Wat Pho Herbal Sauna

Wat Pho in the village of Bantai is easily reached from Haad Rin or Thongsala: just take the turning to Thong Nai Pan next to the 7-11 on the main road and head up the road for a couple of kilometers. On the left you will see the tall tower, pointed roof and enclosure that denote a Buddhist temple complex in Thailand.

The herbal sauna at Wat Pho is famous in Koh Phangan, as it is the only one of its kind on the island. It used to be free, and run using donations. It was shut for several years and then re-opened in 2007. Since starting up again, guests are now charged 50 Thai Baht to use the herbal sauna. The monks are given help with the upkeep of the place thanks to a joint venture program.

During busy times of the year it is a good idea to go down to the temple and book the use of the herbal sauna. At other times of the year you can normally turn up and get into the sauna straight away. The sauna is open from 2pm to 7pm every day of the week.

It is believed that Thai massage was invented by the Buddha’s personal physician. This is more than likely to be apocryphal but it nevertheless clearly highlights the connection in Thailand between medicine and religion. This is certainly the case with herbal saunas. The herbs are chosen to be build strength, detox the body and cleanse the skin. The herbal combination includes lemongrass, turmeric and jasmine

When you arrive at Wat Pho for a sauna you are given a sarong. You strip off, put your clothes and valuables in a locker and then preserve your modesty using the sarong.

You enter a narrow room with ceramic benches on either side. The steam comes from piping venting from the walls. The steam has a strong fragrance. It is a low small room with little space and you soon get very hot and are dripping with sweat. Those who say the sauna is not hot enough are well off the mark: it is more than hot enough to purge yourself of toxins.

The average person can’t take more than an hour in the sauna before they call it a day. When you decide to stop the sauna experience a monk will offer you a cold drink or a hot herbal tea.

A common method is to go into the sauna for 10 minutes and then go outside, ladle some cold water over yourself and cool down for 5 minutes. This process can be repeated for a few times to acclimatize the body before trying to bear the heat for 15 or 20 minutes. Any more than that and you might evaporate into steam. It is not a good idea to play chicken with another sauna guest as the steam places stress on the heart and respiratory system.

Wat Pho herbal sauna is a great experience and a bargain for only 50 Thai Baht. Even if you don’t believe in beauty and spa treatments this experience is one worth having.

Sunrise Villa in Thong Nai Pan Noi

The beach of Thong Nai Pan Noi in Koh Phangan is leading the way in providing luxury accommodation for high end visitors to the island. It is a beach with 3 luxury hotels to stay in - Anantara Rasananda, Panviman and Santhiya. They all have private pool villas and offer 5 star service and accommodation. A night's stay in one of these 3 hotels can cost as much as $1,000 a night, especially if someone does not book through a travel agent.

The success of Rasananda, Santhiya and Panviman is largely based on package holiday deals. They have minimal walk in trade. The people staying at these hotels are not just rich Europeans but also Chinese, Koreans and Russians. Still few Japanese high end tourists come to Koh Phangan.

For the rich the amenities of Santhiya et al. is a welsome thing. However, the beach has largely become taken over by these hotels. There are now only Phuwadee Resort and Spa, Thong Tapan Resort and the sister Tapan Noi Resort left on the beach in the mid-range of accommodation options. Thong Tapan is not cheap - it's 1,000 Thai Baht a night.

Thankfully a new accommodation option is now available in Thong Nai Pan Noi. It is Sunrise Villa. It is a 2 storey luxury villa located on a hill behind Thong Tapan Resort. The villa has 3 double bedrooms. They are air-conditioned and have en-suite bathrooms with hot water showers. One of the bedrooms is on the second floor and has floor to ceiling windows. From here and also from the large wrap around balcony the amazing view of the bay can be enjoyed.

Sunrise Villa has a fully fitted kitchen, dining area and a comfortable lounge. There is also furniture on the balcony.

The villa is set in 1,000 square meters of landscaped garden, which makes it possibly the largest private garden on Koh Phangan. At the bottom of the garden is a parking area.

Sunrise Villa is in a quiet residential area. Staying at the villa you can hear the sound of the ocean, but not the noise of the bars at night. There are a number of different species of eagles and other birds to spot from the balcony. The area is rich in nature. You can find cashew trees, pineapples, banana plants and coconut plants in the garden.

Sunrise Villa in Thong Nai Pan Noi can accommodate 6 people. The cost to rent Sunrise Villa for 1 night is 5,000 Thai Baht. Divided by 6 people that makes $28 a night. That is cheaper than renting a small bungalow at Thong Tapan Resort. And yet the villa offers privacy and excellent amenities, as well as being only 800 meters from the beach. That is great value for money.

Sunrise Villa

Master bedroom

Lounge

View

To find out more about Sunrise Villa visit www.sunrisevilla.info

Koh Phangan Film Festival

One of the few cultural events to occur on Koh Phangan Island, other than the regular moon parties (if they can be described as cultural), is the Koh Phangan Film Festival. This will be the fourth Phangan Film Festival and it promises to be as good if not better than last year’s.

The film festival will be held over a long weekend from 24th to 26th February. The films will be shown on a large outdoor screen on Ban Tai beach. The host for the event is the Holiday Beach Resort. You can book a room at Holiday Beach Resort directly by following this link.

Each year the independent film festival has had a different theme. This year the theme of the festival is Nature and Spirituality. Independent films will be shown from all over the world exploring these and concomitant ideas.

The organizer for the event is filmmaker and traveler Julian L Balmer who directed the 2007 film, Through the Easter Gate. It is a story of 3 young people on a spiritual quest.

Other notable films to be screened in the past at the festival include: Bag It – Is Your Life Too Plastic?, Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love, and Agrarian Utopia by Thai director Uruphong Raksasad.

There have been world premieres at the Koh Phangan Film Festival. Although some of the movies have not benefitted from a large budget they all seek to be thought provoking.

The 2012 Phangan Film Festival kicks off with an opening party at Ando Loco Mexican Restaurant located on the road between Ban Tai and Thongsala. The party is on 23rd February.

If you are in Koh Phangan at the end of February you should and make the effort to get to the festival to not only show your support to this worth-while event but also to be entertained. What better than watching a movie on the beach?

Here’s the trailer that was made for the 2009 Phangan Film Festival.