The worst Indian ever
by Willettsworld about Maharaja's
As I'm British and we have a large number of Indian restaurants back home, I feel that I know what to expect when it comes to Indian food. When I saw this place, I thought, right I'm come here as I was craving for an Indian after not having one since I was in Bangkok. So I walked in and started ordering papads (poppadoms) only for the waiter to say that they couldn't get them from Bangkok! "What?", I said. Now I love poppadoms and they, as far as I know, are easy to cook so to hear someone say that they get them delivered was just ridiculous. Anyway, I carried on ordering but wished I hadn't as when the food arrived, the naan bread was undercooked, the steamed rice was oily, and the chicken vindaloo wasn't spicy and looked like it came out of a can as the chunks of meat looked processed into of fresh. So I stormed out in disgust without paying, even leaving my beer! Hopeless, don't bother.
Union Of Hilltribe Villages
by iNorv9
One of the highlights of my trip to Northern Thailand was definitely visiting this hill tribe village. We found this place on the recommendation of our guide, and it turned out to be far less commercialized and artificial than the other "villages" we visited, where we were bombarded by tribe members shamelessly hawking touristy knickknacks.
In contrast, the Union of Hill Tribes offered a much more authentic experience. We were the only tourists there, and the Karen (long neck) women were very warm and friendly.... They even invited us into one of their huts to chat for a little bit about their life (using our Thai guide as an interpreter of course). Afterwards, they just went on with life as usual: gathering water, tending the crops, and mending the thatched roofs of their huts.
In addition to the Karen, there were several other tribes at this village, each with their own distinct (and often colorful) attire.
While there is a certain aspect of commercialization here (after all, they have a website), our guide told us the people of this village don't let the tourists dramatically influence their way of life. As they can't reap the benefits of a normal Thai citizen, the additional income generally goes towards subsistence measures; not wide screen TVs or pick-up trucks.
Bottom-line: We had a very moving experience visiting the people of this village. I would highly recommend spending an afternoon here.... you probably won't be able to find a more authentic view of hill tribe life without trekking deep into the jungle.
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Mae Fah Luang Garden
4kg of golden rings on long neck hilltribe
Preparing noodles soup
Getting there is half the fun
