John McMahon

John McMahonhttps://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/about/contributors/john-mcmahonJohn McMahonhttps://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/southern-asia/india/shillongs-unique-music-sceneIn a part of northeast India, known as the “Scotland of the East” for its rolling green hills, the indigenous Khasi people favor Western rock and roll over Bollywood, and their youth are YouTube stars in the making. 2023-02-01T11:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/southern-asia/india/shillongs-unique-music-scenehttps://www.worldnomads.com<p>Shillong is the capital of Meghalaya state in northeast India, known as the “Scotland of the East” for its cool temperatures, high, grassy hills, and evergreen forests. Once a popular spot for colonialists to get away from the heat of Kolkata, today the area is visited mostly by Indian holidaymakers seeking clean air, hikes in the rugged nature, and waterfalls that have put it on the map for adventure fiends. The indigenous Khasi people retain their own language and customs and see themselves as separate from the rest of the country – a stance that's reflected in the local food, clothing, religion, and a love for Western-style rock and roll.</p> <p>My trip to Shillong was a snap decision when a planned trip to the remote border between <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china">China</a>, <a href="/explore/southern-asia/bhutan">Bhutan</a>, and <a href="/explore/southern-asia/india">India</a> (known as the McMahon Line) was stymied by a cyclone.</p> <p>I had read briefly about Shillong but didn’t think I was going to have time to visit. Suddenly, I had five days with nothing else to do so took a train to a bus to a private taxi to get there – more than 10 hours of climbing the winding roads into the green hills. I had booked a sort of cabin in the hills about 6mi (10km) from Shillong city.</p> <h2>Searching for Shillong’s rock and roll scene</h2> <p>In Bollywood-obsessed India, a love for Western rock and roll is an oddity. The Khasi love of rock is written up in every article I’ve read about the place, and this made me curious. Their reputation as rockers goes back to the 1950s. Indian Ocean, a world-recognized jazz-folk-rock fusion band, is from Shillong, and in the recent past this obscure, hard-to-reach place has hosted bands such as The Scorpions and Michael Learns to Rock.</p> <p>On my second day, I hiked to a nearby man-made lake before breakfast. It was Saturday and there was a little crowd of people picnicking and doing laundry at the lakeside. A path wound around the lake and I followed it as it disappeared back into the hills and forests. The air was cool among the evergreen trees and from higher up I looked out onto rolling hills of grass where goats and cattle grazed. I could see why this place is compared with Scotland.</p> <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/india/shillong/rolling-hills.jpg" alt="Rolling green hills and fields in Shillong, northeast India." /> <figcaption>Hills and fields around Shillong. Image credit: John McMahon</figcaption></figure> <p>Just as I thought I might be lost, a set of handmade steps led me up a steep hill to a garden where an old man was tending to his vegetables. If he was surprised to see me, he didn’t let on. His house and those of the surrounding village were the remaining holiday houses from the original hill station, looking like little English cottages with tin roofs punctuating the remote landscape.</p> <p>In the village, I asked everyone about rock bands. At a small cafe, a group of kids air-guitared and drummed on the table over noodles and <em>momos</em>, rattling off names of bands, but didn’t have the English to tell me where I could see them perform live.</p> <p>On day three, I hiked to Elephant Falls, a multi-tiered waterfall surrounded by fern forest where the water was icy cold and seemed clean enough to drink. Instead of walking back to my accommodation I waved down one of the small, shared taxis and jammed myself into the front seat next to the driver. John was a recent graduate who had a plan to drive the taxi for three years and then branch out into doing private tours. I asked him about the local connection to rock and roll. He ran off a list of bands from Shillong as long as his arm, repeating a few that I had already heard such as Lou Majaw, a Bob Dylan-like figure in the local scene. But why? John figured it was something to do with Shillong’s long history of being a colonial seat and its connection to Western culture. It was then that I made the connection to the church.</p> <h2>A mix of church and online culture</h2> <p>The majority of Khasi people follow one branch of Christianity or another and in their churches, they sing the same hymns and learn the same rhythms as their brother and sister Episcopalians or Baptists in the UK or the US. I witnessed this the next morning when I stood discreetly just outside the doors of Mylliem Presbyterian Church and listened to the townsfolk sing throughout the meeting, dressed in their Sunday best.