Trekking and Rafting in Huay Nam Dang National Park

Price per person in THB
2 persons3 persons4 persons5 persons6 persons7 persons8 persons
 9,9007,9006,800  6,700 6,200  5,800  5,500
Difficulty
75%

This private three-day trekking is an extended version of our two-day trekking. It gives you a chance to explore the beautiful Huay Nam Dang and Mae Taeng area at a more relaxed pace. Because your trip takes place in the Huay Nam Dang and Doi Pui/Doi Suthep National Parks you will contribute to the protection of these parks. By staying in the Karen villages you will support the local people and make them proud of their traditions and culture. you will have more time to get to know the Karen people of Huay Nam Dang. This trip also ends with a fabulous bamboo rafting* down the Mae Taeng River. We consider this one of our Chiang Mai jungle trekking and forest bathing tours.

Total approximate driving time:

Day 1 – two hours

Day 2 – none
Day 2 – two hours

*Please note that we might have to cancel the bamboo rafting trip due to the water level in the river in the rainy season (May until October). This has happened a couple of times in the months of August and September. In that case, we will offer bamboo rafting on the Ping River or another activity.

From: 9,900.00 ฿

Three ladies on the Huay Nam Dang trekking
Huay Nam Dang trekking

Day 1: Chiang Mai – Karen village

Mae Malai local market

This is a private tour. Your guide will meet you at the hotel at 0800. We will drive to the area where we will start our Huay Nam Dang trekking. Here you can find more about the history and background of hill tribe trekking in Chiang Mai.

Our first stop will be at the local market at Mae Malai. Here your guide will do his shopping for the coming days. You can join him in this fascinating market. He will explain the different ingredients he will be using for dinner. There are some unusual things for sale at this market.

The lovely Mork Fah Waterfall

After Mae Malai, we continue to the beautiful Mork Fah waterfall, where you can swim and relax. This waterfall is part of the Doi Suthep Doi Pui National Park. After our wet waterfall experience, we will enjoy a simple but delicious lunch at a roadside restaurant. After lunch, we will continue to the Pong Deuad Hot Springs, where we will start trekking. These hot springs are already in Huay Nam Dang National Park, where our trekking takes place. We will hike for about four hours through the lush forest at a leisurely pace, and there is time to rest and take pictures

Pine forests and majestic views in Huay Nam Dang National Park

The trail goes up and down until we reach a plateau covered with giant pine trees. These are the Pinus Kesiya, one of the pine tree species native to North Thailand. We take our time to enjoy the fantastic views. With good weather, we can look as far as Doi Luang Chiang Dao, the third-highest mountain of Thailand. After this, we walk down to the Karen village, where we will spend the night.

view on mountains and forests during sunset
Huay Nam Dang National Park panorama

Overnight in the Karen village

After arrival in the village, you can relax, explore, or learn Thai cooking by helping your guide prepare dinner. He can explain the herbs and ingredients he uses. Learn to cook on a woodfire in a wok. It is not easy, but great fun! After dinner, your guide will take you to one of the village houses to meet some villagers. We will try to teach you some words in the Karen language. An elementary word to remember is Tablu, a greeting that means “thanks.”

Overnight will be in a homestay in the Karen village. For some information on the Green Trails village Homestays, please have a look here.

Day 2: Karen Village – Chiang Mai

Breakfast and trekking through the lush forests

Wake up on the second day of your Huay Nam Dang trekking. Your guide will cook breakfast. After breakfast, we will start trekking into the forest for two to three hours, visiting the rice and vegetable fields of the villages along the way and learning about the villagers’ traditional cultivation methods. Living in a national park restricts the villagers in their agriculture: “slash and burn” is out of the question. Enjoy the lovely natural beauty. We have all the time in the world for our trekking so stop whenever you want to rest or to take pictures.

Afternoon trekking through the national park

After lunch, you will continue trekking for about two hours to the Karen village of Baan Mae Ma Nai, where we will spend the night. You will also have the chance to fish at Mae Tang River using local tools and learn how to construct a bamboo raft. The evening is free of planned activities to explore or relax. You can join your guide again in the kitchen, and cooking on a wood fire is an art. Walk around the village and chat with the locals. “tablu” is the greeting you have learned already.

Day 3: Karen village – rafting – Chiang Mai

The best bamboo rafting in North Thailand

Breakfast at the community. After breakfast, we will trek to the Taeng River (Mae Taeng) for about one hour. Our bamboo rafts* are waiting for us, and we will provide life jackets, please wear them and read our bamboo raft policy.

Enjoy a wonderful bamboo raft trip to a Black Lahu village along the Mae Tang River. Here we will stop for a while, and your guide will explain the Black Lahu people. We will raft to a Shan village where we will have lunch. Drive back to Chiang Mai by truck, where your Huay Nam Dang trekking ends. We will drop you at your hotel at around 1600.

We also offer a two-day program at Huay Nam Dang National Park.

*Please note that we might have to cancel the bamboo rafting trip due to the water level in the river in the rainy season (May until October), which happened a couple of times in August and September. In that case, we will offer bamboo rafting on the Ping River or another activity.

Highlights

Huay Nam Dang National Park

Mork Fah Waterfall

Pong Duad Hot Springs

Jungle trekking

Unspoiled tropical forest

Karen tribal culture

Great food

In-depth jungle and tribal experience

Overnights in homestays in Karen villages

The best bamboo raft adventure on the Mae Taeng (Taeng river)

Inclusions

What is included?

Transportation by trekking truck
Accommodation in the village
Experienced English-speaking trekking guide
Bamboo rafting (about 3-4 hours)
One breakfast, two lunches, and one dinner
Drinking water during meals
Coffee and tea
Entrance fee
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?

All drinks except drinking water
Personal expenses
Tips

Timeline

Day 1
08.00 – Departure from hotel
09.00 – Visit a local market
09.45 – Visit the Mork Fah waterfall, opportunity to swim
10.30 – Drive to the Pong Duad Hot Springs
12.00 – Lunch at a local restaurant before arriving at the hot springs
13.00 – Shortstop and relax at the hot springs
13.30 – Start hiking about three to four hours to Karen village
16.30 – Arrival at Karen village where we stay overnight
17.00 – Help guide cooking dinner
18.00 – Dinner at the village before free at leisure

Day 2
09.00 – Visit around the village
09.30 – Start hiking for about four to five hours to another Karen village
12.00 – Picnic lunch in the jungle
14.30 – Arrival at the village, rest and relax
15.00 – 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
08.30 – Start hiking for about one hour to the rafting camp
09.30 – Start bamboo rafting about two to three hours
10.30 – Short stop to visit a Lahu village
12.30 – End of the rafting trip at a Shan village and lunch at the village
14.00 – 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 from November until March, 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 and on the bamboo raft
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. We recommend 1500-2000 Thai Baht per person in small notes (not bigger than 500 Thai Baht and plenty of 100 Thai Baht notes).