Haad Yuan

I had heard from several people about a legendary place here in Koh Pangan, a beach and resort located on the east coast that could only be reached by boat from Haad Rin. It was supposed to be a kind of wellness hotel with an esoteric or spiritual approach, where not only yoga and meditation were practiced, but also detoxification treatments and various alternative healing methods. In general, it was known as The Sanctuary.

So I set off for Haad Rin, where I immediately found the taxi boats. They had set up a simple table in the middle of the beach, where a woman sold tickets. There was a lively crowd. Just as a boat with 8-10 passengers on board struggled through the surf into the open sea, the next interested parties were already waiting.

The boat owners had joined forces and operated a thriving business, earning a fortune because the simple passage cost 300 baht, about 8 euros, which added up to 16 euros for a round trip. I was shocked at the expensive price at first and had to think about whether I really wanted to spend that much money. It was actually too expensive for me, especially since I didn't know if you also had to pay admission or a kind of day rate at this sanctuary. But I learned from another waiting couple that this was not the case and that it was beautiful and definitely worth it. They were already going over for the second time, so they knew what they were talking about. This information made me shell out the 300 baht and get into the next boat.

In Haad Rin, unlike the west coast, there were real waves that crashed forcefully against the bow of the boat and lifted it high. This was not gentle rocking, it was real waves. But for the experienced boat driver, it was no problem at all. He skillfully maneuvered through the waves by subtly accelerating or even taking the gas away. The gas lever was nothing more than a thin rope looped around his index finger, which he tightened or loosened through short movements. The engine, propeller, and steering were all one unit. The boat was steered with a long pole, in the middle of which was the open, heavy engine, and at the other end was the propeller. The monster was steered by moving the pole more to the left or right. In addition, you could reduce the speed by pushing the pole down and lifting the propeller out of the water. The open engine made a hell of a noise and the propeller sprayed the water in large white fountains, and we sped over the water in high speed, with it rushing past us. We passed a small beach with a single abandoned hut - that would be just right for me. The hellish ride continued, around a headland we had a view of the next bay, where various bungalows could already be seen from a distance. Some of them were artfully built on rocks along the coastline, with a daring wooden bridge made of branches leading to them. Other huts were scattered loosely hidden among shady palm trees and trees all over the slope. We approached the coast and our boat driver slowed down until we were almost at a standstill. Obviously, he was waiting for the right wave to carry us to the beach. In the bow of the boat sat a second man, who watched the sea intently, and at a sign from him, the boat driver suddenly took off towards the beach. Just before that, he reduced the speed and pulled the pole sideways, so that the boat turned and was now carried backwards onto the beach by the waves. Now everything had to happen very quickly and the two of them almost drove us off the boat while shouting loudly.

I stepped to the edge, no railing or any handle in sight, and jumped into the sand, exhausted. As soon as the other passengers had left the boat as well, the captain was already heading back out to sea through the next wave.

I looked around. I found myself on a rough sandy beach about 300 - 400 meters long, right in front of a large resort with a swimming pool. The water in the pool shimmered dark blue. Everything was partly in deep shade, which of course had the advantage that it didn't get so hot, but on the other hand, everything seemed a bit gloomy. This impression was reinforced by the fact that the place seemed to be out of operation. It wasn't directly rotting or neglected, although you could get the impression in some corners, but at least it wasn't very well-maintained. In addition, there was the slightly dirty and dark yellow paint of the stone buildings, mostly made of concrete. Small frangipani flower shapes were embedded in the ground. But overall, the resort seemed rather abandoned. I could hardly imagine that this was the place that so many people had raved about. On the other hand, the signs on various buildings indicated exactly that. For example, I saw a massage bungalow or even a meditation roundabout, both with exotic names that I can't remember anymore. Finally, I found the reception and 2 Thai employees, but they were just about to leave the reception. They told me that the resort was open, so I could rent a bungalow, but that all wellness treatments or meditations were currently not available, thanks to Covid. The inscription 'Pariya' on their uniforms sounded exotic, but it still didn't seem to have anything to do with The Sanctuary. I was a little puzzled for a moment, as none of this seemed to match my information and expectations, but I didn't ask any further. This had to be 'The Sanctuary'.

