The Action Eight for Phuket Thailand

Kerrie Hall reveals eight exciting ways to get the adrenaline pumping in Phuket Thailand in the Fah Thai March and April 2007 edition.

Endless summers, fabulous seaviews, beachside dining, wonderful sunsets and a laid-back lifestyle are exactly what makes PHuket a true tropical paradise. But while this is heavenly for the most part, what is life without an adrenaline rush once in a while?

Ever wanted to dive with turtles, learn to surf, be a boogie-queen, or go on a jungle adventure? You’ve come to the right place. Seize the moment and live your dreams with one of these eight exciting experiences awaiting you in Phuket Thailand.

1. Martial Art Mix

An explosion of worldwide interest in the King’s sport of muay thai, or Thai boxing, is attracting many international visitors to Phuket’s training gyms where experts run professional courses in the centuries-old martial art. Originally used on the battlefield in male combat, muay thai is also attracting a growing number of females fans interested in learning for fitness and competition. Students enrol in courses ranging from one week to several months that, along with personal techniques and kickboxing sessions, also include gym workouts to increase body strength. Schedules are serious in the Phuket Thailand gyms, but still leave plenty of time for enjoying other attractions in the region of Phuket.

How to: Mixed Martial Arts and Muay Thai Training Centre (www.mmaphuket.com) and Phuket Muay Thai Camp (www.phuket-muay-thai.com).

2. Surf’s Up in Phuket

Popular with the surf fraternity during monsoon season (April to November) when currents, winds and swells descent on the west coast of Phuket, the beach scene gets funky with local and international board-riders and boogiers hanging out for waves. Although not of the mind blowing calibre raved about on the international circuit, the local surf scene does attract a decent crowd for fun of the sport and is a great place to learn. Several surf competitions in Phuket are held each year from Surin in the north to Kalim and the south of the island at Kata Beach. Nai Harn is also a popular surf spot during these months on Phuket, with a legion of surfers and boogie-boarders catching some great waves.

How to: Learn to surf or rent a board at Phuket Surf School (phuketsurf.com) located at the southern end of Kata Beach.

3. Jungle Jaunts on Phuket

Nature lover will delight in the variety of wildlife found in the tropical jungles of the Andaman region and within easy reach of Phuket Thailand, including the myriad of national parks located just over Sarasin Bridge on the mainland in Phang Nga province from PHuket. Drive yourself or take a tour, but be sure to pack a swimsuit, as many feature stunning waterfalls and natural pools for a refreshing dip after exploring the nature trails. For the serious and hardy trekkers, Khao Sok National Park is a few hours drive from Phuket Thailand and offers hiking trails deep into the jungle where untouched beauty abounds. A wealth of exotic animal and bird speices can be sighted, such as wild elephants, macaques, gibbons, hornbills and perhaps even an elusive tiger.

How to: Paddle Asia (www.paddleasia.com) offers a wide range of extreme adventures in Phuket, including hiking, rafting, and mountain climbing.

4. Kayaking in Phuket

The amazing waters of Phuket and the region are easily explored by kayak. Sea kayaking, in particular offers many great experiences including the chance to explore offshore islands, karsts and caves. Head to Yanui in Phuket; this is one of the most scenic coastal regions in the island’s south- with gorgeous surrounding beaches and uninhabited islands nearby, plus a rich marine life to view with a snorkel.

How to: Kayaks are available for hire by the hour from a beach operator at Yanui Phuket. John Gray Sea Canoe (www.johngray-seacanoe.com) offers accredited educational, environmental tours in Phang Nga Bay and beyond.

5. Dive In

The elusive Green Sea Turtle, weighing up to 200kg, is the largest hardshell sea turtle found in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate waters off of Phuket. Protected by the Endangered Species Act, it can be sighted in Phang Nga Bay, the Similan Islands and occasionally Phuket’s west coast. This marine species brings excitement to any dive expedition in operation around the Adaman region of Phuket and along with the amazing coral reefs found here, make this home to some of the world’s best dive sites.

