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.

LOCATION - Located about 700Km from Bangkok, Nan is one of the most remote provinces in Northern Thailand. By bus, it takes 9 hours from Bangkok and 5 hours from Chiang Mai. The best way to get there is to fly on PB Air (there is service 4 times per week). The one-hour flight costs approximately 100USD

GUESTHOUSES - Many of the Europeans and American Tourists (as well as the backpacker crowd) stay at any number of guesthouses in the area. I booked in advance at SP Guesthouse, one of the newer Guesthouses in town. Located just ½ block from the main drag and about 300 meters from the Dhevaraj Hotel, my room was large and clean and came with a portable fan, mini fridge and small TV. Cost of the room was 400 baht (about $11.50USD) No complaints here! At the time I was there, (late November 2008), they were in the process of adding additional rooms. Yai, the manager at SP was quite a character. Of Indian extraction and a Hindi, Yai (in Thai, Yai means big) is originally from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She relocated to Nan, Thailand sometime ago after meeting her husband there.

COFFEE SHOPS – Coffee shops (and cafés) are a popular gathering/meeting place for tourists. Nan is no exception - although there were no Starbucks in Nan (thank G_d), I counted three coffee shops. One is a small outdoors affair located next to the tourist center and across the street from the museum; the largest one is in the downtown area not far from the Dhevaraj Hotel, however the one I liked the best was around the corner from the bus terminal. Popular with the tourists and the young hip University crowd alike, the café (cannot remember the name) had a very warm and colorful décor. Owned by a young Thai couple, the guy was a bicycle enthusiast who also owned a large motorcoach which he used for transporting tour groups – mostly Thai Nationals and Chinese – from Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

THAI HIBACHI FACTORY - Most of the tours will take you to the kiln factory. Located on the outskirts of town, this is where they make portable Thai style hibachis - it is very labour intensive process as it takes about 1 month before the product is finished and ready to be sold. A lot of Thai people in the area use these portable stoves, as it is a very inexpensive alternative to a regular gas or electric stove.

MLABRI VILLAGE - A visit to a Mlabri village is one of the featured attractions of many of the day tours. The Mlabri, primitive hunters-gatherers, are mountain people - from what I have seen they are perhaps the poorest ethnic group in Thailand. The adults for the most part do not speak Thai, but the Thai government is making an effort to integrate the children into the modern world and Thai society. Mlabri children go to school with children from other hilltribe groups in the area, learning Thai language and ways of the west. I had the opportunity to meet the Mlabri chief of the village. A rather fit fellow – lean and mean - he was wearing just a simple loincloth to cover his genitals and nothing else. However, this is the traditional apparel of Mlabri men; in addition, men are encouraged to take more than one wife in Mlabri society. Before leaving the village, I made a donation of about 100 baht to the community.

I really enjoyed myself in NAN, a relatively small and obscure city in Northern Thailand that few travelers have heard of. All my touring was taken care of by Fhu Travel, the most experienced tour operator in the city. Because of the scarcity of tourists in the area, I was the only participant on my two all-day excursions. Fhu Travel assigned a dedicated tour guide and driver to handle all the touring arrangements for me. Over the course of the next two days, I spent most of my time with these two gentleman who were born and raised in the area and had an opportunity to learn more about their lives. Nong, the tour guide, was a rather husky young fellow of about 25 years old who had fairly good command of the English language. Before working as a tour guide, he labored in the rice fields. He was married but his wife (and his young daughter) lived in Chiang Mai - about 5 hours away by car - where she worked as a teacher. Chaat, the driver, was a fellow in his late 30’s; like Nong, he was also married but his wife lived with him in Nan. While I was with them, both Nong and Chaat were always smiling and laughing as we often chatted about TIGERS (Thai girls).

When they talked among themselves, they spoke in their native Lanna which is somewhat different than Thai, the predominant language in Thailand. Lanna is considerably more nasal than Thai and some of the words are completely different. During my two days of touring, I sort of developed a friendship with these two gentlemen and I really enjoyed their company during the short time that we were together. When Nong talked to me, he always addressed me as Sir – I guess out of habit and respect - and I always retorted that I didn’t like to be called Sir, and pleaded with him to call me by my first name or any one of the many pet names I go by.

