Thailand will exceed your wildest dreams! Full of the exotic while able to cater to our Western needs! Your senses will be more alive than you have ever experienced. . You will witness age old traditions of tribes still living as they did centuries past. You will connect with a wonderful group of fellow travelers and “yoginis” whose friendships will last a life time! Thailand is a place where you can be fully pampered or push your limits beyond the envelope. You will go to bed each night pinching yourself with disbelief of the sights, sounds, tastes and touches you experienced throughout the day. Your world view will expand; your appreciation for your home country will be enhanced while at the same time you will be tantalized to search out more of the unknown. . You will be mesmerized by novice monks chanting in golden temples at dusk. You will be as delighted as a child in Disney as you are whisked off to a market in a tuk tuk.

I try to fill our days to the brim, while allowing enough ‘down time’ for people to explore on their own.

A typical day (when we aren’t playing with elephants in the river, or caving in sacred caves, or being blessed by monks, or riding around a river taxi on the Chayo Praya, or touring China Town…) is morning meditation/yoga, eating lots of great food, going to your favorite Thai Massage therapist and getting a 2 hour treatment for less than $20, scooting down alleys in the fabric district to discover new shops and treasures. Maybe we will visit the Chinese Doctor and get an acupuncture session, or maybe we will visit a shaman in the country side and receive an herbal ball treatment (the herbal ball finds the illness in your body and then heals it-truly remarkable…a bit like a scene in a Indiana Jones movie). If it is a weekend we will wander one of the street fairs or if it is a weekday we will visit the Night Bazaar-probably the most famous night market in the world.

Feel free to explore our web site: http://www.stressescapetours.com/thaiyoga.html

Yoga: We have the great honor to focus our yoga energy in the sleepy, rural village of Chiang Dao. Thatched bungalows tucked into lush gardens surrounded by limestone cliffs set the stage for being present and focused. Classes are held in an open air pavilion beside an in-ground pool. During the 5 days of Yoga Intensive (about 4-5 hrs/day), participants can join all yoga classes or pick and choose according to how they feel that moment. Eating here, at the Nest, is beyond any gourmand’s expectations-DEVINE.

Each trip’s yoga depends on the amazing teacher that has joined us: • Oct. Nov 2009: Kimberly Hardick who owns www.aledoyoga.com. Her focus will be on celebrating yourself, honoring the amazing person within. Activities include yoga poses, eating meditation, journaling…. Kimberly’s attention to detail and focus on yoga as a life practice offers each participant the opportunity to expand beyond their wildest imaginings! • February 2010: Rick Lynch has been teaching yoga for 20 years. He has a thriving studio in the Finger Lakes region of NY. He has been traveling to Thailand with us since 2005. His ability to teach to a wide variety of levels makes each of us feel safe in his class while realizing just how magical we really are.

I am often asked about eating in Thailand. Well…I try to get in at least four meals a day plus some snacks if that is any indication. Most meals and treats are found on the street at street vendors who have been standing on the same corner for the past 2 decades. You will taste foods that will leave a party in your mouth!

Morning:: Thai coffee (or Thai iced tea) are a perfect way to begin the morning while watching novice monks in their saffron robes receiving alms in the market. I LOVE a big bowl of quaweteo nam (noodle soup-or try it with wontons-it’ll knock your flip flops off!) for breakfast, loaded with friend shallots, cilantro, chili and nam plaa. If you prefer the traditional “American” breakfast, you can find a multitude of offerings including eggs and toast, yogurt, muesli and fruit. By mid morning I am ready to pounce on the khao neo matmuang (sticky rice with mango). Perfectly ripe mango sliced on a heap of sticky rice-traditional of Northern Thailand cooking and smothered in a sweetened coconut milk.

Midday:: Now it’s time to do some serious eating. The BEST place for lunch, hands down, is in the belly of Warowat market. Khun Pi slivers unripened papaya pounds it with palm sugar, nam plaa, beans, tomatoes, garlic and peanuts for the most satisfying som tom in all of Thailand (papaya salad). Soak up the juices with a ball or two of sticky rice, wash it down with a green drink that has no name in English and you are ready to settle into a relaxing 2 hour Thai Massage.

Dinner:: Now this is the time that decisions become a bit more challenging. ??? hummm??? Do we go to Pi Dangs, pointing at various plates of unidentified food for one of those “I can’t wait to tell folks back home I ate this…” moments, or do we go to the night bazaar and have a chicken and basil dish whipped up for us….the list is endless.

I could go on and on about Thailand…let me know if you would like more…..have a fabulous day-beth www.stressescapes.com