TTTK04 - Explore the Chiang Dao Wildlife Sanctuary Tour - 3 days
This 3-day trek will take you into the mountains of Northern Thailand into the Chiang Dao Wild Animals Protection area. Doi Chiang Dao is the third highest mountain in Thailand and will bring you dramatic scenery. This is an area seldom visited by tourists. In the coming days you will learn about the flora and fauna of the region and about the mountain dwellers who call these foothills of the Himalayas their home. You will learn about the traditions and life of the various tribes inhabiting this area, the Karen and Lisu. Your experienced guide knows this area like the back of his hand and will take you along beautiful nature trails, to remote waterfalls and back into the real jungle.
The stunning nature of Muang Khong, a non touristy area Northwest of Chiang mai, will be a lifetime experience.
At 8:30am your guide and driver will pick you up. We will stop at a local market to buy some supplies after which we will continue to Chiang Dao. Doi Chiang Dao (2225 meters) is the third highest mountain of Thailand and really dominates the landscape. This limestone mountain harbors unique flora and fauna. Many species of birds and butterflies can be observed here. Doi Chiang Dao is surrounded by pristine montane evergreen forest, a forest type that is not so common anymore in Thailand. Also other habitats are present. There are deciduous forests, mature bamboo, open & half-open woodlands, grasslands and alpine vegetation. In 1978 Doi Chang Dao and the area around it has been declared a Wildlife Sanctuary. After having passed the Wildlife Sanctuary checkpoint we will drive less than an hour to the start of our trek. We will first enjoy a picnic lunch and then it's on the way! The first village we encounter is Baan Nalao, a Lisu village. We will have a look around the village and your guide will explain about this tribe. The Lisu are believed to originate from eastern Tibet. We continue until we arrive at the entrance of a big cave, called Khun Kong. The Chiang Dao area has many caves. We will enter the cave and admire the rock formations. After this we will continue to a Karen Village. You will have dinner with a Karen family and will hear their life story. Overnight in a village house
Your guide will prepare your breakfast while you can take a morning stroll through the village. After breakfast we will start to walk up hill for about two hours until we reach a spectacular viewpoint; time for some pictures. We continue our walk along the mountain ridge. Views are amazing. We enter the jungle and walk past towering trees and through dense vegetation. We will have lunch in a cool spot in the forest. After lunch we will walk down through the forest to the Mae Taeng River. We will follow the river until we reach Baan Pa Kluay, a Yellow Lahu village. After arrival in the village you will have time to look around and take a bath in the river while your guide prepares dinner.
After a hearty breakfast we will board our specially prepared bamboo rafts to start the two-hour trip to Baan Muang Khong. We will provide you with lifejackets.
Your raft men expertly manoeuvre the raft through gentle rapids and you have enough time to enjoy the nature and birdlife along the Mae Taeng River. Baan Muang Khong is a Shan village where our river trip ends. The Shan are also called Thai Yai and are directly related to the Thai. We will have lunch in this village before the truck picks us up for the trip back to Chiang Mai.
- 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 private pick up truck
- Accommodation in the local village
- All meals on the trek
- Professional, English speaking guide
- Bamboo rafting (about 2 hours)
- Insurance
- Sleeping bag (on request)
- Backpack (on request)
- All drinks
- Personal expenses
- Tips
Selected Videos
