Had Tien Bay, Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand | (251) 219-4428
Wellness and spiritual center with an assortment of programs
Beachfront location on Haad Tien Bay
Range of accommodations -- from tree houses to cottages to bungalows and dorm beds; some include satellite TV, partial air-conditioning, and kitchenettes
Restaurant serves seafood and international vegetarian classics, and accommodates those on detox diets and fasts
Treehouse-style spa
On-site yoga halls
Attentive and amiable staff
Can get stuck on the island in bad weather
Stony beach without a lot of sand
Guests must pay for Wi-Fi past a certain bandwidth
Does not accept credit cards
Cheaper rooms cannot be booked in advance
No swimming pool
The Sanctuary Island Resort is dedicated to wellness, and offers several packages and programs that incorporate yoga, detox cleansing and fasting, natural-healing therapies, and meditation. Located on a remote beach on the east side of Koh Phangan, the Sanctuary is most easily reached by boat. Rooms are quirky, and many are open-air, incorporating rocks and trees right into their layouts. Guests need to have a certain level of comfort around seeing geckos, lizards, and bats, although some of the accommodations are glassed-in. There's a beachfront restaurant that serves seafood and vegetarian dishes. To encourage guest interaction, the resort requests that guests refrain from using electronic devices during dinner and throughout the evening. The higher-end rooms have satellite TV, DVD players, and at least partial air-conditioning -- no one is required to rough it.
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Scene
New age, creative, and health-conscious crowd at this uniquely designed spot.
The Sanctuary is a wellness resort, and not the place for rowdy holiday-makers. From its open-air, open-plan rooms that work the outdoors into the indoors to the funky Tea Temple -- a cafe, healing space, and information center -- it attracts an eclectic clientele looking to chill out and rejuvenate. While the recommended stay is anywhere from three to 10-and-a-half days, many guests stay longer. The resort is adults oriented -- children are welcome as long as their parents can control them and keep them from disturbing the peace of other guests -- but there are no special activities or facilities for kids. The beach isn't a standout here -- it's stony and doesn't have much white sand, but it has a few lounges, and the resort keeps a pontoon out in the water where guests can swim and sunbathe. The beachfront restaurant, which specializes in Thai and vegetarian dishes (it also bakes its own cakes and bread), pretty much bans the use of electronic devices and social media during dinner and through the evening, which, since guests end up interacting with one another instead of their gadgets, creates a lively and very social scene.
Location
On a quiet bay, reached mainly by boat from Haad Rin Town
The Sanctuary Island Resort sits on Haad Tien Bay on the wild eastern side of Koh Phangan. Although there is a four-wheel drive track, it can be used only in good weather. The ferry boat to Haad Rin Town, and then a taxi or boat taxi to the resort is the main way to reach the Sanctuary -- it's usually an easy 20-minute ride, except during the November monsoon season. It's also possible to fly from Bangkok to Koh Samui Island, then take the boat from Mae Nam Town, and then the ferry to Haad Tien Bay.
Rooms
A vast array of novel, quirky rooms, many of which are open-air
Many of the rooms here are open-plan and open-air, meaning they might incorporate boulders or trees in their structure. Rainbow House, for example, is built between two giant boulders, and the Ocean View Round House perches on top of a rock, with trees practically entering the living room. In the Star House, the bathroom is built into the rocks. For those who'd like less contact with the jungle and its critters, the Garden Suites sit on flat land and are more enclosed. The higher-end rooms have lounge chairs and hammocks, king-size beds, hot showers, mini-fridges, and kitchenettes. Some have freestanding tubs, satellite TV, DVD players, and air-conditioning in at least some of the areas. Cheaper rooms, which include bungalows and dorm beds, are also available, but they cannot be booked in advance. Thai bungalows are set aside for those on detox programs.
Features
Great social hangout restaurant with good, healthy food, yoga studios, and a treehouse spa
This is not a traditional resort with a fitness center or swimming pool. But it has yoga halls built right into the jungle, and a treehouse spa next to the beach that offers a range of treatments: massages, including hot stone and aromatherapy, and facial, hair, and body treatments, even manicures. The Sanctuary offers yoga and detox holiday packages, along with classes and workshops on natural healing. The Tea Temple, a tea house and cafe, includes a spirituality library, an information desk, a cinema, and music stage, plus several yoga halls and studios. The centerpiece of the Sanctuary is the beachfront restaurant, which serves seafood, Thai specialties, and international vegetarian fare. It also accommodates the needs of guests on fasts and detoxes, or on raw diets. Dedicated to bringing back the art of dinner table conversation, the restaurant requests that guests put away their electronic devices and refrain from using social media during dinner and throughout the evening. There's a charge for Wi-Fi past a certain bandwidth.
