Trekking to the Palong People of Chiang Dao

Price per person in THB
2 persons3 persons4 persons5 persons6 persons7 persons8 persons
9,500 7,9006,800 6,100 5,7005,3005,000
Difficulty
60%

During this three-day private tour, you will explore the beautiful mountains of Northern Thailand, home to a variety of tribal people. You will visit the Karen and the Dara-ang. Your overnights in the Dara-ang villages will support local people. We have been working with these villages for a long time. We consider this one of our Chiang Mai jungle trekking and forest bathing tours.

*The Elephant PooPooPaper Park is closed on Tuesdays. We will visit two handicraft places of your choice in the Borsang/Sankamphaeng area instead.

 

Total driving time:
Day one: two hours
Day two: none
Day three: two hours

From: 9,500.00 ฿

Palm trees rice fields and mountains
View on Doi Luang Chiang Dao

Day 1: Chiang Mai- Palong village

Bamboo rafting on the Taeng River

This trip is a private trekking tour to the Palong People of Chiang Dao. At 0800 your trekking guide will meet you at your hotel for your Trekking to the Palong People of Chiang Dao. Here you can find more about the history and background of hill tribe trekking in Chiang Mai. We will drive into the mountains. On the way, you’ll stop at the Mae Ma Lai market. Your guide will do some shopping in the coming days. He will take you along and will explain the different ingredients used in the Thai kitchen. Then, continue to a riverside camp on the Tang River, where you will experience a traditional bamboo raft trip. Continue by car to Chiang Dao, where we will start trekking.

Royal Project at Paang Daeng Nai

We will start our trek with the 3 to 3.5-hour trek to the Palong village Paang Daeng Nai. We will have lunch in the forest. Upon arrival in the village, we will visit one of the small Royal Projects. Your guide will explain. Only a handful of Palong communities in Northern Thailand and the Palong tribe only recently moved from Myanmar to Thailand. The women wear a distinctive costume, mostly in red, with rattan hoops and a silver belt worn around the waist.

Belt detail of Palong people Palong Hill Tribe
Detail of waistband of Silver Palong woman, Mae Chon, Chiang Dao

Overnight at the village

Your guide will introduce you to the Thai kitchen and explain all the different herbs we use for Thai dishes. After that, you can help him to cook dinner. After dinner, he will take you to one of the local houses to tell you stories about the daily life of the Palong and the village’s history.
Overnight will be in a homestay in the Palong hill tribe village Ban Pang Daeng Nai. For more information on the Green Trails village Homestays, please have a look here.

Day 2: Ban Pang Daeng Nai – Ban Mae Chon

Great trekking

Today is the second day of your private trekking to the Palong People of Chiang Dao. 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 the village shrine and the ‘huja rawl,’ the village heart. After this, we will continue our trek through the forest for about 3-4 hours to another Palong village. Your guide will take his time to explain the natural environment. We invite you to recognize wild ginger, rattan, and the pitcher plant in the forest and tell you about bamboo and its many uses.

Mae Chon, a village of the Palong people

We walk out of the forest into Mae Chon, another Palong village. Once we have arrived in the village, you can rest for a while or play with the children. Your guide will prepare your evening meal for you all, and if you like, you can join him in cooking dinner. At the campfire after dinner, it’s time to share some more stories with your guide and the local Palong people.
Overnight will be at Palong Hill tribe village Ban Mae Chon.

 

Three women in traditional dress and one man
Palong weavers and their textiles, Mae Chon, Chiang Dao district

Day 3: Ban Mae Chon – Chiang Mai

The exceptional spirit Temple at Lahu village

It is the third day of your Chiang Dao private trekking. After the sounds of nature and the locals woke you up, your guide will prepare breakfast. After breakfast, we will trek for about 2,5 hours to the Karen village Thakilek. We will stop at a Lahu village, where we will visit the fascinating spirit temple. After this, we will continue trekking to the Karen village where we will rest briefly.

