BUNGALOWS, BARBELLS & BEACH DAYS

Bungalows, Barbells and Beach Days

 

Towards the end of my travels of Thailand, I was off to explore some Thai islands. This included Koh Phangan and Koh Samui. When doing my research of Koh Phangan, I had discovered that this island had a mix of party life, wellness, and relaxation. Koh Phangan is popular for its Full Moon parties. A Full Moon party is a monthly party, that happens on the beach in Haad Rin – This party takes place on the night of, before, or after every full moon. During my planned time to stay on this island this party was not on. Since the Full Moon Party was not on during my stay, I chose for something different – a fitness resort by the beach. Koh Phangan is well known for its many yoga, wellness, and meditation retreats.

 

I stayed at Wild Wood x Hansa Beach Fitness Resort. This resort is in Thong Sala, which is the main town in Koh Phangan. Wild Wood was in a great location that was close to the port (where you enter and exit the island by boat), local restaurants and markets. I had found this place while looking for accommodation on Booking.Com, I had then searched it up on TikTok. From the TikTok’s I seen great reviews from other visitors and this place looked like a fabulous place to visit.

Wild Wood x Hansa Beach Fitness Resort is a beachfront wellness and fitness retreat.

 

The owners of this resort were bored of traditional gyms and wanted to create something different. Wild Wood was created to be a place where fitness could be more fun, sociable, and eco-friendly. Wild Wood is open to guests staying overnight for days or visiting for a few hours. I had stayed in the resort for 4 days. Wild Wood also offers different packages – from personal training to workout classes, to joining a fitness retreat and staying at the resort.

This resort is different from anywhere else I had stayed. Instead of a traditional hotel and rooms Wild Wood offers individual bungalows and apartments. There are different options for guest to pick for their stay including:

·      A standard room (apartment)

·      Beachfront bungalow

·      Sea view bungalow

·      Garden view

·      Deluxe garden view bungalows.

During my stay I had stayed in one of the bungalows. I loved staying in the bungalow it was so unique and different to anywhere else I had stayed. This resort is not huge which was nice as it was not overly crowded and I was able to enjoy all the facilities. There was a warm and welcoming atmosphere, with a great environment for both working out and relaxing. During my stay the employees had treated us like royalty – the staff were so hardworking, helpful and had unbelievable service.

The gym at Wild Wood is a mix of the beauty of nature intertwined with natural equipment. This is an outdoor gym, on the sand with wooden gym equipment that was created to be eco-friendly. The gym includes:

·      Traditional free weights

·      Calisthenics stations

·      Custom unique training machines

Wild Wood offers many services and packages including different workout classes, personal training, fitness camps. The resort has qualified personal trainers on site and knowledgeable staff.

This resort can also be used as a place to relax and rewind. As this resort also includes an ice bath, a pool, a steam room, a sauna and a restaurant. This was ideal as I was coming to the end of my month-long travels so having the time to relax and rewind was much needed. All of these facilities were able to use from 8AM – 8PM. The staff ensued that all these facilities clean and cleaned them regularly during the opening times.

The restaurant at Wild Wood was fantastic, I did not have high expectations for this restaurant. As I am a fussy eater I usually expect not to like many options on the menu. At Wild Wood restaurant there was so many options that sounded great to me. The menu has a wide range of variety for everyone to enjoy. The food at this restaurant was incredible. The staff also allowed me to customise my meals by letting me add or take away some ingredients to suit my preferences. The menu includes both healthy and unhealthy options that was so suitable for everyone. Somethings the menu includes:

·      Healthy breakfast

·      Smoothie and salad bowls

·      Classic Thai mains

·      Wraps

·      Spaghetti dishes, cheat meals, desserts

·      Juices, cocktails, beers, and soft drinks.

Our favourite thing we tried from the restaurant was the “Protein Pancakes”.

Wild Wood is the perfect place to stay as you get to train, be at the beach, recover and watch the sunset all in one place. My stay at Wild Wood was a mix of relaxation and fitness. Mornings were spent using the gym equipment, followed by the sauna and steam room. Afternoons were spent relaxing, sunbathing and using the pool. My evenings were chilled on the beach and spent having a fabulous meal from the restaurant. 

After my 4 days stay, I would recommend visiting Wild Wood x Hansa Beach Fitness Resort as it was the perfect blend of fitness, fun, and rest. I had a fantastic stay. I think that every visitor would have a unique experience, depending on how they would like to spend their time as this is a very flexible space. As one guest may use this resort as a space to relax and rewind- not joining in any classes and not working out at all, while using the other facilities. Whereas another guest may use this resort as an intense fitness camp, joining in classes, working out multiple times a day, eating healthy options from the restaurants and using the other facilities to recharge and recover. Or some guests may relax and take it easy one day and the next day may be active and intense working out. This experience is what you make it, and I would recommend it to others to stay so they could experience the uniqueness of Wild Wood.

 

Location: Thong Sala, Koh Phangan

Getting there: arrive by ferry, either take a short walk to the resort or take the taxis available at the port.

What to pack: activewear, swimwear, flip-flops, a good book to read.

Suitable for: solo travellers couples, groups.

Wild Wood’s Instagram: @wildwoodbeachfitness