Phra Non Cave: Chiang Dao, Thailand

During our time at Shambhala, we had ample opportunities to get out and explore the surrounding area.  Remember that massive mountain looming over the festival?  It houses a multitude of caves that we were eager to see.  One sunny afternoon, a group of us decided to make the journey to the Phra Non Cave.

After taking a look around the grounds and the catfish-laden pond, we headed in.  Luckily, the cave was well lit and beautifully decorated.  It appeared to be people friendly...

Danger!  Our group decided to go into the forbidden zone with the help of a lovely guild and her oil lamp!

This less-trodden path lead us through cave after cave, through small tunnels and crawl spaces, past spiders and into the darkness.

Back in the well-lit caves, there was still more to see!

After an epic journey through the damp, claustrophobic caves filled with bats and scary shadow-monsters, Gavin and I decided it would be our last cave exploration!  We shall leave the caving to the expert spelunkers.

Shambhala in Your Heart Music Festival: Chiang Dao, Thailand

Under this looming majestic mountain lies the Chiang Dao Youth Camp, which for 2 weeks each year at the start of February houses Shambhala in Your Heart.  Shambhala began as a small gathering of conscious Japanese and Thai people and has grown into a small-scale international music and art festival.

We made this quaint riverside tent our home for a few days as we enjoyed the serenity of Northern Thailand.  Highlights included cute baby love, our friends from Saigon jamming the first two nights, and getting some much needed relaxation and good vegetarian food.

We managed to get out and about, to the small Karen village located just a minute down the road from the festival, to the hot springs near by, and to some caves - an adventure I'll share later.

There isn't much about Shambhala in Your Heart out there, but if you would like more information about it, check out their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/shambhalafestival