Day 1: Temples – Waterfalls – Remote villages and Karen Hill-tribe camping (-/L/D)
Pick up from your hotel in Chiang Mai at 08.00 and transfer by minibus to the tuk tuk base in Mae Wang, around n hour southwest of the city. On arrival at the base you’ll be introduced to your trusty tuk tuk and driver and get settled in for the adventure ahead. Note: these tuk tuks are specially modified to cope perfectly with the winding mountain roads and to give extra comfort and views from the back seat. There are Bluetooth speakers for you to play your road trip selections and you can even roll back the roof if you fancy catching some sun.
You will start the journey by heading through fantastic winding mountain roads, passing through small farming communities and on up to temples almost never visited by foreign tourists. You will have a simple but hearty lunch at a local restaurant and then start to head up higher into the mountains. Make a stop to to trek to a waterfall and explore a tiny Karen community and then wind up the hairpin bends to a remote Karen village where we will camp camp and have a real ‘Hill-Tribe’ experience. There are showers and toilets available and the mattresses provided in the tents for a very comfortable night.
In the evening we’ll learn how to cook jungle style with an open fire and lessons from our Karen hosts before spending the night under the stars – a real Thailand adventure.
Day 2: Mountains – Hill-tribe villages – Thai Feast (B/L/D)
After breakfast you will explore the area and forest around the village with a local guide before getting back into the tuk tuks and heading along more stunning roads into the foothills of Doi Inthanon, Thailand’s highest mountain. This is a fantastic journey through spectacular mountain scenery along rarely travelled roads giving you a real insight into Thailand, well away from the tourist trail. You will stop for a late lunch at a small roadside restaurant and then head on to the small community of Ban Mae Khlang Luang, your overnight base.
Your overnight accommodation at the village lodge is surrounded by mountains and rice terraces and is the perfect setting for the second night of the adventure. Once you have checked in you can explore the village, see how the community lives and get to sample some of the best freshest coffee around in one of the coolest coffee shops you will ever see. In the evening it’s time for a traditional Thai-style BBQ in the rice fields.
Day 3: Trekking – Waterfalls – Return to Chiang Mai (B/L/-)
After breakfast you’ll head off this morning to explore the forests around the village in the foothills of Doi Inthanon. The trek is around 5 km, led by a local village guide and takes you through a fantastic forest habitat and eventually to a series of stunning waterfalls. You will have lunch at the foot of the largest waterfall and there will be plenty of time to swim in the pool below.
After lunch you will hike downhill out of the forest and back to the hill-tribe village where you stayed the previous night. Then it is time to say goodbye to your tuk tuk and transfer back to Chiang Mai city by private minibus, arriving at your hotel by about 16.30.
Services included:
Services not included: