The Amazing Tribal Diversity of Chiang Dao

Day 1: Chiang Mai- Palong village

Bamboo rafting on the Taeng River

This trip is a private trekking tour. Your trekking guide will pick you up at your hotel or guesthouse for your Chiang Dao 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 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 hike to the Palong village Paang Daeng Nai, which is part of one of the Royal projects. Here the guide will explain this agricultural project. Lunch will be in the village. 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.

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 at Palong hill tribe village Ban Pang Daeng Nai

Day 2: Baan Pang Daeng Nai – Ban Mae Chon

Great trekking

Today is 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 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.

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.

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 Caves of Chiang Dao. 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.

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