When we talked about TIGERS (Thai girls), both guys would become very animated, especially Chaat. Smiling and laughing, Chaat would say, “THAIgers very dangerous, eat money.” I guess this was a pet expression of his as whenever we passed by a young and attractive Thai girl, he would repeat his mantra with a big silly grin on his face “Thaigers very dangerous, eat money.” We all laughed and chuckled. Agreeing with Chaat, “I added Thaigers are very dangerous, but Farang gals more dangerous (and more expensive) yet.”

At the end of the 2nd day of touring, I told Nong and Chaat, since it was my last night in Nan before moving onto Phu Lang Ka, that I would take them out for a drink at the Dhevaraj, the most prestigious hotel in the town. Chaat was especially excited about meeting Nancy, the young and attractive female singer who was performing at the hotel’s nightclub. Later that night both gentlemen showed up at my guesthouse on their motorbikes and we proceeded to the Dhevaraj. On the way, Nong confided to me that neither himself nor Chaat - both men had been born and raised in Nan - had ever been to the Dhevaraj nightclub before, let alone inside the hotel. When I asked why, Nong replied, “We have never been there before Hanu, because we are not of the higher class.” He was alluding to the primarily Chinese Thai patrons of the Dhevaraj who were from Chiang Mai and Bangkok. “Nonsense I said, you’re the equal to any of these people, don’t put yourself down.” I guess my words, made them feel less self-conscious about themselves as we went inside the lounge, shared two large Changs (Thai beers) as we proceeded to enjoy the Thai cabaret show that featured Nancy and a number of other singers.

From this experience, I guess you could say I learned something about class-consciousness among Thai people. Anyhow next time I go to NAN, I will look up Nong and Chaat again and take them out for another round of drinks at the Dhevaraj. Hopefully, Nancy (and some other ThAIgers) will be there to join us!

By all means, check out my initial report on Nan!

Not too long ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Nan, a small, relatively obscure city located in the northeastern half of Thailand’s Golden Triangle. Lying in a valley surrounded by mountains, not too many travelers know about Nan as it is still off the beaten track. The rather long Nan River, which cuts through the valley as flows from the north to the south, is the city’s eastern perimeter. Further east is the country of Laos.

After a one-hour flight to Nan from Bangkok on PB Air, a regional carrier which services some of the smaller cities in Northern Thailand, I had chance to do a walking tour of town. A rather pleasant and quaint city with tree lined streets and rural country roads, Nan brought back memories of Turlock, a small sleepy river town located in California’s San Joaquin Valley that I last visited as a child in late 1950’s. Strange but true! According to the owner of the guesthouse where I stayed, there are about 50,000 people who live in the city of Nan. Although there are a couple of coffee shops - albeit no Starbucks – which cater to the tourist crowds, Nan seems to be relatively untainted by the excesses of Western Culture – there’s no McDonalds, KFC or the aforementioned Starbucks.

Nan has just handful of hotels and a somewhat greater number of guesthouses. The largest and most prestigious hotel (also the oldest) is the Dhevaraj Hotel. Located in the heart of the downtown area, the Dhevaraj is very popular with Thai tourists from Chiang Mai and Bangkok. Nightlife is very limited, although when I was there, the Dhevaraj had some live entertainment nightly. Nancy, a rather attractive 23-year-old lady who had recently graduated from a nearby University, was one of the featured female entertainers. Although she was also employed as a nurse in a local hospital, she moonlighted as a singer at the hotel. In addition to singing some of the more popular Thai love songs, Nancy also belted a pretty good version of San Francisco (Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair). For some reason, this song is very popular in Thailand!

Of course, like most cities in Thailand, Nan has its fare share of Buddhist temples (Wats) and shrines. There is also a fairly interesting regional museum located in Nan; unfortunately due to time constraints I didn’t have a chance to visit it. On my first day in town, I walked into Fhu Travel, the most reputable (and oldest) tour operator in the city and got set up with two all day excursions. Tour #1 was sort of a countryside nature tour by minibus which featured the bizarre Sao Din’s Earth pillars and some other scenic vistas. I had seen the earth pillars at Lalu in Sakaeo Province the year before so I wasn’t totally awestruck – in fact the earth pillars at Lalu were more impressive than the ones at Sao Din. At the end of tour, I had Nong (my tour guide extraordinaire) and Chaat (the driver), take me to the lookout point at Wat Prathat Chae Haeng, a venerable Buddhist Temple located on the outskirts of the city. Situated on a steep hill, the views of the city and the surrounding valley from this old temple are magnificent.