How to: One of Thailand’s oldest and most famed dive operators is Fantasea Divers who run expeditions off Phuket, into Burma and beyond (www.fantasea-divers.com).

6. Hold Tight in Phuket

An emerging activity for thrill-seekers bound for Phuket during monsoon time is kite-surfing – also known as fly-surfing or kite-boarding – the art of jumping waves on a wakeboard and flying through the air propelled by wind and a hovering sail. A rapidly growing sport across the world, many enthusiasts travel with their own equipment and can be sen ripping along the waters at Karon Phuket and off Rawai Beach Phuket Thailand.

How To: Kite Thailand (www.kitethailand.com) has a base at the south end of Rawai Beach at a restaurant called Baan Had Rawai, where lessons for kite-surfing are held during high season in a large shallow sandy area ideal for learning this exciting pastime.

7. Phuket Beach Digs and Bumps

Recent host of the SWATCH-FIVB World Tour Women’s Professional Beach Volleyball Tournament and other popular competitions, Phuket has witnessed a rise in the popularity of this energetic sport, with volleyball nets on most major beaches of Phuket. Many Thai locals are now forming teams for friendly matches and anyone is welcome to join in the Phuket beach action and fun. The activities start when the day cools down, sometime in the late afternoon, when volleyball matches can be found on the sand at Surin, Patong, Karon, and Nai Harn. It’s a great way to meet new friends on Phuket and indulge in fun fitness – plus, the waves are right there for a quick dip afterwards.

How to: Phuket Sports and Tennis now welcomes volleyball enthusiasts to its new international standard volleyball court at Rawai in southern Phuket.

8. On the Water in Phuket Thailand

Boating is one of Phuket’s most popular adventure activities for visitors, and the variety of watercraft available for charter is astounding, although usually, the tour itineraries are set on dedicated courses that don’t deviate from its path along Phuket’s shores. One new luxury operator in Phuket, OmniMarine (www.omnitrips.com) however now offers exclusive experiences designed for the individual aboard a range of imported European vessels. Itineraries are specilised to cater for every whim. It might include a half-day outer island trip on a super-speed, six-passenger Silver Clour or overnight cruising of the Phuket’s Similan Islands Marine National Park aboard a private, fully-catered Ferretti motor yacht. Those who prefer the buzz of being at the helm couldn’t be in a better place to learn. Home of the King’s Cup, Asia’s largest sailng regatta, Phang Nga Bay Regatta in Phuket, Phuket Race Week and other regular yachting events, this part of the Thai cost boasts some of the world’s best sailing waters. With a growing number of marinas in Phuket on the island an more planned for the Andaman region, the opportunities for sailing adventures look set to abound.

How to: The popular Sunsail Phuket (www.sunsailthaildand.com) runs a training school for novices thorugh to competitive racing and Yachtsmaster level.

Ayurvedic Spa Rituals and Ayurveda Sessions in Southeast Asia

Part 2 - continued

Spa Speak

No need to slip up when faced with the latest spa menus, grease up on your Ayurvedic terms
Doshas – Ayurveda classifies patients by body types determined by proportions of the three doshas. These include Vata (air and space), Pitta (fire and water), and Kapha (earth and water). An imbalance between the three is considered to cause various health problems.
Marma Points – vital energy points of the body
Shirodara – a Ayurveda steam of warm herbal oil is poured on the forehead in a continuous stream to induce a clear, calm mind.
Pizhichil – Ayurveda warm herbal oil is poured all over the body and massaged into the body to two therapists.
Panchakarma – an Ayurvedic system of purifying and cleansing the body involveing five processes.

