Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Wat Pho
(herbal sauna admission 50B; herbal sauna 3-6pm)
Wat Pho, near Ban Tai, has a
herbal sauna
accen-
ted with natural lemon grass. The
Chinese Temple
is believed to give visitors good luck. It
was constructed about 20 years ago after a visiting woman had a vision of the Chinese
Buddha, who instructed her to build a fire-light for the island.
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
Wat Khao Tham
Wat Khao Tham, near Ban Tai, sits high on a hill and has resident female monks. At the
temple there is a bulletin board detailing a meditation retreat taught by an American-Aus-
tralian couple. For additional information, write in advance to Wat Khao Tham, PO Box
8, Ko Pha-Ngan, Surat Thani 84280.
Activities
With Ko Tao, the high-energy diving behemoth, just a few kilometres away, Ko Pha-
Ngan enjoys a much quieter, more laid-back diving scene focused on fun diving rather
than certifications. A recent drop in Open Water certification prices has made local prices
competitive with Ko Tao. Group sizes tend to be smaller on Ko Pha-Ngan since the is-
land has fewer divers in general.
Like the other islands in the Samui Archipelago, Pha-Ngan has several small reefs dis-
persed around the island. The clear favourite snorkelling spot is
Ko Ma
, a small island in
the northwest connected to Ko Pha-Ngan by a charming sandbar. There are also some
rock reefs of interest on the eastern side of the island.
A major perk of diving from Ko Pha-Ngan is the proximity to
Sail Rock
(Hin Bai), the
best dive site in the Gulf of Thailand and a veritable beacon for whale sharks. This large
pinnacle lies about 14km north of the island. An abundance of corals and large tropical
fish can be seen at depths of 10m to 30m, and there's a rocky vertical swim-through
called 'The Chimney'.
Dive shops on Ko Tao sometimes visit Sail Rock, however the focus tends to be more
on swallow reefs (for newbie divers) and the shark-infested waters at Chumphon Pin-
nacle. The most popular trips departing from Ko Pha-Ngan are three-site day trips which
stop at
Chumphon Pinnacle
, Sail Rock and one of the other premier sites in the area. These
three-stop trips cost from around 3650B to 4000B and include a full lunch. Two-dive
trips to Sail Rock will set you back around 2500B to 2800B.
