Year: 2016

Ladda Restaurant in Srithanu

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Ladda

Ladda Restaurant in Srithanu is not just a good dining options but also a small guesthouse with some cheap bungalows for rent. It is a thriving business that goes mostly under the internet radar but provides value for money and friendly service.

Ladda Restaurant (previously called ‘Ladda Shop’) serves pizza as well as a range of delicious Thai dishes such as tom yum goong. The prices are reasonable. It is an unpretentious Thai style place. There is heavy wooden furniture in a restaurant with an open view onto the road. Ladda is located at the southern end of Srithanu at the point the road splits. The road to the left (west) going to Thongsala, and the road going straight (south) going to Srithanu Peninsula. See the map below.

To the side are a row of bungalows for rent. The accommodation is mostly fan bungalows with mosquito net and attached cold water shower. Room rates start at 250 Thai Baht a night in the low season. There is also the possibility of organising monthly rates. This is good to know if you are booked into a yoga course that is taken a chunk of your money and you have to tighten your budget.

The bungalows are about 300 metres from a good beach on the peninsula. It is possible to stay at Ladda and get to most places by foot. However, you will see plenty of bikes at front from people dropping in for a drink or some authentic Thai food, especially at meal times.

ladda-restaurant

Recommended are the coconut shakes. The Western breakfasts are not bad either. When you peruse the menu you will be encouraged, as this establishment does its best to offer great value. Perhaps this place will make the jump into the digital forum and get picked up by a big review site. For those who regularly frequent Ladda’s the hope is surely that it remains hidden from the casual browsers of the net, and that the same relaxed atmosphere and prices continue uninterrupted by spurious internet attention.

Note: The same family that run Ladda Restaurant also run the small convenience store next door.

What’s It Like Doing Yoga Teacher Training

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This is probably a question a lot of people interested in yoga ask themselves. Like people interested in diving might wonder if they have what it takes to become a diving instructor.

Jennifer Pierce has series of vblogs on YouTube going through the various days of her yoga teacher training. In the one above you see her sat at Taboon – a favourite spot for yogis as there is vegan and raw food on the menu. In this entry she talks about the difficulty of giving up sugar and doing 1 hour meditations.

Jennifer never breaks into insight or out of cliché but her videos do give you a first person perspective of such things as giving a yoga lesson, walking to the beach, visiting the market and all those chilled things that Srithanu and Thongsala has to offer those who choose to make Koh Phangan their home for a month or so.

These vblog entries will go somewhere to give you a feel for the life in Koh Phangan and what you can expect from a yoga teacher training course.

Jennifer now teaches yoga and has become a healthy diet and detox expert. Not sure where in the world she lives, but she seems to be taking to the world the Srithanu message.

Meaning of Srithanu

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Shri-symbol

The word ‘Srithanu’ has an interesting meaning. Like many place names and proper nouns in Thailand the word has a Sanskrit derivation that reveals the importance of Indian culture on the development of Thai culture and the Thai language.

‘Sri’ or ‘si’ is frequently used in India as a polite form of address that would mean something similar to ‘Mr.’ or ‘Ms.’ The word comes from the Sanskrit root śrā “to cook, boil”, but as a feminine abstract noun, it has received a general meaning of “grace, splendour, lustre, beauty; wealth, affluence, prosperity” (Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri). When applied to a god ‘sri’ or ‘shri’ means ‘holy’. Shri is also a shortened version of Shri Devi the goddess of wealth and another name for Lakshmi, consort of the god Vishnu. Finally, ‘shree’ can be used in India to denote beauty, rank, power, light. It is a common girl’s name in India.

A common instance of ‘sri’ in a place name is Sri Lanka.

shiva

The word ‘Thanu’ has a more narrow meaning. It means Lord Shiva. Thanu is a common boy’s name in India (http://www.bachpan.com/Meaning-of-Thanu.aspx). Shiva is one of the three main gods of the Hindu cannon along with Brahma and Vishnu. Shiva is the god of the yogis. He is both self-controlled and celibate as well as the lover of his consort, Parvati He is the destroyer of worlds; he who reveals the oneness of existence. The river Ganges flows from his dreadlocks. He spent thousands of years smoking ganja in the Himalayas.

