumed it was on Haad Rin beach, which is where the infamous (and infamously over-commercialised) Full Moon Party is held, but we thought it prudent to check first. And so, as soon as we got to the island we found a net cafe and checked - yes, it was still on tonight (or at least, the site I'd seen two months previously hadn't been updated in the meantime, which was less inspiring...) and no, it wasn't on Haad Rin - it was at another beach called Ban Tao. Okay, so how do we get to Ban Tao? Luckily, one of these taxi-type hop-on pickup trucks rolled past with 'Ban Tao' written on the top. Congratulating the driver on his impeccable timing, we jumped in and headed off. He looked back over his shoulder, grinned a grin of many yellowing teeth, and shouted "Black Moon?" We replied in the affirmitive and, finally, had confirmation that we hadn't come to this island in the middle of the night on a wild goose chase.

On the road to Ban Tao we rolled past many bars. Most were displaying English football games at high volume, decorated with pink strip lighting and were full of bored-looking Thai women in minimal clothing who were sitting around drinking, or half-heartedly shunting balls around a pool table. Drunken Brits tripped over each other in their haste to get in, and the girls dutifully sat on their laps, smiled crocodile smiles at them and had drinks bought. We rolled on, thankfully.



At the gate was a beautifully painted Black Moon mural, and we were deprived of 300 baht each by the Thai staff. Even from here we could hear the unmistakeable pulse of psytrance and as we came around a corner, we saw the whole breathtaking arena laid out on the beach itself. The decor was in UV reactive paint, and there were electric blue grids and spiderwebs stretched out above as a canopy, with murals, multicoloured walls and lighting effects standing vertically on all sides. The dance floor area was sandwiched between two bars and, on the far side of the main area and just behind the rearmost speaker stacks there was the sea, gently lapping at the sand. Usually this was a quiet, tranquil tropical paradise, but tonight it was party central. The speakers reached up way above our heads like giant black obelisks and in the booth, a DJ in a white shirt that glowed under the UV lights was already swapping psytrance and techno records. It was pretty empty so we sat down for a beer. One early starter was already jumping around to the music, and the grin on his face and his extremely dilated eyes indicated that he wasn't 'just drinking'. As more people started to arrive, the body painters went to work on the ravers and performed some incredible art. Maya, as an up-and-coming bodypaint artist, went off to watch and get tips and photos. I sat with a vodka & Red Bull and soaked up the music. A while later, Maya came back with an American girl, Kelly. Kelly was a professional hula-hooper and had travelled all around SE Asia, funding herself by hula-hooping at parties and raves and getting paid for it.

Within an hour or two the beach was pulsing with ravers - Hawaiian shirts, dreadlocks, UV paint and bare feet kicking up the sand. The temperature was still way into the mid-30s and so, as we got up to hit the dancefloor we ended up sweating buckets and collapsing with bottles of water not long afterwards. The music was awesome - hard psychedelic trance for the most part, with techno and house tracks dropped in every so often, all high bpm and extremely high volume. The night degenerated into a whirling, pulsing blur of ultraviolet glow and pumping beats. Partying out in the open air under the stars of an Asian firmament was a surreal and incredible experience, especially because, if you found yourself getting too hot, you could just run to the back of the dance floor and jump into the sea to cool down - and many did. The party generally was extremely friendly and well organised but we wouldn't have known it, we were so wasted. Although not as badly as some - at one point, Maya ended up looking after a Thai girl whose drink had been spiked.

Amazingly still coherent (and even more amazingly still moving) at 5am, we started to make a move for the exit, to get a taxi back to the port and then get the ferry back to Koh Samui so we could get some sleep. After a terrifying white-knuckle ride on the back of two taxi bikes we were on the dock and watching the sun's warm fingers spreading over the Gulf, turning the water into a shimmering liquid sea of molten gold. We realised we'd been two nights without any decent sleep, having only caught a couple of hours on the coach and again at the hotel the previous afternoon. We were shattered, and the amphetamine-fortified Red Bull was wearing off. We had enormous black bags under our eyes and desperately needed a shower. Other passengers on the ferry looked at us in disgust as we oozed into our seats and stared out of the window with glassy eyes, listening to the busy hubbub of the waves under the bow through ringing ears. We couldn't have cared less.

We tramped back into our hotel at about 9am, and the owner - a jolly, large Thai woman - laughed at us heaving our dishevelled, aching bodies up the stairs. We had enough time for another 2hrs sleep before we had to check out, and we took full advantage. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow. Later we checked out, still groggy and tired, and headed for the taxi rank.

Before long we were on the way to Big Buddha Beach, where I'd been recommended a chalet/hut village resort called Shambala by a friend who knew the owners. Meaning 'peace' in Tibetan and having beautiful chalets situated right on a calm beach, Shambala sounded just the job for a spot of rest and recreation. We arrived and enquired about a vacancy. We were shown to a cabin and hardly even looked at it, throwing our bags on the floor and staggering to the bed, still extremely tired. The owner smiled sympathetically at us and said "Check in later, whenever you're ready..." kindly closing the door quietly. It didn't matter, she could have slammed it as hard as she liked. I was already asleep and wouldn't have woken up if a brass band wearing leaden clogs had marched across the bed playing The Dirty Dozen...

The Black Moon Party is held monthly at Ban Tao beach, Koh Phangan, Thailand. It is held around the time of the new moon, hence the name, so do check the lunar cycles when you arrive. There are other parties held at other points in the lunar cycle, such as the Half Moon and the legendary Full Moon, so don't panic if you miss this one.

To see all Black Moon images click below.

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