</p> <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/india/shillong/shillong-church.jpg" alt="Exterior of a Presbyterian church in Shillong, India." /> <figcaption>Mylliem Presbyterian Church in Shillong. Image credit: John McMahon</figcaption></figure> <p>Most of the clubs in Shillong John had recommended to me were booked for private parties and one was closed. I wandered the streets searching for buskers who I had read would be out around the city's central park.</p> <p>Somewhere in the crowd I heard something – not singing, more like rapping – and I followed the beat to a group of young guys, late teens-early twenties, dressed in menacing urban streetwear, battle rapping. They rapped in Khasi and English about growing up in Shillong and the surrounding villages of Megahylan state where poverty rates are among the highest in the country and employment rates are near the lowest. They didn’t perform in clubs, said Shawn, the oldest and most recognized of the rappers. They filmed each other for TikTok and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwutp5LC1Y0" target="_blank">YouTube</a> where some of their videos get hundreds of thousands of views.</p> <p>This group of aspiring hip-hop artists listed the names of local rappers: Karmtak, J Donz, Big King, MC Gorka. They are YouTubers, but also stars on the streets of Shillong and perform at festivals all over the country in Khasi and English.</p> <p>It made sense. These kids were brought up in the church, but they are also the social media generation, and no matter where in this wide world one goes, everybody is using a smartphone, even if it’s being charged off a solar panel in a village with no other electric source. They were brought up on hip-hop and rap, beamed across the globe and made by people they could relate to: the underdogs, the poor, the ignored. And some had made it big just as these kids were dreaming of doing.</p> <h2>Trip notes</h2> <p>I arrived in Meghalaya via private taxi but left from nearby Shillong airport. Though only 18.5 mi (30km) from downtown Shillong the trip takes 1.5 hours. This kind of slow travel is the norm across Meghalaya State due to road conditions and chaotic traffic, which makes it a bit difficult to get around and see the famous sites. Scooters are available for rent in Shillong but as a seasoned motorcycle rider, I would say this is <a href="/travel-insurance/destinations/asia">not the place to learn or even perfect your riding skills</a>. Most tourists book private guides from Guwahati, the capital of Assam state, which will have you riding around in the comfort of a large 4x4. Meghalaya and Shillong don’t get a lot of foreign travelers, so it takes some patience and adaptability to get there and enjoy yourself. And of course, don’t drink the water.</p>Shillong Underground Cypher 0

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/southeast-asia/thailand/exploring-chaloem-rattanakosin-national-parkThis pristine patch of jungle is one of the least-visited parks in Thailand. Discover why hiking to spectacular Tarn Lod Yai – a massive ancient sea cave – should be on your list.2022-01-28T11:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/southeast-asia/thailand/exploring-chaloem-rattanakosin-national-parkhttps://www.worldnomads.com<p>The trail to Tarn Lod Yai (big Tarn Lod Cave) is only a couple of kilometers long but the end is steep – around 2,625ft (800m) of elevation gain in the second 0.6mi (1km). At the top of a seemingly endless set of wooden steps winding their way up the jungly mountain, there’s a perfect spot to take in the view of the valley below and settle the heart rate before pushing on to the cavernous arch.</p> <p>Tarn Lod Yai is the highlight of Chaloem Rattanakosin National Park (aka Tarn Lod National Park) in Kanchanaburi Province, western Thailand. It’s one of my favorite parks not just for its primeval jungle, waterfalls, and overall <em>Land of the Lost</em> feel but also because it’s so often empty. Around 53mi (85km) from Kanchanaburi City or 3 to 4 hours from the center of <a href="/explore/southeast-asia/thailand/insiders-guide-to-bangkok">Bangkok</a>, Tarn Lod is one of the most stunning but least-visited parks in the country.</p> <ul> <li><a href="#wilderness">Untouched wilderness in western Thailand</a></li> <li><a href="#hiking">Hiking to Tarn Lod Lek and Tarn Lod Lai</a></li> <li><a href="#trip-notes">Trip notes</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="wilderness">Untouched wilderness in western Thailand</h2> <p>I’ve visited the park around 50 times during my almost two decades of living in <a href="/explore/southeast-asia/thailand">Thailand</a> and used it as an overnight rest stop when I led motorcycle tours in the country. It was my clients’ reactions on those tours as well as my own love of the place that kept me coming back. No matter where they came from, everyone who visited was blown away by its untouched natural beauty.</p> <p>Although the park is only 23mi<sup>2</sup> (59km<sup>2</sup>), its boundaries touch on either protected or uninhabited forest all around, so it appears as part of a massive green space on the map – an area that includes some of the most <a href="/responsible-travel/make-a-difference/planet/keep-nature-pristine">pristine jungle environments</a> in Thailand, where wild elephants still roam the hills, gibbons call at the break of day, and hornbills glide in pairs to their nest at sunset.