Koh Pha Ngan, Thailand
Wonderland Healing Center is truly a tropical oasis. Upon arrival I was greeted by friendly staff who offered me a refreshing drink and cold towel. Check-in was easy and smooth. I arrived hours before check-in time and even though my room understandably wasn’t ready I was able to store my bags at no extra cost and enjoy the resort. I had access to the entire Wonderland experience while I waited for my room to be ready. After a tour of the beautiful resort, I opted to lay by the pool and eat a bowl of fresh papaya and watermelon while I waited for my room to be ready. A short time later I was delighted to find out that my room was ready earlier than expected.
Accommodations
Wonderland accommodations offers both private and dorm room options. I chose a private room so my review will only be for the private accommodation however I heard from many people that I met during my stay that the dorms were wonderful, clean and comfortable.
I was pleasantly surprised with my private room accommodation with a garden view. It was a lot bigger than I expected and I had everything I needed including an air conditioner, safe, fridge and coffee maker. Free wifi is available in the room as well as throughout the resort. Some of the private rooms had hammocks on their balconies. Mine did not, however I did not feel deprived without one because the resort has many seating/hammock options throughout the property that offer a space of relaxation, journaling, napping, sunbathing etc. If I’m being honest as much as I loved my room, I barely spent anytime in it except to sleep and shower because there was a lot of cool tranquil hangout spots throughout the property. Often in the mornings, I would eat my breakfast in a poolside cabana and journal before I started my day. I often like my solitude and I felt that Wonderland offered a lot of spaces for just that.
Housekeeping is provided daily and laundry service is available at an extra cost. I did not require laundry service so I am unable to speak more on it.
Food
All the food served at Wonderland is vegan – and let me tell you it is delicious. I first want to say that I am not a vegan. In recent years I tend to lean more on the vegetarian side but I still eat meat due to low iron. Anyways, that’s a different story. Eating at Wonderland completely changed my views on veganism. Everything was so tasty and flavourful and there were so many options! Breakfast, lunch and dinner is buffet style. There are many options to choose from like homemade bread and fresh fruit, to a salad bar, to soups and curries. Each night is a different themed dinner, from Asian to Mediterranean. Between meals fresh fruit is available – papaya, watermelon, dragon fruit to name a few. My first day I ate 3 bowls of fresh papaya. I don’t even like papaya back home but fruit tastes different when you’re eating it fresh from the source. In addition, there is unlimited, tea, coffee and iced coffee available with an assortment of alternative milks. By the end of my 4-day stay my body never felt better and most importantly I felt full. Which is a feeling I didn’t think I could achieve on a vegan diet.
Programs and Treatments
One of the main reasons I chose to stay at Wonderland Healing Center is because of the flexibility and variety of classes. At Wonderland you are not obligated to go to any classes and they offer a lot more than just yoga. To name a few they offer meditation, mindfulness, breath work, sound healing, reiki and a variety of self growth classes. The great thing about these classes is you don’t have to be an expert or have any experience. It’s not about being the best it’s about doing your best.
A variety of holistic treatments are available at Wonderland including massage, reiki, acupuncture, manicure/pedicure. These come at an extra cost and if I had more time I would gotten a treatment…or a few! The costs were very affordable and comparable prices to the rest of Thailand.
Wonderland also offers a variety of therapies such as Chi Nei Tsang (CNT), Trauma Release Exercise (TRE), Ayurveda, Abhyanga, EFT Meridian Tapping, Sound Therapy, Aromatherapy and Theta Healing.
Sauna
Wonderland Healing Center has a newly built, dome-shaped herbal steam sauna open day and night. Sauna’s offer many benefits to the body such as release of muscle tension and toxins, decrease recovery time, clears congestions and improves mobility. What makes this sauna unique is dome shape allows for amazing acoustics. I got to experience this after a late night sound healing class. I happened to be accompanied by a Finnish Opera singer who unexpectedly graced us with her voice in the sauna. It was a transformative experience that sent goosebumps through every cell of my body.
