General

This trekking route not only rich in natural resources of plants, wildlife, and spectacular landscapes, but also in cultural resources of the traditional lifestyles of hill tribe people and the Thai Lanna culture. Our hike starts in Huay Namdang National Park before Pai district (Mae Hong Son province) to the northwest of Chiang Mai and ends in Mae Taeng district. This area has some of the best trekking routes in northern Thailand but no tourist crowds.

First Day

We pick you up at your accommodation at 08.30 am and drive 17 km to the north of Chiang Mai to Mae Rim district where we stop at a local market to buy supplies for the trek. We then drive for another 35 minutes to Sai Mok waterfall where we make a short stop and then continue to drive for another hour and stop at a local village where we have lunch. After lunch, we continue to drive for 30 minutes to Paphae Geyser hot springs, which are the biggest hot springs in Thailand and also our hiking start point.

We hike for 45 minutes to an hour to Karen tribe village where we take a break and then continue the hike for another hour and 20 minutes or 2 hours, depending on your pace. On the way, we can stop at any time to take photos of the landscape and have a short break. Total hiking time today is about 2 and a half to 3 and a half hours, although it might take longer if you’re not used to hiking or take many breaks.

In the afternoon we reach another Karen tribe village where we have dinner and spend the night in a simple but welcoming homestay with a local family.

Second Day

With breakfast, we boil water in bamboo for coffee or tea. When we’re ready, we start the day’s adventures with a 45 minute to 1-hour hike to Mae Taeng river where we prepare bamboo rafts. Instead of hiking out of the jungle, we bamboo raft for about 2 and a half hours. During the rainy season, rafting is a bit shorter as the river is quicker. This part of Mae Taeng River is best for bamboo rafting as the river snakes between a mountain and a rainforest valley. On the way, we make a stop at a Lahu tribe village to learn about this hill tribe.

Our final stop is a Shan village called Sob Kai where we disembark and enjoy lunch. After lunch, the truck picks us up in the village and we drive for 10 minutes to a local elephant camp to meet the elephants, bathe and feed them.

Afterward, we drive for 1 and a half hours to Chiang Mai city and stop at Elephant Poo-Poo Paper Park on the way to see how to make paper from elephant poo. If you’re with children, the park offers creative classes for them as well. We arrive in Chiang Mai city at about 05.00 pm.