</p> <p>Being so far from any town, the night sky at Tarn Lod is a marvel for those of us who rarely get to take in the magnificence of our universe. Pro tip: the lights all along the campground each have their own switch so they can be turned off to eliminate light pollution.</p> <h2 id="hiking">Hiking to Tarn Lod Lek and Tarn Lod Lai</h2> <p>If <a href="/travel-insurance/activities/hiking-travel-insurance">hiking</a> to the big cave, it's best to start out in the morning and give yourself adequate time (about five hours, which leaves plenty of time for exploring). Once across the wooden bridge at the park campground, visitors must sign in at the entrance to Tarn Lod Lek, the “small” cave. Rangers will clear the trail and extinguish cave lights at 4pm.</p> <p>For some, the small cave might be experience enough. Once inside the mouth, the 0.3mi (500m) path is cast in twilight and the only sound is the rushing stream and the leathery clatter of thousands of bats disturbed from their clusters along the ceiling. The cave is like a gallery of stalactites, stalagmites, and odd rock formations.</p> <p>At the far end, green-tinged daylight breaks in and hikers enter the jungle proper. After the neatness of the campground, the plush density of real jungle seems an intense counterbalance, but the trail is well maintained. This is not to say it’s easy going – hikers should be aware that some level of physical fitness is needed.</p> <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/thailand/tarn-lod/waterfall.jpg" alt="A waterfall along the path to Tarn Lod Yai cave in Chaloem Rattanakosin National Park, Thailand." /> <figcaption>A waterfall along the path to Tarn Lod Yai. Image credit: John McMahon</figcaption></figure> <p>The first km is an easy walk through a labyrinth of immense banyan trees and thickets of wickedly spiked bamboo. These tower over ground foliage so dense that spotting animal life along the trail is rare, though the sounds of scampering in the leaves lets you know you're not alone.</p> <p>Along the second km are several waterfalls where you can cool off. The second and largest bursts through a cluster of fallaway boulders and oversize vegetation – a view that’s easy to forget is a result of nature and not the work of man. From here to the top is the steepest climb but the payoff is too great to comprehend quitting.</p> <p>At the top of the stairs, Tarn Lod Yai starts to come into view, a vast arch of rock looming over the high jungle. Tarn Lod isn’t the kind of limestone cave Thailand is famous for, but an ancient sea cave. The arch towers more than 200ft (61m) and the interior could encompass a football field if it wasn't full of boulders and rock formations cut by the stream that’s run through it for eons.</p> <p>Inside the cave a cool breeze blows year-round – at almost 2,953ft (900m) this is one of the highest points in the province, so hikers can cool off and take in as much of this natural cathedral as possible. Monks and devotees of the nearby forest temple make merit here at a small altar with golden buddha figures. Along the stream is a massive petroglyph of a snake/fish that dates back at least 10,000 years. There is almost always a ranger at the top for any advice or if an emergency occurs.</p> <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/thailand/tarn-lod/cave-temple.jpg" alt="A buddhist monk kneels before a small altar in Tarn Lod Yai cave, Thailand." /> <figcaption>A monk makes merit at the altar inside Tarn Lod Yai. Photo credit: John McMahon</figcaption></figure> <p>Continue through the cave to enter a giant fern forest that has a unique quality of light and mulchy smell. Further on, a forest meditation temple sits across a small bridge, but it's best to stay clear of this Wat as it’s a place for devotees to come for meditation retreats and not a tourist attraction.</p> <h2 id="trip-notes">Trip notes</h2> <h3>Where to stay</h3> <p>The park offers camping in manicured grounds along a small stream, but it also has 10 double-occupancy bungalows that are well worth the small increase in price. Renting a tent, sleeping bag, mattress pad, and pillow runs to about US $20 per night (tents are set up by staff), while the bungalows, with large verandas and two bedrooms with comfortable beds, fans, and hot water showers, are about US $35, fully furnished.</p> <p>There are several food stalls at the park entrance where visitors can have decent, simple Thai meals, including some very good <em>Kai Yang</em> (grilled chicken – pair it with a fresh, spicy papaya salad for the perfect Thai lunch) but overnighters will want to bring food and cooking gear. The very helpful park staff may even loan out a charcoal BBQ on request.</p> <h3>Getting there</h3> <p>The best way to get to Tarn Lod is by private car or motorcycle. It’s possible to get there via public transport from Kanchanaburi City on the local Dachang bus with some additional finagling at Ban Lam Yai (walking or hitching a ride the last 2.5mi/4km). Wear long pants, long-sleeved shirt, and closed-toe shoes for the hike and bring plenty of water. Nights get cool, so bring a sweater or hoodie. The only downside to Tarn Lod: like every national park in Thailand, it has two-tier pricing for entry (US $9/300 THB for non-residents, US $0.90/30 THB for Thai residents).</p>John McMahon 0 John McMahon The 200-ft arch of Tarn Lod Yai cave rises above the jungle in Chaloem Rattanakosin National Park, Thailand.

