Nam Yang Kung Fu Retreat — Local services in Mae Hong Son Province

There was a time when Thailand would spring to mind adventure and spiritual discovery. Now, you’re more likely to be flooded with images of 18 year olds face down in their own sick at a full moon party or sunburned families taking full glutinous value out of their all inclusive packages in their beach front resort. Sadly, the mystery of the raw Thai islands are long gone. Don’t fret, what the South of Thailand lacks, the North of Thailand makes up in abundance. So where does one head when in search of said spiritual discover and adventure? Nam Yang Kung Fu Retreat in Pai.

When we were searching for an escape from the relentless pace of professional life in London we were attracted to the selling points of the retreat; stay in bamboo huts on a hilltop retreat in the middle of jungle mountain town, eat homemade Thai food all day, clear the head with some meditation and kung fu, then go explore the obscene amount of waterfalls and jungle trails nearby. Sold.

Nam Yang was everything we wanted. In fact, it actually caters for anyone looking to get some rest or detox all the way to aspiring Kung Fu masters. We met people stay for a week and some that had been there for 6 months. We could have stayed that long too if we didn’t have life calling us back. You wake up at the crack of dawn with Qi Gung/Thai Chi and meditation overlooking the rolling hills of Northen Thailand. After a tea break you crack on with a bit of kung fu before breakfast is ready made by the lovely thai cooks. After a little break you get back down to the practice area for some more kung fu, sparring and even some weapons training. On some days they might squeeze in a third session. Doing this all day everyday apart from Saturday and Wednesday gets you feeling something. You feel a whole new link between body and mind. It a feeling that doesn’t really come naturally to Westerners. You manage your thoughts better. See things within that you never allowed yourself the time to do. You just generally feel better physically and mentally. Its a holiday that you don’t need a day to recover from when before you get to work. So next time you need a holiday, look for relaxation here instead of the usual booze-fueled rager (although they are fun once...

After discovering Nam Yang, I thought “this is it.” I thought ~ this will give me the experience I was after of learning the art of Kung Fu in the beautiful country of Thailand while connecting with myself and like minds. My expectations were severely dissatisfied once arriving to Nam Yang. I paid for the single room which was a joke and a half. Not only was the room a concrete box, a small pad for you to sleep on atop a concrete cot, there was no way of cooling off besides a fan which really just circulates the hot air. And the toilet/shower situation was less than ideal. No air conditioning whatsoever on any part of the property expect for Ian’s home which we don’t go into. With the cost of the retreat, I expected much better accommodations. Heat exhaustion is no joke when practicing in the heat of Thailand and then not having the option to go relax in a cool room between practices is quite tortuous. I signed up for the qigong teacher training but was immensely disappointed after finding out that you have to pay for the uniform that is at least $100 and certification on top of the cost of the retreat, absolutely absurd even though I paid extra to become certified in the initial payment of the retreat. This place is a complete scam. After leaving Nam Yang, I stayed in Pai for 1/20th of the cost of the retreat and it had AC! Not to mention, you have to pay extra if you think you’ll want a refund so I decided to go for it and not do that and after deciding to leave, I talked to Ian to see if he could extend some compassion and give a partial refund, at least. He said no. He’s a true businessman. Kung Fu is not about making money. Mind you, this is not just something I felt and experienced. A lot of others at the retreat I met, and a few of the instructions included, realized the scam before it was too late and one person I met is in debt because of the decision to attend the retreat and the no refund policy. 0/10 would...

Summary: I would definitely recommend Nam Yang and consider going back for a longer stay Excellent teachers, instructions, and thoughtful class schedule Great physical and mental workout Took off 1 star due to accommodations: I would consider commuting from Pai (5-10min scooter ride)

Details: I stayed for 1 week and loved my experience. The instruction from the teachers was excellent. They provided one-on-one guidance to all the students, and were enthusiastic to make sure I was able to learn as much as possible given my short stay. I walked away with an appreciation of kung fu, both its physical and mental aspects. The daily schedule was well balanced alternating between meditative Chi Qong, intense physical workouts, tea time, and skills-based instruction. I would definitely consider coming back for a longer period of time. The campus itself is on a beautiful piece of land in the mountains, not far from central Pai (about 5 min scooter ride). The meals were healthy, vegetarian, and tasty.

I took one star away bc of the accommodations. My partner and I stayed in a specials double room. Overall a lot of things made it very uncomfortable. For example,1) it was hot, but there were no screens on the windows so difficult to keep them open, 2) small bathroom so everything got wet when you showered, 3) leaky sink faucet that was hard to use, 4) not enough space or furniture for two people to unpack, 5) plastic pillows, etc..to name a few things. While they are not dealbreakers, all of these things do add up, especially given the price of accommodations at Nam Yang, compared to the price of a nicer room in Pai. During the 4th night of our stay, the center lost water for about 1 day (not it's fault, there was an issue with Pai water pipeline), but after that we decided to get different lodging in Pai and commute into the center...