16-day tour - Responsible tourism - Encounters, wildlife, flora and dream islands

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Welcome at Bangkok airport and transfer to Chiang Rai.

  We will be waiting for you at Bangkok airport. You have nothing to worry about, the airport is simple and, once you exit, you are automatically directed to gate 3 where everyone waits for the arrivals. We will have a sign with the indication "SIAM HOLIDAYS", there is no chance of missing us. After welcoming you, we will take our flight to Chiang Rai at 11:05 am for an arrival at 12:25 pm, so we should be at our hotel around 1:30 pm. We can have lunch at the hotel. Free afternoon to rest and enjoy the pool. Our hotel is very comfortable and typical. We will have dinner on site.

• day 2

  Boat trip to Thaton.

  We will leave the hotel at 7:30 am to take a boat to Thaton. The trip takes 5 hours on the way there (going upstream) and 3 hours on the way back. Very beautiful ride with magnificent landscapes and views of ethnic villages along the river. Thaton is a small town with charm, located very close to the border with Myanmar (Burma). We will have lunch there before taking the boat again around 4 pm for an arrival around 7 pm in Chiang Rai. Dinner at the hotel or in town, as you wish.

• day 3

  Visit of Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle - Night in Mae Salong

  Around 9am, we will leave our hotel to visit the famous White Temple, located 20 minutes away by car. We will then go to visit the "Black House". The Black House is an interesting art space. Sometimes described as the opposite of the White Temple, this statement is a bit exaggerated, as the two are quite different, even if the messages are opposed. It is a group of buildings, and the messages relate to death, the morbid, and decay. It is a very unique place that is worth seeing when you are in Chiang Mai. We will then go to Chiang Saen, the Golden Triangle, where the 3 countries meet: Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar. This region was for a long time an area of poppy cultivation, before it was eradicated in Thailand. We will visit the Opium Museum, which is very well done and very educational. We will have lunch on site. We will then head towards Mae Salong. On the way, we will visit a very beautiful tea plantation, in a pleasant place in the heart of nature. We will arrive around 4pm at our hotel in Mae Salong. The hotel is in the mountains, very comfortable, with an absolutely magnificent view and absolute tranquility… We are in an Akha house, built by the owner and his wife, who are from the Akha tribe. A special atmosphere in a wonderful setting, isolated from the world and far from tourism.

• day 4

  Mae Salong - The morning market: discovery and sharing with the Akha tribe, and overnight stay with locals.

  We will leave at 6:30 am for the Mae Salong morning market. It is a truly local market where women from the surrounding tribal villages come to sell the fruits of their harvest. A real immersion in the deep north of Thailand... Here, there are few or no tourists. In the morning, after the market, we will visit different ethnic villages of the Akha tribe. You will discover the lives of these people who live as people did 200 years ago in Europe... We know these villages and we will be the only ones here. You can take all the photos you want; we will tell you how to respect these people and how to ask them. Around 2 pm, we will arrive in the Akha tribe village where we will spend the night with a local family. The room is basic: a simple futon under a mosquito net. The toilets and washing will be "with a bowl," meaning a pot of water. The goal here is not to find comfort, but to have a real exchange and a true human adventure. You can participate in the preparation of dinner, made up of vegetables from their own crops, chicken and pork prepared in the local way, but it is very good... You can also talk with the inhabitants (we will translate) and discover their daily life and field work... A wonderful experience!

• day 5

  Organic coffee farm and meeting with the Lahu tribe

  We will leave by private van for Chiang Mai at 7am. We will make a first stop to visit an organic coffee farm in the mountains, 230 km south of Chiang Mai. On site, we will be able to visit the coffee plantation and have the particularities of this crop explained to us. We will be expected and the only visitors (lunch included). After the visit and lunch, we will go to the nearby village, of the Mu Seu tribe, where the inhabitants are charming and really very kind. We will leave the village around 2pm to head to Chiang Mai (2 hours drive). On the way down, when we reach the main road, we will make a stop at the "hot spring". This area is a volcanic zone and hot springs emerge from the bowels of the earth. You will see egg vendors who offer to cook eggs in the spring... original... Arrival around 4pm at the hotel in Chiang Mai. The hotel is very comfortable and very well located in the center of the old city. We will have dinner near the hotel. Free late afternoon. We can leave for the night market around 7pm (by tuk-tuk) where we will have dinner on site if you wish. The night market is an institution and something not to be missed when in Chiang Mai. You can also choose to have dinner near the hotel, as you wish (with us or on your own, as you like).

• day 6

  Visit of Chiang Mai - Wat Phalat - Doi Suthep - Orchids - Temples of the old city

  We will leave at 8:30 am to visit Wat Phra Lat. This temple is located about 20 minutes from the city and is unique in that it is in a very beautiful forest environment and is totally peaceful, as it is little known. It is quite a surprising place and a visit you really must do when in Chiang Mai. After visiting Wat Phra Lat, we will go to the famous Doi Suthep temple. This temple, at a significant altitude, is a must-see in Chiang Mai and offers a fantastic view of the city. The brave can climb the 300 steps, otherwise, for others, there is a cable car to save your energy (often, people go up by "mechanized" means and walk down, which is much easier...) After visiting the temple, we will go visit a very beautiful orchid farm. Here you will see all kinds of orchids found in Thailand, with, in addition, a butterfly reserve where butterflies pollinate the orchids. It is truly a beautiful sight. We can have lunch on site, where the restaurant offers a very good buffet. In the afternoon, back in Chiang Mai, we will leave by TUK TUK (it is essential to ride a tuk tuk when in Thailand and it supports the local population) to visit the Wat Chedi Luang temple, which is one of the most beautiful temples in Chiang Mai. The majesty of the place and the calm are also very pleasant. Easily accessible, the temple is located in the city center. The visit lasts between 1 and 2 hours depending on how much time you want to spend there. We will then go visit the Wat Phra Singh temple, which is a must-see in Chiang Mai. It is a very beautiful temple gilded with fine gold where the monks like to chat if you wish; some visitors can even try meditation. We will finish with a visit to Wat Chiang Man, which is a small but very beautiful temple, with its elephant sculptures. Lunch in the old town. We will return to the hotel between 5 pm and 6 pm and we will go for dinner nearby or at the night market.