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/southeast-asia/thailand/exploring-the-royal-coastal-routeThailand's scenic Royal Coastal Route leads to places well-known as well as off the beaten track. Traveling during a pandemic means you can enjoy it free of crowds. 2021-01-12T11:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/southeast-asia/thailand/exploring-the-royal-coastal-routehttps://www.worldnomads.com<p>As I make a left-hand turn off the traffic-choked, six-lane, Rama II Road, onto the two-lane Royal Coastal Route (RCR), about an hour south of Bangkok, the stress of competing with double-trailer trucks and lane-splitting motorcycles falls away.</p> <p>Conceived of more than a decade ago, the RCR (which weaves its way south 620mi (1,000km) to the Malaysian border along the Gulf of Thailand) was part of late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s plan to improve infrastructure in the least-developed parts of the country. It was created by improving already existing rural roadways and connecting them with more than 186mi (300km) of new construction – including dedicated cycling lanes. The department of land management, which oversees the project, calls it the “most beautiful scenic route in <a href="/explore/southeast-asia/thailand">Thailand</a>” and promotes the coastal region as the Thai Riveria.</p> <ul> <li><a href="#twins">Chang and Eng, famous Siamese Twins</a></li> <li><a href="#hua-hin">Southwest to Hua Hin</a></li> <li><a href="#hat-yai">South of Hat Yai </a></li> <li><a href="#trip-notes">Trip notes</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="twins">Chang and Eng, famous Siamese Twins</h2> <p>The route begins in historic Samut Sakhon, a city older than Bangkok, where the Mae Klong River (not to be confused with the Mekong) splits into numerous channels before emptying into the Gulf of Thailand. It was here that the conjoined brothers, Chang and Eng, to whom the outdated term “Siamese twins<span>”</span> was first given, were born in the mid-1800s. The brothers toured Europe and North America for more than a decade, regarded as a wonder of nature, before settling down in North Carolina, using their show business money to start a plantation. The brothers married the Bunker sisters and had 21 children between them before their deaths, days apart in 1875. I found an unimposing statue commemorating the town's famous offspring just off the RCR, in a dusty square outside the city's juvenile court building.</p> <p>Moving south, the canal bridges give way to sea farms that are flooded and raked to harvest salt. Tons of it, piled and stored in ramshackle wooden buildings, dot this almost surreal landscape. Salt farmers, riding tractors and covered head to toe against the blazing sun, criss-cross the fresh-laid blacktop.</p> <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/thailand/royal-coastal-route-salt-pans-john-mcmahon.jpg" alt="A pink saline lake at the salt farms near Samut Sakhon, Thailand." /> <figcaption>A saline lake at the salt farms near Samut Sakhon. Photo credit: John McMahon</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="hua-hin">Southwest to Hua Hin</h2> <p>Ban Laem is the first of several popular beach towns leading to the chic resort city of Hua Hin, which caters to visiting travelers, with accommodation ranging from backpacker to luxury and food choices from around the world. Once the preferred home of the late King Rama IX, it hosts a yearly jazz festival in his honor. I stopped here for the night, and found hotel prices greatly reduced and the long golden shingle of Hua Hin Beach, normally crowded with vendors, jet skiers and horse-riding touts, all but empty.</p> <p>The RCR hugs the coast tightly for another 19mi (30km) as the 300 peaks of Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park come ever closer. The road snakes through the steep limestone formations of the park, stippled with caves and temples. It’s a favorite stretch for cyclists and motorcyclists for its tight corners and long, flat stretches, but use caution as packs of macaque monkeys live among the crags here and pay little heed to human traffic.</p> <p>The only major interruption to the coastal route is at Ao Manu, or Lime Bay, just outside of Prechuap Kiri Khan city. The bay is popular with families and weekenders for picnics and swimming in its tranquil, shallow waters surrounded by limestone karsts that rise up out of the sea. There’s no through road, since the entire bay is under control of The Royal Thai Air Force’s 5th wing command (and the site of the only battle between Thai forces and the invading Japanese Army during WWII).