Kindness of strangers: Lost in the Thai rainforest, a fellow backpacker picked me up and carried me home

The Guardian UK Sunday 02 August 2026, 15:00 UTC By Ankit Rao as told to Katie Cunningham 1 min read

Key Points

For hours we hobbled back, until we were close enough for him to place me down and run for helpRead more in the kindness of strangers seriesWe had heard there was an incredible waterfall somewhere deep in the Thai rainforest. Seeking it out almost killed me. In 2003 I was travelling solo through south-east Asia when I met Paul, an American with an easygoing, natural warmth.

For hours we hobbled back, until we were close enough for him to place me down and run for help

Read more in the kindness of strangers series

We had heard there was an incredible waterfall somewhere deep in the Thai rainforest. Seeking it out almost killed me.

In 2003 I was travelling solo through south-east Asia when I met Paul, an American with an easygoing, natural warmth. We were the only two people bunking at a youth hostel somewhere in southern Thailand and got chatting one morning. When the staff told us about a beautiful waterfall not far from where we were staying, we made plans to hike there together.

Thai (ORG) south-east (LOCATION) Asia (LOCATION) Paul (PERSON) American (ORG) Thailand (LOCATION)

Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

Andy Burnham vows to be 'relentless' on small boats crisis - and aims a dig at his rivals Andy Burnham pledged to get a grip on the numbers of people making the perilous Channel crossing - but said safe routes were needed to tackle vile smuggling gangs Andy Burnham has said he will be relentless in tackling small boat arrivals as he took a veiled swipe at his right-wing opponents for playing politics. The Prime Minister pledged to get a grip on the numbers of people making the perilous...

Daily Mirror 6m ago

Man arrested in major update after British woman found dead in suitcase

Man arrested in major update after British woman found dead in suitcase The body of Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, from the Edinburgh area, was discovered inside a suitcase by a homeless man in a derelict building in the Kypseli area of Athens A man has been arrested following the death of a Scottish woman whose body was found inside a suitcase in Athens. The body of Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, from the Edinburgh area, was discovered by a homeless man in a derelict building in the Kypseli area of...

Daily Mirror 22m ago

Fire halts trains between London and Stansted

Trains in and out of London are delayed or cancelled.

BBC England 26m ago

Traffic, mobiles, music … let’s turn the volume down | Letters

Readers respond to an editorial on the health impact of noise pollution Your editorial is right that noise pollution deserves to be treated as a public-health issue rather than a mere irritation (The Guardian view on noise pollution: keep it down, 28 July). Yet one obvious source of urban noise receives little attention: modified cars and motorbikes whose exhausts and engines have been made far louder than manufacturers intended. Anyone living in a city or town knows the difference between...

The Guardian UK 27m ago

Kindness of strangers: Lost in the Thai rainforest, a fellow backpacker picked me up and carried me home

Related Stories

Andy Burnham vows to be 'relentless' on small boats crisis - and aims a dig at his rivals

Man arrested in major update after British woman found dead in suitcase

Fire halts trains between London and Stansted

Traffic, mobiles, music … let’s turn the volume down | Letters