What’s New: Youth Hospital

With Bangkok Hospital’s new BMC Anti-Ageing Center (www.bangkokinternationalhospital.com) slated to open this March, medical travellers can now add a new destination to their list of holiday options. Anti-ageing medicine is a medical specialty founded ont eh application of scientific and medical technologies fro the early detection, prevention, treatment as well as reversal of age-related dysfunction, disorders and diseases. The new BMC Anti-Ageing Centre in Bangkok offers a wide range of services dedicated to preserving youth and vitality. There are specific programmes relating to anti-ageing (functional medicine), hormone replacement, exercise, dietary advice, mental health support and weight loss, alongside check up services. To help you look as good as you’ll feel, the BMC Anti-Ageing Centre also includes related services such as aesthetic dermatology and plastic surgery.

Questions and Answers

Why is Ayurveda catching on in all the major spas and wellness centers? A medical and Ayurvedic doctor with over 10 years of experience in alternative medicine, Dr. Sushil Rahul of Chiang Mai Oasis Spa (www.chiangmaioasis.com) gives some insight on this year’s hot holistic buzz:

Why Ayurveda?
Because Ayurveda is the ultimate choice for those who wish to live a harmonious life in tune with nature, coupled with a sensible lifestyle based on knowledge. It shows us how unbalanced states can be corrected and maintained, based on one’s individual body composition.

What’s on offer at Oasis Spa?
We tailor our Ayurvedic menu and packages according to the client’s needs, based on an integrated holistic approach that involves relaxation, detoxification, rejunvenation, and beautification. Specific Ayurveda treatments include Ayurvedic Shirodara, body massage and head massage.

What treatment is recommended?
What works best is a tailor made package for an individual, based on Ayurveda consultation with the doctor.

What about Ayurvedic herbs – do they have to be imported from India?
As we are a day spa and not a clinic or hospital, we develop our Ayurveda menu according to day spa requirements, we don’t prescribe herbs as such for the treatment. We use Indian and Thai herbs to make Ayurvedic massage oils, and advise the client on making lifestyle and diet changes based on Ayurvedic principles and alternative medicine.

Travel Spa Ayurveda Sessions around the world during your Ayurvedic holidays

Chami Jotisalikorn, author of Thailand’s luxury spas and thai spa book reveals what’s hot in the world of wellness during your next travel holidays.

Spa Review: Penthouse Pampering

You’ll be surprised at the transition from Thai teak house to South Indian bungalow when you step through into the new Ayurvedic Penthouse at Bangkok’s Oriental Spa (tel +66 (0)2 659-9000 ext 7434, www.mandarinoriental.com). This self-contained annex recreates an authentic ambience from the sub-continent, complete with wooden treatment beds and furniture from India and rejuvenating therapies straight from the distinctive traditions of Keraleeya Ayurveda from Kerala.

With the help of a detailed questionnaire, Ayurvedic expert Christina Watson helps to select therapies suitable for your type to balance and detox your body. The relaxing Keraleeya Abhyanga is a 60-minute treatment consisting of oil massage, followed by herbal steam in a fabulous wooden steam cabinet. Other therapies include the Shirodara heated oil therapy on the forehead and Vadanam traditional facial.

Christina stresses that Ayurveda is a way of life, not just a quick fix, and the spa offers individually tailored long-term programmes for Bangkok residents, with an Ayurvedic doctor soon to be on the premises to help guide the way.

Wellness Buzz: All Aye’s on Ayurveda

Now, there’s no need to go to all the way to India in search of Ayurvedic healing, with Thailand and the Maldives emerging as the latest hotspots offering the ancient holistic “Science of Life.”

A slew of new spa resorts are leading the trend now. At the Angsana Spa Maldives Ihuru (tel +960 (0)6 643502, www.angsanaspa.com), the menu includes Ancient Treat, a spa package under the Essence of Angsana range, featuring a traditional Ayurvedic massage that helps ease tensions and promote circulation.

A few atolls away, the recently opened Anantara Resort and Spa Maldives (www.anatara.com) offers luxurious Ayurvedic massages, bath and steam treats as well as great service to go with its deluxe suites by the beach. The spa at the Four Seasons Maldives at Landaa Giravaaru (www.fourseasons.com) is a resort within itself, with pool suites and garden spa suites offering a comprehensive approach to physical, mental and spiritual well-being, and a focus on yoga and Ayurveda.

