| Wilderness Adventure - Thailand | | | | going is not too difficult for someone with fairly |
| Thailand has always held a special place in my | | | | good fitness although if it rains the mud can be |
| heart. I first travelled there in 1991, a wide eyed | | | | tricky. I was enjoying my own head space when |
| kid wet behind the ears with a bucket shop one | | | | we arrived at the first village of wooden homes, |
| way ticket to Bangkok. My grand plans of a short | | | | pecking chickens and lots of smiles, basic but I |
| beach break before heading down to the east | | | | couldn't think of anywhere else I would rather |
| coast of Australia joining the 1000's of Pommie | | | | have been. Chan, our guide, was a local from a |
| pilgrims earning a right of passage didn't exactly | | | | neighbouring village and before long he had us |
| go to plan. I left Thailand eleven months later to | | | | divided amongst our village hosts before the sun |
| return home penniless, emancipated and full of | | | | set and got too difficult for us city people to do |
| great stories, which my friends soon got bored | | | | anything without electric light. That night, with the |
| with. | | | | noise of the surrounding jungle lying on a |
| I returned a few times mainly to Bangkok and | | | | mattress roll on a bamboo floor, was maybe the |
| Koh Samui happy to be back in the land of smiles | | | | most peaceful night's sleep I have ever had. |
| but feeling slightly disappointed at all the changes. | | | | The next day's trek was shorter and we covered |
| The old story of development being good for the | | | | ground quicker, maybe we were getting used to |
| locals but not good for my sense of adventure. | | | | the trekking but I think it was the excitement of |
| That didn't deter me from joining the Imaginative | | | | the elephant ride to come that afternoon. Lunch |
| Travellers Wilderness Adventure two years ago. | | | | was delicious but we were too busy watching the |
| Arriving in Bangkok this time was different. I had | | | | elephants wash in the river to notice. Elephants |
| a hotel booked so no lugging my pack in | | | | are brilliant creatures and being on one journeying |
| Bangkok's suffocating mixture of exhaust fumes, | | | | deeper into the jungle is a fantastic experience. |
| heat and humidity looking for a clean bed. I had a | | | | The next morning Chan had us up early helping |
| group to meet too, this was also good, eating Pad | | | | him and the village men build our rafts to take us |
| Thai on your own looking for a fellow traveller to | | | | down river to civilization. It is all part of the |
| strike a conversation with can be hard work. | | | | experience helping the guys and by helping I mean |
| There were 10 of us, a mix of Poms, Aussies, a | | | | staying out of their way while they expertly craft |
| Canadian, an American and a South African. We all | | | | our rafts. A serene float down to the nearest |
| met for dinner and shortly after my first Thai | | | | small town where our bus was waiting to take us |
| beer I knew this would be a fun trip | | | | to a hot shower and another massage. |
| Bangkok to me means food and shopping and the | | | | We left Chiang Mai and headed back to Bangkok |
| best place to find both is the Chata Chuk | | | | where we broke the journey up to the south |
| weekend market. I headed there with belly | | | | with an over night stay in the city of angels. |
| empty and wallet full destined to reverse the two. | | | | I had heard a few good things about Khoa Sok |
| The market is huge, really huge, 35 acres of | | | | national park, not too popular with tourists or |
| cheap goodies huge and sells everything from | | | | backpackers alike due it not having a major bus |
| furniture to genuine fake designer clothes. The | | | | stop. To get there you need to stop the bus by |
| street food is fantastic but remember the Thai's | | | | the 3rd banyan tree after 17th stream near the |
| like it hot. I left my shopping with the hotel to | | | | big hill and you will find a bakkie waiting to take |
| keep safe as I would be returning there once I | | | | you into the park. I'm glad we had a tour leader. |
| finished the trip. | | | | The first night we slept with the birds in tree |
| Off to Chiang Mai on the overnight train. I like | | | | houses the second and third we stayed in raft |
| travelling like this, sleeping while moving makes | | | | houses on a man made dam. It is a truly beautiful |
| sense to me and the train is clean, functional, safe | | | | area and a few of us spent the days swimming in |
| and fine. I think Chiang Mai is the perfect place to | | | | waterfalls, flooded caves, kayaking and hiking and |
| escape hectic Bangkok. It's a peaceful, happy | | | | some of just sat back and took it all in. |
| place and that reflects in the locals. Sight seeing | | | | How to finish this Thailand trip? On the beach of |
| will take you to the Wat Pratat Doi Suthep | | | | course. The islands around Krabi are what we |
| temple - stunning and golden on a sunny day. The | | | | visualize when we think of a Thai beach and they |
| next stage of the trip was trekking in the | | | | do not disappoint. The Thai's have a word called |
| surrounding jungle, I decided I needed a massage | | | | sabai, loosely translated it means an inner |
| before we set off. | | | | happiness and contentment. I woke one |
| A trek in the hills of Northern Thailand is a chance | | | | afternoon from a napping on the beach and |
| to escape everyday life and clear your head. The | | | | understood exactly what sabai means. |