Getting there: Our aim is to travel as cheap as possible, so we took a 16 hour bus from Bangkok all the way down South to Krabi – this cost around 600 baht each or $24 NZ. I personally think that busing around Thailand is an awesome way to travel. The buses are usually quite comfortable and when you travel by night you can save on accommodation. If you want to be reeealy comfortable on your bus ride you can book a first class or gold class ticket with Nakhongchai Air – luxury bus riding for a great price! The seats fold back almost into beds so you can get a good nights rest before it spits you out in your next destination, you can watch movies on your own personal tv and you get complimentary drinking water as well. We landed in Krabi at 7am in the morning, far too early to check in anywhere (and I mean anywhere, people will yell at you over the phone for trying to check in before 10am) but we caught a taxi to our guesthouse anyway. We were able to leave our bags there with the lady who was sitting at the front desk while we wandered off to kill time until check in at 11. We found a motorbike to rent for 180 baht per day or $7NZ and then swanned around to try and find some food. Four Island Tour: First of all you can catch a boat from Ao Nang beach to pretty much any island you like if you bargain with the locals. We don’t often do costly touristy things as we try to mainly visit free or cheap attractions. We are backpackers on a budget after all. The four Island tour with Barracudas cost us $40 each NZ – this included pick up and drop off too and from our guesthouse and a buffet lunch with about 3 vegan options which was plenty for Rhys and I (and trust me, we eat like the king and queen) and bottled water as much as you like. We shared a speed boat with about 60 other people including the crew. Try not to sit at the very back of the boat, on the trip to the island we watched about 10 people get completely soaked. Some of them weren’t so happy about it but you are on a boat after all! Our first stop was Maya Bay – where the famous ‘The Beach’ was filmed with Leonardo Dicaprio. My best advice is to try and get here as early as possible. We arrived and left right as a huge amount of tourists were being dropped off on the beach. We were lucky enough to enjoy it all in peace for almost an hour. This beach really is a miracle! The sand is perfectly white and the water a completely glass clear aqua colour – it is breath-taking to say the least. The next stop was my favourite of the day – we ran the boat around the corner and anchored near a cliff side where the water was deep and filled with magnificent, rainbow-coloured, tropical fish. We got into our snorkelling gear (also provided by Barracudas) and swam around for about 40 minutes before it was time to move on. I personally could have stayed here all day googling at the sea creatures swimming through the coral beds laid out on the salty sea floor. We made our lunch stop at Koh Phi Phi. The vegan options were a delicious spaghetti, rice, roasted potatoes and lots of fresh fruit so we filled up before spending the remainder of the hour floating in the calm, heavenly waters that surrounded the quiet tropical paradise. We also got to meet a baby Gibbon here who is taken care of by one of the local men. The gibbon was the most adorable wee thing I have ever seen and I couldn’t stop kissing his tiny, furry head. We gave him a bit of fruit to nibble after some cuddles and then had to carry on. Bamboo Island was serene and dreamy. The water here was much rougher with large waves crashing into swimmers and the boats however the water was still crystal clear and held the most intense, mind blowing aqua colour. The sand incredibly white with reminiscence of tropical shells worth gathering and collecting. We stayed here floating over the immense waves and rode them back to shore for the next 40 minutes before heading to our last island stop (I can not remember the name of our last Island). The last island was the smallest of them all and was another great stop for snorkelling and paddling around eyeing up the beautiful fish that swim by. My favourite thing was to simply star fish and float on top of the water surface and watch all the little friends enjoying the fresh coconut flesh out of my hand. soaking in the sun and laughing at the sqeaky sands of Maya Bay, famous for it's part in the movie 'The Beach'. Swimming and snorkelling with hundreds of fishy friends at my favourite spot of the day, hidden around the corner of Maya Bay. Floating on the pristine, crystal clear waves at Bamboo Island. Koh Pan Ngan:
Our final stop in Thailand before heading to Vietnam and my favourite Island that we visited. Once a month this Island is known for it’s insane ‘till the sun rises’ full-moon parties, but this is only once each month and a small part of the Island. I wasn’t able to attend the full-moon festivities as I was in bed ill and trying desperately to recover before Vietnam but I did wake up at 6 am and head down to the beach to watch the people who had been up all night continue on their antics. My biggest disappointment was seeing how much rubbish and disgustingness had been left all over the beautiful, dreamy, tropical beach that once was the ideal, picturesque destination. If you go to an island for it’s beauty why leave your scum caking and covering it’s perfectly white sands and spilling into it’s crystal clear waves to be taken back out into our already overly polluted oceans. This is one of the most beautiful places on earth, don’t ruin it for our children and future generations but most of all don’t