Karen Culture and Elephant Experience

Day 1: Wednesday/Saturday
Chiang Mai – Mae Win (Tong Bai Elephant Foundation)
Meals: L
Your guide and driver will meet you at the hotel at 0800 for your Karen Culture and Elephant Experience. We will drive to the Mae Wang Valley.

Our first stop will be at a local market where your guide will do his shopping for the coming days and will explain some of the local specialities that are for sale here. Continue to Mae Win where you will be welcome by the elephant expert of Tong Bai Elephant Foundation. There will be a maximum of 9 persons, including you, participating in the elephant program. The foundation has four elephants at the moment in its care.

Introduction

He will introduce you to the elephants and provide you with specific information about the Asian elephant. After helping feed the elephants and meeting them up-close, you will enjoy your lunch with Thai specialities. Afterwards, you and the elephants trek to a river. Here the elephants will take a bath. You can join them, wash them and scrub them.

We will then walk back to the camp before we say goodbye to the elephants and staff of Tong Bai Foundation. You will receive a certificate of participation after which we will drive the short distance to our guesthouse.
Enjoy dinner at the guesthouse on own costs.
Overnight at Mae Win Guesthouse

Day 2: Thursday/Sunday
Mae Win – Karen Village
Meals: B L D
After breakfast, your hill tribe adventure begins. Drive the short distance to the starting point of the trek. We will hike to a waterfall where we will rest and have time for a swim. After this, we will trek through the forest about two hours to the Karen village Baan Huai Hoi. Here we will have lunch.

Trekking

After lunch continue trekking for another two hours to another Karen Village Huai Kao Lip. Along the way, stop at another waterfall. Enjoy swimming and relaxing before continue trekking to a Karen village. After arrival, your guide will introduce you to your host for tonight. You can explore the community while he starts to prepare dinner. You are welcome to help him with cooking. We also encourage you to practice some Karen language with your host after dinner.
Overnight in the Karen village Huai Khao Lip.

Day 3: Friday/Monday
Karen Village – Chiang Mai
Meals: B L
Rise with the roosters. Your guide will prepare a hearty breakfast. After breakfast, we will visit the Royal Project. Your guide explains this agricultural project, and we will work a couple of hours helping the villagers take care of the vegetables.
After that, walk to another Karen village, Ban Mae Sapok. We will stop at a pretty waterfall where we will spend some time relaxing, swimming and enjoying nature. Your guide will prepare a delicious lunch, jungle style.
After lunch, we will drive to a small rafting camp. Our bamboo rafts will be waiting for us. We will provide life jackets. Please wear them and have a look at our bamboo raft policy. Enjoy a relaxing and, at times, exciting bamboo raft trip for about 45 minutes on the Wang River. After this, we board our truck for the drive back to Chiang Mai.

• English speaking guide
• Private transportation by trekking truck
• Expert Elephant guide of Tong Bai Elephant Foundation
• Donation to the Tong Bai Elephant Foundation
• Certificate of  participation of Tong Bai Elephant Foundation
• Accommodation in a local house and guesthouse
• All meals during the trek
• Drinking water during meals
• Coffee and tea during the trek
• Limited medical insurance
• Bamboo rafting (about 45 mins)
• 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

• Other drinks except drinking water during meals
• Personal expenses
• Tips

• Things to Bring:
• 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
• Sunscreen
• Flip flops
• Sunglasses
• Your personal toiletries
• Personal medication
• Fully charged batteries or even an extra battery for your camera
• 1000-1500 Thai Baht per person in small (not bigger than 500 Thai Baht and plenty of 100 Thai Baht notes). This is for souvenirs, drinks and 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. Please respect local customs and traditions. We will give you a document named “code of conduct in the village”. Read it before you go on your trek. Dress conservatively in the village. Please refrain from or, at least minimize, the intake of alcoholic beverages while you are in the village.