Shiva has a contradictory profile that is both raunchy and hippy as well as ascetic and self-denying. It is the contradiction that Hindus hope to brook by changing their being to realize the unifying truth of existence – ‘tat tvam asi’ (‘thou art that’) whereby subject and object, the essential duality of existence, is transcended.

This is the same goal that yoga hopes to attain – namely to ‘yoke’ oneself to god; thus, breaking down the difference of human and divine, seeing they have always been one.

Yoga Shops

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Agama

The Agama Yoga Shop is mostly manned by friendly volunteers. It is within the Agama context of a campus atmosphere with a variety of students coming and going; off to classes; hanging out in the cafe; getting a massage.

Being as it is Agama, the website has a page devoted to the shop. It sells yoga mats, towels, bags and clothes. Those wanting souvenirs and other aids can also find books, tote bags, yantras, tongue scrapers, eye cups, neti pots and jewellery. And of course Ganesha incense sticks.

The Agama Shop in Srithanu is open on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10.30 to 12.30. Those are nice working hours!

Agama_Yogishop

Ananda Wellness Resort and Orion Healing

Ananda Wellness Resort in Hin Kong doesn’t have a yoga shop. This must be of some concern to new yoga students not properly attired and kitted up. The yoga instructors no doubt offer advice to new students looking for their own personal mat. The same goes for Orion

Sunny Yoga

Sunny Yoga (Haad Chao Phao) to the north of Laemson Lake in Srithanu has a good supply of yoga stuff. It is marketed for free using the name ‘Koh Phangan Yoga Gear’ Facebook page. These Canadians know how to do business. Among the usual yoga essentials there is a line of ‘funky’ yoga clothes ideal for those girls wanting freedom of movement to better help the process of spiritual betterment. She has leggings, crop tops and Ayurvedic herbal bath soap.

kohphanganyogasupplies

Kamala Healing Centre

The Kamala Healing Centre in Thongsala has a shop. However, it is an online shop for treatments. The would-be yogi must rise to the challenge of avoiding the sting of disappointment that only chains a person to the wheel of existence.

Gaia Yogashala

Gaia Yogashala in Srithanu doesn’t have a shop and goes further – it sets a Zen koan. They have yoga mats but they insist students bring their own. This begs questions and is tinged with paradox. If you read further down the FAQs they do offer the advice that yoga mats are expensive in Thailand.

Thongsala

I always head to Thongsala if I am looking to buy a specific item. It is amazing what a variety of items that are available in the big supermarkets. It is also amazing how shopkeepers in Koh Phangan are well-versed in the stock of their competitors. Ask for a yoga mat and they will probably give you a couple of good tips.

As they say in the Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy, ‘Don’t Panic’. You will find the right mat, yoga leggings or incense for you with a bit of perseverance.

For more about yoga schools in the area visit www.srithanu.info/therapyandyoga.html

Shiva Dance

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Have a look at the video that goes along with this post. It is highly edited; it is alluring; it gives a gloss to female power. It is both empowering for women but also blatantly commercial. This is Nataraj Monica, an itinerant dance teacher who founded the Indian chapter of Agama and is on the staff at Srithanu a few weeks every year.

Monika gave herself the pseudonym of Nataraj to remind herself of something. It is the name of Shiva in his dance form – the dance of creation; the illusion and beauty of life. Not many women dub themselves with a male name. Monika has studied dance since she was 5. She studied belly dance in Turkey. She had a spell in India, of course. She has done the 42 week Agama teacher trainer program. Her website is full of credits. It also makes clear that she has turned her hand to everything to get by on the road – yoga, teaching, organising, diving. Any job to continue the ‘journey’. At present her affiliation to Agama means you can meet her in Srithanu.

