Just this past November, I revisited Malee’s, one of my favorite lodges in Thailand. Located in the small town of Chiang Dao – just 50 miles north of Chiang Mai – Malee’s is a popular choice with birdwatchers and nature lovers. I have known the delightful owner, Khun Malee K. since 2004 and I can vouch for her gracious Thai hospitality and excellent people skills.

After an absence of almost two years, I was so astounded at all the renovations and changes that I hardly recognized the place. First and foremost, a beautiful new restaurant - and attached reception area - replaced the parking lot at the front of the property. Just off the restaurant is a special entertainment room equipped with a large flat screen TV and DVD player, where guests can watch their favorite movies at night.

The older bungalows which formerly had the traditional Thai toilets - complete with water bucket - now have new Western style flush toilets. A definitely improvement! In addition, a small circular dipping pool was also installed, where guests can now cool themselves during the hot summer days.

You can say goodbye to Jennie “aka the Little Dictator”, the aristocratic Lhasa Apso who acted as if she owned the place and made life miserable for the amiable Son, the senior dog at Malee’s. Poor Jennie became roadkill while chasing Son across the highway; I guess her bad karma finally caught up with her. Replacing Jennie are two very adorable puppies - a definite upgrade over “the lil dictator.”

In late July, Malee and her longtime boyfriend from Switzerland (and father of her son Peter) got married. A lavish wedding party for the newlyweds was held at the resort on November 5 with many friends and family in attendance. Truly a very momentous day at Malee’s Nature Lovers Bungalows. Too bad I missed it! All the best to Malee, Kurt and Peter.

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.

I have a friend by the name of Lek in Northern Thailand who hosts a meditation retreat on her large sprawling estate in Chiang Dao, a small rural community located about 75 minutes north of Chiang Mai, a major tourist hub. With the majestic Doi Chiang Dao, Thailand’s 2nd highest peak, rising high above the landscape, it is an absolutely idyllic setting.

Up to 40 people – mostly friends and family - attend the meditation retreat, which is held at least once a year. There is a dedicated area on her compound - separate from the main house – where people camp out in tents underneath simple palm thatched lean-toos. Tents are provided to campers as a courtesy of Khun Lek. Clustered together in the camping area are a number of gazebos and platforms which are used by the campers for their group meditation sessions. Scheduled twice a day (at 4:00PM and 8:00PM), these meditation sessions are supervised by her younger brother, an ordained Buddhist monk.

Lek’s Meditation Retreat is not a social affair - the focus is on meditation and spiritual purification. Typically people will eat, sleep and talk less. Breakfast and lunch are ordered from a nearby food shop for about $2.00USD per person, although many of the campers will bring some food and cook together. Most of them will skip dinner and just have some hot cocoa and fruit. Although, Khun Lek does not charge participants any monies, they are welcome to make donations to help subsidize the electricity and water bill.

After about a week or so at Khun Lek’s, the meditation retreat goes mobile - the group will travel around Northern Thailand and Issan by car(s) for about 1-2 months, visiting many places and setting up camp at any number of National Parks. Sounds like fun if you’re seriously into Meditation, Buddhism and Nature! Since Khun Lek and her people speak minimal English, outsiders (hence the tourist crowd) do not attend her meditation retreat as they would feel a little awkward.

For tourists who’d like to escape from the rigors of the daily grind and chant their way to nirvana, you might want to check out the Middle Way Meditation Retreat in Thailand, one of the top international retreats in the world. Located near Phu Ruea National Park in the Northeastern (Issan) province of Loei, this retreat is farang friendly and has more in the way of creature comforts and amenities then Lek’s place in Chiang Dao. For a one-week all-inclusive package, the rate is $156 per person. While I have never been there myself, there was a very good article about this retreat in the June Edition of Conde Nast Traveler. Sounds good to me!

If you’re passing through Chiang Dao, a small town about 75 minutes north of Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand, I highly recommend that you visit Malee’s Nature lodge, one of the best and friendliest family owned hostels in Thailand, and the owner, Ms. Malee, is ‘a real sweetheart’. She’s very ‘Jai Dee’, a Thai expression for somebody who has a big heart and is very generous.

Just yesterday, I stopped by to pay my respects to Khun Malee and her family (and her two dogs Son and Jennie). As I was getting ready to head back to Chiang Mai, I happened to notice that Malee was growing a small money tree in her dining room. As Malee explained, the money tree is a way of raising funds for much needed improvements in the community kindergarten located near Chiang Dao Cave – plans call for the construction of a permanent roof over the playground and a special sleeping room for the young children.

The small tree is growing and prospering thanks to Malee’s attentive love and care, as well as to the contributions from many of her guests. Hanging from the branches of the small money tree are many 20 baht and 100 baht notes as well as a rather prominent 1000 baht note at the crown of the tree.

Construction of the roof and the sleeping room will begin in March 2009. If you’d like to help the money tree grow larger, you must make your contribution between now and this date. I believe it is a very worthy cause!

Malee was one of the founders and is one of the most avid supporters of this small kindergarten facility, which opened its doors some 10 years ago in response to the growing community in the village known as Ban Tham. Her precocious son Peter, who I have affectionately nicknamed Ling Lek (small monkey), is a recent graduate of the Ban Tham kindergarten.