Koh Phangan: Party Island, Healing Island

Location:
Thailand

island, sauna, beach party

By Patricea Chow-Capodieci

S/f: Koh Phangan: home of the whole night dance music Full Moon Party, and a lesser known herbal sauna that restores the body and senses.

By: Patricea Chow-Capodieci

A strong wind blew over rough seas as my husband and I boarded the ferry heading from Koh Tao to Koh Phangan on an overcast morning.

What I feared most happened after a half hour’s rough ride: nausea set in. Grabbing a spare plastic bag from my backpack, I expelled half of my breakfast. My husband, who possessed a stronger constitution, consoled me with news that three other passengers had already thrown up in the toilet and two of the crew were groaning on the floor behind the snack bar.

My relief was immense when we finally stepped on solid ground an hour later. My initial excitement of visiting the island famous for its Full Moon Party had been crushed by my exhaustion. Even my usually fit husband continued to feel the rhythm of the waves with each step.

The song thaew (passenger transport adapted from a pick up or lorry) drivers, sensing that we were not fit for bargaining, asked for twice the usual payment of 50 baht (approximately US$1.50) for getting each person to the guest-houses. Although not the best welcome after a rough ride, we wanted to reach the guesthouse quickly and complied.

Arriving at our guest-house within 10 minutes, I slept three hours in our beach hut, hoping that rest will re-energize me. However, I still felt lethargic and had no appetite for lunch.

Noi, one of the staffs at our guest-house’s reception, offered a local remedy: the Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) herbal sauna, which is frequented by travelers, who come to Koh Phangan for yoga, meditation or massage retreats, for its restorative effects. The sauna employs a combination of herbs such as lemon grass, citronella, jasmine and turmeric, which helps purge toxins from the body thus improving skin problems.

Since we had only experienced steam saunas in a fitness centre, an herbal sauna on temple grounds intrigued us. Following the route Noi traced out on a tourist map of Koh Phangan, we easily found the place on a rented motorbike.

When we arrived, there were visitors seating in the garden sipping hot tea from tiny porcelain cups while others were having a traditional Thai massage in a room nearby.

Two sauna rooms, one each for males and females, were atop a short flight of red steps. Behind the rooms was the area where the herbal steam was prepared. A covered metal pot containing a mixture of water and herbs sat on a stone stove over a wood-log fire. The herbal steam flowed through a tube extending from the pot in to the rooms’ back wall.

After changing in to sarongs and securing our valuables in the small locker on-site, my husband and I headed in to the sauna rooms. Tacked to the wall outside the rooms were paper signs requesting users to keep the doors closed as much as possible, so that less steam escapes from the rooms.

Pulling the door open at a small angle, I swiftly stepped in to ladies’ room and immediately closed the door behind me, allowing only a thin mist to escape. Darkness enveloped me and it was 15 seconds before my eyes became accustomed to the dimness.

The room looked approximately three meters in length and slightly less than one-and-half meters in breadth, with a slightly domed ceiling not higher than two meters. Smooth tile-covered concrete ledges for sitting ran down the lengths of both walls. The only light trickling in was through a small rectangular steam outlet carved out high on one wall.

Four other ladies sat in bikinis or sarongs along the ledges, closer to the exit. Making my way over the damp concrete floor, past the ladies to the end of the room, I sat on the first available space and immediately felt a stream of hot air graze my bare left shoulder: I was next to the room’s steam inlet. The heat was overwhelming and beads of perspiration instantaneously formed on my exposed skin, which soon became a thin film of liquid coating my skin. Within minutes, trickles of water ran down my face, arms and legs.

Using my sarong to wipe away the water was futile as the material quickly became damp with the amount of water oozing out over my entire body. In just five minutes, it seemed like someone had poured a large bucket of water over me.

Closing my eyes and inhaling deeply, the spice mix filled my lungs with a fragrance that was sweet, tangy, musky and refreshing all at once. The intriguing yet rejuvenating aroma instilled a sense of calm and relaxation.

Two ladies were having a conversation about meditation retreats, and heir voices echoed slightly in the tiny room while other ladies sat, entered or exited silently.