A little disappointed, I let the two go and continued my exploration, for which I had explicitly obtained permission from the two employees. So I climbed the steep concrete steps up to one of the large bungalows, which rested mostly on concrete pillars. The bungalow was huge and towered high into the crowns of the dense trees and palms, which provided a lot of shade but at the same time completely blocked the view of the sea. I just glanced through the closed windows into the interior, which was very stylishly furnished and also well-maintained, but due to the shade, it was also very dark. There was a spacious stone veranda all around the front of the bungalow, which ended in a sunken jacuzzi, but there was not a drop of water in it. It all seemed too cold and too dark for me. Once again, I felt the doubt about being in the right place.

I went down the stairs towards the pool, where a group of young Israelis had now gathered and started to party. They had installed large speakers from which loud beats were booming. I moved away from the noise and spotted a path into the green adjacent property. Suddenly, I found myself in a completely different world. At some point, you could live here in simple huts, which were now completely dilapidated. The whole thing resembled more of a junkyard than a paradise, the opposite was the case. I quickly found a passage through the overgrown wilderness to the beach, where I took a deep breath. I took a short moment to recover from the confusing impressions before returning to enjoying the beautiful beach despite everything. To my left, there were rocks resting in the surf, and above them, there was a simple but beautiful wooden bridge winding along the slope. I couldn't see where this bridge was leading. To explore this, I followed the path for a few meters until I met some people coming towards me, whom I asked where the bridge was leading. I learned that this path could lead to a bar and another beach. This was not necessarily something I needed to see, so I decided to return to the beach, especially since the heat was starting to bother me again.

Arriving at the end of the bridge, two playful and frolicking young dog puppies caught my attention. They were being closely watched by a Thai woman who sat in an old flat wooden hut above the beach and invited me smilingly to join her. At first, I hesitated, thinking that she just wanted to sell me something, but in the end, I gave in because I didn't want to be unfriendly. So I climbed a few adventurous steps carved into the rock up to the dark, low hut, which actually had a few women's clothes hanging in it and a counter indicating that this might have been a bar before. I stepped in, but immediately made it clear that I wasn't interested in shopping, but her friendliness didn't diminish. While we chatted about trivialities like where I came from, etc., the 4 puppies lay under her bench at her feet and sleepily looked at the beach and the people passing by under the hut. They were really cute little guys, 2 very light ones, one completely black, and one mixed color. I learned that she intended to reopen the shop and the bar soon. However, I didn't want to linger any longer, wished her good luck with the reopening, and continued on to the beach.

I had seen enough, but I didn't want to go home without taking a swim in the wonderful waves. So I found a shady spot and jumped into the water, heading towards the surf. The water not only provided cooling for my overheated body, but it was also really fun to be moved up and down by the waves. This was real sea, not the gentle lapping of the west coast. I enjoyed the rough sea for a while longer before signing up for the return trip and finally boarding the next boat. This time, landing in Haad Rin was not so easy. The boat driver couldn't find a free landing spot, drove along the beach, and had to lift the drive rod out of the water again and again to avoid getting tangled in the many anchor ropes of the other boats. Finally, at the very end of the bay, he found a spot and I jumped out of the boat. I walked back along the beach towards my scooter and now noticed how rundown this part of Haad Rin actually was. Everything was geared towards the partying masses of the full moon parties, which hadn't been allowed to take place for 2 years. I don't know what it looked like here in the past, but now the condition was just pitiful. One abandoned and decaying building next to another, mold, dirt, and garbage wherever you looked. An almost apocalyptic atmosphere. Nothing invited you to linger here anymore, and I hurried to get to my scooter and drive back to Sritanu.

I have to admit that I was somewhat disappointed after the whole trip, as the recommendations had sounded so great. The beach and the sea themselves were beautiful, but nothing particularly special that justified the high price of the boat. And the resort itself didn't live up to the previous promises at all.

When I started writing this report today, two days later, and searched Google Maps for the name of the beach, I realized that I had indeed not been to The Sanctuary, as I had suspected. The Sanctuary is actually another bay further...