Rafting, Waterfalls, zipline and Hilltribes of Chiang Dao

Day 1: Chiang Mai- Palong village

Whitewater Rafting

Your guide and driver will meet you at the hotel at 0800 for your Rafting, Waterfalls, zipline and Hilltribes of Chiang Dao Tour. We recommend you to turn off your phone and enjoy your digital detox for a couple of days. We will drive to the Mae Taeng area. First stop will be at the market of Mae Malai, where you can join your guide on his shopping spree for the coming days. It is one of our favourite markets. Then the real adventure will start.

After having been briefed about your upcoming adventure, you will enjoy an exciting whitewater raft trip by rubber boat on the Mae Taeng River. We continue with a zipline adventure. After a brief instruction, you will get your helmet and harness. You will fly along the zipline from tree to tree and across the Mae Taeng River. There are 17 stations on this zipline. It doesn’t get any better. Then it’s time for lunch.
After this, we will drive to Chiang Dao for our hike to the village where we will stay overnight. Here you can find more about the history and background of hill tribe trekking in Chiang Mai.The trek will lead us through the forest. Your guide will explain some of the trees and plants we will encounter along the way.

The Palong aka Dara-Ang

We will spend the night in a village of the Palong people, as they are generally known. They call themselves Dara-Ang. They migrated from Myanmar about 40 years ago. The Palong people have beautiful textiles and traditional dress. You will have time to walk around this picturesque village. Try to learn counting in the Palong (Dara-ang) language…

You can also learn some Thai cooking by helping your guide prepare the dinner. He will tell about the herbs and ingredients he uses. After dinner, your guide will introduce you to the Palong culture. Overnight will be in one of the village houses. You will sleep on a mattress with a mosquito net. We provide a sleeping bag or sheet. You can compare it to camping…..

Day 2: Palong Village – Chiang Mai

Morning trek to Lahu village

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 say goodbye to the villagers and start trekking for about 1.5 hours to a Karen village. The Karen is another tribal group. They have migrated to Thailand from Myanmar as well.  Along the way, we will stop at Lahu village where we will visit the fascinating spirit temple and a blacksmith.  At the Karen village, our morning hike will end. Our van will be waiting for us.

Kids on Sticky waterfall

The Sticky Waterfalls

We will drive to the Buatong Waterfall. We will have lunch at a local restaurant at Phrao before we visit the Buatong Waterfalls. The falls are in the middle of a lush tropical forest. If you have the right shoes with you, you can walk on the sticky limestone of the falls. These falls are also known as the “Sticky Waterfalls”. You can swim and relax until we head back for Chiang Mai. We will drop you off at the hotel after your Rafting, Waterfalls, Zipline and Hilltribes of Chiang Dao Tour. Oh! And don’t forget about the zipline.

• English speaking guide
• Private transportation by airconditioned vehicle
• Accommodation in local house
• All meals during the trek
• Drinking water during meals
• Coffee and tea
• Rubber boat whitewater rafting (about 30 mins)
• Limited medical insurance
• Use of sheetbag pr sleeping bag
• Use of Mosquito net
• Use of backpack (on request)
• Toilet paper & soap
• Towel
• A flashlight is provided in the village

• Other drinks except drinking water during meals
• Personal Expense
• Tips

• 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 cap
• Sunscreen
• Raincoat
• Flip flops
• Sunglasses
• Your toiletries
• Personal medication
• Fully charged batteries or even an extra battery for your
  camera.
• 1000-1500 Thai Baht per person in small (not bigger than 500 Thai Baht and plenty of 100 Thai Baht notes). This is for souvenirs, drinks and tips.

You will stay overnight in either of these two houses: Lung Boon House or Lung Chai House. We have been working with Lung Boon and his wife Ya Ma  for a long time. Lung Bun is 56 years old and Ma Ya 42. They moved to Thailand in the 1980s. They have four children who were all born in Thailand.

Lung Chai and his wife Tui were also among the first settlers in this area. They have five adult children. Lung Chai is 60 years old and his wife Tui 52. We have a long relationship with Lung Chai and his family.