The spa resort features a dedicated Ayurvedic Retreat within the spa complex, with a herb garden and resident expert for individually tailored consultations. Truly get away from it all at the Fania Spa onboard the Rania (www.raniaexperience.com), a one of a kind exclusive private luxury cruise yacht named after Queen Rania of Jordan. Enjoy Thai and Ayurvedic massages, body scrubs, wraps, herbal facials and more – available both at sea and on shore.

Readers Recommend

IN a place where spa standards can vary Phnom Penh’s O’Spa (www.ospacombodia.com) has quickly developed a loyal following among local expats and embassies in the Cambodian capital. Located in the peaceful residential area of Daun Penh, near Wat Phnom in the historical heart of the city, the tastefully decorated spa offers a sophisticated range of treatments from Thalassotherapy and Dead Sea mud wraps to hot stone and Balinese massage, administered by professionally trained therapists.

Ayurvedic and Ayurveda Events

In need of a physical and mental spring clean? Head to Kamalaya Retreat Koh Samui (www.kamalaya.com) and book yourself a spot on one of the retreat’s impressive line-up of special programmes aimed to help put your health back on track

- 11-17 March : Yoga Fusion with Carole Warren and Lorraine Taylor – four different types of yoga within one programme to help you discover which one suits your personality and body type, and one-to-one support to create a practise you can take home.

- 7 – 13 April: Holistic Detox with Graeme Stuart – Bradshaw – An intensive body mind cleansing programme to improve your physical health and well-being, as well as revitalise your spirit. Graeme is a naturophatic physician and founder of the Integrated Medicine Institute (IMI) in Hong Kong, and brings together the most current medical research and detoxification methods.

- 28 April to 4 May: The Vital Essence of Being with Rajay Mahtani – a programme of yoga, holistic wellness treatments and nutritious spa cuisine to offer you an opportunity to relax, restore and rejuvenate your vital life energy. Two daily intensive yoga classes are taught by certified senior level BKS Iyengar method instructor, Rajay Mahtani.

More about traveling in Thailand's newest resort destination - Koh Chang

Part 2 of 2.

Back to Basics on the island of Koh Chang

Even more untamed nature exists on the eastern side of the island of Koh Chang where there is only a handful of small hotel resorts. Most interesting to explore is an intact grove of mangroves at Ban Salak Khok, one of two fisherman’s villages that have changed little despite the swelling number of Koh Chang visitors coming to explore the area.

At Ban Salak Khok – which consists of a cluster of wooden houses built on stilts among the mangroves – fisherman mill about, mending nets or tinkering in their colourful boats whose brows are laden with strking talismans, ribbons of cloth that give protection according to Buddhist tradition as well as bundles and garlands of flowers that appease the sea and mangrove spririts. There are also kayaks for rent on this side of the Koh Chang island, in which you can spend an afternoon prowling among the mangroves, an eerie watery maze where the only sound you hear would be the splash of your oar.

A few miles south, Ban Salak Phet is another quaint fisherman’s village set on the western scoop of the large bay called Ao Salak Phet on Koh Chang. The houses in this commune are bigger, their back terraces facing the shimmering sea. Yet, few tourists to Koh Chang make it to this village (it is a 45 minute drive from Had Sai Khao) and it is possible to sit almost alone on the back terrace of the southernmost house of the village where an entrepreneurial family serves drinks.

It is a timeless spot – the endearing view revealing an azure sweep of sea, a big blue sky, and thickly forested mountains across the bay of Koh Chang Island. The silence interrupted only by the faint rustle of the breeze and water lapping the stilts underneath. A place made for reveries.

This is what makes Koh Chang so special or “cool”: luxury, nature, and solitude all contained in one small island destination in Thailand.

