Stay with the Palong People of Chiang Dao
Price per person in THB | ||||||
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2 persons | 3 persons | 4 persons | 5 persons | 6 persons | 7 persons | 8 persons |
6,500 | 5,200 | 4,100 | 3,600 | 3,300 | 3,100 | 2,900 |
During this private tour, you will enjoy whitewater rafting, the Chiang Dao Cave but focus will be on the Dara-ang (Palong) people. Your stay will benefit the local people. We have supported this village for a long time and will continue to do so. Meet the weavers and try out a traditional rice pounder. The Dara-ang people are farmers and live close to nature.
Total approximate driving time:
Day 1 – two hours
Day 2 – two hours
Highlights:
Comfortable and safe private transportation
Mae Malai local market
Whitewater rafting on the Mae Taeng River
Flexible and easy trekking
Dara-ang (Palong) tribal culture
Dara-ang textiles and weaving
Great food
Overnight in a village homestay
Village walk
Lahu village and spirit temple
Karen village
Chiang Dao Cave
From: 6,500.00 ฿
Day 1: Chiang Mai- Palong village
Rubber boat rafting and local market
Your guide and driver will pick you up at the hotel at 0800. You will drive to the north into the mountains near Chiang Dao for your two-day Palong Hill tribe trekking. Here you can find more about the history and background of hill tribe trekking in Chiang Mai. First, we will stop at a local market. Your guide will do some shopping for the coming days. He will take you along and will explain about the different ingredients he will be using for dinner. Then, continue to a riverside camp on the Taeng River where you will experience an exciting whitewater raft trip by rubber boat. After this, we will have lunch in a local restaurant in Chiang Dao. After having filled our stomach, we will continue to the Palong village near Chiang Dao where we will start trekking.

Trekking and village overnight
The trail has a few steep hills, but most of it is relatively easy. We will walk for about two hours through the forest. We will invite you to recognise wild ginger, rattan and the pitcher plant in the woods and your guide tell you all about bamboo and its many uses. Late in the afternoon, we will reach our final destination of today, the Palong village Mae Chon. There are only nine Palong villages in Northern Thailand. They migrated from Myanmar to Thailand in the mid-1980s. The women wear a distinctive costume mostly in red, with rattan hoops and the silver belt worn around the waist.
After arrival in the village, you can relax, explore the village or learn some Thai cooking by helping your guide prepare the dinner. He will explain about the typical herbs and ingredients. After dinner, you will meet some of the villagers, and you will learn about the turbulent history of this village. Overnight will be in a bamboo house next to a village house. 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
Textiles and agriculture
After the sounds of nature and the locals woke you up, your guide will prepare breakfast. The second day of your Palong hill tribe trekking starts. After breakfast, your guide will show you around the village. He will explain about the village shrine and the ‘huja rawl’, the ‘village heart’. We will visit an exciting textile weaving project where local women produce beautiful sarongs and shoulder bags. Next, we will visit the garden of Sukhum, where lots of different fruits and vegetables grow.
After this, we will say goodbye to the villagers and start trekking for about one hour to a Lahu village. Here we will visit a fascinating spirit temple and a blacksmith. After this, we will continue hiking for one to one and a half hour to a Karen village where our vehicle will be waiting for us.
Chiang Dao Cave
Drive to the foot of Doi Luang Chiang Dao. It is the third highest mountain in Thailand and dominates the landscape. At The entrance of the cave, we will enjoy a late lunch in a local restaurant. After lunch, we will visit the famous Chiang Dao Cave. We will spend some time in this beautiful limestone cave. Return to Chiang Mai where your Palong Hilltribe trekking ends. We will drop you off at the hotel between 1600 and 1700. Thanks for travelling with us!
Timeline | Day 1 Day 2 |
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Included | English speaking guide |
Not included | Other drinks except water during meals |
Things to bring | Short sleeve shirts for the day time (bring a spare one, just in case) |
difficulty |