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THREE ISLANDS THREE WAYS
SNORKEL, SPA AND SAIL IN AN UNBEATABLE ISLAND-HOPPING GETAWAY. JULES KAY SAVOURS THREE DISTINCTIVE HOLIDAY EXPERIENCES ON KOH SAMUI, KOH PHANGAN AND KOH TAO. PICTURES BY MARTYN GOODACRE
KOH PHANGAN: Bliss-Out Isle
The Full Moon Party made this island famous, but for most visitors Phangan is more a place to escape the fray than to indulge in blind hedonism. Once you leave the main party beach, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the natural splendour of a rocky coastline interrupted by a procession of pristine bays. One such sweet retreat is Haad Tien Beach, home to The Sanctuary – a retreat that’s designed to remind you how life should be.
People from all over the globe seek out this modest resort for its fasting programmes, yoga, life improvement workshops and healing treatments, or simply just to get away. Manager Mike Doyle describes the resort’s extensive list of beneficial activities as “distractions”, and by choosing one or more of these you can use your holiday to learn something new, practise yoga, detox your system or just enjoy some “you” time on the beach.
Perhaps unfortunately for the retreat’s fasting guests, The Sanctuary serves fabulous food. The menu presents a dilemma of choice with more than 300 healthy but tempting dishes, many of them vegetarian, as well as some carefully planned salads and raw meals. That said, the fish and chips is excellent.
The Sanctuary only takes advanced bookings on its 15 houses; a further 15 bungalows and a dorm are kept for last- minute arrivals. “We’re basically about finding a balance,” Mike says. “This is a place to find a bit of inner peace and enjoy a holiday with yourself.”
There are many other retreats on Koh Phangan worth considering, though The Sanctuary is certainly the best established. Monte Vista Retreat Center is another tranquil spot with a peaceful hillside location, while the Ananda Yoga Resort offers a variety of life-
enhancement programmes. There’s even the possibility of a full-blown silent Buddhist retreat at Wat Kow Tahm International Meditation Center. Such options make Koh Phangan something of a mecca for souls in search of personal and spiritual growth – a positive side to the island that many people hope will eventually become its trademark.
ADDRESS BOOK
The Sanctuary tel +66 (0)81 271-3614, www.thesanctuarythailand.com
Monte Vista Retreat Centre tel +66 (0)77 238951, www.montevistathailand.com
Wat Koh Tahm www.watkowtahm.org
INSIDER TIP:
Koh Phangan
*On the far northern coast, Koh Mah is a small island connected to Koh Phangan by a sandbar from Mae Had beach. It’s surrounded by an incredible living reef and offers an ideal location for snorkelling or learning how to dive.
KOH TAO: Adventure Isle
Stepping off the Lomprayah Catamaran at Mae Hat, you are greeted by happy chaos. The western beaches are the busiest, offering a jumble of local tourist services, but those in the know head for the quieter east coast.
Aram Limsakul and his wife Sharin Negi own and run the Black Tip IDC Dive Resort and Water Sport Center, one of four hotels on Ao Tanote. For those who love to mess about either on or under the water, this eastern bay is a great place to start.
“We take care of people who dive or snorkel with us,” says Aram. “We don’t put too many people on one boat and are passionate about the environment. Our guides show people the beauty of Koh Tao, as well as explaining how we are trying to preserve the local ecology.”
Apart from diving, Black Tip offers wakeboarding, snorkelling trips and tubing. You can even join an informal fire twirling session – not lit – for beginners. Plans are also underway to offer guided treks to the interior of the island. Despite the relative remoteness, boredom is not an option.
Elsewhere on Koh Tao, companies offer all levels of dive courses, from try-dives to instructor-level training. It’s essential to choose carefully and check each company’s reputation, equipment and staff qualifications.
“We train around 3,000 people a year,” says Rene Nielsen, an instructor from Coral Grand Divers, a well-respected operation. “More people now qualify to dive on Koh Tao than in Australia.” Such demand means choices are growing all the time. Coral Grand recently opened a new high-end dive resort, the Koh Tao Montra Resort & Spa, located close to the port in Mae Hat. Staying in absolute comfort, learning to dive in a lake-sized pool and taking the plunge from a purpose-built speed boat appeals to a certain type of visitor.
