TTST01 - Pornchai’s trek in Viang Pa Pao
Pornchai Singchai is one of Chiang Mai’s best trekking guides. Pornchai has been guiding trips in Northern Thailand for 25 years. He offers trekkers insight into the forest and the village life like no one else. He feels at home here, knows the villagers and knows the forest.
For Pornchai’s biography click here.
Tiger Trail Thailand has organized four special departures in his favorite area, Viang Pa Pao.
On this special trip you will visit villages of the Black Lahu, Akha, Red Lahu and Karen tribes. You will hike through pine and evergreen forest as well through ricepaddies and cornfields. Views are magnificent. Enjoy the hospitality of the people of Viang Pa Pao and you will learn about their customs, traditions and history. In each village we will try to teach you a couple of words and sentences in the local language. You will also taste local tribal dishes.
- transportation will be by fourwheel drive vehicle
- maximum group size is 6 persons
- interactive program (you will really meet villagers and learn about their daily life)
- excellent food
- mountains, forest, waterfalls and rivers
- jungle lunches and local tribal food
- you will receive a special booklet with information on the villages, tribes, local languages and natural history.
- exciting trekking
- no elephant ride and no bamboo raft
An honest, non-touristy, back-to-basic trekking with focus on hilltribes and experience the nature and country side of northern Thailand.
Your trekking guide will meet you at the hotel. Drive approximately 1,5 hours to the Mae Kachan hot springs where we will stop for coffee. Continue for more than an hour to the Akha village …(Ba La village)… Pornchai will tell you about the customs and traditions of the Akha, one of the most interest tribes in Northern Thailand. We will have lunch at the village.
After lunch we start walking through pine and evergreen forests affording magnificent views. Approximately three to four hours of trekking will bring us to the fields of the Karen village Mae Boon Noi at the end of the afternoon. You can fresh up in a nearby river while Pornchai prepares dinner. After dinner Karen villagers and children will join us. There will be song and dance and time to exchange stories before going to sleep.Overnight in a village house in the Karen village Mae Boon Noi.
After breakfast we will spend some time in the village meeting villagers and observing traditional village life. Pornchai will lead the way out of the village. We pass the village’s ricefields before we start trekking up the mountain. We will walk along a mountain ridge with beautiful views. Pornchai will tell you about typical trees and plants of this fertile forest. After a couple of hours we will walk downhill to the ricefields of a Red Lahu hut where we will enjoy a forest lunch, served on bananaleaf.After lunch we will continue to the Red Lahu village Ban Mae Toe.
We will spend the night here. Not far from the village is a small and pretty waterfall. Most of the villagers of Ban Mae Toe are recent arrivals from Burma and may not have Thai citizenship yet. In the evening they will share their culture with us through traditional Lahu songs and dancing. Our host Jabo will tell us something of the history of his village.Overnight will be in Jabo's house.
After breakfast we will spend some time in the village before Pornchai leads the way into the forest. We will walk more than three hours through the forest, enjoying the views and stopping regularly for a story about the natural environment. The walk today ends at the Black Lahu village…(Pa Kuay)…..Here we will stay for a while to explore the village and hear about the difference between Black and Red Lahu.Here also our car will be waiting for us to bring us to Viang Pa Pao town where we will have a delicious Thai farewell lunch before driving back to Chiang Mai. Pornchai will drop you off at your hotel after an enthralling three days of tribal culture and beautiful nature.
- Short sleeve shirts for the day time (bring a spare one, just in case)
- Long sleeves for the evening (especially in the winter Nov - Feb it can be a bit cold)
- Shoes with good grip (especially in the raining season from May - Sep
- A cap
- Suncream
- A small towel
- Flip flops
- Sun glasses
- Your personal toiletries
- Personal medication
- Fully charged batteries or even an extra battery for your camera.
- 1000-1500 Thai Baht per person in small notes (not bigger than 100 Thai Baht). This is for souvenirs, drinks and tips.
- Transportation by 4X4 Songtaew (pickup truck)
- Accommodation in hilltribe villages
- All meals on trek
- Sleeping sheet
- Pillow sheet
- Backpack
- Mosquito net
- Mattress
- Information booklet
- 1 Tiger Trail Thailand shirt per person
- Guidance
- Insurance
- Drinks
- Personal expenses
- Tips
Guarantee departure for minimum 4 persons. Departure less than 4 persons will be supplement charge. Please contact us for prices.
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