Adventure Planet

Best Season

All year round

Highlights

Elephant riding
Shan Village
Akha Village
Karen Village
Karen Family Village Stay
Waterfalls
Bamboo Rafting
Insight into the Royal Agricuture Project

Description

Discover one of Thailand's most progressive hilltribe cultures and diverse regions at Karen Village. They live in bamboo houses raised on stilts, beneath, which live their domestic animals, pigs, chickens and buffalos. The mountain-dwelling Karens practice swidden agriculture, and the plains-dwellers, for the most part, cultivate irrigated paddy fields. Karen women are noted for their skill in weaving, which is done on a back-strap loom while Karen men produce musical instruments, animal bells, unique tobacco pipes and numerous other crafted items. Climb up the vertiginous hill to get an insight into the customs and cultures of the Karen tribe. Get out and explore, well off the beaten path, on strenuous treks. This trip promises a trekking experience that stimulates your senses culturally and adventurously.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival at Karen Village (-/L/D + Villager’s hut)
Begin the day at 9am by departing at Chiang Mai by vehicle to a local market to shop for food and personal items necessary for trekking. Then you will continue on your jorney to the elephant camp where one can enjoy riding on the elephants. Next, you will travel by vehicle to Shan Village for lunch. After lunch, you will start off your adventure trekking to the Akha and Karen Villages, famous hill tribes in Northern Thailand. Then, you will leave the villages and continue trekking through evergreen mountains and finally arrive at a beautiful waterfall where you can relax and spend some time swimming. You will end the day by trekking back to the Karen village to stay the night with a Karen family.

Day 2: Adventure trekking (B/L/-)
The day will begin after breakfast when you’ll embark on a half day trek on the trail passing through the Royal Agriculture Project. Established in 1985, the initial Royal Project was begun when HM the King visited the area and recommended that local villagers be given the opportunity to replace opium poppies with cash crops as a replacement to increase the standard of living of the hill tribes people in the area, it is one of 38 cash crop replacement areas in the North. Then, you will continue trekking downhill until you reach a waterfall for some rest and recreation. Lunch follows which you will head to in a local vehicle. After lunch, you can enjoy 1.5 hours of bamboo rafting after which you will be transferred back to Chiang Mai.

Includes:

• Accommodation (1 night with a Karen family)
• Meals as per itinerary
• Ground transportation
• Local English-speaking guide
• Elephant riding
• Bamboo rafting
• Insurance

Excludes:

• International flights and taxes
• Travel Visa & Insurance
• Meals not mentioned in itinerary
• All Drinks
• Tips to staff
• Personal expenses
• Personal sleeping equipments such as sleeping bag, torchlight, swimming suit for village stay
• Any optional additional tours or activities during free time
• Any other expenses not mentioned in “cost include”