Where to Stay in Koh Chang – the Top Five Koh Chang Hotels

1. Amari Emerald Cove Resort and Spa

At the time of writing, the island’s only five star resort has the best service and the plushest rooms, massive dens in pastel creams and browns, full of exquisite fixtures such as handsome lampshades, masculine writing desks and wooden TV cabinets in traditional East Asian style. The grounds also hold the Koh Chang’s largest swimming pool and the best Thai restaurant. Khlong Prao, www.amari.com.

2. AANA Resort and Spa Koh Chang

A great location on a bend of the Khlong Prao river, the view is best enjoyed from the cluster of romantic igloo-style bungalows scattered in a dense tropical forest. Although on the small side, the bungalows at AANA resort are full of light, all set in whites and creams, includig minimalist cream furniture and high-pitched rattan ceiling, as well as plunge pools on the terraces. Khlong Prao, www.aanaresort.com

3. Aiyapura Resort and Koh Chang Spa

Offering a variety of styles of bungalows nestled in a secluded location, complete with attentive service, Aiyapura Resort and Spa in Koh Chang also features a great French restaurant, and lots of facilities that include all manner of watersports and tours, and a yacht available for charter. Among the Aiyapura bungalows on Koh Chang Island, the Private Pool Villas have many luxury fixtures, including an oval bathtub, large enough for two, a digital piano, and a private pool – so much so that you might forget there’s a world outside. Klong Son, www.aiyapura.com.

4. Siam Beach Resort on Koh Chang

An informal and friendly place, with open-style minimalist rooms featuring wooden floors, cement bathrooms and funky yellow walls (that are also rigged with air con and TV). Common facilities at Siam Beach Resort are limited to a small pool behind the beach, a beach bar that reverberates with dance music, and a Thai restaurant that serves fresh, plain grilled seafood on the beach Had Tha Nam, www.siambeachresort.in.th).

5. The Spa Koh Chang Resort

By a mangrove in the Koh Chang Island’s quiet east side, this place is a veritable inland retreat. Here, everything is deliberately rustic, mostly built of aged wood scavenged from farms. The bungalows at Spa koh Chang Resort which nestle in a tropical garden complete with water cascade have wooden floors, palm frond ceilings, tasteful furniture, artistic bathrooms and spacious terraces. The restaurant serves Thai staples and healthy Western food. Baan Salak Khok, www.thesparesorts.net.

Kool Koh Chang Travel - What to do in Koh Chang Thailand

Victor Paul Borg reveals the Thai Island’s rising style stakes in Fah Thai – March/April 2007 with permission on March 14, 2007. Part 1 of 2.

Thirty years ago, Konchai Thanasrikul was the first one on the Koh Chang beach at Had Tha Nam, and he immediately envisioned its potential, purchasing a cheap plot of beachfront property and building the Siam Beach Resort’s cluster of rustic bungalows.

“There was nothing at the time,” says Natrapee Somnam, the manager of the Koh Chang resort and Konchai’s confidante. “no road, no water, no electricity, and no cold drinks. Koh Chang guests had to come from the mainland on a long-tail boat that docked on the beach.”

And come they did: Western escapees seeking virtual exile on a tropical island, enchanted by this one’s strips of brilliant – Koh Chang white sand, towering coconut palms, and inviting sweeps of blue sea. The Westerners changed the beach’s Thai name – which means “Beach Pier Water” – to one that was truer to its character, Lonely Beach, a name still in use today.

“Konchai realised that Koh Chang would be as successful as Phuket,” adds Natrapee. Not quite another Phuket, at least not yet, but not far behind now either. Still one of the quietest beaches, Had Tha Nam now boasts five resorts, and last year, Koh Chang’s Siam Beach felt compelled to adapt to the times by tearing down the rustic bungalows and rebuilding swankier residences complete with air-conditioning, TV and parquet floors. The island of Koh Chang was on the up – both in terms of visitor numbers and in style of accommodation.

The Rising Tide of Koh Chang

Elsewhere on Thailand’s second largest island (after Phuket), the real estate development has proceeded even faster. Koh Chang – whose Thai name translates to “Elephant Island” as it is shaped like an elephant’s head – is the largest of an archipelago of 52 islands which were designated a National Park in 1982. At the time, it was home to a few thousand fisherman and a rugged backpacker’s hideway; rapid growth in tourism only came in 2001 to Koh Chang when the government tramaced the road that sirts almost all of its coast and improved the ferry service from the mainland.