One thing from Monika’s CV that did catch my eye was the mention of studying the sacred system of Gurdjieff Movements. Gurdjjeff and Madame Blavatsky. Theosophy was obscure when I studied religion in the 1990s. The mystique of this strange couple continues to echo through the ages it seems. The appeal of the exoteric; the possibility of cracking the code and discovering the answer. Jiddu Krishnamurti raised to be the new Messiah by the Theosophists realised the system of control below the surface of new forms of religiosity.

What to make of the video? It is so edited that any narrative is lost. Shakti Dance is the dance form of yoga. It also seems to be copyrighted to the hilt. I guess Shiva isn’t worried about that.

The idea seems to be that the dance heightens awareness. You lose yourself in the dance. Hence the circles and the hypnotism of fire watching. Compare this with the whirling dervishes and the Sufi tradition.

Being a man, I sadly see bra straps, flowing fabrics and female power. The teacher seems to be absent (or not highlighted). The setting feels contrived. Rather than an introduction to a new form of yoga, I feel I am watching an advert playing with me through subliminal messages.

monika

Sunny Yoga

Can You Get too Much of a Good Thing

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Sunny Yoga

Yoga has several health benefits and is based in the ancient wisdom of India. It is an undoubted good in a life beset with illness, worry, grief and hardship. Yet a person visiting Srithanu might think that there are too many yoga centres, and perhaps the capital side of things is far too evident.

I can remember visiting streets in India and China where virtually every business offered the same product or service. I witnessed streets of shoe repairers, of notaries, of stalls selling plumbing parts, of stalls selling wrong-sized Tesco bags. The uniformity is both wondrous and exasperating. Can there be enough custom to make all the businesses successful? Is there a lack of imagination and vision at play here? Would not someone make a killing selling plumbing tools to go along with the plumbing parts?

Something similar is apparent in Srithanu and the surrounding area. There is Ananda Wellness Resort, Agama, Orion Healing, Chakra Natural Therapies, Kamala Healing Centre, Gaia Yogashala, Samma Karuna, Mannu Yoga and Sunny Yoga. It feels like the list will grow further. Has some type of spiritual clarion call be made sending for all the young Europeans and Americans who had previously spent several years studying yoga in India, Nepal and Tibet to suddenly make their way over land and sea to Thailand and in particular Koh Phangan?

This is perhaps unfair. Srithanu has become a centre for healing, learning yoga and for spiritual learning. As well as having a commercial value, these things have a human value. For many people a yoga or other course in Srithanu marks a turning point in their life. They become unburdened; they become detoxed; they learn something of mindfulness; they learn to exercise their body; and they might become better, more generous and kind people. What is wrong in that? The incremental positives are not to be sniffed at. Moreover, all those who become yoga teachers have the chance to become masters themselves and spread even more joy, peace and wisdom in their journey through life.

It is more than likely that several of the above mentioned yoga places will lose out in the commercial race and fall by the wayside. Others will over time be re-branded with new management and staff. Demand might rise or fall; the world economy might teeter or it might boom. However, it seems likely that Srithanu will continue for the foreseeable future and beyond to be regarded as a centre for yoga.

Moonlight Cafe in Wok Tum

Moonlight Cafe in Wok Tum

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Moonlight Cafe in Wok Tum

The Moonlight Cafe is in Wok Tum on the main road and a short distance from the beach. It is a great spot for food, drinks and entertainment. The staff and owners are friendly and make a huge effort to make their customers happy. Those who are interested in fishing and boat tours can ask at the restaurant about going on ‘Biloute’.

Moonlight Cafe bills itself as a tapas bar. However, this being Koh Phangan, there is no need to feel restrained by a single concept. They also have Thai food, pasta dishes and BBQ.

italian-meatballs

The restaurant has an indoors covered area as well as plenty of outdoor seating. There are thatched parasols to provide shade and add to the decor.

The hosts are two lively French souls – Cedric and Muna. They share a love of food and entertainment. They have held several music evenings to create more of a party atmosphere at the restaurant.

