Capetown, South Africa

It occurs to me that I promised long ago to elaborate on the specifics for our 2014 Southern Safari tour.  Lets begin today with Capetown, widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world.  One glance at the skyline confirms the reputation - dominated by picturesque Table Mountain andsurrounded by water on two sides, it would be hard to argue against the claim.  Add in some pleasing and colorful colonial architecture, a vibrant city center, a picturesque harbor, fantastic nearby sights, and you have the recipe for a world class city.  We’ll spend four nights here on our 2014 Southern Safaris tours to be sure to have enough time for thorough exploration and enjoyment. We’ll begin with an all-day excursion to iconic Cape Point - the south-westernmost point of the continent and the symbolic last obstacle passed by Bartolomeo Dias in 1488 to open up Asia to Atlantic traders, thereby re-writing the trade routes and the flow of history. Trade shifted from a Mediterranean to an Atlantic orientation. Venice began its decline and the Portuguese and Spanish began their ascent, followed eventually by the Dutch and the British - eventually issuing in the age of colonialism.  The cape is an impressive historical spot, but equally alluring for its natural and rugged beauty.  The cape narrows to a point with steep cliff sides.  A lighthouse adds to the visual appeal.  [For a panoramic preview, click here]  Seabirds, ostriches, seals, penguins, whales, and other wildlife add another dimension to the excursion. Several large troops of entertaining Chacma Baboons also call the cape home. Late winter to fall is the migratory season for Right and Humpback whales so our August (winter in the southern hemisphere) tour will undoubtedly be seeing some of the majestic creatures, an exciting addition to our wildlife viewing.  Additionally, I’m hoping to incorporate a cultural connection experience on this excursion day and we‘ll be stopping at world-famous Stellenbosch Botanical Gardens on the way home.  The gardens are beautifully maintained and include three green houses (tropical; succulent; and karoo), a lotus lily pond, Japanese Garden, Herb Garden, and arboretum. Our second full day will be spent on a completely different kind of leisure activity. We’ll be touring South Africa’s famous wine country.  Driving through beautiful mountainous countryside we’ll stop at famous wine villages.  Of course we will visit a couple of producers to sample the goods and see their operations.  Lunch will be in the quaint town of Franschhoek. A third day in Capetown is scheduled without activities.  With a lot to see and do we’re giving everyone the option to order their own day. However, we will organize an excursion to Robben Island, the infamous Apartheid prison that housed Nelson Mandela among others.  One of the things that makes this excursion unique is that former inmates are the docents who escort visitors around the facility.  Talk about an opportunity to peek behind the curtain of commercial tourism.  Other options include city walking tours, shopping, relaxing with a waterfront meal, or visiting one of the many museums. A final activity will be an included excursion up Table Mountain. We’ll choose one of the days when weather conditions are optimum and board the gondola cable car that sweeps usto the top in just minutes. The gondola itself rotates while ascending, allowing 360° views.  From the top we’ll enjoy a little light hiking and tremendous vistas in every direction.  To the north, Signal Hill, Capetown Harbor, and the Atlantic coast; to the east, the city bowl, heart of downtown Capetown; to the west the vastness of the Atlantic as well as the sunset; and south down the rugged spine of land that terminates at the cape. A perfect vantage for appreciating the lovely natural setting for this beautiful city. I believe the three and a half days spent here will be just barely enough to see Capetown’s highlights and also peak behind some of her curtains.  I can’t wait for my alumni travelers to add this world class destination to their bucket lists.

