Ko Phangan Things to Do

Phangan has much to offer. Apart from the parties and relaxing on one of the many nice beaches there is a lot of fun stuff to do. You can go trekking in the jungle, see and swim in waterfalls, go kitesurfing, elephant riding, snorkling, diving, see or learn Thai boxing, fitness, paintball and so on.

You can take a tantra yoga course while you are in Thong Nai Pan, and even go on a retreat! Ask for Dao at Chai Ya Bar/Restaurant (9:30am) or Thai Terrace Bungalows (4pm). Dao was certified by an Indian man whose school is located in Ban Tai (see website below). If you want to take a serious course (ie. Teacher Training), she can introduce you to him. Tantra Yoga combines meditation and breathing with asanas. The classes are 200 baht each, 1 1/2- 2 hours long, and are good for any level. Dao also does occasional retreats by longtail boat to Ang Thong National Marine Park. This is a great way to de-stress from your real life as well as meeting some great people.

(This yoga no longer exists UFN)

SAIL ROCK DIVE CENTER (Koh Phangan)

This dive center is now a 5-star Padi center effective December 2009. The service quality, its professionalism, and facilities deserve attention. The instructors/ divemasters are English speaking expatriates residing in Phangan for years each with almost 10-15 years diving experience. For those Thai speaking learners, there is one Thai instructor as well. It has an in-house certified NITROX (ie enriched air ) cylinders/tank filling equippments, almost brand new Aqualung gear for fun diving trips and speedboats to reach dive sites earliest before the arrival of other groups of divers. The centre is located in the North of Koh Phangan being closest to the famous dive spot namely Sail Rock. I had 7 dives there. Less crowd means more safety, in particular to us recreational divers. For those with family members being not interested in diving, one can keep the kids, non-diver partners at the in-house swimming pool for a maximum 3m deep training and/or swimming, or even take a Buy- one- get -one free drink at its in-house British style Bar. Before committing to the center, I did google through and found that the dive center offer the most competitive rate with efficient email replies from its friendly directors. After dives, cost-effective is my conclusion. To be more objective, on top of recommendation Re: speedboat , I guess when sea is rough, the quick speedboat trip maybe bit bumpy. In any event, this is the price. Being an advanced open diver with nitrox certification, I say the center deserve your comparison with other service provider.
Hope of help

GaryPaula

If you want to go diving or snorkelling you really should look further than Koh Tao! Koh Phangan offers the same sites pus more and avoids all the overcrowded Koh Tao madness.

I recently went diving with Reefers Dive Resort as they offered free accommodation while I was doing my advanced course. The owners have been working on the island diving for years but have just opened their own shop so they have this amazing enthusiam which really rubs off on everyone around them. I took a couple of trips and we saw a whale shark which was one of the best experiences of my life. After diving I wasn't just a customer; they really made sure that i felt part of the group and always invited everyone to join for sunset beers especially if you're travelling by yourself. The equipment is brand new and the service top class. Im going back for more diving with them as soon as i can.

It took a couple of days to unwind from the long travel by train/bus /boat to get to Samui & ko Phangan.So we didn't want to do anything but sleep,swim,eat ,read and enjoy the wonderful view from our hut.......Phangan Style

Everyone who comes to Koh Phangan usually tries to participate in the full moon party which happens on different dates of every month at the Sunrise beach. Tourist floods the island as early as 1 week in advance to the actual date. Read up more online and you will soon realize that this event is really one of the must participate parties in the world!

What I enjoyed most in Ko Phangan is the less development surrounding than Ko Samui.

There are many different beaches around the island which can be reached by less developed land routes or more fun by sea.

A great island just to relax and enjoy the sea and nature.

Aparently Haad Salad used to be a pirates hideout, where they waited until their ships were full of booty and slaves before setting off to trade. It is a beautiful and secluded beach set in a little cove surrounded by high jungle hills.