If you want to experience something a bit more intense and rewarding than your average trekking package then “Ultimate trekking Chiang Mai” is the right tour for you. It’s an action packed 7 days!
Get your dose of nature walk and cultural experience, as we get high in the mountains surrounding Chiang Mai and stay as guest in several hill tribe villages; Lisu tribe village, Lahu tribe village and Karen tribe village. It is a challenging trek, but well balanced with a range of activities.
You get to bathe and ride the elephants, go river tubing, relax at a hot spring, make a bamboo raft and go white water rafting down the rapids of Mae Taeng River. Plus there’s all the unexpected extras of great food, pleasant people and a chance to create unforgettable memories.
Trip Summary:
Area: Wiang Haen / Mae Taeng / Chiang Dao | Fitness level ****
Day 1 – Ultimate trekking Chiang Mai begins at 8 AM when we pick you from your accommodation in Chiang Mai. Our first stop is a local market, where we can stock up on supplies.
We keep driving north and stop for a lunch break on the way.
Then it’s time for your first nature walk on the trip as we head into the jungle for a two hour trek to a traditional Lisu tribe village where we spend the night as guests of the villagers and get to know the local life and traditions. This is a different cultural experience, as you spend your time with a traditional Lisu tribe and learn about their lifestyles.
Day 2 – After a hearty breakfast, we start a nature walk, three hour trek through lush local rain forests. We stop for lunch which you prepare together with your guide by cooking your dishes in bamboo stems over open fire – traditional jungle way!
After lunch we have another two hours of nature walk until we arrive to a riverside Lahu village. This is another great cultural experience as you get to learn about this hill tribe, taste their food for dinner and spend a night with them.
You can swim, fish, make a camp fire, go river tubing or simply relax.
Day 3 – Today offers your muscles a chance to relax and a feast for the eyes with a day’s rafting. After breakfast we learn how to make bamboo a raft! Then we pack our stuff and jump on our homemade raft.
We raft down the river for about five hours, taking in the scenery, chilling out or taking a turn at driving! We stop at the riverside for lunch and are free anytime to stop for a swim or to fish or simply explore.
In the late afternoon we arrive at our riverside elephant camp. Depending on the season and individual circumstances, we can spend the night at the Mae Taeng elephant camp or near the camp in a jungle hut.
Day 4 – After an early breakfast, we collect the elephants. A mahout (elephant trainer) gives you basic elephant driving instructions and then you get to ride your elephants for an hour. We also visit a local village school on the way and you might get a chance to teach the children some English if they have a class at the time of our visit.
Then we start another nature walk, we trek in the countryside for about two hours until lunch stop. After lunch it’s another two hour trek to walk off the lunch until we reach our homestay, a Karen tribe village.
Another great cultural experience as you get to learn about this hill tribe community, taste their food and spend a night with them.
Day 5 – After breakfast we trek for around three hours. It is mostly a downhill trek to the hot springs. Here you can indulge yourself by having a sauna or relaxing in the therapeutic warm pool or even do what Thais do and boil an egg or two!
We have lunch at the hot springs and then trek onto a local Karen village. As this won’t be your first stay in a Karen village you might even be able to say hi in Karen – try it out!
Day 6 – After breakfast we go on a nature walk to a second elephant camp on our tour. This is a three hour trek and we first have a lunch break when we arrive.
After lunch you have a choice of activities. You can either trek, river tube or elephant ride your way to our next stop, a lovely riverside Lahu tribe village. Depending on the season, you might be able to choose for yourself which mode of transportation to use. But if the water levels are too low, or if the currant is to dangerous, river tubing might be out.
In the evening you have free time to pick up cooking skills from from your guide and the villagers!
Day 7 – After breakfast, we raft down the river on bamboo rafts for around two hours. Then we have some free time and lunch.
After lunch we it’s time for our last adventure on “Ultimate trekking Chiang Mai” and arguably this is the most adventurous one of them all – white water rafting down the Mae Taeng river rapids. The rives is known in local circles for some of the most spectacular white water rafting in Thailand with three and four grade rapids. We raft with a renowned company that has an excellent safety record.
After white water rafting we head back to Chiang Mai.
4 pers $520 pp | 3 pers $650 pp | 2 pers $720 pp | 1 per $1200
Includes: Accommodation (homestay), Local Guide, transport from Chiang Mai, Food, Elephant riding, bamboo rafting.
