After going on the Dugong spotting tour in Koh Libong, I had an opportunity to talk to one of the tour guides from Trang who had reasonable facility with English. When I told him that we had sighted four individual dugongs, he said that we were very lucky as from his experience, only 10% of such tours are successful in seeing a dugong. When I asked about the social behavior of the dugongs, he told me that dugongs usually travel in a herd of up to 8 individuals.

Doing some further investigation on my own, I learned that the dugong herd typically consists of females and their calves; the males - for the most part - are solitary, only getting together with the females to mate. Furthermore, during the day the dugongs stay (resting quietly) in the deep sea coming to the shallow coastal areas, inlets and mangroves at night to feed eat on sea grass.

That could explain, why there are so few dugong sightings on these day tours as the herds are active mostly at night. I surmise that the individuals that we saw were solitary males patrolling their territory, but who I am to know!

As sort of a gag, I produced an impromptu video where I am seen swimming in the open seas impersonating a female dugong, in the hope of attracting a male dugong. Bret, the young and affable Canadian, provided the humorous narration

One of the more popular activities for visitors to Koh Libong, a relatively obscure island destination in southern Thailand, is a Dugong spotting tour. There are a reported 70-80 dugongs that live in the shallow waters and mangroves off the southeastern coast of this small island.

Commonly refered to as a sea cow because it’s diet consists primarily of sea grass, the dugong is a relatively large sea mammal and is related to the manatee. Since the early 20th century, the dugong populations in the wild have been in severe decline and they are now considered a rare or endangered species.

The Dugong spotting tour consists of going out to sea early in the morning by motorized longtail boat to a location where the dugongs have been observed before, and sitting there quietly in the hope that one will show up. If there is a dugong in the area, the creature will periodically come up for air - albeit for less than a second - before it submerges in the water. When the Dugong appears, the boatman will point and say Dugong – then before you can say boo, the creature is gone.

While I was in Koh Libong, I went on the Dugong tour with a Canadian couple - Bret and Annabell - apparently there were four individual sightings, however I was only able to observe only two as I was busy shooting the breeze with Bret. I distinctly remember the last sighting - one large dugong came up for air, then rolled over displaying a cream colored belly. That was quite impressive – but it lasted for no more than two seconds at the most.

It’s too bad these guides do not know more than just a few words of English so they could share their knowledge about the natural history of these unique creatures. Because of the lack of commentary, the tour is sort of a waste of time (and money) unless you’re your sole purpose was to have an opportunity to get a brief glimpse of this rare sea mammal. Remember there is no guarantee that you will even see this elusive creature.

I met a very affable gentleman by the name Paul at my guesthouse in Ouro Preto, Brazil. Paul was an Irishman who fell in love with Brazil and had been living in Belo Horizonte for the last 10 years or so. In the mornings over breakfast, Paul and I would discuss a variety of things – Brazilian Culture, Ecotourism and world affairs.

One morning, Paul looked very distraught and told me about a terrifying experience he had the night before. As Paul explained, he had returned to his small room to go to bed. Upon turning on the lights, he discovered a huge furry spider about the size of his fist crawling on the ceiling above his bed.

Like most people, Paul was very fearful about spiders(Arachnophobia). Horrified at the prospect of this furry creature crawling into his bed at night, Paul decided to take the offensive. With the heel of his shoe, he bludgeoned the spider to death.

After hearing the story and his description of the creature, I told Paul that he probably killed a Tarantula, one of the largest spiders in the Arachnid family. Most of the tarantula species are relatively harmless despite their ferocious appearance.

I was somewhat upset at Paul for killing the poor Tarantula – after all if he was uncomfortable with the spider in his room, he could have trapped it into a container and released it outside. As a nature lover, I would have welcomed the tarantula as a visitor to my room. I would have conducted a photoshoot before setting the creature free.

In a way, I could understand why Paul killed the tarantula. He felt that that the large spider had invaded his personal space. I am sure if Paul had encountered the tarantula outside in its natural habitat, he would have respected the creature’s right to live. After discussing my philosophy of nature and all living things, I told the Irishman that I forgave him.

Funny thing - In Portuguese, the name for Tarantula is Caranguejeira while in Spanish and English, the same word applies - Tarantula

What happens when a prominent Swedish Swedish Biologist with a PHD in Plant Physiology meets beautiful lady from Northern Thailand?

