Hidden gems and sanctuary’s (Photoblog): My favorite magical places in Koh Phangan, Thailand

rebelbuddha (54)in #travel • 7 years ago

In my hidden gems and sanctuary, I will take you on a journey to my discoveries in South East Asia. This time I’m saying hello from ‘sticky island’ in Southern Thailand. These are two of my most favorite magical places in Koh Phangan:

Place your hand and your heart and ask yourself What do you want?

My first hour on the island was kinda dizzy like I was not fully there. I forgot the name of the place I booked so the taxi driver also didn’t get it. I just couldn’t remember the name of my own resort. Which I thought was quite funny. The taxi driver stopped and something told me that it wasn’t right. I walked to the reception and there was nobody around. I walked to the bar and two guys just looked at me like I was lost. I totally understood their facial expressions because I was. They explained the way to my resort and it luckily took me about 10 minutes to walk to the right place. The best thing about this: I could walk with my bare feet in the sand. I could hear the soft sound of the waves which made me feel more relaxed in my mind.

The next morning I woke up with this view:

Haad Yao beach is located on the west coast of Koh Phangan. There are a lot of yoga schools to find in this area like; Sama Karuna, Agama, Genesis. I didn’t attend any of these yoga schools because I was going through some tough healing lessons myself.

I stayed in Haad Yao Beach and Spa Resort for 3 days but I didn’t really feel happy to be there. I could hear people fight on the balcony every night. And I just couldn’t understand why people would create so much drama in such a beautiful place like Koh Phangan. Well, it’s said that this island gives people a lot of healing vibes and things need to come up to the surface. But I realized that I needed space to get honest with myself as well. So after 3 days of hearing people fight late at night, I booked a different place. And this place my beautiful people was out of this world.

Whenever you feel like your heart is not in a great place because you are not feeling the energy. It’s okay to just find something that suits you. That was the reminder that I needed. What does my heart say and feels?

Finding solitude in Haad Gruad Bungalows

In between the Haad Yao and Haad Salaad beaches there is a small bay with a couple of bungalows that are owned by a Thai family. The moment I set foot in this beautiful area I felt home. Haad Gruad Bungalows is such a ‘hidden’ gem and I feel truly blessed that I ‘found’ it. It was really quiet when I stayed there but that was exactly what I wanted. I needed to be able to enjoy solitude. The travelers that stayed at Haad Gruad where also healing parts of themselves so It was easy for us to connect on a soul level. My friend told me; When you are in paradise. There is nothing wrong with your surroundings. The one you have to deal with the most is yourself and that can be a really confronting thing to do. So true!

Haad Gruad has 2 bungalows ‘hanging’ above rocks and the ocean. It has such a Robinson Cruzo vibe to it.

I used this place for meditation and watching magical sunsets. <3

"May our inner flame remind us the strength to transform and the power to deal with hardships. The soil of the earth to let us feel grounded and safe; the air to give us clarity in our minds; water to nourish and clean deep emotions in the depths of our own consciousness. We are the healing of this planet." @Rebelbuddha

Silence is like a river of grace inviting us to leap unafraid into its beckoning depths. It is dark and mysterious in the waters of grace. Yet in the silent darkness we are given new eyes. In the heart of the divine we can see more clearly who we are. We are renewed and cleansed in this river of silence. There are those among you who fear the Great Silence. It is a foreign land to you. Sometimes it is good to leap into the unknown. Practice leaping.” – Macrina Wiederkehr

Most epic swing ever – It’s in-between two large coconut trees.

Haad Gruad beach Bungalows doesn’t have a swimming pool but next door you can find one. Just asked the receptionist if it’s okay to use the pool and they probably won’t say no.

Calm before the storm…

Be careful what you wish for you just might get it

“You know what I really miss back home? – My books.” I just miss reading and touching them. Even though I’m a collector and I can get super greedy when it comes down to owning them; They give me peace and joy. Right now I’m sort of living in South East Asia and I’m not able to take all my books with me. I was talking about this topic with a friend of mine and he felt the same way. Well, sometimes we will find the things we are looking for without even looking for it.

Art Cafe in Srithanu Koh Phangan

The next day I found a place and was mesmerized. I was driving around the island in Srithanu area to find some food and bumped into a yoga center called Samma Karuna. I walked in the restaurant and a lady told me that it was closed due to low season. She gave me the advice to go and check out Art Cafe which was right in front of the yoga school. The funny thing about this moment was that my friend was telling me about this place the day before. Besides that, I just wanted to find some books for inspiration. The universe conspires and it made me realize once again that the force on this island is real. Once you start flowing more the Universe starts working in your favor.

I totally forgot to take pictures of the food I ordered because I was too focused on all the yummy books. Well I can guarantee you that the food is just as delicious ;). Art Cafe has a lot of Vegan options such as smoothy bowls, sandwiches. This place is also perfect to drink some detox tea.

The island has a lot to offer – but these two magical places in Koh Phangan have a special place in my heart.

Sunkissed kisses and until next time ;)

out here soul searching steemit.jpg