Namibia +

I have just concluded a busy winter and I’m now in Europe, ready to commence a busy spring.  I’m sitting in the newly opened, beautifully remodeled Rijksmuseum atrium café, in Amsterdam Netherlands.  They have covered the inner courtyard with a glass ceiling making a light and airy space - a la Louvre.  Like the Louvre, the remodel has made entering the museum much more efficient and pleasant.  I’m excited to take my group through the complete collection for the first time in a decade.  As the museum has only recently reopened it is quite a scene here.  LONG lines to get in and crowded galleries.  I even had to wait to get a seat here in the café. Earlier in the day I had a coffee with my friend and now colleague Hans DeKiefte.  He used to run a B&B in Haarlem and later became our “local guide” for the Best of Europe tours.  Some of you might remember him taking us on a walking tour.  He loned me a bike and I rode out to the seaside - something I’ve never done in all these many years of coming here.  It was a pleasant, mostly flat, half-hour pedal each way.  I passed by a couple miles of dunes before descending to the windy beach.  As the sun was shining the hearty Dutch were populating the beach - though I didn’t see anyone in the water on this blustery, 60°-ish day.  It was good to do something physical, which always helps with jetlag.  My busy winter was spent planning and plotting for Africa.  Some of my alums with the luxury of time have a great attitude:  if you are going halfway round the world, you might as well stay and see as much as you can.  There was a flurry of emails discussing options and opportunities and we’ve settled on an optional Namibia extension.  It was a challenge to find an add-on that was not repeating experiences already planned for the tour.  But this fit the bill perfectly - a completely different set of experiences altogether.  Namibia is largely a desert state so we’re going to explore some unique and different landscapes.  We’ll start our excursion in Swakopmund on the famous Skeleton Coast.  Swakop, as the locals call it, has become the adventure sports capital of Namibia.  Activities range from ocean fishing to skydiving.  I’m interested in the sand dune boarding and four-wheeling.  But the foremost excursion is clearly the scenic flight option that features the magnificent Sand Dune Sea of the western Namib desert.  The opportunity to see the world’s largest sand dunes from the air has got to be special.  The dunes stretch for miles in every direction, are the highest in the world (up to 1000 ft), and consist of red sand.  You’ve probably seen these dunes on many occasions.  They are a favorite location for any big budget movie that features rippling dunes stretching out to the horizon.  The flight also includes the rugged and scenic coast.  We will also see the dunes from the ground as our second stop is Sousevslei in the midst of the dune sea.  Imagine the photographic possibilities as we’ll have a full day to explore in our custom safari vehicles.  Climbing on foot is also an option for the ambitious and fit.  After the dunes we’ll continue south toward South Africa.  Our destination is the second largest canyon in the world, after our own Grand.  Fish River Canyon displays a similar level of epic grandeur and colossal scale.  We’ll be taking an easy hike along the rim and enjoying the glowing light of sunset and sunrise, sandwiched around our single night.  A short travel day follows with a brief stop at some natural hot springs and a canoe trip on the scenic Orange River, the natural border between Namibia and South Africa.  The long drive south to Capetown will be broken up with an overnight in the Cederburg Mountains, one of the best hiking regions in South Africa.  Iconic Table Mountain will grow ever larger on the horizon as we approach our final destination of Capetown. We’ll arrive in time to relax for 24 hours before the regular tour begins the next day.  Once we developed the Namibia extension for our first tour we decided to offer it for the other two departures as well.  An extra week of tour travel is a lot, but necessary considering the great distances we’ll cover.  But the reward of an entirely different and unique travel experience is too good to pass up.  Combined with the regular itinerary, which features beautiful Capetown (Cape Point excursion; Table Mountain excursion; and Wine tasting), five days of safari in the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park, Botswana (mokoro excursion; vehicle, walking, river, and night safaris), and mighty Victoria Falls (Boma dinner and entertainment, township visit, lunch in a village home), I’m convinced we’re covering the best three weeks Southern Africa has to offer.  Although all three 2014 #Imprinttours Southern Safari tours are full, I am certain we will be offering the tour with the optional Namibia extension in future years.  If this sounds like an intriguing travel experience, pencil us in for April 2015 and let us know of your interest.Signing off from Amsterdam - Reid

