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Thailand is a home of the following six major hilltribes: Meo or Hmong, Yao or Mien, Karen or Kariang, Akha or Iko, Lahu or Musoe and Lisu or Liso.
These hilltribes live mainly on the mountains in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son provinces in northern Thailand. For details about the history, culture and lifestyles of the hilltribes, tourists are recommended to visit the Tribal Research Institute in Chiang Mai University. Tourists are strongly advised against exploring the hilltribe areas by themselves, as the rugged terrain and the vast size of the mountainous regions prevent the government authorities from closely controlling the areas for security purposes.
Generally, jungle treks last from two to seven days and consist of two or three modes of transportation, they are travel on foot or by jeep, rafting, elephant riding and horse riding. The best time for trekking is November to February when the weather is refreshing with little or no rain.
Visitors should remember to
a) Respect hilltribe beliefs and religious symbols and structures.
b) Dress modestly. Hilltribe people are generally modest. Inappropriate attire may offend them.
c) Ask permission before photographing someone. Some villages do not permit photography.
d) Avoid trading western medicines and articles of clothing. Contributions to their welfare, items such as pens, paper, needles, thread, cloth and material used for embroidery are perfectly acceptable.
Trek prices are determined by the duration of the trip, transportation modes, meals available and the size of the trekking party. |
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| With a lot of rivers and streams flowing throughout the province, Chiang Mai provides a good opportunity for rafting, both bamboo and rubber rafts. Some interesting routes include Mae Kok, Mae Chaem, and Mae Tuen rivers, all of which flowing through virgin forests and hilltribe settlements. Rafting trips are also organized by most tour agents. |
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For those who come and visit Chiang Mai, cruising along the Ping River by the scorpion-tail vessel is another interesting activity. The trip is guided by experts in Chiang Mai historical events who will take you to trace back to the remote antiquity of Chiang Mai.
During the cruise, the vessel passes through the Chiang Mai's biggest wholesale market before approaching the peaceful scenic beauty of Chiang Mai's outskirts. The boat stops at the important historical landmarks. First stop is at the Wat Gate area, Chiang Mai's oldest trading and commercial center.
Visit Wat Gate and its historical museum and see several old buildings on Charoenrat road. |
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| Amid a naturally beautiful location in a mountainous area of Mae Rim, Chiang Mai, you can enjoy such extreme sport as bungee jumping. The bungee jump here is operated by the owner who has been involved in bungee since its earliest days as a commercial industry in New Zealand.
Having been closely involved in its development into a mature and safe sport with a well-conceived code of practice, this bungee jumping site is equipped with all those required to safely develop and operate bungee jumping including expertise in tower structures, bungee cord fabrication, safety management and staff training.
Conquer your fear by jumping 165 feet (50 metres) above a jungle lagoon. A purpose-built electronic lift rated for 750 kg. will take you to your jump height with comfort and safety. |
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| The mountainous terrain of this province is really suitable for mountain biking. Many tour companies offer biking tour programmes that include guides, food and overnight equipment. |
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Chiang Mai boasts a large number of golf courses, most of which surrounded by scenic green hills, valleys and forests. |
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This has been developed, with joint cooperation of the Tourism Authority of Thailand and San Kamphang Cooperative, into a new recreational area of San Kamphang. It covers the distance of approximately 20 kilometers from Chiang Mai city. To reach the place, there are two routes; the first one runs along Chiang Mai - San Kamphang - Teak Sprout Producing Station - Hot Spring (You will pass by Meung On Cave that is 4 kilometers away from the Hot Spring) while the other route runs along Chiang Mai city - San Kamphang - On Lui village - Hot Spring. For those who want to go there by bus, the terminal is at Chang Puak Terminal |
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| This popular new activity features exciting trips by Land Rover between Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son, taking five days and four nights, or Chiang Rai and Ken Thun in Myanmar, taking three days and two nights. Much of the journey is along dirt roads and tracks so that visitors can witness out-of-the-way areas. Accommodation is in forest lodges or basic hotels. |
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| Although bird-watching has been a popular activity among Thais for many years, it is only relatively recently that overseas visitors have recognized the potential of this fascinating pastime. In total, almost one thousand different species of birds - some local, others migrating here- have been spotted in Thailand. Most of Thailand's national parks offer good opportunities for bird-watching such as Khao Yai National Park, Kaeng Krachan in Petchburi and Doi Inthanon National Park in Chiang Mai province. |
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Each morning, at Km 10 on the Mae Rim-Samoeng route, trained elephants demonstrate their formidable and highly-valued forestry skills from 9.30 until 11.00 AM, at the Mae Sa Elephant Training Centre. The centre is some 30 kilometres from town. Admission is 80 baht per person. A jungle tour on elephant back, lasting more than two hours through adjacent forests, is offered after the show and costs 250 baht per person. Elephants can also be seen at the Pong Yaeng Elephant Centre at KM 19 on the same route.
This riverside enclave, at KM 56 on Highway 107, features daily shows of elephants at work, from 9.00 AM until 10.00 AM, and from 10.00 AM until 11.00 AM, and offers elephant rides, and opportunities for bucolic river-rafting through largely pristine and tranquil forests, or jungle treks to neighbouring hilltribe settlements. |
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