MOUNTAINBIKING
Koh Phangan has good facilities for people who love mountain
biking. The island is in perfect size and has a large flat area
on the south and west with variety of sights, within a 20 km
ride. Also, the dirt paths of Koh Phangan are so much fun for
the riding. There are mountains to trek, slopedtrails to run,
rocky paths to jump and scenery to enjoy.
Mountain bikes are for rent at many bike shops in Thongsala
Town, Haad Rin and Chaloklum Village.
DIVING
AND SNORKELING
Koh Phangan also has lovely sites around the island which are
perfect for both beginners and trained divers.
From
easy dives off the beach to longer dive trips by boat, you can
experience the world of tropical diving. This year, we have
already seen some big fish such as groupers, schools of adult
barracuda and some small harmless sharks.
Local dive operators can offer introductory (experience) dives,
beginners courses (usually 4 days) and further training through
advanced up to professional level. Many of Koh Phangan's sites
are well suited to training purposes with colorful fish and
also smooth, sandy bottoms for painless and environmentally
friendly learning.
For the trained diver, the west coast of Koh Phangan offers
the best diving with some fine hard coral reefs at depth up
to 20 metres. There are also some islets which offer small walls,
soft and filtered coral, and large schools of fishes.
Dive trips are also available to further sites such as Koh
Wao Yai (in the north of Ang Thong National Marine Park) where
the water is so clear that you can see as far as 20 metres away
or the famous Hin Bai (Sail Rock). Here the dives are deeper
with a great range of marine life, spectacular underwater scenery
and chance to meet bigger fish -even whales or sharks can be
encountered.
For snorkeling sites, you can find almost everywhere in Koh
Phangan (except the east coast). The shoreline of Koh Phangan
is rocky with some sandy beaches and a wide variety of coral
and tropical fish. The water is warm and pleasant all year long,
make you snorkel for hours.
One of the best sites is in Mae Haad Bay, where living coral
can be found just below the surface a few meters out. Make your
own choice and enjoy nature as you like. But please take care
of our treasure, nature lovers respect the beauty of the earth.
Full Moon Party - if you're
after party heaven you can't do better than Haad Rin, an expanded
village of beach bars, cheap chicken burgers, and low cut figure-hugging
outfits. It is most popular one night a month - the night of
the Full Moon Party. Every bar is hopping, the beaches packed
with trance, dance, buckets, and various other suspicious substances.
However, if the sight of thousands of bottles and other trash
repulses you, make sure you leave the beach area before the
sun comes up, or grab a garbage bag and help tidy up a little.
If you're not on Ko Pha Ngan during the full moon, don't worry:
there are other parties to be had, including Half Moon (2 times
a month), Black Moon, Jungle Parties, as well as the Shiva Moon
party. There is always something to do in Ko Pha Ngan.
Archery can be attempted at the "First Bow and
Arrow Archery" close to Chaloklum on the road to Thongsala.
Four archers can have a go at the same time, people are very
friendly (German spoken during high season) and helpful.
Hiking can be done all around the island. There is a
trail that leads between Haad Rin and Haad Tien, which many
enjoy however the route can become difficult to discern, and
bringing enough water is necessary.
Muay Thai gyms such as "Jungle Gym" in Haad
Rin and Thong Sala offering training and work out facilities,
as well as camps such as "Horizon" located in Haad
Tien (east) which is an intensive training camp. There are also
frequent matches in Thong Sala and Haad Rin for spectators who
don't want to learn the sport.
Yoga is offered at multiple locations including Agama Yoga,
which is located in the northwest of the island, and has month
long intensive courses.