Elephant Poo Poo Paper Park

Drive to the foot of Doi Luang Chiang Dao, the 3rd highest mountain in Thailand. Here we will have lunch in a local restaurant. Visit the famous Chiang Dao Cave Temple, one of the most sacred Buddhist places in the north of Thailand. Drive back to Chiang Mai. The last stop today will be the Elephant PooPooPaper Park*. During an excellent self-guided tour, you will see all the stages of the production of paper from elephant dung and learn about the history of papermaking. Return to Chiang Mai. It is the end of your Chiang Dao private trekking.

colorful sa paper drying in the sun Elephant Poo Poo Paper Park
Elephant PooPooPaper Park

*The Elephant PooPooPaper Park is closed on Tuesdays. We will visit two handicraft places of your choice in the Borsang/Sankamphaeng area instead.

 

Highlights

Comfortable transportation

Mae Malai local market

Whitewater rafting

Great trekking

Palong tribal culture

Great food

Two overnights in Palong villages

Local life

Fruit and vegetable gardens

Lahu village and spirit temple

Karen tribal culture

Chiang Dao Cave

Elephant Poo Poo Paper Park

Inclusions

What is included?

English speaking guide
Transportation by AC minibus
Accommodation in a local house
One breakfast, two lunches, and one dinner
Drinking water during meals
Coffee and tea
Rubber boat whitewater rafting (about 30 mins)
Elephant Poo Poo Paper Park
Chiang Dao Cave
Limited Medical Insurance
Use of sheet bag or sleeping bag
Use of Mosquito net
Use of Backpack (on request)
Toilet paper & Soap
Towel
A flashlight is provided in the village

What is not included?

Other drinks except for water during meals
Personal expenses
Tips

Timeline

Day 1
08.00 – Departure from hotel
09.00 – Visit a local market
09.15 – Drive to the White water rafting camp
09.45 – Arrive at the camp
10.00 – Start white water rafting
10.40 – Finish the rafting trip
11.00 – Departure to Chiang Dao
12.00 – Lunch at a local restaurant
13.00 – Start hiking about two to three hours
16.00 – Arrival at the Palong village where we stay overnight
16.30 – Visit around the village
17.00 – Help guide cooking dinner
18.00 – Dinner at the village before free at leisure

Day 2
08.30 – Start hiking for about three to four hours to another Palong village
12.00 – Picnic lunch in the jungle
13.30 – Arrival at the village, rest and relax
14.30 – Visit around the village, meet local people, and join activities at the village
17.00 – Help guide cooking dinner
18.00 – Dinner at the village before free at leisure

Day 3
09.00 – Start hiking for about one hour to a Lahu village
10.00 – Visit the Lahu village and spirit temple
10.30 – Continue hiking for half an hour to Karen village
11.00 – Visit the village
11.30 – Departure from the village
12.30 – Lunch at a local restaurant
13.30 – Drive to visit Elephant Poo Poo Paper Camp
14.30 – Visit Elephant Poo Poo Paper Camp
15.00 – Drive back to Chiang Mai
16.00 – Drop off at the hotel

What to bring

During this trip, you will have to carry your luggage yourself, so it is essential to pack as lightly as possible. You can leave your big luggage in the storage room of the hotel. If you stay in a different hotel after the trip than the one before, you can leave your big luggage in our office for the duration of the trip. Porterage during the trip is available for 300THB per day.

Three or four short sleeve shirts for the daytime
A warm shirt with long sleeves for the evening (in the winter Nov – Feb, it can be a bit cold)
Comfortable shoes with good grip (especially in the rainy season from May until November)
Swimwear
A hat or cap
Light raincoat
Sunscreen
Flip flops for in the village
Sunglasses
Your toiletries
Personal medication
Fully charged batteries or even an extra battery or power bank for your camera or phone. Most villages have electricity, but it is not always available.
Some money for souvenirs, drinks, and tips. 1500-2000 Thai Baht per person in small notes (not bigger than 500 Thai Baht and plenty of 100 Thai Baht notes).