The day-time obsession is fishing and sailing. They have bought and done up a 12 metre Thai fishing boat. The boat can hold up to 12 people comfortably. The boat is named ‘Biloute’. It can be hired for fishing trips, island tours or snorkel trips. Indeed you can do a bit of everything. And when you get to shore they will cook up your catch at Moonlight Cafe.

The west coast restaurant scene is very competitive. There are already several popular restaurants in this area catering for an increasingly sophisticated clientele looking for something more than the old backpacker clichés. Time will tell whether tapas, music and sailing will be a winning business synergy.

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/moonlightcafephangan/
Boat site – http://www.phangan-peche.com/

Wat Phu Khao Noi

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Wat-Phu-Khao-Noi-temple

The temple called Wat Phu Khao Noi is of historical significance for Koh Phangan because it is the oldest temple on the island. It marks an important part of the history of the island, indeed it marks the start of written history for Koh Phangan.

The name Wat Phu Khao Noi means ‘The Temple of the Small Mountain’. The temple was founded in 1400 by a band of intrepid monks who decided to make the first permanent settlement on the island. Until that point Koh Phangan had a semi-permanent population of sea gypsies, fishermen and pirates. It was a wild place with very little to do with the main land.

The story goes that the monks thought Koh Phangan a spiritual place and decided to settle at Wat Phu Khao Noi which is located in the jungle inland from Wok Tum, close to the government hospital.

The founding monk of the temple was called Luang Phor Phet. He choose the hill location as he considered it a good location for private meditation. The monk was believed to have had powers and is revered. The temple is important for Thais as Luang Phor Phet’s footprints are captured in stone.

No doubt the hill location helped with getting a cool breeze and also providing a bit of security for the first brave monks living on the island.

The temple consists of a central pagoda 10 metres high. It is surrounded by 8 smaller pagodas each in a different architectural style. All the pagodas are on a platform that is decorated with Chinese style bowls. These symbolise the Buddha’s begging bowl.

The temple is very much a working temple. It is well maintained and there is plenty to see. They take part in the nationwide scheme of taking young people who live as a monk for a short time. This is a tradition in Thailand to teach Buddhism to young people and garner good karma for parents.

The head monk is friendly and speaks a little bit of English. It is free to enter the temple. If you want to see the monks go in the morning. Be respectful and cover bear shoulders and don’t wear hotpants or a miniskirt. If you see a pile of shoes then add yours to it, as it is a sure sign that the pollution from outside is not welcome in the building.

Those wanting to learn more about the temple can check out their website – http://www.watumphawunkohphangan.com. It is in Thai but google translate can be used, even if it produces little sense. Those on a spiritual journey in Srithanu might find deeper significance in Thai Buddhism by visiting the temple.

The best article about the history of Koh Phangan is found at http://www.kohphanganhotelreviews.com/history-of-koh-phangan/

Map

Slip N Fly

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slipnfly

I thought Wipeout / The Challenge was the only water park type attraction in Koh Phangan. It turns out I was wrong. Sly N Fly is another. It is located inland from Wok Tum. The address is Maduwan Road. If you are keen to slide down a big slope and fly through the air then check out the map below for better directions. It’s kind of in the middle of nowhere!

What is Slip N Fly?

Slip N Fly is an event that happens 4 times a month. It is open for 1 or 2 days at a time. It is a day party with dates that are meant to be aligned with the Full Moon Party and Half Moon Party. You can find the latest dates by checking out their Facebook page (link below).

There are two giant slides. These have water flowing down them. Participants pick up speed going down the slope and then hit a big ramp and before they know it they are gambolling, mostly ungracefully and often holding a selfie stick, through the air before they land with a slash in a pool. They are scored for style and hilarity and the winner gets a kiss and a bottle of Leo.

As this is Koh Phangan, the event is very much a party. There is the obligatory DJ booth filling the air with beats. People are playing in the pool. There is a bar with pool table to allow party goers to imbibe, shoot pool and catch the flights of beach bodies.

So it’s another party. Replace the burning rope with the big slide and change the setting from beach to jungle and you can see how the FMP has morphed into Slip N Fly.

