KOH PHANGAN 101 T
he island of KOH PHANGAN has always been a pristine paradise that has beckoned the intrepid explorer. With an overall area of 167 sq.km it’s Thailand’s 5th biggest island, and although it’s located a mere 12 km from its nearest neighbour, Koh Samui, it’s light years away from Samui in terms of its style and character (as the pace of development has been much slower here). It’s still a place of relatively unspoilt beauty, divided between a hilly and lush tropical jungle interior, and the many idyllic, white sand beaches that can be found lining the island’s outer edges. For the uninitiated, Phangan’s main claim to fame is the infamous FULL MOON PARTIES which attract thousands of hardcore hedonists on a regular basis. However, this night of monthly mayhem is largely confined to a single beach— Haad Rin Nok—and as any visitor will attest to, the rest of the island is pretty serene. In harmony with this overall serenity is the abundance of yoga and wellness centres on the island, which attract healthand spiritually-minded travellers. THE SANCTUARY, the ORION HEALING CENTRE, and the ANANDA WELLNESS RESORT are three of the best known health and detox retreats, while AGAMA YOGA, the PYRAMID YOGA CENTER, and the aptly named THE YOGA RETREAT are great places to brush up on your downward dogs and sun salutations. There’s also a surprising number of vegan and vegetarian restaurants to choose from, which will come as a pleasant surprise for many eco-conscious visitors. Another surprise for visitors is the amount of things to do inland on the island. The THAN SADET NATIONAL PARK, located near the centre of the island, is a natural preserve famous for the PHAENG WATERFALL, although in the dry season the falls sometimes aren’t much more than a trickle. But in any season hiking the 400-metre forest trail, which leads to the DOM SILA viewpoint, is a great way to commune with nature. There’s even a hostel and campsites on the premises. Other inland adventure options can be found by visiting the headquarters of the ECO SAFARI PARK tour company (located near the entrance to Than Sadet), who offer a dizzying array of full day hiking, snorkelling, zip line, and elephant trekking trips. Their full day overland sightseeing adventure—which visits the park’s jungle interior, waterfall, and viewpoints, as well as snorkelling at Koh Ma beach, elephant riding (optional), and a visit to the island’s magnificent Chinese temple—is priced at just B1,400. Or, if you just want elephant trekking on its own, KOH PHANGAN ELEPHANT TREKKING offers tours every day, from 10am to 3pm, starting at B500 per trek. www.kohphanganelephanttrekking.com As for getting here, unless you have a helicopter you can only get to Koh Phangan by boat. Most people travel via Koh Samui, and there are at least three ferries a day from Samui’s Big Buddha pier to Phangan’s THONGSALA PIER, as well as the Haad Rin Queen Ferry which goes directly to HAAD RIN PIER. PLAN YOUR TRIP: Aspiring writer’s take note… from February 20th to 25th, authors Brian Gruber and Kaila Krayewski will host the five-day intensive TROPICAL WRITER’S TOOLKIT transformational writing workshop. Each day will begin with a yoga class aimed at opening up any writing blockages, followed by a full day of writing classes. A sunset visualization class and daily Thai massage will round out the day. Three nutritious and delicious Thai meals are provided daily, and the special welcome and closing receptions will include a scrumptious Thai BBQ, plus plenty of wine and beer. Accommodation is at the luxurious MERMAID VILLA, but space is limited so book now! www.digitalnomadasia.com