ruin it for the locals who call this Island home – you were never invited here, you made the choice to come here so please be responsible and respectful. On the other hand, the local people were amazingly efficient at getting the beach perfectly spotless again. By 8am the sands looked as though nothing was left behind but footprints and those who remained dancing on stages and pumping their fists into the sky to EDM as the sun rose into the pink and orange sky above the ocean. We spent our time on Koh Pan Ngan exploring by motorbike (costing us 150 baht per day or $6NZ rented from a local man). This island is covered in lush jungle greenery and surrounded buy picturesque beaches creating it’s coast lines. There are also more than 2 stunning waterfalls with small rock pools of clean, flowing water to bathe in. On the West Coast of Koh Pan Ngan you will find at least half a dozen yoga retreats and studios surrounded by mouth-watering (but a bit pricey for a backpacker) vegan and vegetarian restaurants and cafes. There is so much vegan food on this island, I am already planning my next visit back here just to eat the food and do yoga in it’s breath-taking scenery. Unfortunately I did not get to experience any of the yoga classes here as I was not well and suffering from a stomach ache that kept me unable to practice for a few days. I would definitely recommend a visit to the jungle bar on the west coast of the island. It is beside a hidden and quiet, beach with some of the most gorgeous waters on the entire island. The bar itself is really awesome too – you can order food here as well as fresh coconuts and any drink you like, the atmosphere is great with funky music and the staff are all super friendly and welcoming as well. Make sure to bring your bathing suit because you can jump from the warf at the bar into the beautiful ocean waters to snorkel with hundreds and thousands of cute little fish. You can hold onto bits of bread or coconut flesh and the fish will come and eat it straight from your fingers. This is an incredible place to wear a pair of goggles and dive among the coral and when you are ready to relax you can head over to the beach front to soak up the sun. I was offered a job at a retreat on this Island but have not yet heard from the lovely lady at Jungle Gym so I am currently seeking a job at one of the yoga retreats on Koh Pan Ngan as this island is by far my favourite place we have visited on our travels so far. Enjoying the company of hundreds of fishy friends at the Jungle bar near the hidden bay with friends Natalie and Trent from Canada. A view of the bar and hidden bay from the higher view point.
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When finding vegan food in Thailand times can be difficult. When we first arrived in Bangkok City, our very first day in Thailand we had absolutely no idea where to start. We searched up and down the busy, bustling city streets from 7am onwards (not much is open before 10am in Asok, Bangkok) hoping to find some breakfast. Things were getting pretty desperate and we finally came across a 24 hour Italian, pizza/pasta restaurant (run by Thai people) so we threw our hands in the air and had pizza for breakfast like we just didn’t care. The struggle to find vegan, not overpriced food in Bangkok city was really, but mainly because we were new to the game. See the game goes a little bit like this: Rule #1 is there is always a language barrier. Learn to accept it and play your cards right to learn what you need to know in order to ask for vegan food. The main lines you need to know are – “I eat vegetarian”, “No eat egg”, “No eat milk”, “No eat cheese”, “No eat butter” and then you are away laughing. I have seen westerners struggle with this barrier many times and it really is so simple to learn these few lines so that people have a basic understanding of what you want and where you are coming from, trust me – life changing sentences in Thailand. Rule #2 learn what is overpriced food especially for back packers on a budget. In Thailand you can find incredibly tasty, fresh and delicious flavour filled food for ridiculously cheap prices but in some places it is far more difficult than others. If you use the happy cow app, before visiting a restaurant you can see the amount of $ signs that the food has been rated. Obviously: $- least expensive all the way through to, $$$- most expensive. If you want to eat western food the whole time you are in Thailand you will basically be spending the same amount you would be at home and you are not supporting the local people in any way, you are supporting large corporation. Some local people will actually give you a discount if you order the vegan/vegetarian option because your meal costs less for them to make (most especially if you ask in Thai or go back once, twice or more frequently). #3 Wear good walking shoes. This last one because honestly sometimes, it’s not easy to find food and you could be searching for hours. As long as you always have water and comfortable shoes, you will come across something, it may just take some time. I have already lost 3kgs because of food hunting, but also maybe because of the 40 degree weather. I always try to stop in at the Tesco Lotus (Thai supermarket) to pick up snacks and things especially before big trips like 16 hour bus rides or 12 hour trains. Most of the ingredients on things will have an English option as well and if not then just don’t trust it. We only ended up finding one really nice vegan place in Bangkok – Mae Vege Garden in Asok, less than 50 meters from the BTS. The food is INCREDIBLE and the service