Activities

Plenty of activities are possible in Shambhala Bungalow Village and on Koh Phangan, among them :

  • Beach : the resort being directly on the beach, the main activities here remains enjoying the sand and swimming
  • Water sports : Ao Playlaem, the beach at Shambhala Bungalows, is perfect for swimming and water sports as windsurfing and kitesurfing. Equipment is on rent on the resort and lessons are possible in some periods of the year.
  • Diving and snorkeling : Koh Phangan offers some wonderful spots with lots of corals and colourful fish, a perfect place to learn or improve your diving skills
  • Sailing and motor boats : we have a Laser dinghy, a Catamaran Dart 16 and a small motor boat for rent
  • Boat trips : discover the area around the resort with one of our boats or try a trip with local fishermen around the island. Boat trips to Angthong Marine Park and Koh Tao are also possible.
  • Parties : while the Shambhala Bungalow Village is situated on a quiet bay, for those who want to party, Koh Phangan hosts the famous monthly Full Moon Party and many other easily reached by motorbike or taxi
  • Motorbike : a nice way to discover the island is to drive along in motorbike taking your time through the small roads that follow the coast and all its bays, zigzag across the coconut fields or climb up its mounts (highest point 630m)

Windsurfing / Kitesurfing / Kayak / Diving / Snorkeling / Sailing / Boat trips / Boat Rental / Fishing / Party

Full Moon Party

Koh Phangan is also know for the Full Moon Party, an all-night beach party that takes place in Haad Rin on the night before or after every full moon. The first Full Moon Party was improvised at a wooden disco not far from the beach in 1985 for giving thanks to about 20-30 travelers. They quickly gained fame through word of mouth, and the event now draws a crowd about 20,000-30,000 every full moon evening. The party carries on until the sun rises the next day. The bars on the sunrise beach of Haad Rin town stay open and play music such as R&B, drum and bass, house, dance and reggae.

Koh Phangan has an infamous reputation due to the Full Moon Party, but it in fact only concerns a few days each month and in the Haad Rin town which is 15 km south of the Shambhala Bungalow Village. You could stay there without even noticing such a huge party took place, no disturbance from it ever comes to our quiet beach.

Nevertheless, if you would like to take part in the party, it is very easy to get there and come back by collective taxis that work all night through.

Koh Phangan also hosts the Half Moon parties, Shiva Moon parties, Black Moon parties, all of them in Ban Tai, and some smaller parties all over the island from time to time.

Click on the title for the 2011 and 2012 Full Moon Party Schedule.

Year 2011 Full Moon Party schedule :
March 19th
April 18th
May 18th
June 16th
July 17th
August 14th
September 12th
October 12th
November 10th
December 10th
December 25th - Christmas Party
December 31st - New Year Countdown Party

Year 2012 Full Moon Party schedule :
January 8th
Febryary 8th
March 7th
April 6th
May 6th
June 4th
July 3rd
August 4th
September 1st
October 30th
November 28th
December 25th - Christmas Party
December 28th
December 31st - New Year Countdown Party

Diving from Koh Phangan

There is a coral reef longing the west coast of Koh Phangan with a few nice spots accessible directly from the beach with mask and snorkel, the nicest spot being Koh Ma, a small island connected to Koh Phangan by a sand spit, in the north west corner.

For scuba diving, there are many diving schools in Koh Phangan, especially in the northern part of the island as the main dive spots are accessed from there. Sail Rock is considered the premier dive site in the Gulf of Thailand. It’s a big granite pinnacle that breaks the surface half way between Koh Phangan and Koh Tao and as there are no other rocks around it acts as a congregation point for all the fish in the surrounding area. Its famous for its natural underwater vertical swimthrough or chimney which divers can enter at 6 metres and exit at 18. It is also the visiting site of many larger pelagics including chevron barracuda, big schools of mackerel, jacks, trevally and tuna. You may encounter a seasonal whale shark or manta ray here also.

Click on the title for a video of Sail Rock diving.