</p> <p>I timed my stop here to coincide with a holiday, one of the few days when the challenging hiking trail to the top of Lom Muak Mountain is open. Setting off before the heat of day, the two-hour walk uphill rewarded me with an astounding panorama of the city, bay, and sea beyond.</p> <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/thailand/royal-coastal-route-boats-john-mcmahon.jpg" alt="Colorful boats on the shore of Lake Songkla, Thailand." /> <figcaption>Colorful boats on the shore of Lake Songkla. Photo credit: John McMahon</figcaption></figure> <h2>Chumpon and the south</h2> <p>The road south to the city of Chumphon is one of my favorites in Thailand, as it runs along miles of empty beaches with views of still-unsullied islands just off shore in the turquoise water. The road is fun to drive, with a series of banked, twisty corners and rolling hills.</p> <p>Chumpom is considered the first city of the south. Small enough to easily walk around, but large enough to offer a good choice of accommodation, shopping, and dining, it’s also the jumping-off point for the islands of the famous Samui Archipelago, including <a href="/travel-safety/southeast-asia/thailand/koh-samui-thailand-is-it-safe">Koh Samui</a>, Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Tao.</p> <p>Further south, between the ancient capital city, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and the ad hoc capital of the south, Hat Yai, lies Lake Songkla, the largest in Thailand. The lake covers more than 386mi<sup>2</sup> (1,000km<sup>2</sup>) and is dotted with islands large enough to support entire villages. I spent the night on its shores and then hired a boat for an early morning ride through its immense lotus bloom, hoping to spot the endangered Irrawaddy dolphins that live in its waters. The flowers were exquisite, but the dolphins remained unseen.</p> <h2 id="hat-yai">South of Hat Yai</h2> <p>The RCR essentially disappears as a marked route south of Hat Yai, in the provinces of Pattani and Naratiwat, but it’s still possible to follow the coastline in this area, where Buddhist temples give way to mosques and the call to prayer can be heard in every small town. Once part of <a href="/explore/southeast-asia/malaysia">Malaysia</a>, and still experiencing problems of assimilation with the rest of Thailand, this area sees few foreign tourists, though visitors from Malaysia are abundant. The food of the true south is different from the rest of the country, and it’s here that I seek out my favorite Massaman curry, made the way it should be – slow cooked and rich with spice and heat.</p> <p>One of the goals of the RCR is to bring more people, Thai and foreign, to these lesser-known regions. For the curious traveler who wants to see more than just Bangkok and Phuket, or even a long-time resident like myself, the Royal Coastal Route opens a whole gamut of unique destinations to explore in your own way.</p> <h2 id="trip-notes">Trip notes</h2> <p>The RCR is suitable for cars, motorcycles, and bicycles for long stretches. As the route never wanders very far from population centers, there is no concern about fuel, food, or accommodation. For cyclists, it’s best to take the southern train out of Bangkok as far south as Ban Laem – as the RCR essentially runs parallel to the southern rail line, cyclists can use the train to pick and choose stretches to follow without ever having to ride on the congested and dangerous Highway 4. For those who enjoy roughing it, all of Thailand's National Parks offer tents, and most, very comfortable bungalows for overnighting with safe distancing. Whether going by car or motorcycle, it’s highly advisable to review Thai driving habits before setting off on any trip, as maneuvers unseen in other places are the norm in Thailand.<br /><br /><em>(Note: Some governments advise against non-essential travel to certain parts of southern Thailand. Check your government's travel warnings before visiting.)</em><span><span> </span></span></p>John McMahon 0 John McMahon A field of lotus plants on the surface of Lake Songkla in Thailand.

Water Buffalo Races in Chonburi, Thailand | Travel https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/stories/discovery/water-buffalo-racing-in-chonburi-thailandWater Buffalo Races in Chonburi, Thailand | Travel Wed, 26 Feb 2020 22:18:17 GMThttps://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/stories/discovery/water-buffalo-racing-in-chonburi-thailandRealization on the Run Tee River | Thailand Travelhttps://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/stories/fear/realization-on-the-run-tee-riverRealization on the Run Tee River | Thailand TravelThu, 22 Aug 2019 21:49:40 GMThttps://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/stories/fear/realization-on-the-run-tee-river