Thailand Guide
The east coast
Activities
1 Baan Zen Hat Khlong Phrao 086 530 9345 www.baanzen.com Yoga classes and short courses (from B900/lesson) as well as reiki courses.
2 Ban Kwan Chang Elephant Trek East of Khlong Son village, near Nang Yom Waterfall 089 815 9566 The most reputable of the several elephant camps on the island is based in a forested area in the north. Visitors can either do a 40-minute elephant ride through adjacent plantations (B500) or extend the ride to an hour and bathe the elephants as well (B900). It was set up by the man behind the Asian Elephant Foundation and is staffed by ten Suay mahouts and their elephants from Ban Ta Klang village near Surin in northeast Thailand, which has for centuries been a traditional centre for working elephants.
3 Bailan Herbal Sauna Ao Bai Lan 086 252 4744 Opening time: Daily 4–8pm The perfect place to tease out any sore muscles, this charming, creatively designed US– Thai-run herbal steam sauna is an alternative little haven of adobe buildings with glass-bottle windows, secluded within a patch of roadside forest. Entry into the sociable communal sauna costs B200, with home-made DIY herbal treatments (kaffir lime for hair, white-mud for face and turmeric for skin) mostly just a bargain B50. Lao and herbal massage are also available (B350–700), along with fresh juices and spirulina.
4 Jungle Way East of Khlong Son village 089 223 4795 www.jungleway.com Thai– British-run company that leads guided treks through the forest as well as more strenuous hikes on the northern Chang Noi peninsular. From B600.
5 KaTi Culinary Cooking School KaTi restaurant, Khlong Phrao 081 903 0408kati-culinary@hotmail.com The amiable chef who runs the recommended KaTi restaurant in Khlong Phrao teaches well-regarded cooking classes (6hrs for three to nine dishes; B1200).
6 Treetop Adventure Park Ao Bai Lan, just south of the Dusit Princess hotel 084 310 7600 www.treetopadventurepark.com Opening time: Daily 9am–5pmPrice: B950 incl free transportEnjoyable and professionally managed jungle activity centre where you get to swing through the trees on a series of trapezes, flying foxes, aerial skateboards, rope ladders and webs. Everyone gets a full safety harness and gloves and starts off with a training session before tackling the two adventure courses (or the special kids' one), which take around two hours in all, though there's no limit to repeat attempts.