Welcome to the jungle

December 18th, 2006

After a long-haul flight, two-hour bus ride, one hour on a boat and a half-hour trek through the jungle, you need a yoga holiday to unwind!

But even half an hour (enough time to sip on a fresh coconut, suck up a fresh paw-paw, change into your bikini and dive into the bath-temperature lake) at Rai 500 Lake Floating Raft House erases any fatigue or stress. A 10-day yoga retreat with Jim, an on-site chef and masseur goes even further.

Perched on a serenely still, 10km-long lake, circled by limestone mountains that stretch from China to Burma, and dense, lush jungle, the interconnected line of traditionally hand-crafted bamboo huts, dining room, hammock lounge and yoga shala form the paradise-like floating village for your stay.

With no electricity or satellite, this retreat steals the phrase ‘getting away from it all’, and the jungle provides all you need: 24-hour ambient music courtesy of the cicada, gheko, frog, hornbill, eagle, monkey and gibbon orchestra – the gibbon chorus during afternoon yoga is particularly wild; entertainment – the uninhibited orchestra also stage daily performances, perfect for photo opps (the wildlife haven’t experienced enough tourists here to be fearful or pest-like); jaw-droppingly beautiful limestone caves to explore; plus, endless swimming, kayaking and boating adventures. And, of course, there’s plenty of space (both physically and emotionally) to deepen your yoga practice, with two daily sessions of expansive teaching.

Then there are the characters, the staff: there’s Dick, the host – an original Haight Ashbury ’Nam vet with an encyclopaedic, David Attenborough-like vigour for the jungle, more intrigue than Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now , the charm of an American James Coburn, with just a touch of Cheech and Chong, and an endless repertoire of wild tales of a life less ordinary.

Keow, the tiny Thai masseuse (at the equivalent of £7 for an hour, you can indulge), a Tsunami survivor with a life story more heart-rending than fiction, will tirelessly manipulate your body into blissful, back-cracking surrender. The cooks don’t speak any English but wordlessly (along with some hilarious mime work) intuit your needs and provide four regal feasts a day to sustain you between the yoga, swims and kayaking efforts.

And Jim led insightful morning and afternoon sessions including asana (posture), pranayama (breathing), mantra (chanting), meditation practice and discussion groups – all with his characteristic mix of energy, inspirational knowledge born of deep personal practice and study, and humanity, so that even the least confident beginners in the sangha felt fully integrated and enriched.

As for the 12-strong group, there were couples and singles (one-person and double huts available), experienced yoga practitioners and complete novices. There was plenty of space and time for socialising as a group – evening meals taken outside by lamplight often had a bacchanalian, feast-like feel – and mindful solitude – just grab a kayak and paddle to a secluded tributary.

This is the perfect retreat on which to relax, unwind and reconnect with both yourself and the small sangha of fellow travellers. And in the context of a Buddhist culture, one cannot fail to feel deeper synergy with one’s practice.

Priceless moments:
-5.30am kayak to listen to the jungle wake up.
-Aum Shanti in the cave with a bat chorus!
-Up-close views of monkeys, gibbons, eagles, snakes, otters, ghekos, frogs and more…
-Butterflies the size of birds drinking from a wet sarong in the kayak.
-Diving straight out of bed into the lake.
-Opening my eyes from deep meditation to a view of the lake impeded only by a wild hanging orchid.

Getting there:
Fly to Phuket then transfer (inc in price) via minibus to Kao Sok National Park, boat across the first lake, jungle trek then raft – it’s an epic adventure but one that mirrors the emotional journey of the retreat.

Onward travel:
Because you’re so far removed from consumer society (although Dick does have a successful yogawear shop), it’s less of a culture shock if you have at least a day to reintegrate Thai style before having to deal with airports and large groups of people! Some of us stopped over at the Niang Beach Hotel in Phuket for a decompression day on the beach, while others in our group stayed longer to take in the world-famous diving at nearby Phi Phi and Krabi.

For more information:
Dick and Beth’s Jungle Yoga
2007 prices and bookings, contact Free Spirit Travel

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