He marries the lovely lass, relocates from Sweden to Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand and together with his wife’s family opens up Dokmai Garden, the newest ethnobotanical and horticultural attraction in Northern Thailand. Dokmai’s Grand Opening was in Spring 2009.

The Swedish biologist’s name in question is Dr. Eric Danell, and before relocating to Thailand, he had an illustrious career as an educator and in botanical research. His field of expertise was Mycology – the study of mushrooms and other funguses.

Located about 20 minutes outside of Chiang Mai, Dokmai was developed on the grounds of a former longan plantation. The gardens, which occupy an area of 24 rai or 4 hectares, has over 500 selected tropical species including a variety of Thai natives as well as vegetables and fruits.

The New Gardens is definitely a family affair as Erik has integrated his wife and her entire family in the new ecotourism business venture – Ketsanee is the President, her sister is the marketing manager and her brother is the head gardener, while Erik’s official position is scientific consultant. Ketsanee and her family come from humble origins as rice farmers and agriculturalists in rural Northeastern Thailand.

In addition to promoting horticultural tourism, the doctor continues his research in the cultivation of mushrooms for medicinal purposes in collaboration with the University at Chiang Mai.

Eric gave me a tour of the compound and pointed out the educational aspect of the gardens. Most of the plants and trees are not only labeled with their latin and common name, but a brief profile on each species is provided - i.e. cultivation, medicinal uses and cultural history. I have visited many botanical gardens and horticultural facilities, and this is the only garden that I know of that provides such valuable background information.
Horticultural enthusiasts will find this information to be very instructive. This descriptive profile is provided not only in English but also in Thai and Japanese.

There is also wonderful restaurant on the premises – breakfast and lunch are served - as well as a gift shop where you can buy some unique Thai handicrafts in addition to literature and books on the plants of Thailand. There are even changing rooms available! Entrance fee is 300 baht.

Dokmai is a Love Affair in more ways than one.

The Great Mormon Butterfly (Papilio memnon), a member of the Swallowtail Family (Papilionidae) is one of most spectacular and largest butterflies that I’ve encountered in Thailand. The female of the species is this week’s featured travel photo - the picture was taken just off the roadside in Northern Thailand, not far from the city of Mae Salong in Chiang Rai Province.

Unlike her cousins in North America (i.e. The Tiger and Anise Swallowtail etc), this Thai swallowtail is very clumsy and a relatively slow flyer. The male and female of the species look completely different in terms of their coloration. The female as depicted in this photograph is multicolored with black spots on creme colored hindwings, while the male is almost completely black.

Other related swallowtails in Southeast Asia, more commonly known as birdwings, look remarkably similar to the Great Mormon in terms of their physical characteristics and are also relatively slow fliers.

Isn’t this female Great Mormon a beauty? A real whopper of a name too! I bet you didn’t know that there were Mormons in a Buddhist country like Thailand? Now you know.

Coming up soon is the story of the Monarch Butterfly Annual Migration from North America to the Highlands of Central Mexico. One of nature’s greatest phenomenons.

This edition of TRAVEL PHOTO OF THE WEEK features a digitally rendered watercolor of Doi Chiang Dao in Northern Thailand. Rising dramatically above the rural countryside and the town of Chiang Dao to a height of 2186 meters (7174 feet), Doi Chiang Dao is the 2nd highest peak in Thailand. Chiang Dao is located 77KM from Chiang Mai, about a one-hour drive.

Situated on the slopes of the mountain is Wat Tham Pha Plong, a very sacred Buddhist Temple and sanctuary. If you’d like to visit the temple, there is a paved walkway consisting of 560 steps to this very spiritual site (an easy 15 minute walk). The views from the temple are absolutely heavenly.

In a way, Doi Chiang Dao reminds me superficially of the mountains surrounding the sacred site of Machu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes.

In Thai language, Doi=Mountain peak, Tham=Cave and Wat=Temple.

One of the most incredible views in Thailand is at Phu Lang Ka, a small lodge in the mountains of Phayao Province in Northern Thailand. Located about 33KM east of Chiang Kham, Phu Lang Ka is situated on a ridge about 850 meters (2800 feet) above sea level and overlooks a broad valley by the same name. During the early morning hours, a thick mist often blankets the valley; eerily protruding through the mist are a couple of limestone outcrops. The mood changes as the mist dissipates by late morning revealing the green valley – largely cultivated for agriculture - below. Just beyond the valley to the east is the San Pan Nam Mountain Range, beyond that Laos. On most mornings , you’ll be able to witness some dramatic and colorful sunrises. During the evening hours, looking across the valley in the darkness, you will see the twinkling of lights emanating from the small houses in the village below.

