Bamboo Rafts and Hill Tribes
3-day Thailand Trekking

This three day trek will take you into the mountains of Northern Thailand. In the coming days you will learn about the flora and fauna of Northern Thailand and about the mountain dwellers who call these foothills of the Himalayas their home. You will learn about the traditions and life of the various tribes inhabiting this area, the Karen, Lahu, Palong and Akha. Most of these tribes migrated into Thailand from the surrounding countries. Your experienced guide knows this area as the back of his hand and will tell you about the flora and fauna. He will reveal the secrets of Northern Thai cooking and will invite you to the houses of the tribes where you will stay overnight.


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Today you will be picked up from your hotel at around 8:30am by your trekking guide and will begin to head to the North into the mountains. On the way, you'll stop at Mae Ma Lai local market where your guide will do some shopping for the coming days. He will invite you to come along and will explain the different ingredients he will be using for dinner.

After lunch you will make a short ride to the Akha village. You will start your trek with a hike to the Pang Deng village which is part of one of the Royal projects. Here the guide will explain about this interesting agricultural project. After this visit we will start trekking to Pang Hoo, a Palong village where you will stay overnight. There are only a handful of Palong villages in Northern Thailand. The Palong tribe only recently moved to Thailand from Burma and wear a distinctive costume mostly in red, with rattan hoops worn around the waist.

Your guide will introduce you to the Thai Kitchen and will explain to you about all the different herbs used in Thai dishes, after that you can help him to cook the dinner. He will invite you to one of the local houses to hear stories about life and history of the village.
 

After breakfast this morning you will start trekking to a nearby elephant camp where you will have the opportunity to ride one of these majestic animals for one hour. After this exhilarating elephant ride you will continue trekking to a waterfall where you will have time for a refreshing swim, here you will enjoy a delicious picnic lunch. After lunch you will continue your trek through the forest. Your guide will take his time to explain the beautiful natural environment. You will walk out of the forest into the rice fields of the Lahu. "Obu uja" is hello in Lahu language.

Once you have arrived in the village you can rest for a while or spend some time playing with the children. Your guide will prepare your evening meal while you relax near the campfire listening to the stories of the Lahu people translated by your guide.
 

After breakfast this morning you will trek to an Akha village. This is the most primitive and charismatic tribe in Thailand. The Akha are one the most interesting tribes living in South East Asia due to their very strong traditional beliefs. The women wear characteristic headdresses ornamented with coins. Here we will spend some time look around the village.

After a short rest you will travel by truck to a riverside camp where a bamboo raft will be waiting for you. Your helmsman will maneuver the raft through the gentle rapids. After the raft trip you will have lunch and will then drive back to Chiang Mai by truck. On the way back you will make one last stop at an orchid nursery.
 

Your arrival time back to Chiang Mai cannot be guaranteed, so we don't recommend that you attempt to continue your journey immediately by overnight sleeper train or by flight. It's much better to spend the night in Chiang Mai, enjoying a hot shower and a soft bed while you unwind, reflecting on your mountain adventure. This can be arranged for you, just let us know on the quote request form.

What to take with you:
• Boots and a sleeping bag (sleeping bags can be rented locally for approx $4)
• Rucksack, torch and water bottle
• Shorts and long trousers, long and short sleeved tops, raincoat and socks
• A hat or cap, sun block cream and insect repellent with DEET (diethyl-meta-toluamide)
• Comfortable shoes (hiking boots not essential, but not sandals)

Click here for the trekking information page