One of the massive benefits of solo travel is the absolute freedom to leave whenever you want.
Rahul packed his laptop and vlogging gear into his heavy backpack and immediately booked a direct flight from Bangkok to Koh Samui for that very evening.
Because the legendary Full Moon Party was rapidly approaching, all the decent hotels on Koh Phangan were entirely fully booked. Even the grimy, budget youth hostels didn't have a single bunk bed left. Rahul had no choice but to book a hotel on the neighboring, upscale island of Koh Samui.
Since he was flush with cash from his brand deal, he splurged a bit, booking a private seaside villa at a luxury resort.
After getting everything packed, he headed straight downstairs to check out. He hailed a premium Grab car and headed directly for Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Over two hours later, just as the sky was bruising purple with dusk, Rahul arrived at the massive airport. After breezing through a VIP security check, he reached his boarding gate.
Domestic flights from Bangkok to Koh Samui are notoriously expensive. Because Koh Samui's airport was privately funded and built by Bangkok Airways, they held a ruthless monopoly over the route. A last-minute ticket cost him upwards of 6,000 Thai Baht (roughly ₹14,000). Not only were the flights heavily marked up, but even basic items bought at the 7-Eleven convenience stores on Koh Samui were noticeably pricier than on the mainland.
Although the prices were steep, the scenery was truly beyond words. Countless billionaires and A-list celebrities fly to Koh Samui specifically for private, ultra-luxurious vacations every year. Among them, the celebrities most well-known to the Indian public were Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma, who were known to frequent the island's secluded private beaches.
As the plane took off, a bored Rahul looked out the window and couldn't help but wonder: Would I run into any massive Bollywood celebrities trying to escape the paparazzi on this trip?
The plane landed smoothly at Koh Samui International Airport under the cover of a pitch-black night.
When Rahul walked out of the open-air, resort-style airport exit, he immediately spotted a hotel chauffeur in a crisp white uniform holding an iPad with "Mr. Rahul" displayed on it. For a villa costing tens of thousands of rupees a night, a private airport transfer was standard procedure.
Rahul hopped into the plush, air-conditioned luxury van, swaying gently all the way to the hotel. It was too dark outside to see much of the ocean, but under the warm glow of the streetlights, Rahul could see lush, towering palm trees and vibrant flora. The air was thick with the scent of sea salt and jasmine. The tropical island vibes were immaculate.
After arriving at the grand lobby and completing a seamless check-in, a staff member loaded Rahul's luggage onto a golf cart and drove him directly to his private villa.
The villa wasn't massive, just a single-story layout, but its privacy was absolute. Stepping out through the back glass doors led to a private wooden deck with a plunge pool, which opened straight out onto a secluded stretch of white sand beach. The property was heavily surrounded by dense, manicured greenery, completely separating it from the neighboring villas.
Inside the bedroom was a massive king-sized bed, and right next to it sat a deep, freestanding white soaking tub. The bathtub directly faced the villa's floor-to-ceiling glass wall. If it were daytime, one could soak in a bubble bath while looking straight out at the stunning ocean.
Unfortunately, it was late at night, and looking out the glass only revealed the pitch-black void of the sea.
Flying and transiting was always exhausting, so Rahul took a quick, hot shower and ordered some late-night room service. While waiting, he recorded a quick B-roll intro with his DJI camera, finishing up just as the staff rolled a cart of hot Thai food into his room.
After a fantastic dinner, he checked his phone. His two busy bees back in Bangkok still hadn't sent any messages, likely tied up in late-night corporate meetings and vocal rehearsals. Rahul plugged his devices in and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
He slept soundly until he woke up completely naturally; the plush mattress couldn't have been more comfortable.
Rahul grabbed the bedside remote and pressed the switch for the electric blackout curtains. As they slowly hummed open...
A breathtaking, deep blue "jelly sea" immediately flooded Rahul's vision through the massive glass wall. The ocean was truly as clear as liquid emerald, incredibly translucent under the morning sun. Waking up to such a cinematic, high-definition view first thing in the morning made him feel incredibly refreshed and energized.
The resort staff brought a floating breakfast to his private plunge pool. Rahul lay back on a lounge chair by the deck, looking out at the stunning ocean view while sipping freshly brewed iced coffee. It was pure, unadulterated bliss.
He didn't touch his phone or his camera for hours, focusing solely on unplugging and enjoying the paradise before him.
It wasn't until he had fully digested his brunch, close to 11:00 AM, that Rahul finally picked up his vlogging gear and headed out.
Because the Full Moon Party was kicking off that evening, the luxury hotel provided a complimentary, high-speed VIP speedboat shuttle service directly to Koh Phangan for its guests.
