On Finding Paradise…
In the spirit of the festive season, I’ve been doing my fair share of catch up on DVDs. Just finished The Beach
By the way, for those of you who have seen the movie, this Hollywood paradise does exist – Phi Phi island in Thailand. If you haven’t seen it, here’s the trailer:
So I didn’t find the characters in this movie all that likeable. In fact, at several points throughout I couldn’t help but wonder if the writers of this script had spent a few too many days out in the Thai sun! However, “Richard” (played by DiCaprio) does have some great lines about travelling and finding paradise that I couldn’t help but not share.
This is one of the opening lines – it couldn’t more aptly describe the travel more lifestyle if it tried.
Trust me, it’s paradise. This is where the hungry come to feed. From mine it’s a generation that’s circles the globe and searches something we haven’t tried before. So never refuse an invitation, never resist the unfamiliar, never fail to be polite and never outstay the welcome. Just keep your mind open and suck in the experience. And if it hurts, you know what? It’s probably worth it.
He goes on to talk about something I’d call ‘peak experiences’:
And me, I still believe in paradise. But now at least I know its not some place you can look for, cause its not where you go. Its how you feel for a moment in your life when your apart of something, and if you find that moment… it lasts forever…
Lastly, I think this is why we’re all here sharing travel experiences, no?
I just feel like everyone tries to do something different, but you always wind up doing the same damn thing.
So I admire “Richard” and his courage to bravely seek out a new travel adventures, even in this bizarre Hollywood context.
Get A Copy of the Beach Today
If you aren’t ready to travel to Thailand (or elsewhere) to find paradise, you can always just watch the DVD. 
Where have you found paradise? How did you find it? What did it feel like when you found it? Tell us in the comments.
Photo by feelsky
Want to find your own travel paradise?
What are you waiting for? Travel More with our Special Offers
Get hands-on travel help from Donna, our travel concierge.
January 3rd, 2009 at 2:49 pm
After trying to decide between Bali, Hawaii, Santorini, Curacao, and yes, Ko Phi Phi Don (along with the entire bay off Phuket filled with equally beautiful islands), I ultimately decided on Hawaii.
I used to visit there once or twice a year, and ended up taking it for granted because it became so familiar. When I visited again this past September after a seven-year absence, I was struck with how remarkable a place the Hawaiian Islands are. There’s just so much variety that it’s easy to find paradise no matter how you define it… laying on a beautiful beach… snorkeling a perfect coral reef… hiking up a mountain trail… swimming under a secluded waterfall… exploring an exotic rain forest… golfing a championship course… driving up a canyon overlook… relaxing at a 5-star spa resort… and so much more. And since everything is within a short drive or a quick flight of each other, it’s easy to find a new paradise as your mood changes. There’s no place else quite like it.
Dave2’s last blog post..Yearly
February 18th, 2010 at 3:01 pm
[...] Thailand is a total backpacker’s dream: extremely well-traveled, interesting, and easy. The beaches are fabulous an varied, and the massage course I took in Chiang Mai was great! On a side note the pervasive sex tourism industry was captivating and frequently disturbing to witness. [...]