Karen Culture and Elephant Experience

Price per person in THB
2 pax3 pax4 pax5 pax6 pax7 pax8 pax
9,4007,7006,7006,0005,5005,3005,000

This three-day program has everything. On the first day, you will participate in a join-in elephant-friendly experience at the Elephant Paradise. With your participation you support the elephants of this foundation.
Then you will embark on a wonderful private trek through the forest, past waterfalls and villages. You will spend the night in a Karen village and learn about their culture and language. You stay will support the local people. We have been working with and supporting these villages for a long time. You will enjoy a relaxing bamboo raft trip before returning to Chiang Mai.

Total approximate driving time:
Day 1 – two hours
Day 2 – two hours

From: 9,400.00 ฿

Karen Culture and Elephant Experience

Day 1: Chiang Mai – Mae Win (Full day Elephant care – Join in)

Your guide and driver will meet you at the hotel, you will join the others for the elephant program.

Drive to Mae Win, our first stop will be at a typical Northern Thai 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. Drive to Mae Wang and onwards to Mae Sapok, our first destination of today. This trip takes place in the Mae Wang area.

Here we will visit an elephant camp which we carefully selected. You will join a half-day elephant activity. Others will join you. It is not private. Your activity today includes preparing a treat for these majestic animals. You will also feed them a self-made delicacy. Change to a typical Thai farmer’s dress and join them in their favourite activity which is playing in the water. There are plenty of photo opportunities. You will learn about the Asian elephant, an animal which is unfortunately under threat of extinction..

Late afternoon, we will drive the short distance to our guesthouse.

Enjoy dinner at the guesthouse on own costs.

Overnight at Mae Win Guesthouse

Student touching an elephant

Day 2: Mae Win – Karen Village

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 for about two hours to the Karen village Baan Huai Hoi. Here we will have lunch.

Trekking to Karen village

After lunch, we 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.

Colorful tribal textile
Karen textile

Day 3: Friday/Monday

Karen Village – Chiang Mai

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. Thanks for joining our Karen Culture and Elephant Experience.

Mae Wang bamboo rafting
bamboo rafting

Highlights

Comfortable and safe transportation

Great elephant experience

Karen villages

Great trekking

Great food

Overnight in a village homestay

Bamboo rafting on the Wang River

Inclusions

What is included?

English speaking guide
Transportation by AC Minibus
Lunch
Drinking water during meals
Limited medical insurance

What is not included?

Other drinks except for water during meals
Personal expenses
Tips

Timeline

Day 1
08.00 – Departure from the hotel
09.00 – Short stop at a local market
09.30 – Arrival at the elephant camp
10.00 – Start elephant care and activities
12.00 – Lunch at the camp
13.00 – Walk with the elephants to the river
13.45 – Elephant bathing
15.00 – Drive to the guesthouse for rest and relax
18.00 – Dinner

Day 2
08.30 – Breakfast
09.30 – Drive to the starting point of the trek
10.00 – Trekking to Karen village with a stop at a waterfall
12.00 – Lunch at the Karen village Ban Huay Hoi
13.00 – Continue hiking to the Karen village Ban Huay Khao Lip
15.00 – Arrival at the village and relax
16.30 – You can help your guide cook dinner
18.00 – Dinner
19.00 – Meeting with local people and free as leisure

Day 3
08.30 – Breakfast
09.30 – Start hiking to the Royal Project
10.00 – Join activities at the Royal Project
10.30 – Continue hiking to the waterfall
12.00 – Picnic lunch at the waterfall
13.00 – Walk to the main road and drive to the rafting camp
13.30 – Arrival at the rafting camp and prepare to raft
14.00 – Start bamboo rafting
14.45 – End of the rafting trip
15.00 – Drive back to Chiang Mai
16.30 – Drop off at the hotel

What to bring

T-shirt and shorts for daytime
Long sleeves/Jacket during wintertime (Nov – Feb)

Hiking shoes with good grip
Flip flops
Sunscreen
Hat or cap
Insect repellent 
Sunglasses
Small backpack