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Rave Om! 
Rave Om!
A short boat ride away from Koh Phangan's full-moon
frenzy, a laid-back yoga retreat offers ravers calm after the party
storm
Another day in paradise ... the Sanctuary yoga retreat, Koh
Phangan, Thailand. Photograph: Katie Monk
I'm perched on the end
of a longtail boat, cocktail in hand, head to the wind. The silhouettes
of thousands of people line the length of the beach in front of me, and
a throbbing bass reverberates in my chest. Just two minutes ago, I was
in the middle of that neon-clad throng, dancing full-moon-style with the
best of them. And now here I am, making my James Bond-style getaway to
quieter shores up the coast. If only I could leave every party in this
way.
Unlike its neighbour Koh Samui, the mountainous island of
Koh Phangan in southern Thailand has no airport and only a small number
of roads. Its terrain has saved it from large-scale development, and
much of the island is only accessible by boat. Aside from the mainstream
commerciality of Hat Rin, near-deserted beaches and pockets of solitude
abound.
In fact, the further up the coast you go, the quieter
life becomes. Huge limestone rocks frame the bays, and dense forest
rises up the hillside behind. At this time of year - June to September,
before the monsoon comes knocking - it's the islands on the eastern side
of the peninsula that remain drier and sunnier.
As we round the
headland and point our boat towards the next bay, my shoulders relax.
The atmosphere has changed drastically, and in place of the craziness of
Hat Rin, a more peaceful scene comes into view - the calm after the
party storm.
By the light of the full moon, I can just make out
wooden huts standing precariously on the rocks. People sit around
bonfires on the beach, and the pace of life drops about 20 notches. This
is what I love about Koh Phangan. Within a four-mile radius two
different worlds exist. As the Thais say, "Same same, but different."
I
discovered this particular stretch of coastline after a two-month spell
in Nepal. I'd pushed my body to its limits trekking around the
Annapurna circuit and contracted a particularly nasty and resilient
stomach parasite in the process. A girl I met in Kathmandu told me that
to stand any chance of getting well again, I should hop on the next
flight to Thailand and get myself to Koh Phangan, pronto.
One
plane ride, a night bus, a catamaran, two taxis and a longtail boat
later, and I arrived at the Sanctuary resort. Tucked into a corner of
Hat Thian beach, the it is the kind of place you book into for a week
and end up staying for a month.
Here, among the thatched roofs,
decks and balconies above a translucent Gulf of Thailand, health and
well-being is a laid-back, low-key affair. The antithesis of a clinical
five-star spa, nobody's going to come at you with a white coat and a
clipboard and, depending on your inclination and budget, you can do as
much or as little as you like. You can detox or retox, stay in dorm for
120 baht per night (around £2.30) or a 5,400 baht-a-night
air-conditioned chalet.
As well as the large tree-house-style
restaurant, the Sanctuary has a small shop, a spa offering Balinese body
wraps and pineapple scrubs, a plunge pool and a herbal steam room built
into the rocks. Incense floats on the breeze and people drift between
yoga and meditation classes or laze around in hammocks sipping fresh
fruit smoothies.
If you have to up the ante - to add some oomph
to your Om - there's elephant trekking, jet-skiing and cooking classes,
along with diving and snorkelling in the Ang Thong marine national park.
Many of the Sanctuary's guests drift in and out of the retreat,
interspersing its serenity with the buzz of Hat Rin or less commercial
local bars nearby.
Some come just for the yoga, which is held
three times a day in a large hall in the jungle, others to gorge on
seafood or healthy veggie dishes, tucking into the likes of Thai spinach
salad with peanut coconut sauce, or pad pak sai met ma muang (stir
fried vegetables with cashew nuts and chilli).
Give it time to
settle and there's kayaking, snorkelling and hikes up to the lookout,
not to mention a well-stocked library and workshops on every
complementary therapy under the sun. They're balm for the party animals,
who slip away from the Sanctuary to cane it under a full moon before
returning for rest and recovery.
To one side, in its own enclave,
is the wellness centre - a separate home for the cleansing programmes.
Run by a man called Moon, for whom fasting is a way of life, the detoxes
range from one to seven days, with milder juice fasts and specific
liver-cleansing regimes.
I opt for the three-day cleanse, feeling
a little nervous about its psychological and physical effects. Moon
tells me to eat nothing but raw fruit and vegetables for two days in
order to prepare my body. After that only a coconut, clay and psyllium
juice will pass my lips during the fast.
Considering the
Sanctuary serves some of the best vegetarian food this side of
California, it feels sadistic in the extreme. Moon tells me my body will
thank me when it's all over, while I remind myself that Dolly Parton
wrote some of her best songs while fasting. So maybe some good will come
of it.
I cast a wistful glance in the direction of the cake
cabinet and sulk off to my salad. The cleanse is not for the
fainthearted, and it's a good idea to eat healthily beforehand and get
in the right frame of mind, but I was amazed how good I felt after.
Back
on solids, and the days pass in a haze of extended mealtimes, chats
about life, and swims in the ocean. I make the most of the morning yoga,
experience one of the best massages of my life, and leave feeling
stronger, happier and more relaxed than I have in a long time.
As
well as the Sanctuary, there are a number of smaller-scale resorts,
both in Hat Thian and Hat Yuan, that serve phenomenal Thai and Western
food. Most also have cheap beach huts to rent. My favourite is the
Bamboo Hut, an open-air restaurant with a smattering of bungalows
perched on top of the rocks between the beaches. It does a mind-blowing
tofu cheeseburger and the best chocolate coconut muffin you'll ever
taste. Fasters need not apply.
• The Sanctuary (0066 81 271 3614,
thesanctuarythailand.com) has dormitory beds from £2.30 a night, and
chalets from around £9 a night. EVA Air (020-7380 8300, evaair.com)
flies Heathrow-Bangkok from £490 rtn inc tax. Further information:
tourismthailand.co.uk.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/may/16/thailand-sanctuary-hea...
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