Day 1: Chiang Mai – Doi Inthanon – Karen Village

Doi Inthanon, the Roof of Thailand

Your guide will meet you at the hotel. We will drive to Doi Inthanon National Park for your two day Doi Inthanon trek.  For more information about trekking and hiking in Doi Inthanon National Park and about the history and the villages, please click here. Doi Inthanon is with 2,565 meters elevation above sea level the highest mountain of Thailand. The mountain is the source of many rivers and an important watershed area. Forest types include moist evergreen forest, pine forest and mixed deciduous forest. The park supports the most significant number of bird species of any site in Thailand but you have to be a trained birdwatcher to see them. Along the way we will stop at a local market to buy some supplies for our trekking after which we will continue to the summit of Doi Inthanon.

Wachirathan Waterfall

On the right side of the road is the impressive Wachirathan waterfall. It is the most popular waterfall of the park. Then we will continue to the summit. We will briefly visit the shrine of King Inthawichayanon, the 7th ruler of Chiang Mai. People named the mountain Doi Inthanon in honour of this king. We continue to hike the short Angka Nature Trail. This trail runs through beautiful mossy forest that you will only find at this elevation. We will then descend and stop at the two pagodas that were erected in the honour of the former King and Queen of Thailand. When the skies are clear you will have a great view from here.

Lunch will be at a local restaurant. After lunch, we will drive to the starting point of trekking. The trail will take us through dense forest. Your guide will explain the different forest types in Northern Thailand. Our trek to a White Karen Village will take approximately 2.5-3 hours. Once we are in the village you can take a rest or help your guide to prepare dinner. It is amazing that they can prepare a delicious meal on a woodfire.

After dinner he will share his knowledge about the Karen people and you can learn a couple of words in the Karen language. on our website we have extensive information about the Karen people. Please have a look. We will spend the night in a village house. Don’t expect any luxury but will make it as comfortable as can be.

Day 2: Karen Village – bamboo rafting – Chiang Mai

Trekking to Mae Wang

This is the second day of your Doi Inthanon trek. You will notice that life in the village starts very early. After breakfast, we will walk around the village. There are animals everywhere: dogs, pigs and chicken. We will chat with a few local people. You can practice your Karen language with the local people… Then we will say goodbye to the village. We will hike downhill for almost one hour to a pretty waterfall where we will spend some time relaxing, swimming and enjoying nature. After this, we will continue down to the main road. Views are beautiful. There is time enough for taking pictures. After our relaxed morning hike, it is time for lunch. We will enjoy a simple Thai lunch in a local restaurant.

Bamboo rafting

After lunch, we will drive to a rafting camp for a 45 minutes bamboo raft adventure on the Mae Wang River. Bamboo rafts were in the past an essential means of transportation. Roads were abysmal and sometimes totally impassable in the rainy season. Enjoy a relaxed, rafting trip. Return to Chiang Mai where you will arrive in the late afternoon. We hope you have enjoyed your Doi Inthanon Trek.

Timeline	Day 1 08.00 – Departure from the hotel 08.30 – Short stop at local market 09.30 – Arrival at Doi Inthanon National Park 10.00 – Visit Wachirathan waterfall 11.00 – Visit the summit of Doi Inthanon 11.30 – Visit the two royal chedis 12.00 – Lunch at local restaurant 12.30 – Drive to the start point of the trek 13.00 – Start hiking about three hours 16.00 – Arrive at Karen village where we stay overnight, relax at the village 17.00 – Help your guide cooking dinner 18.00 – Dinner at the village before free at leisure Day 2 09.00 – Visit and walk around the village 10.00 – Start hiking about two hours 11.00 – Stop and relax at waterfall 12.00 – The trek ends and meet the driver 12.30 – Lunch at a local restaurant 13.30 – Start bamboo rafting 14.15 – The end of rafting and relax 14.30 – Drive back to Chiang Mai 16.00 – Drop off at the hotel
Included	English speaking guide Private transportation by A/C vehicle Accommodation in a local house Two lunches, one dinner and one breakfast Entrance fees (300THB per person for the National Park) Drinking water during meals Coffee and tea Bamboo rafting (about 45 minutes) Limited medical insurance Use of sheetbag or sleeping bag Use of Mosquito net Use of Backpack (on request) Toilet paper & Soap A flashlight is provided in the village
Not included	Other drinks except water Personal expenses Tips
Duration	Two Days
difficulty	Challenging
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. 1500-2000 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 experience and your personal safety are safeguarded.