Kbal Spean

One area of Angkor I have been fascinated by but never able to visit until now is Kbal Spean.  While not a secret, it is still more of a “behind the curtain” experience than the rest of Angkor.  It is quite far out from the main sights and requires an uphill hike of about a half hour to reach it.  While created by the Khmer empire like the rest of Angkor, Kbal Spean is completely different from the rest of the temples one visits.  The sight boasts carvings in a riverbank and hundreds of stone lingas in a stream.  Sometimes called the river of 1000 Lingas, this is not a spectacular sight like Angkor Wat or any of the major temples at Angkor.  It is more subtle and personal - definitely carved on a human scale.  It is located in a hilly area from which the Khmers quarried the stones needed to build the great temples of Angkor. I had polled my group before the tour to see if there was any interest in a visit to Kbal Spean.  About a dozen intrepid tour members opted to accompany me out to the sight.  I thought it was really fantastic. The travel distance required to get there keeps the destination from being overwhelmed with tourists.  Even so, there is a decent infrastructure at the parking lot.  A new, clean restroom facility, plenty of parking spaces, and about a half dozen basic restaurant/food stalls are one's first experience upon arrival.  We grabbed a quick lunch and some cold bottles of water before starting up the trail.

The trail itself is not steep but the steady uphill grade, coupled with the tropical heat, makes for a demanding trek to the sight – another factor in keeping visitor numbers down.  I wouldn't describe the hike as scenic, but you are making your way through true jungle terrain.  Vines occasionally hang over the path and gnarled root systems erupt everywhere on the trail.  About 3/4 way up there is a beautiful overlook where you see a vast jungle valley stretching out for miles.  At a couple of the steepest sections wooden steps have been built but there are still several sections that require some careful stepping up and over stones and roots.  One annoying feature, at least for me, was a series of markers, denoting how far you have come and how far you have to go - in intervals of 100 meters.  I for one would rather not know how far I have to go, at least not so often.

The river and the carvings themselves are not dramatic but I found them completely enjoyable and well worth the effort to get to them.  The carvings are spread out over several hundred feet of terrain and can be easily missed.  The security guards assigned to the area are happy to serve as personal guides - making sure you see all the carvings.  They expect a tip of course, but I felt no overt pressure to give more than seemed fair and I thought it well worth the small investment.  Among the carvings I saw were several mandalas, various creatures, Shiva, and Vishnu, plus hundreds of lingas in different locations.  There is supposed to be a frog somewhere but I did not find it.  My favorite stop was the small but picturesque waterfall.  About 20 feet high, the small cataract makes for a cool and refreshing picnic spot.  There were locals there doing just that during my visit.  The water flow was very low and I can see how more water would make everything more dramatic.  Going down was much quicker but one needs to tread carefully on the rutted, root-riddled path.  Once again the food stands at the bottom were welcome as we all needed more water upon arrival.  Overall, it was a great added excursion, and due to its uniqueness, I thought it well worthwhile.

Amazing Angkor!

Toward the end of our Thailand tour and after our tropical idyll on Koh Ngai we flew to Siem Reap, gateway to magnificent Angkor Wat.  Angkor is certainly the mother of all Southeast Asian sights:  a jaw-dropping collection of ancient stone temples, carved walls and gates, monasteries, and reservoirs, built by the Khmer civilization from about 900 to 1300AD.  We had two full days there, which was barely enough to see the top temples:  Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm, and Banteay Srei.  Unfortunately, those top sights are the ones 95% of all visitors are crowding into.  The resource is being loved to death I fear.  When I brought my first group here in 2008, Angkor attracted a half million visitors.  Last year the number was 2.3 million.  This year they predict 3 million and 5 million by 2015.  Wow!  I guess my message is:  go soon!  It is certainly only a matter of time before the opportunity to climb in, on, and through the temples, one of the real highlights of being here, is restricted. Our guide Songkuang, whom we called Kjen, helped make our experience of Angkor exceptional.  On our first day, we took on the biggies:  Angkor Wat and Thom. We started with AW, by some measures the largest religious building in the world.  It is massive with its soaring corncob towers.  It is made even more impressive by the fact that when it was built in the early 12^th century, most Europeans were living in huts and the biggest buildings by far were the earliest Gothic cathedrals of northern France - which pale in comparisons of scale.  Almost every inch of the complex is covered in exquisite sculptures.  Carved stone pavilions, views through spindled windows, and niches containing active alters attended by monks add to the special ambiance.  However, I feel compelled to observe, what makes AW truly massive is the concentric, galleried walls that surround the main temple complex.  The first, outer wall is almost exactly a mile around.  And that wall is surrounded by a large moat – impressive.  Kjen pointed out bullet holes from Khmer Rouge occupation, explained the functions of various galleries and temple sections, and interpreted the messages contained in the bas relief sculptures that stretch hundreds of yards around the complex.  We saw the churning of the sea milk (Hindu creation mythology) and the official state propaganda "story" of Suryavarman II, builder of AW.  I also enjoyed Kjen's explanation of the confusing Hindu vs. Buddhist issue.  When the first temples of Angkor were started, the Khmer kingdom was Hindu.  But over the next 4-5 centuries, as the empire expanded successive rulers added temples, each wanting to demonstrate his greatness and leave a lasting legacy in stone - much like the Romans in the west.  Over that time, some rulers adopted Buddhism.  So some temples are Hindu, others Buddhists.  Moreover, sometimes, if resources were available, a Hindu king might replace all the Buddha statues from a previously built temple with Hindu deities - or vice versa.  Also, as Buddhism evolved out of Hinduism in 3-4th century BC India, they share many fundamental icons, deities, heroes, symbols, and mythologies.  So basically, Angkor is a mixed bag – but great fun to sort.