Sadly, even with such bright prospects, the island has been over-fished and over- dived in recent years, according to many Tao residents. Some local people are trying not only to improve conditions, but also to educate visitors. Aram is a member of the “Save Koh Tao” committee, and is involved in turtle release programmes and giant clam restoration projects. Koh Tao is also one of the locations for the Bio Rock Coral Reef Restoration project, which is helping to reclaim the reefs so that coral can reform and grow again. It is now crucial that everybody understands the need to look after Koh Tao’s incredible undersea world. “Without it,” says Aram, “we have nothing to offer.”
ADDRESS BOOK
Black Tip IDC Dive Resort and Water Sport Center tel +66 (0)77 456489, www.blacktipdiving.com
Koh Tao Coral Grand Resort tel +66 (0)77 456431, www.kohtaocoral.com
Koh Tao Montra Resort tel +66 (0)77 456431, www.kohtaomontra.com
Biorock Thailand Coral Reef Restoration www.biorock-thailand.com
INSIDER TIP:
*Café del Sol serves authentic French and Italian cuisine, such as homemade pasta and pizza, smoked salmon and excellent steaks with a good wine selection. (9/9 Moo 2, Mae Hat, tel +66 (0)77 456578, www.cafedelsol.ws)
KOH SAMUI: Yachting Isle
“Samui looks untouched from the sea,” says Frank Walter, the French owner of the 63-foot classic ketch, Kaisso Kaia. And it’s hard to argue with him when you’ve just spent a day sailing around the island, anchoring off secluded bays that can’t be reached by road. Frank’s tour (booked through Easy Charters) includes a slap-up buffet lunch and time to swim and snorkel away from the crowds. With just 15 people on a yacht that can take 30, there’s plenty of space to lounge and enjoy the views. “We like to make our guests feel comfortable,” he explains. “Sailing with us is a relaxed, personal experience.”
Thanks to the success of the annual Samui Regatta (which will go ahead in a much bigger way next year on 1–6 June under its new banner, the Sawasdee.com Regatta Samui), sailing off Samui has become an increasingly popular pursuit in recent years. A number of impressive cruising craft now moor permanently in places such as Bophut and Big Buddha Bay, while wind seekers can rent beach cats and trimarans for faster, in-shore sailing. Experienced seafarers often book an extended trip with Sunsail Asia, one of the world’s leading sailing-holiday firms, which offers full-blown flotilla sailing from Koh Samui to nearby islands in the Ang Thong Marine Park. For those with less of an urge to wind a winch, a number of owners, like Frank, offer private day charters around the island, as well as taking guests on romantic sunset cruises. Other bespoke sailing options off Samui include a trip on Kia Ora, a purpose-built luxury day-sail catamaran that leaves from Big Buddha Beach and offers indulgent, all-inclusive cruises. Then there’s La Fortune, a converted junk owned and operated by charismatic Frenchman Pascal Coldefy, who rescued the vessel, rebuilt it and sailed it to Samui from the Andaman coast. “Every day is beautiful 
when you live your life at sea,” he says. “To understand an island, you have to understand the ocean, and Koh Samui becomes a different place once you have sailed around her.” Most charters also sail regularly over to Koh Phangan, but whatever trip you choose, you’ll enjoy a unique view of Samui that surprisingly few people take advantage of.
ADDRESS BOOK
Easy Charters tel +66 (0)77 246280, www.easy-charters.com
Sunsail Asia www.sunsail.com.au
Kia Ora Thailand tel +66(0)77 425264, www.kiaorathailand.com
La Fortune tel +66 (0)77 960340, www.jonque-fortune.com
INSIDER TIP
*Learn to cook Thai food on Samui: Chef Gaye offers personalised classes in a beachside outdoor kitchen in Bang Rak. (tel +66 (0)89 593-4789)
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