is just as wonderful but the food is quite pricey! Ok for a treat meal but not regular when you are backpacking and trying to get the most out of your money on a budget. Vegan 'fish' served with a mango sweet and sour salad, a vegan burger and a plate of crispy mushrooms with sweet and sour vegetables from Mae vege garden, Bangkok. But then we arrived in the magical Chiang Mai... If you are searching for yoga and food than stay in the square. Here you will find vegan/vegetarian food every 20-50 meters. And yoga studios around every 100-300 meters. I did question if I had died in Bangkok and gone to vegan yogi heaven. There are also beautiful, professional, tattoo studios EVERYWHERE if that’s what your into (it’s totally what I’m into). Chiang Mai is a big city, don’t get me wrong but it has a much more chilled vibe compared to Bangkok and is a lot cleaner. Your feet won’t get dirty from walking around in jandals / flip flops or whatever you want to call them. When we first arrived we stayed in the cheapest accommodation that we could find on Air B n B - $16 per night or $7 each for a private room (cheaper than any hostels that were then available, our visit was during high season early February) Green Zone guesthouse. We stayed here for two nights before moving on. We had only booked two nights but also in our room there were no windows and I do love me some natural light, so we booked at another cheap guesthouse a 10 minute walk (carrying large, heavy backpacks) 3 floors up with windows! Rocky suit tailor and Walkinn guesthouse (Thai’s are incredible multitaskers). My biggest thing would be that the beds here in Thailand are incredibly solid. Like some of them I have slept on felt like a block of concrete – definitely get used to hard beds with not much give. One time we actually slept on the bamboo floor and couldn’t decide if that was more comfortable than the mattress because they honestly felt about the same. On our second visit to Chiang Mai we managed to get a couple of beds in the dorm at Mojito Garden hostel which cost us about 120 baht each per night or $6NZ. Mojito garden was great, the people we shared the dorm with were not so great. When you have to ask someone to turn their alarm off at 3:30 in the morning for the third time, you definitely start to get some ‘I don’t like you’ feels; they come naturally. I went to two different yoga studios in Chiang Mai. One I was invited to as I was walking past with my oversized backpack and yoga mat attached. The owner spotted me walking by and invited me to come along to a class so I went that evening, the studio was Yoga Kuukan. The studio is absolutely gorgeous on the inside, the outside doesn’t do it much justice. The owner herself is really lovely with a beautiful calming energy about her. I was greeted with fresh mint water and a pre set up mat with a cushion resting on top. The class I chose was a 5:30pm hatha flow with a male teacher, originally from Iran who had been teaching and practicing yoga for well over a decade and you could definitely tell through the way he taught. He asked me if I was also a yoga teacher when he walked into the room and said that he could always tell when someone was a yoga teacher. I really enjoyed his class and unfortunately cannot remember his name! The savasana at the end was about 10 minutes long and I absolutely love that – long meditation at the end of a 90 minute class (all classes here seem to be 90 minutes plus). The class cost me 300 baht so around about $12NZ and I would definitely go back. There was only one other guy in the room practicing so it was a really small and intimate setting even though there were another 10 or so mats set up. Because it was such a small, 2 person class the teacher asked me if there was anything that I would like to focus on – I said opening hips so we did a full 90 minutes of hip openers and I felt like I was floating afterwards. The other studio I went to was Wild Rose Yoga, I was recommended this studio by my friend and teacher (he taught me through my 200 hour training) Ku Note. The teacher was a lovely Thai lady named Ellie. I went along to a 10am hatha flow and the studio was completely full, people even practiced in the hallway just to be a part of her class! This class was definitely a much stronger flow with more intermediate and advanced options but a morning class is always going to be different to your evening, cooling down class. Wild Rose Yoga studio had a more natural look to it upon entering with dark wooden decor and minimal accessories in the practicing space. There were about 20 students in this class all who had practiced yoga regularly before. I definitely got the feeling this studio was a bit of a hot spot for travellers as the teacher could teach in both English and Thai. I asked how many teachers taught at the studio and she told me that a lot of people worked there which definitely confirms it is a super popular spot. They also sell beautiful handmade mala beads and wee treats by the counter if you are looking for anything special along those lines while you are in town. I would highly recommend Wild Rose Yoga for the traveller looking for like minded yogis who want to share the space of a hot spot for yogi backpackers (Chiang Mai is full of these soul searchers). I also feel like I learnt a bit from this class that I would love to incorporate into my own teaching and left feeling full of excitement about that. It is incredibly important to me as a yoga teacher to learn from all of my teachers and absorb the things I love in practice that I want to share with others whom I get to teach along