After a midday break for lunch, and maybe a quick dip in the pool, we returned to visit Angkor Thom - a walled city that contains several temples.  The first impressive sight is entering one of the four main gates - each topped by a massive tower, carved with four Khmer faces facing the cardinal points of the compass.  Each gate is reached by a bridge that crosses a moat, the balustraded sides of which are huge stone statues, depicting the Churning of the Sea Milk story once again.  Once inside, we headed to the major attraction:  Bayon temple.  Kjen told us this was his favorite and I'd be hard pressed to disagree.  Much more a human scale that Angkor Wat, Bayon literally bristles with dozens of towers, each with four Khmer faces for a total of 216 faces.  Additionally, the entire complex is covered in lichens, giving the place a more ancient, even alien feel.  It is a fantastic temple and great fun to explore its more intimate but labyrinthine galleries, windows, and aforementioned towers.  It is certainly the most photogenic temple of Angkor.

After the Bayon, we walked five minutes to the nearby Terrace of the Leper King and Terrace of the Elephants.  These terraces were the foundations for the royal reception pavilions of Angkor Thom.  It is aptly named for the relief sculptures that decorate its facade.  I love the way the carved elephants only become obvious when you look for a while.  The obscurity is due to the deterioration of time.  But once you identify them, they are clear enough to see.  There is one section that is decorated with Garudas, the mythical bird vehicle (or steed) of Vishnu.  These huge stone versions are essentially the same style and motif as the ornamental bronze versions we had seen in Bangkok's Wat Phra Kheo at the beginning of the tour.  I call them the Zumba Garudas – all lined up with their “hands” in the air.

Our second full day in Cambodia began with a much needed free morning.  Then the group split:   about half joined me for an extracurricular excursion to Kbal Spean (see my next blog) and the other had lunch with Kjen.  Both groups started their afternoon sightseeing with a stop at Ta Prohm.  Ta Prohm is probably Angkor’s most intriguing sight, perhaps even more popular that Angkor Wat itself.  This is the complex archaeologists elected to leave as they found:  overwhelmed by the jungle.  They hacked back enough for access but left the trees which had taken over the walls and buildings.  This is the quintessential Tomb Raider/Indiana Jones sight. I try not to overuse the word awesome in my descriptions but this place is AWESOME!  Thousand year old walls and stone temple buildings completely overwhelmed by the gigantic root systems of the Strangler Fig and Silk Cotton trees – its literally jaw-dropping.  Since my last visit they have built wooden walkways throughout the complex to lessen the impact of the tourist hoards.  But it serves to restrict the movement of said hoards and therefore concentrates the crowds at key points even more than usual.  But honestly, sharing the experience with thousands of other tourists does not lessen the grandeur, only makes for more challenging photographs if one’s goal is a shot without people.

Our afternoon concluded with the two groups reuniting at Banteay Srei, one of my favorite temples.  It is a much older temple and is quite far out from the rest of Angkor.  These temples were built over a thousand years ago.  The scale is much less grandiose than Angkor Wat or Thom but what is lacking in size is compensated by detail.  Angkor’s best stone carving is on display here.  Also, the natural red of the stones virtually glows in the last light of the afternoon.  Picturesque moats complete the ambiance and provide reflective photographs.  To break up our long drive back to Siem Reap we stopped for sunset at an outlying temple, Pre Rup.  Tourists gather here to enjoy the sunset over the jungle, the tiny silhouette of Angkor Wat barely discernible in the distance.

Southern Safaris - Imprint's Africa 2014

Imprint is excited to officially announce our Southern Africa tour 2014.  We have three departures scheduled:  April 7 & 20, and August 4, 2014.  The tour is 13 days and includes Capetown, the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park in Botswana, and Victoria Falls.  The cost of the tour is $3700 + air; single supplement is $475.  We have endeavored to craft an exciting and diverse itinerary that highlights the best of southern Africa.  The tour is anchored by Capetown, one of the great city destinations of the world and Victoria Falls, one of the great natural wonders on the planet. Between we’ll have the game viewing safari excursions that define a trip to this amazing continent.  During our safari segment we will include vehicle, foot, night, mokoro (dugout canoe), and river game viewing excursions.  In keeping with our travel values we will engage in genuine cultural connections whenever possible, including a township visit, lunch in a local home, and an evening of “non-professional” traditional music and dance.  For a complete itinerary see the new Southern Safari Tour page on the website.  If you’d like a more detailed tour description, contact us directly at info@imprinttours.com.  As always, if you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to contact us at any time.

Imprint Tours News March 2013

Hello travelers.  The biggest news at Imprint is the announcement of our 2014 southern Africa tour:  Southern Safaris – Capetown, Botswana, and Victoria Falls.  The tour has been released to alumni and those who have expressed specific interest in Africa and the response has been excellent.  The website will be updated sometime this week with all the details.  If anyone is interested to see the details before then, please contact us at info@imprinttours.com The tour is 13 days, cost $3700 + air, and departures are April 7 & 20, and Aug. 4, 2014.  The tour includes 3.5 days in beautiful Capetown with excursions to Cape Point and wine country; 5 days of safari including the Okavango Delta; Chobe National Park (vehicle, walking, night, mokoro, and river safaris); and finishing at spectacular Victoria Falls. Last year I got a line on a fantastic deal for a Danube river cruise through Dream Maker Vacations.  Several Imprint alums took advantage of the bargain.  This year, DMV is offering several cruises on both the Rhein and the Danube, but Imprint can get a special discount on the Sept 11 Danube departure.  See all the details at http://www.dmvacation.com/ If you are interested and book through Imprint Tours, you’ll receive an additional $100 - $200 off the already great price.  Space is very limited so don’t delay.

I have received my tour schedule at Rick Steves for 2013.  I will be doing Best of Europe, departing May 5; June 30; & Aug 25; Heart of Italy May 26; July 21; & late Oct; Best of Italy Sept 15; Germany, Austria, Switzerland departing Oct 1.  For those of you who are in the Seattle area, my speaking schedule for the next couple months includes:  “India” at Wild World Books in Wallingford – Tues. Mar 12; “Thailand” & “Bali” at 10:00AM & 1:00PM respectively at Savvy Traveler in Edmonds – Sat. Mar 16; “New Zealand”  at 1:00PM Savvy Traveler – Sat Mar 30; and “Greece” at 9:00AM at the Edmonds Theater – Rick Steves Spring Travel Festival, April 6.

Now that our Thailand tour is successfully concluded and Africa successfully launched, I’ll be devoting the rest of my time before spring tours to our continuing series of Sightcasts.  Watch for their release.  I hope everyone is making plans to travel.  And as always, “Travel with Intent”.

Southern Thailand - Trang Islands

On day 11 we were up and out early from our floating guesthouse.  Our Trang island resort destination reported high seas kicking up daily around 2-3PM.  We needed to arrive at the departure pier by 1:00PM to avoid a rough crossing. The early start afforded lovely morning light on the jungle-draped karst towers for our trip back to the Khao Sok landing.  Temperatures were pleasantly cool and we enjoyed one last magic hour on the lake.  Then it was back in the vans for our journey south where we enjoyed the scenery, highlighted by rubber and palm oil plantations. Even though time was short, I insisted on a quick stop at Koranee NP.  As Phang Nga Bay was too far to include, I’d settled on the compromise visit to the similar geology of Koranee.  But it turned out not to be a compromise at all. We had little time, but we piled into longtails, motored out through mangrove swamps, and then through a magnificent Hong.  Hong means “room” in Thai.  These impressive features are cave-like passages underneath karst stacks, the one karst feature lacking at Khao Sok.  It was exciting to float through  the watery cavern.  Stalactites looked like jagged teeth as we passed the entrance into the nether world of inky darkness.  Our boatman cut the engine and we glided through in silence, broken only by the sounds of the surrounding jungle, the occasional dip of an oar, the click and whir of cameras firing, and the subdued oohs and aahs of our group.  I imagined Charon rowing our souls across the river styx into Hades as daylight faded to darkness.  But hope returned with light as we quickly approached the opposite end.  We emerged from the bowels of hell, once again passing the gaping and toothy maw of the underworld.  Simply magical!  What a country.

Then it was back in the vans heading south.  We arrived at the mainland departure pier for Koh Ngai in plenty of time.  Our passage was calm and pleasant and delivered us to our island paradise.  We’d been laughing and singing the theme song from Gulligen’s Island at our rustic floating huts, but as we approached Koh Ngai on the horizon, we could not avoid the same comparison to the profile before us.  It is a true island paradise, only partially developed and a world away from the frenzy of more famous Krabi, Phi Phi, and Phucket.  Thapwarin Resort is a picturesque collection of thatched bamboo bungalows overlooking a magnificent stretch of golden sand with karst islands as backdrop to complete the idyllic setting.  Virtually everyone trickled into the beach-side bar for happy hour libations and then enjoyed a splendid seafood BBQ dinner.  Gorgeous grilled prawns shared the table with barracuda and mackerel, attended by a couple of curries and the usual fresh fruit: a tropical feast.  It was a fitting end to another amazing day in Thailand.

Day 12 was a vacation from our vacation and there were no tour activities.  Day 13 was our excursion day.  We made an 8:30 departure and arrived about an hour later at one of southern Thailand’s most spectacular natural wonders:  Morokot (Emerald) Cave.  The Emerald Cave is a captivating anomaly of nature and a traveler’s adventure par excellence.  It is actually a hong, the interior of which having collapsed, creating an interior lagoon.  It is like a giant sinkhole with a secret entrance.  Inside the jungle has reestablished itself beyond a perfect sandy beach, surrounded by steep karst walls, draped with jungle greenery and reaching up to the azure sky.  It's reached only by swimming through the access tunnel-cave.  After tying off our boat we jumped into the clear refreshing water.  We eagerly swam into the  zigzagging cavern, once again trusting our fates to the gods of the underworld (and our guide with his waterproof flashlight).  The entrance and exit are quite small but widen beneath the water, allowing the sun to create an electric glow, similar to Capri’s Blue Grotto – only emerald green.  It is lovely.  But once all the way in, the darkness is complete.  We were glad of our guide and light.  We soon emerged in the private magical world of the interior lagoon.  We were not completely alone but we beat the hords yet to come.  It was quiet, peaceful, and magnificent.  We stayed about 20 minutes, marveling at the uniqueness and enjoying the sandy beach.  During that time a trickle of other tourists arrived so we braved the cavern to return to our own world.  As we entered the cave we passed a giant conga line of arriving Thai tourists – a huge orange (from the life jackets) centipede of gigling, smiling faces, each with his or her hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them.  It was pleasing to see them having so much fun but the clamor they brought broke the magic spell of Morokot.  We were leaving at just the right time.  Emerging again at the entrance we saw a second conga line:  this time the row of huge tour boats which had arrived from the mainland - each disgorging its requisite orange centipedes.  The decision to leave early had paid out big and we felt lucky to have had our time inside.  [Note:  Morokot is prominantly featured in this season's television show, The Bachelor.]

We continued our excursion to nearby Koh Kraden.  We had another fabulous picnic on board and enjoyed the beach.  The next highlights were two snorkeling stops.  First we returned to the southern tip of our island.  The water was clear and the reefs provided some colorful corals and lots of sea life.  I saw starfish, giant clams, angelfish, soft corals, tangs, parrots, and a fascinating cuttlefish.  Others spotted a moray eel.  Our last stop was Koh Waen, one of the tiny karst islands we see from our beach at Thapwarin.  Here we found different underwater sights - long-spined urchins, fan and antler corals, tons of anemones - with brilliant blue, purple, or red sleeves, and clown fish hiding within.  Afterward we were all tired and ready to return to our resort for a quick nap or journal catchup before a sunset beer by the beach.

Southern Thailand - Khao Sok

The sublime natural beauty of southern Thailand once again featured heavily on this year’s tour.  The pristine beauty of Khao Sok National Park and the idyllic beaches and karst islands of the southern Andaman coast beckoned us south. Once again I opted to take the night train for its efficiency.  The group grabbed dinner in or near the Bangkok station and we boarded our train about 7:00PM.  Soon after departure the train stewards brought cold beers around, creating a festive atmosphere in the group.  About 9:30 the stewards came through and set up the beds.  The beds are quite comfortable but the train itself is noisy and “suspension-challenged”.  Everyone slept but most were awakened multiple times throughout the night.  I call it “the night of a 1000 power naps.“  But coffee was available at first light and the time saved was well worth the minor discomfort. We had a good, hot breakfast in Surat Thani and Ae, ever vigilant for good cultural experiences, bought everyone roasted taro and bananas - Thai breakfast.  Both are roasted in banana leaves and blended with sticky rice - absolutely delicious.  Our three vans drove us the hour to the Chiaw Lan landing where we boarded longtails.  This was where the real adventure began.

Chiaw Lan Lake is the centerpiece of Khao Sok.  Created by a dam 30 years ago, the massive lake is surrounded by and studded with massive karst towers, all draped with verdant jungle vegetation. It is a stunning landscape and few tour groups venture this far off the usual tourist trail.  Phang Nga Bay is the most famous location for viewing the impressive karsts.  Made famous by the James Bond movie “The Man with the Golden Gun“ it is truly impressive, but overwhelmed by commercial tourism these days.  Khao Sok provides a more “behind the curtain” experience of the same geology.  En route to our floating guesthouse we stopped at an area called Thailand’s Guilin, a Phang Nga-like section.  It was great to be on the water in such a beautiful environment and mouths were consistently open in obvious wonder.  Photographers rubbernecked for shots and fatigued their shutter fingers in the target rich environment.

Plernprai Rafthouse was much the same as in 2008, except for a new WC/shower building on the island (still rustic) and a new row of “upscale” huts of better construction with raised beds and their own floating WC/shower building.  Hopefully they will add a few more, making enough to accommodate future Imprint tours.  For this visit though we were relegated to the rustic bamboo bungalows.

Using the night train created time for an entire day on the lake.  Upon arrival we were all refreshed and restored by a dip in the crystal clear waters of the lake - just step off your front porch!  After lunch we had an excursion to the Coral Cave.  A demanding but short jungle hike was rewarded with one of my favorite tour activities:  a raft journey to the isolated cave.  Riding on the simply constructed, motorized bamboo rafts, surrounded by natural and isolated beauty is an experience not to be forgotten.  Since my last visit, they've built rudimentary steps up to the cave, making access easier, but the experience is still pretty authentic as we were alone in the cave (although a second group arrived as we were leaving - alas, even this isolated gem is moving toward the mainstream).  After returning to our floating home, we relaxed, swam, or paddled around in kayaks until dinner.

The night train and rustic bamboo huts were a stretch for some, but the payout was having the entire day on the lake and sleeping in the heart of pristine KS, attended only by the sounds of the jungle and the light of a clear starry sky.  It is magical!  And further wonders of the Andaman coast awaited us the next day.

Chiang Mai

Our second full day in Chiang Mai was spent with various activities.  Thai monks are mendicants and live on food given to them early each morning.  So the vanguard of the photo group headed out pre-dawn to CM gate market to capture the event. It was really a great “behind the curtain” connection experience.  There were certainly no other tourists around.  There were food stands set up for the specific purpose:  people wandered in, bought a bag of food, and waited.  The first monk appeared about 6:30.  Several supplicants offered up their gifts.  In return the monk blessed them and chanted for a couple minutes.  I bought some “donation food” and proffered it to the next monk.  He seemed not to miss a beat over my being a farang (foreigner), only adding a smile for me at the end.  It gave me a warm feeling to participate - and there was absolutely no sense that I was not welcome to join in.  Soon there was a fairly steady stream of the saffron-robed men.  Later on two monks engaged us.  The second spoke English well and had lived in Texas for a while.  Both wanted to know where we were from, what we were doing in CM, and were we enjoying Thailand.  Very cool. Later that morning the majority of the group participated in a Thai cooking class.  They were taken to the market to buy ingredients and spices, then returned to the school to learn how to prepare 3-4 dishes.  I left them to their teachers and wandered the historic center capturing sound recordings and images for future Sightcasts.  I recorded the van and Tuk Tuk drivers and their steady offers of “transport?”or “where you go?” and photographed the two main wats.

In the afternoon we organized Songthaews (literally “two benches”, the pickup trucks with two benches and a covering, the predominant transport in CM and rural Thailand) to take us to the CM Flower Festival.  There were some nice displays and some Thai dancing, but not the explosion of color I’d hoped for.  Apparently, the big day was the next (our departure day) when they have a flower float parade.  But it was still a fun look at a local celebration and fun to peruse the food stalls.  I had the best sticky rice and mango of the trip.

That evening, for those interested, Ae and I took them to a Moo Kata restaurant.  Equal parts warehouse production, giant buffet line, and "cook it yourself” extravaganza, this is a true Thai curtain experience.  Each table is equipped with a cooking station.  The attendant brings hot coals, and an inverted bunt cake shaped lid with a perforated dome in the middle is placed over the heat.  Broth is poured in the “moat” and you are ready to cook.  Ae gave us the rundown of the raw foods on the buffet:  squid, shrimp, fish, eel, pork, liver, chicken, beef; vegetables and noodles; and on and on and on.  You cook the proteins on the dome and the juices run down to flavor the broth.  Vegetables and noodles are placed in the trough to make soup.  Like the best travel food experiences, it is not just a great meal, but a true culinary experience.  A dessert table rounds out the evening - all for a reasonable price.

Chiang Mai - Homestay visit

On this year’s tour we repeated our village visit to the countryside.  We departed about 9:30 and our first stops were three of the craft villages east of Chiang Mai. We did silk, lacquer ware, and the famous Bo Sang paper umbrella village.  These stops were far from “behind the curtain” activities, but very fun, colorful, and photogenic.  Next stop, the hot springs where we cooked eggs in the thermal waters and had a wonderful picnic.  During free time Tom, Debbie, and I opted for Thai massage where we laughed and “bow-bowed” (bow bow is Thai for gentle) our way through an hour‘s pleasure. We moved on to the homestay, the same as our last tour.  For those inclined, Ae led a bike ride through the countryside. We visited a local temple, a mushroom farm, and the handicrafts cooperative.  That evening we enjoyed northern-style Kantok dinner, accompanied by the local headmaster and his students playing Thai music for us.  The music was not very professional, but the authentic “curtain” connection experience and engagement with the kids was priceless.  After dinner we retreated to the garden for Thai dance (again by the local students) and the Thai floating lantern ceremony.  Annually, the Thais hold the Loi Katon festival of lights all over the country.  It started as a ceremonial thanksgiving to the river spirits (floating lanterns) but eventually expanded to supplication to the spirits of the air as well.  Our hosts filled and launched two huge, paper lanterns, essentially providing us with our own private Loi Katon experience.  We watched as they drifted high into the night sky, finally blinking out after several minutes and several hundred feet of altitude.  A fitting end to another good day in this amazing country.