The introduction of Bangkok Airways flights a few years later made it all the more accessible – flight time from the capital is just 40 minutes to Koh Chang – and the proximity to Bangkok ensured that it became a viable weekend getaway for city slickers loking for some fun in the sun. Visitor numbers to Koh Chang have climbed to around 800,000 annually, and the transformation from a backpacker’s escapade to an upscale destination resort is now almost complete.

This new influx of higher-budget tourists spurred the construction of several plush Koh Chang resort on some of the west coast’s beaches – best of which are the Amari Emerald Cove Resort and Spa; AANA Resort and Spa; Ramayana Resort and Spa, Aiyapura Resort and Spa, Panviman Resort, and the SPA Koh Chang. All come kitted with luxuries set among tasteful designs and boast impressive spas offering all types of exotic therapies – traditional or modern massages as well as many rejuvenation treatments.

More new Koh Chang resorts are sprouting up with at least two openings expected in March; The Dewa, from the same owners of the upscale Ramayana, and the swanky Princess Resort Koh Chang by the Dusit chain, whose 96 rooms are a study of sublime Thai contemporary design.

Now, the island of Koh Chang is also due to get another first in the form of two separate private luxury residential developments – Tranquility Bay Residence near Bang Bao and Siam Royal View in Khlong Son village – to be sold as holiday or retirement homes, both complete with private yacht marinas.

Something for Everyone in Koh Chang

Not all resorts are high-end in Koh Chang, but different types of visitors will find something that suits their tastes and budgets in the three main beaches. Broadly speaking, these house expensive designer resorts at Had Kai Bae; cheaper backpacker bungalows at Had Tha Nam; and mid-range accommodations at Had Sai Khao, the longest beach in Koh Chang.

Yet, all these beaches hold the three quitessential Koh Chang experiences: a Thai massage under the coconut palms right in the sand, a dinner of fresh grilled seafood on tables set up on the beach and shows by the famour fire jugglers.

It is also possible to choose from a multitude of water-based activities such as snorkelling, or diving tours to explore coral reefs filled with barracudas at a cluster of offshore isles from Koh Chang in the south or fishing trips to reel in a variety of marine life, including the night time catching of squid.

Emerald Island, Koh Chang

Everywhere else, Koh Chang largely remains gloriously natural. The new developments are limited to small pockets along the west coast. Every vista is dominated by the interior spine of Koh Chang’s mountains, which meet the clouds at the higher summits, and are covered in impenetrable old growth jungle.

Indeed, the island of Koh Chang is one of Thailand’s greenest spots, and it is a joy to explore on a moped and make fascinating little discoveries –waterfalls and lagoons, tranquil creeks or streams, and a handful of quiet undeveloped beaches. The tastes of nature are all around: fresh watery wind, massive trees looming overhead, birdsong in the mornings, cacophonies of toads at night, short-tailed macaque monkeys dashing across the road, and cobras hissing in the grass.

The easiest way to get closer to the forests of Koh Chang is on an elephant at the elephant camp called Ban Kwan Chang in Khlong Son village. The camp’s 10 elephants and 10 mahours (elephant masters) – one mahout for one elephant – all hail from Surin, the northeastern province where mechanical tractors have yet to supersede the trunked workers in farms.

“We buy all the elephants when they are old and no longer strong enough for the farm,” explains Somsri Saiyot, who runs the camp with his mahout colleagues on Koh Chang island. “Elephants typically live until about 80 years old, and we only have females here, as males can be violent at times.”

The docile giants are playful with Koh Chang tourists, joyfully frolicking and trumpeting when fed, and splashing in the river like excited children during the treks that take Koh Chang visitors up the river and into the virgin jungle on elephant back.

Part 2 Continues Here.