Day 1: Chiang Mai – Mae Hong Son

In the morning you will be picked up at your hotel in Chiang Mai. Today’s destination is Mae Hong Son. The first stop is in the village of Chom Thong. There is a golden stupa on top of the mountain. From here you can enjoy a beautiful view of the mountainous surroundings. After a short stop at the Mae Klang waterfall, it is approximately a 45 km drive to the top of the Doi Inthanon. Doi Inthanon is the highest mountain in Thailand. At the top of the mountain, which is 2565 meters high, are two pagodas built for the king and queen of Thailand.  The view is amazing!

Afterwards, you take a walk through a mysterious forest. After lunch, you will visit a Karen village. The Karen tribe originally come from Burma. Many of them have fled to Thailand, where they live in primitive villages. Then you go to the Vachirathan waterfall. This is one of the largest waterfalls in the North of Thailand. The water falls about 80 meters down. Take your swimwear with you, so you can take a dip in the crystal clear water. At the end of the afternoon, you will arrive at your hotel in Mae Hong Son.

Day 2: Mae Hong Son – Pai

After breakfast, you will take a longtail boat trip through the jungle of northern Thailand. On the way, there is a stop in Huay Pu Kaeng, a village on the border with Burma. The Palong hill tribe, or the long necks, lives in this village. The women of this special mountain tribe wear bronze rings around their necks. A ring is added every year. Without these rings, they cannot survive anymore, because their neck muscles are weakened. Then you will continue your way to Pai. Along the way, you will visit a fish cave. Countless carp swim here. You will also stop at a Lisu and Lahu hill tribe village.

Then you visit the Tham Lot cave in Soppong. If the water level is low, you can explore the cave by bamboo raft. Here you will find beautiful stalagmites and stalactites. You end the day with a wonderfully warm bath at the hot springs in Pai. You will then be taken to Baan Krating Pai Resort, where you will spend the night.

Day 3: Pai – Chiang Dao

After breakfast, it is time for one of the many highlights of the trip, a visit to an elephant camp. Here you can see how the elephants take a bath in the river and how they were used during the daily work of the Thai. Then you can give the animals something tasty before taking a walk to the nearby Lisu village. After lunch, a trip by bamboo raft follows. Enjoy the beautiful flora and fauna while you calmly sail over the river. Then you head to Chiang Dao, where you spend the night.

Day 4: Chiang Dao – Chiang Rai

After breakfast, you head to Thaton. First of all, you stop at a hill with an enormous Buddha statue. From here you have a view over the green valley. Then you go to the village of Doi Mae Salong. A Chinese community lives here. The special thing is that there is a Chinese atmosphere in the village because the Chinese still maintain their own traditions. Then you visit the royal project in Doi Tung. This project was once set up to keep the local population away from opium cultivation. Because the farmers now know how to grow other crops, they have been able to build a new life. You spend the night in Chiang Rai.

Day 5: Chiang Rai – Chiang Mai

Today you will visit the Golden Triangle. The borders of Burma, Laos, and Thailand meet here. You will also visit Mae Sai. Here you can possibly cross the Mekong River to make a short visit to Burma (optional). Then you go to Chiang Saen. From here you can look over Burma, Laos, and Thailand. At the end of the afternoon, you will return to Chiang Mai.