TCBT10 - Elephants, Tribes and Sacred Forests of Chiang Dao – 3 days
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Private Tour!
This three day trip starts with a visit to the Elephant Nature Park. Here you will join in their daily program which includes feeding and bathing elephants. After Elephant Nature Park we will drive to Baan Hua Thung, a village located at the foot of Doi Luang Chiang Dao, the third highest mountain in Thailand.
You will overnight in a homestay and enjoy the hospitality of a traditional Northern Thai village. Baan Hua Thung is part of the Community Based Tourism Network of Thailand.
The next morning you will visit the community forest of the village and trek through the forest for a couple of hours before we travel to the east of Chiang Dao where we will start trekking to a Palong tribal village where we will spend the night. The next day we trek to a Lisu and Akha village. The trip ends with a relaxing bamboo raft trip on the Ping River.
Duration of this Tour: 3 Days
Departure Time:
0800
End Time:
1700
Difficulty:
medium
Transportation:
trekking truck (The upgrade to a minibus is possible upon request. A supplement charge of $100 per minibus will apply.)
Accommodation:
homestay in Baan Hua Thung and hilltribe house in the Palong Village
Highlights:
Elephant Nature Park
Homestay overnight in traditional Northern Thai village
Trekking
Tribal culture
Bamboo rafting
Itinerary:
Day 1: Chiang Mai –Baan Hua Thung Village
Meals:
Lunch
Dinner
Description:
Your guide will meet you at the hotel at 0800. We will drive to Mae Malai first where we will visit the market. From here we will follow a beautiful rural road to Muang Khut.
Continue to Elephant Nature Park. Elephant Nature park has the aim is to provide a sanctuary for elephants to live in a peaceful natural environment. Today you will Meet the elephants of Elephant Nature Park and have the opportunity to feed and bath them.
Expert guides will tell you personal stories of the rescued elephants. You will learn about the problems elephants face in Southeast Asia and how Elephant Nature Park is helping in the treatment and care of Thailand's dwindling elephant population. After this it is feeding time. After unloading and distributing the fruit treats you will have a chance to feed the elephants from the viewing platform.Enjoy a sumptuous and varied vegetarian buffet after this.
After lunch you will walk with staff to the river that skirts the park.After learning how to safely and properly bathe an elephant, plunge right in and help scrub these giants as they splash around. If this is not for you then watch the elephants bathe and play while you stay dry on the shore. Around 1500 it's time for to say goodbye to the elephants and to Elephant Nature Park. Drive to Baan Hua Thung Village which will take about one hour.
Here you will be welcomed by community members. Relax after an exciting day and check into your homestay. You can help your hosts prepare dinner. Dinner and overnight will be at a homestay in Baan Hua Thung.
Day 2: Baan Hua Thung Village – Palong Village
Meals:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Description:
In Baan Hua Thung village, local people also play their part to support conservation. Community members have worked together to establish a nationally famous ‘community forest’. In this common area, villagers may collect wild foods, but not cut trees. The forest is protected by a combination of community regulations and sacred ‘forest ordination’ by Buddhist monks.
The villagers also have a community bamboo forest. Every year, they help each other to harvest bamboo, and divide the profits between the families. This morning you will trek through the community forest with your guide and a local guide who will explain about different plants and trees. Return to the village.
After this it is time for lunch at your homestay.After lunch we will first visit the Chiang Dao Cave before we drive to Chiang Dao. Here we will stop at the market to buy supplies for dinner and for breakfast and lunch tomorrow.
We will continue to Karen Village Tachilek where we will start trekking. We will hike through corn fields and forest to the Palong village Pang Hoo. There are only a handful of Palong villages in Northern Thailand. The Palong tribe only recently moved from Myanmar to Thailand. The women wear a distinctive costume mostly in red, with rattan hoops and silver belt worn around the waist.
After arrival in the village you can relax, explore the village or learn some Thai cooking by helping your guide prepare the dinner. He can explain you about the herbs and ingredients he uses. After dinner you will meet some of the villagers. Overnight will be in one of the village houses
Day 3: Palong Village – Chiang Mai
Meals:
Breakfast
Lunch
Description:
After the sounds of nature and the locals woke you up, your guide will prepare breakfast. After breakfast your guide will show you around the village. He will explain about the village shrine and about the ‘huja rawl’, the ‘village heart’.
Then we will start trekking. First we will walk along a small stream before we enter the forest. We will trek for about four hours today, at first uphill. Along the way we will have lunch in the forest. We continue downhill to an Akha and Lisu settlement where our car will be waiting for us.
We will drive to a small raft camp where we will board our bambooraft for the relaxing trip on the Ping River.Enjoy the wonderful views of majestic Doi Chiang Dao.Drive back to Chiang Mai.
Included:
- English speaking guide
- Private transportation by trekking truck
- Accommodation in a local houses
- Entrance fees
- Drinking water
- Coffee and tea
- Bamboo rafting (about 45 minutes)
- Insurance
- Use of sheetbag or sleeping bag
- Use of Mosquito net
- Use of Backpack (on request)
- Toilet paper & Soap
- Towel
- A flashlight is provided in the village
- Contribution towards CBT-Network Coordination Center
Not Included:
- Other drinks except water
- Personal expenses
- Tips
Notes:
Due to weather conditions and other conditions on the ground we might have to adjust the itinerary of this trekking. If it is necessary to adjust the program we will always make sure that the quality of your experience and your personal safety are safeguarded.
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