There is something very mystical and spiritual about Phu Lang Ka; it’s such a peaceful and serene setting, a perfect place to relax and meditate. I had the opportunity to stay at Phu Lang Ka this past November - to me it was such a welcome change of pace from the madness and hustle bustle of Bangkok. While I was there, a group of students from the nearby University at Phayao arrived on the weekend, occupying a house just down the road from the lodge. With their sound system blaring into the wee hours of the morning, I felt that the peace and quiet of Phu Lang Ka was violated. Upon waking shortly before sunrise, I walked down to the house and motioned with my hands for them to turn the music volume lower. I think they got the message as they pulled the plug!

Owned by a very prominent Yao family, Phu Lang Ka has 10 very small and simple bungalows available. Constructed mostly of bamboo and tin, most of the bungalows have a small outdoor sitting area which looks directly onto the valley. The place is very popular with Thai people (especially the university crowd) on weekends during the dry season. Cost is 500 Baht per night. Meals are at additional expense - very cheap though.

The owners - Kevan and his wife Nong (and his two daughters) - are very warm and hospitable people. Kevan is a very important person in YAO society - he currently is the President of the Yao people of Thailand and oversees a community school for Hmong and Yao children at the nearby village of Pong. Despite his prominence, Kevan remains a very humble man.

Located about 90 minutes west of Bangkok is Udom’s Plant and Garden Nursery. Located on a vast tract of land in the province of Ratchaburi, this nursery specializes in decorative and foliage plants for export – to the outlying provinces in Thailand and overseas. If you are a horticultural enthusiast and a plant lover, it is a must see! The owner of the nursery, Khum Udom, an avid horticulturalist and environmentalist, has quite a fascinating history of which I would like to share with you.

Khun Udom graduated from Kasetsart University with a degree in Agricultural Education. In 1996, while working in Thailand for an Austrian agricultural chemistry company, there was a serious nationwide economic crisis and he was laid off. Frustrated in looking for a new job, he decided to do his own business by selling some plants – the majority were cultivated from seed - at community markets. Moving from place to place with his collection of plants in back of his flatbed truck, his mobile shop was always welcomed by plant lovers as most of the plants he cultivated were hard to find. During his visits to the plant markets, he made many friends.

Khun Udom enjoyed finding new and rare plants while traveling throughout Thailand and to foreign countries. One day after enduring many hours traveling by bus to visit a particular plants nursery, he had a very unusual experience. Upon arriving at the front gate, he was not allowed to enter - the owner did not open the gate to outside world because he was afraid that someone would steal his secrets. This particular incident played a pivotal role in Khun Udom’s life and career as he promised to himself that he would open up his own plants nursery and make it big, bigger than this one. He would welcome everyone, provide an education to plant enthusiasts and encourage everyone to plant and make the world green. Eventually his dream came true.

While nurturing his new plants nursery business, he also worked part time as a gardening consultant and landscaper to some rather wealthy home owners. After his job was completed, he found himself often cheated so he decided to give up this practice and focus on Udom Garden.

He received the Best Agriculturalist Award (horticulture) in 2006 and was appointed to the Honorary Committee in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

Can we say ‘Hardtimes creates a Hero?’

It’s been a rocky start for CALYPSO ISLAND CHRONICLES in 2009. While I was on my 30-day odyssey to Thailand and Malaysia not too long ago, I discovered that Calypso Island Chronicles (and our associated website) had been hijacked by some nasty malware. This hijacking caused traffic numbers to our blog to drop significantly as many of our readers/visitors were unable to access our site and read our new material. Needless to say, this act of cybervandalism caused me a lot of aggravation and grief. Because of the hijacking, I decided to temporarily halt the blogging effort as of January 1st until the culprit was eradicated.

I can finally breathe a sigh of relief as it has been a couple of days that my webmaster – a young English bloke by the name of Paul who lives in the popular mountain resort of Pai in Northern Thailand - discovered a way to extricate the culprit (bug) from the site and banish it into the nether reaches of cyberspace. The details of this hijacking and how you can protect your website from being vandalized by this insidious type of malware will be treated in a subsequent blogpost. Now that CALYPSO ISLAND CHRONICLES has been debugged, we will commence our blogging effort on a variety of travel topics and issues. In particular, in the next couple of months we will feature many stories, anecdotes and memories from our recent excursion to THAILAND AND MALAYSIA. For a sneak preview of upcoming stories in CALYPSO ISLAND CHRONICLES, read on…

• A day at the Beauty Salon – how I was worked over by four ladies at my favorite beauty salon in Bangkok
• Excursion to the Moslem village of Nong Chok – interesting visit to a small rural Moslem community located just 70KM outside of Bangkok
• More Snippets from Bangkok – anecdotes, tips and random observations while stationed in Thailand’s fascinating capital city
• An eerie rendezvous with Mother Teresa, Ho Chi Minh and Mao Tse Tung – a visit to the Hall of Fame, the fascinating Wax museum at the Siam Cultural Center in Ratchaburi Province



• The Starbucks Index - the cultural impact of STARBUCKS in Thailand and Malaysia
• A pleasant Saturday excursion to the 100 Year Market – colorful outdoor Thai market, a popular weekend outing for Bangkokians
• THAIger very dangerous, eat money – a rollicking adventure in NAN in Northern Thailand featuring my amiable tour guides, Nong and Chaat
• Highlights of Nan – featuring the earth dunes of Sao Din, the Thai Hibachi factory and a visit to a Mlabri village, the most primitive and poorest hilltribe people in Thailand



• The Terracotta Lady – profile of the wonderful lady who owns Mae Pundin Guesthouse, an eclectic hostelry near Chiang Mai which features ceramic making and Thai Cooking classes
• The Plant Man – Profile of one of Thailand’s premier horticulturalists and owner of Udom Gardens and Nursery in Ratchaburi Province
• The View – commentary on the heavenly views at Phu Lang Ka, Phayao Province in Northern Thailand. Out of this world!
• Passport of Pan Hu and the Yao People – While I was Phu Lang Ka, I had the opportunity to learn about the origins and history of the Yao people



• Special Memorial Tribute to Princess Galyani by the Hmong and Yao people of Phu Lang Ka – One of the most heartwarming experiences that I have ever had as a traveler
• The ruination of MELAKA – how modern development threatens to destroy the old world colonial charm of this popular tourist town in Malaysia
• Snippets from Chiang Mai – includes a stroll through the famous night Bazaar, outrageous T-Shirts, a weird experience at Whole Earth Restaurant and more!
• Snippets from Cameron Highlands – random observations and tips about this popular hill resort in Malaysia including recommended places for dining



• Lulu, the best masseuse this side of Beijing – profile of a very talented lady in Cameron Highlands. I miss her magic touch
• The search for the legendary Jim Thompson - highlights of a most memorable all day tour in Cameron Highlands featuring a muddy 3 hour hike through the rainforest to the world’s largest flower
• Snippets from LANGKAWI – random observations and travel commentary on Malaysia’s most popular beach resort.
• Dine around Plan in Langkawi – A review of my favorite places for dining in this popular Malaysian beach resort
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BANGKOK has a reputation for its eclectic mix of east and west. In this bustling cosmopolitan city, you’ll find Buddhist shrines and temples seamlessly blending in with modern skyscrapers and gaudy shopping centers, a variety of art galleries and cafes, an exciting (and sometime erotic) nightlife in addition to an abundance of excellent restaurants of every persuasion - Thai, French, Chinese, Indian, Italian, Middle Eastern etc – not to mention the tasty Thai dishes that are served up at many of the streetside food stalls. No wonder, Bangkok was rated as the top city destination in the world by readers of Travel and Leisure.

But beyond all this glitz and glamour, there is a part of Bangkok that few tourists ever see. Tucked away in many of the small residential gardens throughout the city are pockets of natural beauty and greenery. If you’re in Bangkok, you may want to follow the lead of my associate, Ms. Moongmink – this lady’s genuine passion in life is flowers. Last Sunday morning, Moongmink stepped out of her tiny apartment after the rains stopped and took a stroll through the alleyways of her neighborhood armed with her trusty pocket camera. Look at some of the beautiful and exotic flowers that she photographed along the way! During her little outing, she had to deal with some nasty barking dogs – fortunately they were behind barred gates. I guess their bark was bigger than their bite!

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