I have to agree wholeheartedly with both of you! I am in Pai at the moment, having been here 6 years ago because of great word of mouth. Even then, people were saying, "Oh it was so much better 2 years ago." Today, the amount of change is staggering and it isn't like it once was. Yet first timers still rave.

I always laugh when I hear "it isn't as good as it used to be," but the arrow of change always points forward. A place has to be good or great to be worth going to, and there are a finite amount of these places.

I often wonder if there was a "golden age of backpacking," and we're currently in its twilight. Or am I just a nostalgic traveler? I think Globalization has caused its demise: the things that used to make places unique are vanishing, things like cultural uniqueness (as we all modernize and globalize, authenticy and the old-way seem like something kept around for tourists to see) and the huge difference in costs.

In the end, globalization and increased tourism is good for the locals themselves. It's bad for these old-school backpackers who long for the days of undiscovered places, because it's made it more expensive for them....

Curious your comments!

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