Day 1: Chiang Mai- Palong village

Whitewater rafting on the Taeng River

Your trekking guide will pick you up at your hotel or guesthouse for your Chiang Dao private trekking. 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 for the coming days. He will take you along and will explain about the different ingredients used in the Thai kitchen. Then, continue to a riverside camp on the Tang River where you will make an experience an exciting whitewater 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 hike to the Palong village Paang Daeng Nai, which is part of one of the Royal projects. Here the guide will explain about this agricultural project. Lunch will be at the village. There are only a handful of Palong communities in Northern Thailand. 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.

Overnight at the village

Your guide will introduce you to the Thai kitchen and will explain to you about all the different herbs we use for the 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 the stories about the daily life of the Palong and the history of the village.
Overnight will be at Palong hill tribe village Ban Paang Daeng Nai

Day 2: Baan Pang Daeng Nai – Ban Mae Chon

Great trekking

The second 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, your guide will show you around the village. He will explain about the village shrine and the ‘huja rawl’, the ‘village heart’. After this, we will continue our trek through the forest about 3-4 hours to another Palong village. Your guide will take his time to explain about the natural environment. We will invite you to recognise wild ginger, rattan and the pitcher plant in the forest and tell you all about bamboo and its many uses.

Mae Chon, a village of the Palong people

We walk out of the forest into the Mae Chon, another Palong village. Once we have arrived in the village, you can rest for a while or spend some time playing with the children. Your guide will prepare your evening meal for you all, and if you like, you can join him to cook 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.

Day 3: Ban Mae Chon – Chiang Mai

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 about 2,5 hours to the Karen village Thakilek. Along the way, we will stop at a Lahu village where we will visit the fascinating spirit temple and. After this, we will continue trekking to the Karen village.

Elephant Poo Poo Paper Park

Drive to the foot of Doi Chiang Dao, the 3rd highest mountain in Thailand. Here we will have lunch in a local restaurant. Visit the famous Caves of Chiang Dao. Drive back to Chiang Mai. Last stop today will be the Elephant Poo Poo Paper 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.

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 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 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 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
difficulty	Challenging
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 sheetbag or sleeping bag Use of Mosquito net Use of Backpack (on request) Toilet paper & Soap Towel A flashlight is provided in the village
Not included	Other drinks except 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 hat or cap Raincoat 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 notes (not bigger than 500 Thai Baht and plenty of 100 Thai Baht notes). This is for souvenirs, drinks and tips.

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 holiday experience and your personal safety are safeguarded.