Thailand Experience

My favourite flower is the Opium poppy.

Advantages: Unforgettable experience
Disadvantages: Don't do it in the rainy season

I went on a trek in the North of Thailand just outside the Golden triangle. Far away from the fake Levi's and the neon we headed into the jungle. Myself and a lunatic from Belfast who i'd met that morning in the pick-up truck. We spent the first day walking up and down muddy hills following a bloke in bare feet carrying 184 eggs in those cardboard thingy's. Man i could hardly stay on my feet but all day he never dropped 1 flippin egg. All that day ...
...that he had a treat for us that night and to keep going. Well, we finally stopped walking about sunset in a village inhabited by the Karen peopleand had a wash in a stream and settled down for some food. These people who live in this remote place need to be seen. They are so amazing, living on the side of a hill in the middle of the jungle with few comforts. For years, all around this part of the world the cash crop has been Opium. Everybody is at ...

starbank 07.03.2005 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of Camps Karens (Thailand)

Oh Me Oh Mai

Advantages: Fitter, Happier, Cleaner.
Disadvantages: The Overnight Train.

Chaing Mai is the capital of the Northern Thailand province of Chaing Mai. With a population of just over 160,000 people it is the perfect urban getaway from the strangling density of Bangkok. The weather is also a little cooler than the capital and its centre is beautifully contained within a square moat. There are a range of options available in getting to Chaing Mai from the capital. We took an overnight train which left Bangkok at 10 in the evening ...
...day. You can also bus it which takes around 12 hours. Many of the agencies on the Khao San road offer a VIP bus to Chaing Mai. The last alternative is to fly which would probably be best for those with limited time. Our single train journey cost us 500 Baht each (12 Euro). ACCOMMODATION We stayed in 2 guesthouses while in Chaing Mai. The first, SK house was chosen for us by our trekking agency. As part of our trek we would get the night we arrived ...

indiecater 14.02.2003 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of General: North (Thailand)

Not What You'd Expect

Advantages: great base for serious trekking
Disadvantages: not much else to do

...nature-oriented, happy town of Pai, Mae Hong Son was a real shock. We thought that a town on the Myanmar border would be even more wild and remote, but this turned out to be a wrong assumption. It seems that close proximity to the opium barons is lucrative. Mae Hong Son is full of stores carrying modern supplies and restaurants serving farang (foreign) food. There is a steady stream of moped traffic and even the occasional 4x4, so keep that in mind ...
...3 flights a day, so you are almost guaranteed a ticket on the day you wish to travel. We bought ours on the same day we flew and we still had a choice of flight. If you are not into hardcore trekking, give Mae Hong Son a miss. ...

JeffSumm 05.09.2001 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Mae Hong Son (Thailand)

Escape to Pai

Advantages: escape the husle and bustle of commercial parts of Thailand
Disadvantages: Absolutely none

...visit, peaceful bike rides around Pai and if you are too lazy the you can relax alongside the river and forget all about the rat race.Everyday living is cheap, rooms for a few pounds a night and the food is awesome, as you would expect in Thailand. You can buy the best pancakes at night on one of the handful of streets that makes up Pai and during the day you can satisfy your sweet tooth / munchiesat the German bakery. There is nothing bad i can ...

starbank 07.03.2005 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of Pai (Thailand)

The Elephant Round Up at Surin

Advantages: Exotic, Fascinating,Great Exhibition, Great Food
Disadvantages: Some people might not like animals taking part in shows

...is around 40km north of Surin itself. The Asian elephant is actually slightly larger than the African one but the Thais even believe the shape of their country resembles the head of the elephant. It should be added the Thai species, in contract to those in Africa, is easily domesticated within a matter of weeks and in the lush rain forests of northern Thailand - and neighboring Myanmar - you can see elephants hard at work hauling logs. The north ...
...festival - is the annual Surin Elephant Round-Up This is always held, come what may, on the third Saturday of November. In this very well patronised tribute to the Buddhist kingdom's best loved animal, over two hundred of the giant beasts are assembled to entertain and thrill the huge crowd, which gets larger year by tear. Few visitors go away disappointed with what they see. The stars of the show perform a range of tasks which are well beyond ...

ashford 26.01.2001 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Surin (Thailand)