There are plenty of videos to show you how much fun is to be had at Slip N Fly. The videos unintentionally reinforce the image that this is mostly for young folk with flat tummies and sick tatts. I imagine strong beards would also go down a treat.

The price is currently 600 Thai Baht for the day.

Location

Slip N Fly is on the Maduwan road. It is the road heading through the centre of the island to Chaloklum on the north coast. It is not the coastal road, but the other road. If you are driving from Thongsala it is on the right, shortly after The Shore Resort.

Contact

Phone: +66 97 945 9224
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/slipnflyparty/

Getting to the Full Moon Party from Srithanu

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full-moon-party-taxi

Despite visitors to Srithanu often espousing an enlightened position regarding life, the universe and everything, they frequently lose their ‘wa’ slightly when it comes to the Full Moon Party. While publically taking the ‘I can take or leave it’ line and muttering about it being an over-hyped and over-commercialised beach rave, they secretly worry about missing the karma-spoiling event.

But to put their mind at rest, I have written this blog post. Do not worry: it is a cinch to get to the Full Moon Party from any of the west coast beaches, and most definitely from Srithanu Village.

It is hard to totally ignore the Full Moon Party. Days before it is due, young people and their tattoos and bucket lists start appearing everywhere. The Moon Set Party happens. Indeed most of the major parties set their calendar according to the FMP, which must be tough when parties are moved with a minimum of notice because of a Buddha Day.

Anyway, if you are in Plaay Laem or Haad Chao Phao just stroll down the beach and look for the notice boards about taxis for the Full Moon Party. Chances are that your resort, guesthouse or hotel probably also runs taxis to the party. If you are in Srithanu wander around the village and you will soon spot a board advertising taxis for the parties. If you are in Hin Kong, Wok Tum or Nai Wok ask at your resort.

Taxis usually depart on the hour and every hour from 10 pm to midnight. They cost in the region of 200 Thai Baht a person.

Some resorts offer a return price. It might seem a bit steep but you are more than likely to save money as the taxi drivers early morning in Haad Rin are not much minded to haggle. They know they have the upper hand and can quite easily fill their shared taxi with people heading for a west coast destination. Indeed for many, the Haad Rin taxi drivers are the only downer of the whole Moon Party experience.

Should you consider driving yourself?

Absolutely not. Full Moon Party night is mad. The taxi drivers often drive fast to make as many runs as possible. Drunken and high souls are wandering around, weaving in and out of the road, oblivious to potential danger. You might even find a policeman looking to fine foreigners over any imagined driving infringement.

And then why would you want to remain sober during the biggest party in Thailand? The Full Moon night is surely the night to let your hair down and have a few drinks.

Should I worry about not getting a taxi?

Not really. As I said you want to catch a taxi to the party before midnight. Best to get a time and place arranged for you and friends to meet up and get the taxi to the party. You want to stay together at the party, and so starting the night off by going to the party together is a good start!

The west coast of Koh Phangan has lots of rooms over several beaches. All these beaches are accessed via the same road going from Thongsala. Thus, whether your destination is Nai Wok or Haad Chao Phao you will find plenty of people going your way.

At the last resort you can catch a taxi to Thongsala and then look for another taxi heading up the west coast. The taxis in Thongsala gather around the main round about at the entrance to the town.

Basically as long as you can walk, and someone is capable of talking in your group you will be fine to get back to your room or bungalow.

The Cost

Taxis are getting more expensive every year. The Ministry of Transport is very much the same thing as the so-called ‘taxi mafia’. They enforce price increases. The price of petrol goes up by 4 Baht and the price of taxi journeys go up 50%. Thongsala to Haad Rin should be 50 Thai Baht. It is now 100 Thai Baht. You could try phoning the complaint line. It won’t do you any good.

As a consequence more people are hiring mopeds. Once Koh Phangan gets a proper car hire place with legit insurance, big brand backing and online booking more and more people will rent cars rather than be at the mercy of avaricious taxi drivers.