the way. My absolute favourite thing about Chiang Mai was the vegan food. There were endless options and I really wish I had time to try them all. Everywhere we went there were signs to draw you in - ‘Vegetarian food’, ‘pure vegan food’, left, right and centre. One place that we spent almost each day at enjoying the delicious, fresh, organic food and the story behind the making – The Bodhi Tree. We were actually quite lucky to find this place as it wasn’t yet on Happy Cow but it was by far the best food I have had upon leaving New Zealand and definitely one of the best vegan burgers of all my time. We actually went back 4 times just for the burger and once we went back twice in one day (but swore we had to try another meal). The Bodhi Tree was started by a group of local women and opened 7 months ago. Each time you go there you will be greeted warmly and genuinely by these lovely ladies. Most of the food they serve comes from their own organic garden but some is purchased from the local organic market. The Bodhi Tree is located behind the Blue Bird eco village, both a bit further down from Gaps House Thai cooking school. We were actually looking for Gaps house at the time we discovered The Bodhi Tree as they serve an all vegetarian and mostly vegan buffet from 7pm onwards, but they were closed on the day we tried to visit and discovered Bodhi Tree cafe thanks to the small signs that were stuck to the wall beside Wat Phan On temple. The cafes seating area is mainly in a small loft with mattresses, cushions and low level kneeling tables, feel free to get very comfortable here – we spent many hours napping on the mattresses and cushions considering ordering more vegan burgers. They also make delicious green and fruit smoothies and I thought the food was fairly priced considering how incredible and filled with love each meal really is. The vegan burger was definitely the star of the show for me, as I said I had it more than 4 times; one time I went to order it and they had actually run out for the day – I almost cried, not going to lie. They serve the burger with a vegan patty inside, the patty is definitely the taste sensation wrapped in layers of fresh, organic salad and topped off with a soft bun. They make their own home made organic vegan mayo and this special passion fruit dressing that is served on the side. Both are delightful smothered all through the burger. At The Bodhi Tree they also make pleasantly appetizing and completely affordable Thai food – all made by locals and everything is at least vegetarian so all you have to do is let them know you are vegan and they understand what to do. We also ate the fried rice and papaya salad and drank iced chocolates made with incredibly fresh and creamy coconut milk. Nothing and I mean NOTHING beats freshly made coconut milk. Upon my return to Chaing Mai, The Bodhi tree will be the first place I go. The lady responsible for running this place also has rooms to rent in a gorgeous , relaxing space where yoga and meditation is encouraged. The prices range from around 350 baht for a room without a kitchen and 450 baht for rooms with a kitchen. Sadly I left Chiang Mai as we were organizing to put on a yoga class for her guests. The other places that you must eat are at the very top of my list: Chiang Mai Vegetarian society, a slightly hidden assortment of rooms and buffets put together where you can get a large and fresh meal for under $2NZ -this is including three plates and a smoothie or two. You will also find everything from supplements to dish soap and beyond. They also have a second hand area and you can make donations of almost anything to help them raise money. A must visit! Bamboo Bees for another mouth-wateringly good burger that I guarantee, you will not be able to fit in your mouth served with home-cut, roasted potatoes. Also try the fresh rolls served with passion fruit sauce for a taste sensation. Bee also runs cooking classes so get in touch if you are interested in a vegan or vegetarian cooking class. Bamboo cafe for an affordable create-your-own breakfast including beans and mushrooms on soft, thick sliced, multi grain toast. For a drink check out THC rooftop bar with a cool view of Thapae gate and a chilled rasta vibe with the only seating being cushions and low level kneeling tables. This place is decorated with awesome fluorescent paintings covering each of the walls and they usually have a live dj. Vegan burger served with a side salad alongside half a spirulina, banana smoothie at The Bodhi Tree Cafe, Chiang Mai. Under $2 or 50 baht meal from the Vegetarian society, Chiang Mai. 2 smoothies, one plate of fresh rolls, one fried noodle with vegetables and a plate of buffet curry served on top of rice. Som Tam or papaya salad, a tradition Thai dish served extremely spicy. try it with one chillie first and if you still feel like your entering hell through the inside of your mouth order it without the spice, the flavours are tangy and refreshing! NOT FOOD: go to at least one Muay Thai boxing night at the Thapae boxing stadium, tickets will cost you around 400 baht each or $16NZ. The natural highlight of Chiang Mai was the grand canyon. It's a beautiful spot to just sit and take in the scenery with a cafe offering fruit shakes and coffee - of course. if you want to swim you will see people jumping from the heights of the canyon walls into the incredibly deep, blue water. It's an awesome place to cool off on those hot Chiang Mai days and just to breathe in the air and be a part of the fun. We spent a few hours recording footage on the go pro jumping into the water and chilling on a bamboo