The Karen People of Doi Inthanon

The Karen people of Doi Inthanon

Day 1 Chiang Mai – Doi Inthanon – Ban Mae Klang Luang

The Roof of Thailand

This trip is a private tour. Your guide and driver will meet you at 8 AM at your hotel for your tour titled “The Karen People of Doi Inthanon.” We will drive to Doi Inthanon National Park. Our first stop is the spectacular Vachirathan Waterfall, the most famous waterfall in the park. Please note that you can’t swim in these waterfalls. After this, we will continue to the summit of Doi Inthanon and visit the shrine that contains the ashes of the 7th ruler of Chiang Mai, King Inthawichayanon, after who the park was named. We will hike the short Angka Nature Trail very close to the summit with some beautiful ferns.

The Royal Chedis

After this, we will visit the two chedis constructed in honor of his Majesties, King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. Then it is time to drive to the Karen village of Ban Mae Klang Luang. We will also stop briefly at the market where the Hmong people sell their agricultural products from the Royal Project.

Lunch in the village

After arrival in the village, we will have lunch at the local Fah Restaurant. Enjoy a delicious meal with a Karen touch. We will introduce you to the village where you will spend the night in a local homestay. After lunch, we will go to the homestay, where you will meet your Karen host. We settle into our bungalow before walking to the village temple on a forested hill.

The trail is short but very nice. Between the hardwood trees, you will find coffee plants. The temple is an unusual and remarkable building, unlike other temples you have seen on your trip. Next to the assembly hall is a statue of a resting elephant with a Karen mahout (elephant handler). This statue is related to the village’s history, and your local guide will tell you the story.

Getting to know the villagers

Then we will continue to explore the village and its surroundings. We get to know Somsak, who runs the village coffee shop and learn about the process of coffee cultivation and brewing. This coffee shop is the social center of the village, it seems. Villagers are coming and going, and Somsak serves tea and coffee the whole day. We will teach you a couple of words in the Sgaw Karen language.

Karen women are great weavers.

After this, we will visit the small weaving shop and admire some of the exquisite textiles the Karen women produce. The terraced rice fields around the village are gorgeous in the season, but the Karen people also grow flowers and corn in the vicinity. The landscape is very scenic, and the forests are lush and pristine. After some relaxation, we enjoy a dinner of Karen specialties in the Fah Restaurant, after which there is time for stories. Overnight will be in a local homestay. For more information on the Green Trails village Homestays, please have a look here.

Day 2 Doi Inthanon – Chiang Mai

The gibbons of Doi Inthanon

If you are an early riser, you can join your guide on a walk to an area where we have spotted white-handed gibbons. You have to be lucky. Sometimes you can hear the characteristic call of the gibbon just after sunrise. These elusive animals avoid human beings as much as possible, but we have seen them occasionally. There is a family of three animals, but the Karen people have told us more are in the deep forest. We hope that you will be able to spot these magnificent animals. It would be the perfect start to the second day of  “The Karen people of Doi Inthanon.”

The Pha Dok Siew Nature Trail

After breakfast, we will drive a short distance to the starting point of the Pha Dok Siew Nature Trail. Baan Mae Klang Luang’s people manage the trail and our guides. It is a lovely trail that descends along the Pha Dok Siew waterfall with bamboo bridges and walkways, and it is a beautiful hike. After the waterfall, the trail is mostly flat and easy and leads us back to the village with fine views of rice paddies and mountainous landscapes.

The Mae Klang Waterfall

Back in the village, it is time to relax or enjoy a cup of coffee at Somsak’s shop. We will enjoy a last lunch at the restaurant before we depart. Our last stop is the Mae Klang Waterfall, named after the Mae Klang River. We will spend some time here swimming and relaxing before it is time to go back to Chiang Mai.

In the late afternoon, we will drop you off at your hotel in Chiang Mai. We hope you have enjoyed our “the Karen people of Doi Inthanon tour”…