Highlights:
- Experience life in hilltribe villages
- Visit a number of different ethnic groups
- Nice Elephant ride
- Peaceful bamboo rafting
- Enjoy great hospitality
- Stunning mountain views
- Explore two remote caves
- Nature walks
- Demanding Trekking
- Visit a beautiful waterfall
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: 7.30am - 8.00am. Get collected from your Chiang Mai Hotel / Guesthouse. (only applies to trekkers departing from Chiang Mai). 9.30am - Breakfast at Chiang Dao Nest (only included for trekkers departing from Chiang Mai). 10am - Leave Chiang Dao Nest. The first day day is probably more of a fun day tour than a trek but you get to do a variety of activities (elephant ride and bamboo rafting) and you get an idea of the diversity of peoples in the area (5 different groups in a small-ish area). During the course of this day you will visit hilltribe villages of five different ethnic groups, Akha, Lisu, Lahu, Karen and Palaung. Highlight of the day will be a 60 min adventurous elephant ride through the forest and gentle, relaxing bamboo rafting (about 1 hour) down the Ping river. during the day. Lunch will be in one of the villages. 3.30pm - you will be transported for about an hour uphill into the Chiang Dao National Park, to the top of a track that leads to a Lisu village. Walk down the track to the village, where you will have an evening meal and sleep overnight. Accommodation – basic, but clean, dormitory style bamboo huts. There is be about an hour and a half of hiking during this day.
Day 2: After breakfast on the second day walk to an extensive cave, about 30 mins from the village (please note that this cave is for the adventurous only! If you suffer from claustrophobia it may not be suitable. Only very short sections of the cave are small). Explore inside the cave for about 1 hour. Return to the village for lunch. In the afternoon walk through the nearby forest along a stream , to a beautiful waterfall (not the world's biggest waterfall it has a nice location and it is an adventurous route in places ). After the waterfall trek from this village about 1 hour to another Lisu village where we will have a meal and sleep for the night. Stunning location and friendly (if occasionally drunken) hosts. At night have a special "mountain view" meal and maybe a few(!) drinks. Accommodation – again basic, but clean, dormitory style bamboo huts. There is about four hours of trekking / hiking during this day.
Day 3: On the third day undertake a lengthy and demanding trek from the Lisu village, via another Lisu village to a Karen village, stopping to explore another cave enroute. 3.30pm - A good uphill hike to the road, from where a car should be waiting to take you back to Chiang Dao Nest, stop briefly before heading back to Chiang Mai (for those returning to Chiang Mai). This day is about five hours of trekking /hiking. Basic but clean, comfortable accommodation. Very few visitors go to the villages we sleep in on both nights and visit on the second and third day.
Things to bring (you can get all of these things cheaply in Chiang Mai / Bangkok):
- Small backpack / rucksack
- Warm, weatherproof clothing (particularly from Nov. to Feb)
- Sun block
- Lightweight raincoat / plastic poncho
- Sandals (Teva or Teva-style is good for walking through the river - as long as you don't need ankle support these are good for the whole trek)
- Sturdy weatherproof footwear with good grips (not essential if you are happy walking in Tevas).
- Socks (for the evenings)
- Long trousers / pants are good for parts of the trek (the ones where you can unzip the legs are ideal)
- Torch / Flashlight (+ extra batteries)
- Towel
- Hat
- Insect Repellant
- Money for soft drinks / beers / handicrafts / tips (small notes can be useful!)
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Package Includes:
- 45 Baht per person which is donated to the villages we visit.
- Guides / assistants / carriers
- Transport to and from Chiang Dao / Chiang Mai
- All Meals (Lunch x3, Evening Meal x2, Breakfast x2)
- Drinking Water
- 200 baht per person National Park entry fee
- Elephant ride
- Bamboo rafting
- Overnight simple accommodation
Not included:
- Insurance - please make sure that you are adequately covered
- Any drinks at any of the villages (except water)
- Anything else you might buy at the villages
- Tips
Also see tour packages in:
Asia
Thailand
Outdoor: Land Rambler
Hiking & Trekking
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