raft. Unfortunately when I jumped off the raft and into the water I went to pass Rhys the go pro thinking that it was attatched to my wrist but it wasn't and it went down faster than an olympic sprint. We tried to catch it but it was long gone into the depths of 35-40 meters of dark water joining the other lost belongings that spend the rest of their days on the canyon floor. Walking around Chiang Mai city really is a magical adventure in itself. You will find a temple on almost every street. On our final day in Chiang Mai we found a Tarot card reader and fortune teller stationed outside the 7/11. I decided I wanted to get my cards read and what followed was a very promising and positive reading. The things she had said to me were quite spot on. She told me that I had a sixth sense which I have been told my many spiritual readers and healers. She told me that I had a guardian angel watching over me and that I have always known this and felt it but never seen it, which is also true. She also told me that I had been worrying too much about money lately, which I have. She followed this up by saying that in March I will have good luck with money and in 3 years I won’t be worried about money at all. She told me that my job is going to involve a lot of travelling here and there and starting and stopping/changing jobs. She also told me that in 8 years I would have my own successful business and in 10 years I would be leading a happy family life. Rhys had a reading after me and his was not as completely positive – he was told that there was a negative spirit following him and trying to cause him to have an accident. She said that if he wanted good luck we would have to find a monk wearing a yellow/gold robe who would do a blessing for Rhys and give him good luck. We spent our final day searching temples for a monk in yellow or gold. 5 temples, 5 prayers, 5 offerings and 2 coconut ice-creams later we had finally found a monk wearing gold and asked him to do a blessing for us on our travels and to clear Rhys of this bad spirit. We received a blessing that took about 5 minutes. The monk chanted in Thai a Buddhist prayer and sprayed us with holy water about 10 times. Afterward we had to pour the water from a ceramic cup (that we were given as the prayer started) onto a tree outside the temple. The monk told us that Buddha teaches us not to attach to ideas and things. He said that although this fortune teller may have told us this, don’t attach to the idea. Do good and good things will return to your life.
Chiang Mai was marvellous and I anticipate my return to eat, yoga and temple visit in this charming city of Thailand. How I like to set goals for the long run: Before I set off on this adventure of a life time I made some serious goals and lists of things that I needed to get done so that I could leave New Zealand and get out into the big, wide world of travelling and teaching yoga. When I was living in New Zealand I was working for a fabulous yoga and work out clothing company, the very well known lululemon athletica (originated in Vancouver, Canada) and the way this company runs things had a huge impact on the goals that I set and how I set them to be achievable but also in line with my dreams and wishes for the future. Some people don’t know where to start with goal setting so I thought I would write down my best tips that kept me on track. lululemon is a company that had huge impacts on me. The people I worked with at the Britomart store in Auckland were all very like minded; not only did we all love to take care of ourselves body, mind and soul but we also loved to set goals and were passionate about the things that we wrote down and put into our vision boards. So many people have dreams but choose not to bother with them because maybe they feel stuck in a job or place with no room to move. I have definitely been in this position and felt this way about jobs and particular settings in the past so please feel encouraged to start here if you are feeling the same: 1. Your vision should be powerful and filled with your passions, the things that bring out the best and most inspirational you. The first thing I learnt at lululemon was a meditation exercise. On my first day during my training I was asked to close my eyes as Briar talked me through some different questions to ask myself. One of the things that really stood out to me was that we were setting goals for 10 years into the future. Focused on envisioning where we wanted to be, who we wanted to be and when we wanted to be there with a no limitations or boundaries. Think about all of the things you have always wanted in your life, almost all of us have an unfulfilled dream or urge to do or try something but we often let fear stop us or get in the way. Trying and failing to succeed is far more worth your time and energy than giving up and failing to try in the first place. If you fail to try, you have already let yourself down. If you give it a good go and still fail, at least you will have insight about what you need and want to improve the next time you try it out. 2. No limitations, no boundaries. Use your imagination. After all, anything can happen in 10 years most especially if and when you put your mind to it. Your mind is the most incredible tool that can be used to help propel you into the directions of your dreams, make sure you use it wisely! When you create your vision of 10 years into the future try to imagine yourself 10 years ago, it’s likely you have come incredibly far from the place you were and if not it’s more likely that you have given yourself those limitations or maybe you have