Srithanu: Thailand’s Spiritual Vegan Town on a Tropical Island
Discover what to eat, where to explore, and what dangers to avoid in this offbeat part of Koh Phangan.
Koh Phangan is a gorgeous island located in southern Thailand, best known for its wild, monthly Full Moon Parties on Haad Rin Beach.
What most people don't know is that Srithanu is the yin to Haad Rin Beach’s yang. This spiritual town is located on the western side of the island.
It’s packed with yoga studios, meditation centers, and vegan restaurants. Because it attracts a lot of people who are into spirituality and wellness, it has a very high population of vegans.
I'd say at least 60% of the people living and visiting there are either vegan or plant-based, but that's just my estimate and not based on any official data.
I lived there for two and a half years and was in vegan heaven. I could walk five minutes from my apartment and be surrounded by vegan restaurants.
There are fruit shake stalls along the main road where you can get fresh tropical fruit shakes for 60 baht. My favorite combo was papaya, mango, and banana. I could go to the New Age shop and buy Nag Champa incense and vegan hemp soap. There was even an organic shop that sold vegan vitamins, sundries, tea, and freshly baked vegan cake, but it sadly closed down during COVID.
My favorite thing to do was go for long morning walks along the beach, explore secret beaches, climb rocky hills, and make friends with the local dogs who loved to hike with me.
I also enjoyed going to Zen Beach during sunset to dance in a drum circle and wade in the clear, cerulean sea under a tangerine and pink lemonade sky.
The island is packed with adorable, wild animals, like greater racket-tailed drongos, greater coucals, monitor lizards, and giant golden orb weavers, to name a few.
There are a lot of macaques on the island, but they mostly hang out near Haad Rin Beach.
Srithanu is the perfect town for vegans, with lots of fun things to see and do, but it also has a dark side that you need to be aware of.
The Dark Side of Srithanu
Not everything is tempeh and rainbows there. Unfortunately, you might see enslaved monkeys picking coconuts when you're walking around town.
To learn more about the monkey slavery situation, and the wildlife rescue that is trying to stop this cruel practice, you can read my article "Can a Local Wildlife Rescue End Monkey Coconut Slavery in Thailand?"
Also, because Srithanu attracts a lot of spiritual/New Age people, you need to watch out for cults and predatory wannabe gurus who take advantage of those who are searching for spiritual development.
One of the cults even made the news back in 2018 when 14 women alleged they were sexually assaulted by the owner of a well-known yoga center that is still open to this day.
It’s very important to stay vigilant on that island and always listen to your intuition. As long as you are cautious when joining spiritual/wellness workshops and classes, and don't join a cult, you should be fine and can enjoy the island and its beauty without any problems.
What to Eat in Srithanu
This New Age town has a lot of vegan restaurants within walking distance from one another. These are some of my favorites.
1) EAT.co
This fully vegan restaurant has a large menu of healthy and delicious dishes as well as decadent desserts. I love their Loaded Waffles, Avo and Stuff Toast, and Meaty Bowl.
This restaurant used to be in Srithanu but moved to Wok Tum, which is the town over and still close by. It has the best ambiance that feels very serene, with seating areas that have names like "Gratitude" and "Acceptance" that fit in well with the spiritual vibe of that part of the island.
I love their nachos with tofu chorizo and cashew cheese, Mexican bowl, spring rolls, and sweet potato pancakes with chia seeds, coconut syrup, and vegan Nutella.
3) Orion Cafe
Orion is a wellness retreat with daily classes and workshops that include yoga, reiki, sound healing, meditation, and more.
Their fully vegan menu is very healthy and meant to encourage health and healing. I love ordering the Orion Super Papaya, Bliss Bowl, and Golden Milk Super Smoothie.
This is a vegetarian restaurant with lots of vegan options. Dishes that are vegan, or can be made vegan, are clearly marked on their menu. Taste From Heaven has the best vegan khao soi I have ever tried. I miss it so much! Make sure to order it vegan though, since it normally has egg noodles.
5) Karma Kafe
Karma Kafe is a more upscale vegan restaurant with healthy and delicious vegan food. This restaurant tends to attract rich New Age hippies who can be really stuck up and annoying, but the owner is friendly and I do enjoy the food. I typically order a green shake and Karma Breakfast Fajita with mushrooms, kale, and black beans.
What To Do On the Island
1) Go to Bluerama During Sunset
Bluerama is a restaurant and hotel with an infinity pool and an incredible view of the island. Sunset is the best time to go. You can swim while enjoying the beautiful colors of the sky.
Their menu has some vegan items, but avoid anything with bread, even their vegan burger, because the bread isn't vegan. I usually just order fruit shakes and soak in the awesome view.
2) Hike to the Waterfalls
Koh Phangan has several waterfalls that you can visit. My favorite is Phaeng Noi Waterfall. Even though when I went hiking there, the waterfall was more of a water trickle, it was still a beautiful park with a fun hike to the viewpoint.
3) Take a Day Trip to Mu Ko Ang Thong National Marine Park
Mu Ko Ang Thong National Marine Park is an archipelago of 42 islands next to Koh Phangan. You can book a day trip that includes a scenic speedboat ride from Koh Phangan to the marine park and back, snorkeling, kayaking, and a hike to the viewpoint. You can also camp there overnight during certain times of the year.
The highlight of my trip was seeing a dusky langur monkey holding her fuzzy baby while my friends and I were hiking to the viewpoint.
4) Dance Inside a Drum Circle at Zen Beach
Every sunset, people gather at Zen Beach to enjoy the view, swim, hula hoop, or join in the drum circle. It's liberating to let go and dance like no one's watching as the sun goes down.
5) Explore Secret Beach
Secret Beach isn't really a secret since it's a popular tourist spot that you can easily find on the map, but it's still nice. There's a cool restaurant bar next to it called Koh Raham which has giant swings and reminds me of Adventureland at Disneyland because of its whimsical tropical decor.
Unless you don't care about your food possibly having fish sauce even if you order it without, I don't recommend eating a meal there, but you can order some fresh fruit, a delicious shake, or a cocktail if you drink alcohol, and enjoy the cool layout of the restaurant and nice view.
Insider Tip: If you walk south of Secret Beach along the shore, you’ll pass a nude beach and an actual secret beach.
6) Wade at Wok Tum During Sunset
There are countless places on Koh Phangan to enjoy the sunset. Wading in the sea at Wok Tum is very scenic because of the thick coconut tree grove and adorable wooden bungalows along the beach. During the summer months, you can go far out into the horizon since the tide is very low.
I miss the island and hope to go back soon to visit. There are several new vegan restaurants that have opened since I left. I also really miss the natural aspects of the island and all the cute wild animals, especially the drongos. It’s truly a tropical island paradise...as long as you don't join a yoga cult!