The heaviness of the steam soon became stifling, so I stepped out of the room in to a cool breeze. My husband had come out a moment earlier and was using a plastic scoop to pour cold tap water, collected in an earthen urn, over his perspiration-drenched body. As I followed his actions and welcomed the cool respite, he declared: “This is such a ‘wow’ experience!”

Although there was only standing space in the males’ room, he returned for the on-going exchange on exotic vacations between the Italian, French, Polish, Australian and German males.

I headed to the preparation area for a cup of tea, pre-made and kept warm in an electric water flask, and noticed from a clock on the wall that only 15 minutes had passed. I checked and noticed that some dry skin on my legs and arms, resulting from too much time under the sunlight over the previous few days, was replaced with smooth and glowing skin. Draining my cup of tea, I re-entered the room for another perfumed session.

After a total of four 15-minute sessions, we felt sufficiently invigorated to attend the Full Moon Party. We dried up, slotted a 400 baht donation in to a plastic container and followed the rising and falling curved road to Haad Rin.

It was only 6pm when we arrived, but the main street was already closed to vehicular traffic. We heard Japanese, Greece, Italian, French, Australian, English, American and Scottish accents from the constant flow of tourists passing as we had dinner at an eatery along the main road.

Three hours later, we stepped on to the kilometer long, crescent shaped Haad Rin Nok beach, with the bright full moon casting its glow over the bustling activity.

More than 10 beach-front bars were each broadcasting different genres of music, ranging from reggae to hip hop and trance. Pockets of people in beach gear gathered on the beach. They were either dancing on makeshift platforms or seating on the sand, sipping cheap alcoholic drinks from a small bucket costing from 250 to 350 baht (US$7.50 to US$10.50).

Makeshift stalls sold finger food and iridescent body paint while individual sellers hawked luminous sticks and plastic bangles flashing with battery-powered colored lights. Fire twirlers, fire eaters and jugglers entertained the crowd, which would grow to a few thousand before the night ends.

The excitement of the Full Moon Party would continue past sunrise, but the herbal sauna had relaxed both our minds and body. We left the merrymaking and traveled on unlit roads back to our guest-house.

That night, we slept soundly with the hypnotic rhythm of waves lapping on the beach 15 meters from our hut. We woke the next day feeling rejuvenated and ready for a full day of island activity.

At the breakfast room, we met other travelers who had just returned from Haad Rin at 9am. Many were hung over while some needed more than just sleep. We shared our secret: the Wat Pho herbal sauna for restoring the body and soul after too much exertion. It was a magical experience that we will repeat when we visit Koh Phangan again.

About Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) Herbal Sauna:

Located in Ban Tai, the herbal sauna at Wat Pho is a 10 minute drive from Thongsala pier and operates daily from 3pm to 6pm. There are no charges but a nominal donation will help the monks cover part of the cost of maintaining and running the sauna, as well as acquiring the herbs.

Do be aware that outside of the sauna rooms, ladies have to wear a sarong and men have to be in shorts that reach the knees. If you do not have a sarong, the sauna rents colorful batik sarongs for 100 baht (US$3.00) each.

Also on the premises is Lek’s Massage, offering purportedly one of the best traditional Thai massages in the country at 150 baht for an hour. Do make an advance booking of a day if you would like your massage to be done by Lek himself. Otherwise, two other ladies ensure that you can have a massage within the hour.

About the Full Moon Party:

Started in the late 80’s as an intimate beach-fire party among friends under the full moon, the Full Moon Party has grown to be an international tourist destination. The party is every full moon on Haad Rin Nok beach. Schedules and other information are available at fullmoonparty-thailand.com.

Further Information

Other helpful information: Getting to Koh Phangan

From Bangkok, take a coach ride of approximately eight hours to Sura Thani province then take a ferry ride of two-and-half hours to Koh Phangan. The easiest way is to purchase in Bangkok joint coach and ferry tickets from one of the trusted and biggest Thailand transport operators, Songserm Travel Centre (telephone: (+66) (0) 29845600-49, 5740251-4).

Must see/do at this place: Try the hot stone buffet that is common along the roads: you get a variety of meat, seafood and sometimes dessert for 89 baht (US$2.75)

You should avoid here: Drugs, as you get jail time if caught.