listened to the words of negative people who tell you that you can’t do or achieve something and believed them. I definitely understand that not all people have the same chance at life/wealth/healthcare etc. I have come from a place where I really didn’t have much. I moved 6 hours from home to Auckland city at 17 years old with $50NZ in my pocket but now I am living my dream, travelling the world and sharing the knowledge of yoga. 3. Write down your vision and turn it into a goal board. One of my favourite things about our store at Britomart was that we all proudly displayed our goals in the store where all guests could come and read them and see them if they liked. We had printed them out and had them beautifully framed and they each said so much about the driven and inspired people that we are. When you have done your meditation exercise and have a fresh image of your vision and lightbulbs sparking in that brain of yours, make sure to write down all of the bold and fantastic things you have come up with. Start with a brain storm and try to create a story of your vision being descriptive of the things you see, hear, smell, feel apor taste. From there choose the goals that really mean the most to you. We organised our goals in three categories: Career, health and personal. (If you want to you can download and print a worksheet from the lululemon website to save yourself from trying to write it up). There is also three different categories for these categories of goals: 10 year, 5 year and 1 year. We would always start with writing down the 10 year goals first, then the five year and then lastly the one year goals. If you start with your big hairy lemon over all picture, your mind breaks down shorter term goals and creates an image of how you are going to make it to the big one! 4. Print them out, look at them as often as possible – every day if you can. When goal setting it is important to remind yourself of where you see yourself. Keep your goals somewhere you will read and see them often. Beside the bed is a really great place or in a diary if you use one daily. Stay focused, good things take time. Accept where you are now in life, there is a reason you are where you are. 5. It’s ok if your plans and goals change – we are human and we are ever evolving. If you look at your goals and one or two of them don’t align with where you are headed anymore, replace it with one that does align with your current beliefs and dreams. Things are always changing around us, we are always changing and the world is always changing. Accept change as part of the journey, maybe things don’t always go to plan but they usually happen for a reason, maybe something bigger and better is on it’s way to you or maybe you were not supposed to walk that path. Either way, learn to accept change and try to go with the ever evolving flow of life. The less you try to fight with your reality, the more peace of mind and true freedom you are going to have. Take things day by day. 6. Surround yourself with like minded people who love you and support you in your vision. This really is one of the most important rules. Better yet, learn to love and support yourself - more challenging than it sounds for sure. There have definitely been some hard times on the road to getting where I am today but I am lucky to have an truly reliable, trustworthy and all around solid partner who is usually always there to back me up. It definitely helps to have someone to talk to when things are rough or just get to be too much especially when you know that person/people are not judging you and they have your wellbeing and your best interests at heart. It makes all the difference to have someone to confide in and talk to and trust is definitely the main basis of all relationships; friendships and otherwise. 7. Lastly, never give up on yourself. Cliché, but it’s so true and really the most important. The people who love you are not going to give up on your vision, they want to see you pull through until the end and win at life so try to be just as kind with yourself. We are often so hard and critical of ourselves when we would never think these kinds of thoughts of other people in our lives . Be gentle with yourself but at the same time learn to work hard for the things you love – but not too hard. Just the right amount! The goals I have ticked off from my vision and goal board so far: Go to a country I have never been to before Save over $20,000 to go toward overseas travel Get ‘Yoga teacher qualified’ for 200 hour training Practice yoga in at least 3 studios outside of New Zealand I'm still working on the rest but am super happy with my progress so far. I hope this helps at least one person to write down the goals they have been thinking about and start working toward the things they want. may your dreams come true! Pai is a really small town only 148 kilometres from Chiang Mai city however it takes 3.5 hours to get there in a car/ mini van because the road there is completely through the mountains and there is a sharp corner every 2-5 seconds. If you have a driver like ours who thinks that it’s an F1 race to make it there, I’d highly recommend having some anti nausea pills handy (you can purchase these from any pharmacy in Thailand). I would also recommend not eating at least 2 hours before the drive unless you want to end up like the 9 people who we shared the ride with, all throwing up into plastic bags begging the driver in English (a language he did not understand) to stop the car and give us all a break. There was no where to stop on the road bar one 20 minute stop we made half way there. My stomach