.

..............It wasn't until the guilt of lazing around, doing nothing more than sunbathing and eating for a couple of days got the better of me, and I decided to hire a bike, that I got to see the wilder side of Koh Phangnan, and realise its potential as a unique mountain bike location. Roughly the same size as Jersey CI, with very little traffic outside of Thong Sala on the south western coast and with miles of remote dirt trails, this island is beckoning to be explored by avid mountain bikers. There's a 600m+ mountain, just about central to the island with trails right to the very top from either west or east,with lower mountains surrounding, and the north coast has an abundance of undulating 4wd and single tracks to tackle. Even the virtually traffic free concrete roads are a pleasure to ride as they weave their way through the mountains and along the coasts, and theres never any shortage of places to grab refreshments...........

Talk about Koh Phangan outside of Thailand and you'll either get a blank stare or the assumption that you're just about to order another chinese take away. Mention it amongst the backpacking fraternity travelling around Thailand, and its name is synonomous with the full moon party that has taken place on the island every full moon since the late 80's, attracting upto 30,000 revellers a time during the peak season.

    There is another side to this tropical island however. Located some 100km off the east coast of the mainalnd in the gulf of Thailand, Koh Phangan survives as one of the few remaining wilderness areas of Thailand. Whilst other resorts and islands have been developed to cater for every western taste, with large international restaurants, 5* accomodation and a smoothly running transport infrastructure, Koh Phangan has dragged its heals. That isnt to say that the trappings of a modern holiday destination aren't available there, its just on a much smaller and less widespreade scale.

    The natural beauty and areas of unspoilt wilderness are qualities that attracted Italian entrepeneur Luciano Pezzotta to set up a new restaurant, beach bungalows and relaxation therapy business on the shores of Chao Pao bay on the north western coast of the island. Original founder of Mysticfreeride , Luciano searched for many years for an ideal location where discerning sun and adventure worshippers could go and enjoy exotic surroundings in their true natural splendour, and in December 2007, Blue Ocean Gardens  were opened.

    We fortuitously stumbled across this tropical retreat and were immediately in awe of its serenity and tranquillity. With our bungalow and the restaurant set literally feet away from the pristine white sand and warm turquoise sea, it didnt take us long to decide to extend our stay from the original 2 days to much longer.
 
    It wasn't until the guilt of lazing around, doing nothing more than sunbathing and eating for a couple of days got the better of me, and I decided to hire a bike, that I got to see the wilder side of Koh Phangnan, and realise its potential as a unique mountain bike location. Roughly the same size as Jersey CI, with very little traffic outside of Thong Sala on the south western coast and with miles of remote dirt trails, this island is beckoning to be explored by avid mountain bikers. There's a 600m+ mountain, just about central to the island with trails right to the very top from either west or east,with lower mountains surrounding, and the north coast has an abundance of undulating 4wd and single tracks to tackle. Even the virtually traffic free concrete roads are a pleasure to ride as they weave their way through the mountains and along the coasts, and theres never any shortage of places to grab refreshments. Click here for a map of the island.

   Its not all plain sailing though. The temperature rarely drops below 30c, couple this with the high humidity and you've got 1 sweaty ride, necessitating voluminous amounts of water comsumption. Also in the wilder expanses of jungle, mosquitos rule the roost and no amount of "deet-ing up" is going to fully protect you, so be prepared for some itchy bites. The main means of conveyance around the island is by motor scooter and there is an abundance of makes, models and colours to choose from for hire. Unfotunately this cannot be said for the MTB hire situation. The best I could find  was a 6 speed, heavyweight beast, with collapsed suspension forks and a seat post that bent during the first offroad descent (it only cost £3.33 for 4 days!!), so to fully exploit the amazing trails on offer you're going to have to be prepared with the hassle of transporting your own bike there   

Any hassles encountered however will soon be forgotten when you return from a hard days riding and book yourself in for a massage at the Blue Ocean spa.

Blue Ocean Gardens Spa

The Blue Ocean Garden team