By car, Nan is about 4½ hours from Chiang Mai and about 8 hours from Bangkok. The most practical way to get there is to fly from Bangkok on PB Air like I did (1 hour flight), then take the bus or drive to Chiang Mai, with stops at the village of Phu Lang Ka and the city of Phayao. Plan to spend a minimum of week in the area!

STARBUCKS is a worldwide phenomenon. While traveling in Thailand and Malaysia, I was amazed at the number of Starbuck cafes in these Southeast Asian countries. In particular- Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, the capitals of Thailand and Malaysia respectively, are top heavy with Starbucks cafés. It seemed that everywhere I turned – across my hotel in KL and Bangkok (Ancasa Hotel and President Park), in fancy shopping centers and on the ground floor of large high-rise office buildings - there was a Starbucks. I really wasn’t shocked to find a Starbucks in downtown Tanah Ratah, a small tourist town in the Cameron Highlands, Malaysia. It even had a mock fireplace and an upstairs coffee-drinking gallery to boot.

Out of curiosity I checked online as to how many Starbuck outlets are in these countries. According to a 2007 census, Thailand had 132 Starbuck cafes, with Bangkok having the lion’s share at 72. In the meantime, according to the Starbucks Malaysia site, there are a total of 108 cafes in Malaysian with Kuala Lumpur leading the pack with 41. While Black Canyon is major competitor to Starbucks in Thailand; in Malaysia, Starbucks controls 45-50% of gourmet coffee business with Coffee Bean and Tea Leaves a distant second.

In Malaysia, I found the service at the local Starbucks to be excellent (better than the USA) and the employees well versed in English; in Thailand, the service was very friendly but most of the Starbuck employees had limited facility with English. I must give props to Starbucks (and all the coffee retailers) in Malaysia, because they offered free WIFI, no strings attached. In Thailand, getting WIFI access at Starbucks was a real hassle as you received a complimentary 1-hour (thereafter you had to pay a nominal sum for continued use), but you had to jump through all sorts of hoops in the online signup process, fuggetabout it! I wish STARBUCKS in USA would take a cue from their colleagues in Malaysia and offer free WIFI and eliminate the gimmicky Starbucks card.

From what I observed in both of these countries, the clientele at a typical Starbucks café was a mix of local business executives and white-collar workers, the young University crowd with deep pockets along with tourists and expats. For Thais and Malaysians, having a Cappuccino, an Iced Caramel Macchiato or any one those fancy designer coffee drinks represents a real splurge as the prices are almost the same as in the United States. Please consider that the standard of living and the average salary is considerably higher in the USA, and the cost of one large cappuccino ($3.00 -3.40USD) will buy you a decent dinner at a local restaurant in both Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. Apparently, having coffee at Starbucks confers a measure of status with the locals. Yes, Starbucks is Huge in Thailand and Malaysia - such is the way of the World.

Coming up, the Starbucks Index.

One of the great things about BANGKOK is that one can get a full beauty treatment – haircut, facial massage & scrub, manicure & pedicure and foot massage - for a very reasonable price. As is my custom, I usually get my treatment the first or 2nd day after I arrive. Even though there any number of beauty salons that are less than 200 meters away from the President Park (Sukhumvit Soi 22) - the hotel that I have stayed the last four years - I always return to The Arena Beauty Salon, an establishment located a good 15 -20 minutes away by taxi on Sukhumvit Soi 16. While the Arena may be not as convenient as other salons, it is hands down my favorite. Whenever I walk through the door, the owner, Khun Mahuttida, who speaks reasonably good English, always greets me with a warm smile and welcomes my return; she values my business.

On my last visit, after Mahuttida gave me a very close haircut, trimmed my eyebrows and mustache, she had me go into the back room and lie down on a reclining chair. Before you know it, four of her girls were working over me at the same time. While one gal was giving me a facial massage and scrub - applying all sorts of exfoliating creams to my face - the other three were busy giving me a foot massage, a manicure and pedicure respectively. Talk about getting the Royal Treatment. Walking out the door about 90 minutes later, I felt like a new man. Total damage 1350 baht (38.00USD)

As I strolled down the street towards the Sukhumvit, I was greeted by many lovely THAIgers who called out to me – “Handsum Man, come here.”