was churning but I made it the entire drive without vomiting – I came pretty damn close though! Luckily Rhys and I had a bit of an insider tip before we set off on our journey. The only other piece of advice I would give is to have some warm clothing handy as it gets pretty damn chilly in Pai! It is only a small town tucked away in the mountains so try to take at least a jumper and some long pants, if you need more clothes they are cheap enough to buy when you arrive. When we finally arrived and I was out of the car breathing fresh air and still trying to avoid my stomach coming up through my mouth Rhys set off to find a motorbike that we could use for our 5 night stay. I sat and took care of the bags, people watching while I let my stomach settle. As soon as you arrive you can feel the town has quite an intimate, hippie vibe and I realised why so many people had told us to make a trip here. The small amount of streets that are in the town centre are layed out either side with small shops filled with hand made items from the local people. Everything from post cards to shoes, sandals and clothing, wooden and beaded jewellery and of course delicious Thai food! There are also a couple of second hand shops here that are filled with items fellow travellers have left behind so if you need a cheap shirt or jumper, look out for one of these – I found an epic crew neck jumper with ‘save the earth’ printed on it for only 100 baht or $4NZ (trust me you will really need a jumper in this town). Rhys came back with a motorbike which he had scored for 650 baht for the entire 5 days (or 130 baht per day) which is about $26NZ but you can find them for around 100 baht per day if you have the time and patience to look around and barter to save yourself $5. plus anything for 100 baht is probably going to be around 100cc or maybe even less and will not get you up the hills to the hot springs or Lod Cave (mentioned later). We had to make 2 trips to our bungalow at Nusha homestay because of the ridiculous amount of things that we choose to carry around on our backs. Nusha homestay is located about 4 kilometres from the town centre and is half way between the town centre and the Pai canyon. Nusha homestay is owned and run by our new Thai friend Rafi – if you make a trip to Pai try to stay with this wonderful man. He has left behind his wife and daughter in the very south of Thailand to come north and start his own business to make and save some money for his family to give his daughter a good life. The homestay is also named after her. Rafi is the most welcoming and open host that we have stayed with so far. Breakfast is not included in the price of your stay but he will make you delicious fried rice either way and he appreciates it if you get up to watch the beautiful sunrise with him – it’s definitely worth it to wake up early and see the sun rise from Nusha homestay over Pai, even just once. He likes to eat vegan food and loves to share meals. We cooked together each night with fresh vegetables that you can find at the evening market and he even gave us a couple of cooking lessons how to make traditional Thai food vegan style. If you sit with Rafi at dinner time you’ll get great conversation and company, great food and an incredible view of the mountains and bush fires from the bamboo, second storey deck. I did a lot of yoga on my wee bungalow deck and didn’t actually check out any yoga studios in Pai as all I really wanted to do was relax after so much travelling about. If you are any kind of vegan or vegetarian travelling then surely by now you have downloaded the Happy Cow app. It’s a must have for any veg head traveller. It usually costs to download but is well worth it, it’ll save you the hours of hunting for a meal and even better if you can ask for vegan food in Thai language (that was the first thing I learnt after ‘hello’ – ‘sawadee ka’ and ‘thank you’ – ‘Kap kun ka’/’kup’ for men) Using happy cow we found a completely vegan Chinese restaurant in the town centre. The food is delicious and so incredibly cheap! You can buy a freshly cooked meal for as low as 39 baht which is less than $1.50 NZ and the restaurant is clean and welcoming. Sometimes the kitchen isn’t open so they won’t take orders from the menu but the cabinet food is just as mouth-wateringly good. Just up the road from here is a Thai vegetarian place which we unfortunately did not make it to, the one time we tried to go there it was closed. Our other favourite place to eat was Earth Tone which is out of the town centre and straight across from the white Buddha that hides in the mountains (you will see him up on the hill when you drive in to Pai, definitely go here too). Earth tone is a magical little place with a super relaxed atmosphere. All of the food is vegetarian but they also have an incredible vegan menu. This is the kind of place you miss about the western world while travelling – delicious organic fresh smoothies and juices, raw cakes and deserts, organic salads, curries and sandwiches and a range of take away home made jars, teas and bits and bobs. Also one of the better places to visit if you are looking for a yoga class as they have cards and posters advertising different events and teachers on their notice board. We got a tempeh sandwich and a Japanese style curry to share as well as a couple of banana, cacao and peanut desert smoothies. We ended up getting another tempeh sandwich as we weren’t sure if we would have time to visit again before we left and we had to experience those flavours one last time! It is on their ‘highly recommended’ list of options and I too would highly