• day 7

  Elephant day - ethics

  We will be picked up at the hotel by the elephant reserve van. We will go to a reserve where the elephants do not work, do not participate in games or shows, but are simply well treated. They are taken in here and sometimes rescued from mistreatment. We will be picked up at 8am at our hotel to go to the reserve, located about 1h30 away by road. On the way, we will be able to admire very beautiful landscapes. During this afternoon, besides taking care of the elephants, we will also take a mud bath with them, then finish in the river. So you will need to bring a change of clothes for after the bath, as well as a swimsuit, of course… Here, we do not ride the elephants because it is suffering for them, but we simply take care of them and play with them. Note that we will have a traditional meal for lunch, prepared by a woman from the Akha tribe, because here we are in Akha country, with many small hamlets lost in the mountains. If you have cameras or video cameras, we can take care of them during the bathing. We have a waterproof bag planned for going into the water (even if we do not go into the water with the devices, of course…) It is truly a magical moment and you should know that the funds collected from the payment of the packages are mainly used for the protection and care of the elephants, as well as for the basic needs of those who live here. We will be back at the hotel around 5:30pm and will have dinner at the hotel or nearby.

• day 8

  1st day of a 2-day trek in the mountains, with a night in a tribal village.

  We will leave at 6:45 am for a 2-day trek. Our guide's van will pick us up at the hotel and we will first go shopping for some Thai herbs and a few ingredients for cooking our meals. After 3 hours on the road, we will stop at a small restaurant (run by Karen people) for lunch. After lunch, we will set off for a 3-hour walk in the mountains and jungle to reach the village of Poe Karen, where we will spend the late afternoon, evening, and night with a host family. We will be able to visit the village and will be introduced to some friends of our guide, with whom we can interact.

• day 9

  2nd day of trek - Descent back to Chiang Mai

  After breakfast, we walk for 1 hour to the Mae Hoo river. We will wade in the river for about 2 hours, while admiring idyllic landscapes. We will reach a cave (150 m long) that is interesting to see. After another hour of hiking, we will reach a Karen village where we will have lunch. On the way back, we will stop at the Mae Chem river, where you can swim and cool off. We will be back in Chiang Mai around 6:30 pm – 7:00 pm. We can have dinner in the old town.

• day 10

  Transfer to Khao Sok

  We will leave the hotel at 9:30 am to go to the airport. We will take our flight at 11:10 am to Surat Thani, where we will arrive at 1:00 pm. We will arrive at our hotel, in Khao Sok park, around 2:30 pm. We will be able to have lunch upon arrival. Free late afternoon, with the possibility of a walk around the hotel. Our hotel, which is very comfortable, also has the advantage of being near the dam where the pier to visit the lake is located, and not far from the trek departures. The lake is very large and it is interesting not to have to drive 2 hours to do an activity, which also helps to reduce pollution. We will have dinner at the hotel restaurant.

• day 11

  One-day trek in the jungle with a park ranger.

  We will leave in the morning for a day in the jungle with a ranger guide (it is forbidden to go without a guide, for safety reasons). The guide will be able to show us the most beautiful aspects of the fauna and flora, which are very well protected here. The Khao Sok National Park is indeed one of the only ones in Southeast Asia to have a jungle that is still very pristine and very authentic. We will have lunch in the jungle and will return in the late afternoon to our hotel, where we will have dinner.

• day 12

  Excursion on the lake - Canoeing on the Sok river

  We will leave in the morning for a day trip on the lake. We will have lunch in a raft house where we can swim. We will then canoe along the Sok River to the cave, which we will reach after a short (and brief) hike. We will be back in the late afternoon.

• day 13

  Transfer to Koh Jum Island

  We will leave the hotel around 9am to head to Krabi, where we will arrive at the "Lam Kruat Pier" port around 11am. We will take a longtail boat to reach the island of Koh Jum, where we will arrive at our hotel around 1:30pm. We will have lunch upon arrival. Our hotel, very comfortable, is 2 minutes from the beach and very quiet, with a beautiful environment. Koh Jum is a small island with few tourists, and you can enjoy many activities there such as cycling, walking, kayaking, snorkeling, or diving. You can also go trekking, including climbing Mount Koh Pu. It is also easy to visit many nearby islands by hiring a private boat for the day (islands of Koh Muk, Koh Chuak, and Koh Ngai). We can have meals at the hotel or outside, depending on our walks or excursions.

• day 14

  Free activities on Koh Jum island

  Free day for visits, excursions or other activities. There are many things to do in Koh Jum and we will assist you in choosing and booking your activities.

• day 15

  Free activities on Koh Jum island

  Free day for visits, excursions or other activities. There are many things to do in Koh Jum and we will assist you in choosing and booking your activities.

• day 16

  Return to Bangkok

  Departure at noon from the hotel to go to Krabi airport. Our flight leaves at 3:40 pm to arrive in Bangkok at 5 pm. We will have lunch at Krabi airport. We will accompany you to Bangkok airport. Copyright thumbnail: Robin Noguier-unsplash