As a little child, I remember going to the historic Wax Museum in San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf. I was really stoked how lifelike these wax figures of famous people looked, it seemed like some of them were going to say something or move. I also remember going to the cinema to see the horror classic House of Wax starring Vincent Price. In the movie, the museum had on display some of the most heinous villains in history. These indelible memories of my childhood were triggered when I visited this past November The Hall of Fame, Thailand’s version of the Wax Museum, at the Siam Cultural Park in Ratchaburi Province. Talk about déjà vu!

In this particular Wax Museum, the emphasis was on Thai and Asian heroes from the last 100 years or so. I got the opportunity to “meet” famous people like H.E. Professor Dr. Sanya Dhammask, Thailand’s greatest lawyer, who died in January 2002 at 95 years, in addition to the legendary Ho Chi Minh from Vietnam and China’s Mao Tse Tung, founder of China’s Communist Party. The personage that I was most impressed with was Seb Nakhasathine - one of Thailand’s foremost conservationists - who died tragically by taking his own life in 1990 at the relatively young age of 41 years old. His suicide was a result of his growing disenchantment with man’s negative impact on the environment and the wildlife that he loved so much. Somehow Mother Teresa snuck into the “the mix”, but she was a true heroine in Asia as well – to many poor, disenfranchised people in the world (especially in India), Mother Teresa was considered as an guardian angel. She’s the only non-Asian represented in the exhibit, where she’s portrayed in a praying posture - looks so real!

The Siam Cultural Park was such a pleasant place to visit on lazy Sunday afternoon. Besides the Wax Museum Exhibit, there are some very ornate Buddha sculptures from three different time periods, and representative models of Thai Houses from the four regions of Thailand. There is even an artificial waterfall – very well done, I may add. A nice little walking path encircles the park; along the way there some lovely shaded areas where one can relax and meditate. Highly recommended! I will return there on my next trip to Bangkok.

The park is about a 1 1/2 – 2 hour drive from Bangkok. While you’re at it, you can also stop by and visit nearby Udom’s Plant Nursery as well!

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
Sphere: Related Content

What is the most practical gift that one can buy their friends & family when they are on vacation? If you answered T-Shirts, you have answered this proverbial question the same way I have. In fact, on my most recent trip to Thailand and Malaysia, this is exactly what I planned to do. Needless to say, it took awhile to find the right T-shirts - I wanted to buy something that was both tasteful in design and of fairly high quality. See T-Shirt story

Then I got to thinking, while I am it, wouldn’t it be nice to buy Alfie, my sister’s precocious toy poodle, a T-Shirt too? After all, I’ve seen small dogs in the United States outfitted with T-shirts during the hot summer months and sweaters in the cold of the winter. What initially started as somewhat as a lark in my mind, the idea of buying Alfie - who I affectionately refer to as my dog nephew - a T-shirt, became a serious quest.

So here I was in Bangkok, Thailand on the final day of my 30-day odyssey trying to fulfill my mission - finding a T-shirt for my dog nephew, Alfie. While working out early morning in the hotel’s fitness center, I asked one of the trainers “Where is the nearest store that I can but a T-shirt for my sister’s toy poodle?” According to him, there was a dedicated pet boutique just around the corner from the hotel, President Park, on Sukhumvit Soi 24. Sounded ideal, as I didn’t relish the idea of running all over town trying to find Alfie’s gift.

After finishing all my other errands, towards the end of the day I stumbled into Boo Blossom, the dedicated pet boutique. Shaking my head in disbelief, I couldn’t believe how close it was to my hotel. After consulting with the young sales clerk, she suggested that I buy a little Thai style outfit for Alfie. I was quickly sold on the idea and let her choose the proper outfit – one with an appropriate Thai motif. Total damage 350 baht (10USD). Mission accomplished as I quickly handed her money, giving her a small tip to boot.

The rest in history – judging by the way Alfie was seen dancing with joy in his new Thai outfit, it was a worthwhile investment, not to mention how this gift made my sister very happy as well. See pictures.

Boo Blossom Pet Boutique - Sukhumvit Soi 24, Bangkok, Thailand
e-mail: blossom_boo@yahoo.com