recommend it. The sandwich is served with a peanut sauce among two layers of tempeh and fresh salad so if you, like me, are nuts for peanuts order one or maybe two of these. They also have the tempeh salad option for those who are gluten free or just like to lay off the bread, which you will naturally do in Thailand anyway. When you stay in Pai be sure to adventure out of the town centre as this is where the real beauty lies in this place. It’s worth hiring a motorbike here so you can get around and adventure plus it’s super cheap like I mentioned before. Go to The Pai canyon in the evenings around 5:20pm to watch the sunset and adventure over all sorts of scary and amazing natural rock walls. Make sure you walk slowly around this place as some of the pathways are pretty slippery and you can hear the echoes of rocks coming loose and falling down the sides of the canyon. We also made it to the Mo Pang waterfall that has natural slides you can ride down into the swimming hole at the bottom, just make sure you check them out first before jumping on. Definitely worth a visit just to stop and breathe and take in the vibrant, lush scenery even if you are not a person who likes to swim. We also went by motorbike with Rafi and another friend of ours Tanja, from Germany, to Lod Cave. It is 45 kilometres from Pai, half of the drive is up hill into the mountains and it is really cold so make sure you dress really warm, wear sun glasses and find a thick piece of material that will cover your ears, nose , mouth and neck for the drive (we found some ‘transforming hats’ that were absolute lifesavers at one of the travel agents close to the large bamboo bridge in the town centre, if you can find these snatch one up and thank me later – they can also be a headband, hat and scarf). It took us 1 hour of driving up hill before we had a break at the very top, Kiew Lom view point – the scenery is absolutely stunning and is 1435 meters above sea level so you can see all of the mountains that surround Pai all the way out to Chiang Mai. You can get a hot coffee at the top, most coffee shops in Thailand don’t usually stock soy milk (look out for lactosoy and avoid it! It looks like soy milk but if you read the ingredients, it contains milk powder). We carried on for another half hour drive to Lod Cave which was really off the beaten track, if you don’t go with a local make sure you have a map of some sort (of course google maps is ideal). When you arrive if you want to go through the entire cave it will cost you around 700 baht or $28 NZ – the guides will take you in on a bamboo raft and lead you around the three caves pointing out rocks and what they are said to look like. Don’t buy fish food from the front desk, when you go through the gates you can buy it from the local ladies whom actually need the money a lot more than the people at the front. The caves are really stunning! We didn’t actually pay the fee of 700 baht and were quite sneaky, we snuck our way in to the cave following another guide and just kind of acted like we had lost our guide following other groups but we only got to check out one of the three caves, still worth it, but if you want to go through and have a good look around all three you will have to pay. Take your fish food and you can feed the crazy koi fish that greet you at the cave entrance. They go completely nuts when you throw the food in the water so take quite a bit of food, there is a lot of fish! The natural hot springs are also a must to heat up, best to go in the morning when there are less people. We adventured to the hot springs about 14kms North as they are a lot cheaper to visit than the ones closer to town – the closer option will cost you around 300 baht and the natural ones only 30 baht each, plus you get the gorgeous scenery. The water is incredibly clear and you can find small crystals in the bottom among the stones and sand if you are lucky and search long/hard enough. The water is lovely and warm and you can sit and bathe as long as you want. We ended up sticking around for about 2 hours until our wrinkly skin told us to get out and leave. The last thing I would recommend to do is to just cruise around the open roads, go adventuring through the mountains and just wing it, there is so much gorgeous, green scenery to take in everywhere you go so you won’t regret it. Rhys and I shared our last evening with Rafi and Tanja learning how to cook Vegan Tom Yum soup and fried ‘morning glory’ in peanut sauce. Both delicious, classical Thai dishes. We watched the bush fires in the mountains one last night as the sun went down. You can see these huge bush fires from the bamboo hut each night as it is the dry season combined with cool mountain wind creating these seemingly out of control fires, however they don’t seem to worry the Thai people at all and they don’t really come close to the village. It was absolutely freezing on our last night so we both slept smothered by two blankets with jumpers and long pants on. The good thing about it being cooler is that there really isn’t many mosquitos to come and bug you.
I definitely recommend taking a visit to Pai, the nature and scenery is beautiful. I over heard a westerner say the other day that someone had told him it was just a tourist ploy and he was convincing his friends not to go there. All I can say to that dude is that you are really missing out, but at the same time you don’t want to flood the gorgeous place with too many tourists who aren’t willing to adventure on. |
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October 2016
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