Rahul walked down the winding stone paths toward the hotel's private pier, filming some aesthetic B-roll of the palm trees along the way.
When he reached the wooden pier, several Western tourists were already standing in the shade, waiting for the speedboat.
Two blonde-haired, blue-eyed, heavily plus-sized white girls wearing tiny tank tops and denim hot pants spotted Rahul's striking, movie-star looks. They immediately nudged each other and swaggered over to strike up a conversation.
"Hi there! Are you heading to the Full Moon Party too?"
"You look really handsome. Where are you from?"
As the two women approached, Rahul was immediately hit by a wall of strong, pungent designer perfume. Westerners often have highly active sweat glands, and in the brutal Thai humidity, body odor is common, meaning they often douse themselves in heavy perfume to mask it.
At such close range, Rahul could clearly see that the pores on the girls' skin were quite large and rough from the sun. He could even see the faint, bleached blonde hair heavily coating their arms. These foreigners' skin was undeniably pale, but it was also undeniably coarse compared to the flawless, porcelain skin of someone like Wannida or Divya.
Rahul looked at the two overly enthusiastic, heavy-set women and replied with polite distance:
"I'm from India. And yes, I'm heading to Koh Phangan."
"Wow, that's awesome! We're from Canada," the girl in the tight white tank top said excitedly. With her animated movements, the pale flesh on her upper body wobbled dangerously.
"Do you want to team up with us?" she asked, stepping closer.
Rahul gentlemanly averted his gaze from her plunging neckline and declined tactfully: "I appreciate the offer, but I'm a travel vlogger. I need to focus on filming some solo material for my channel tonight."
"Oh, that's such a huge shame," the Canadian girl pouted, her face immediately showing a look of exaggerated, heavy regret. "Because you're really hot. I was hoping we could spend a very wonderful and wild party night together."
Hearing this aggressively direct proposition, Rahul thought to himself: Are Western backpackers really this incredibly forward?!
Asking for a wild, drunken hookup within thirty seconds of saying hello?
As the famous internet meme back home went: 'A true player doesn't discriminate.' But Rahul wasn't a desperate teenager; he had standards. He'd much rather go hungry than eat just anything offered to him.
At this moment, Rahul couldn't help but wonder if everyone traveling to the Koh Phangan Full Moon Party had the exact same wild, uninhibited intentions. He also wondered if Kabir would have a heart attack editing scenes like this when the video came out.
Just as he was thinking, the hotel's sleek, twin-engine speedboat arrived at the dock.
Rahul decided not to overthink it; since he was already here, he might as well experience some world-famous outdoor clubbing. Traveling the world is all about capturing the unfiltered experience, after all.
The powerful speedboat cut sharply through the waves. Rahul sat right at the bow, pointing his camera at the churning blue sea ahead. He made a mental note: When Kabir edits this sequence, I'll have him lay down a heavy, driving Bollywood EDM remix as the BGM. The hype levels of the vlog will instantly skyrocket.
A short, bumpy ride later, the speedboat arrived at the southern pier of Koh Phangan. Rahul hopped off the boat onto the wooden docks, heading straight for the legendary Haad Rin Beach, where the Full Moon Party was being set up.
Just minutes after Rahul disappeared into the bustling, neon-painted crowds, another private, ultra-luxury speedboat belonging to the prestigious W Hotel arrived at the same pier.
The entire massive speedboat carried only one VIP passenger.
She wore a highly elegant, cream-colored sleeveless maxi dress with a matching, expensive linen knit cardigan draped over her shoulders. A wide-brimmed, light green designer straw hat sat on her head.
She wore a dark surgical mask and massive, oversized black sunglasses, completely obscuring her face from the public. But from her delicate, flawlessly manicured hands and her perfect posture, it was abundantly clear she was a woman used to a life of extreme wealth and luxury.
A female speedboat attendant respectfully helped the woman step off the boat onto the dock.
"Miss Naina... are you absolutely sure you want to relax on Koh Phangan all by yourself? It gets very chaotic here tonight."
"Yes," the woman replied. "Only in a crowd this wild can I disappear and forget those troublesome matters back home."
The woman's voice was gentle yet inherently lazy, carrying a deeply intoxicating, husky undertone that wasn't the least bit coarse. It was the kind of rich, magnetic voice entirely unique to a mature, highly experienced woman.
"Miss Naina, please be very careful then. Your fans back in India are all supporting you through this scandal!" the attendant said kindly. "I will keep the boat docked waiting for you here; you can return to the private resort at any time."
"No need to wait. Go back," the woman replied softly.
The woman named Naina Kapoor adjusted the brim of her straw hat, turned her back to the ocean, and walked gracefully into the chaotic, sprawling party island.