Pick up at your hotel in Chiang Mai and head towards the mountainous area north of the city. Break the journey at Mae Malai local market, an excellent opportunity to get in touch with the locals and stroll along the colorful stalls offering a wide range of exotic products. Stop at Mok Fah waterfalls before having lunch at a local restaurant and driving along the winding road to Huay Nam Dung National Park and the Karen village of Mae Sae. Start your hike to the Karen village of Baan Mae Jok. The Karen people are one of the largest hill tribes of South East Asia with a total population of three millions spread throughout Burma, Laos, and Thailand, and representing half of the total hill tribe population in the country! They can be found living both in the mountains and in the plains, living at a lower elevation than other hill tribes. In the evening, enjoy an authentic jungle dinner cooked by your trekking guide!
Overnight in Mae Jok
Transfer distance/duration: 90 km/02h30
Trekking duration/difficulty: 02h00/Easy to moderate
Meal Included: Lunch, Dinner
A hot breakfast will be served while the morning mist is being swept away from the hills by the cool morning breeze. Resuming your walk under the shade of the tropical canopy, this morning’s trek will take you to an elephant camp. Regionally famous for their mahout skills, the history of the Karen people has always been linked to those of the elephants.
Then, picnic lunch will be taken at the camp while your elephant is being prepared. Climb on your tusker’s back and get deeper into the jungle, eventually reaching the Karen village of Baan Pa Khaolam where you will have diner and spend the night.
Overnight in Pa Khaolam
Trekking duration/difficulty: 03h00/Moderate
Elephant Riding duration/difficulty: 01h00-01h30/Easy to moderate
Meal Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today’s hike is easily the most ambitious of the whole trek and also one of the most spectacular. Besides being filled with attractive natural conditions and virginal forests, Huai Nam Dang National Park is also a vital source of essential streams which flow into the Pai, Ping, and Taeng Rivers. This morning’s hike with take you to the Lahu village of Pong Ngan nestled on the banks of the Taeng River. Picnic lunch en route during the trek.
Dinner with your host family.
Overnight in Pong Ngan
Trekking duration/difficulty: 5-6h / Moderate to challenging
Meal Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After a lazy breakfast, the morning will be entirely dedicated to a bamboo raft journey along the Taeng River to the Shan village of Sop Kai passing other hill tribe villages en route. The Shan or Tai Yai (“large Thai”) are believed to have migrated from Yunnan in China and have inhabited the Shan plateau in Myanmar as far as the 10th century, but were forced to flee into Thailand following intermittent conflicts with the Burmese army. Local lunch in Sop Kai then drive back to Chiang Mai in the afternoon.
Bamboo rafting duration/difficulty: 01h30/Easy to moderate
Transfer distance/duration: 60km/02h00.
Meal Included: Breakfast, Lunch
