Culture and elephants of the north

On this 2-day soft trek adventure, you get to see the mountainous area to the north of Chiang Mai. This area is famous for its colourful hill tribes who live in remote villages.

You'll leave Chiang Mai in a săwngthăew (converted pickup truck taxi), with fellow travellers, and travel into the lush green jungle. You take a short hike to an forestry elephant training camp where you'll see how these huge animals learn to work in the forest, hauling massive tree trunks. From here you walk to a village where you stay overnight, hosted by the still very traditional Palong tribe. Your arrival doesn't interfere with their pace of life, but contributes towards their much needed income. Children run around playing with anything and everything they find, and chickens and pigs roam free between the houses. Your accommodation is in one of the basic wooden huts, a simple mat with mosquito net on the floor. The following morning you trek through the area high up on the back of an elephant. Later in the day you drift down stream on a bamboo raft, back towards Chiang Mai. This trip is suitable for anyone who is reasonably fit - there is some walking involved, but it's not arduous hiking and should be able to be done by most people.

Duration	Two days / one night Departs Monday, Wednesday and Saturday	Accommodation	Very simple accommodation with the hilltribes Comfort level 1 (see accommodation)
Price	£61 per person - based on two people	Includes	Accommodation with breakfast and guide Lunch and dinner Day 1, breakfast and lunch Day 2
Travel	Minibus, săwngthăew (converted pickup truck taxi), elephant and bamboo raft	Excludes	Drinks and other meals, excursions and entrance fees not listed in the daily itinerary Sleeping bag hire (approx £2) paid locally

Day 1: Chiang Mai - Mountain village

At around 8am you'll be collected from your hotel in Chiang Mai and travel by săwngthăew (converted pickup truck taxi) to the forestry elephant training camp to the north of Chiang Mai, where these magnificent beasts are taught to become proficient, trustworthy forestry workers. From the elephant training camp you'll drive for about 30 minutes to a small restaurant to have lunch. After your lunch and a short rest, you'll travel for a short while further into the hills and jungle by săwngthăew (converted pickup truck taxi). Your afternoon is a little more active with a hike of between 2-3 hours to a village of the Palong people, where your guide will prepare a wonderful local meal for you. Your accommodation is simple - a small wooden hut, just like the villagers, with a mattress on the bamboo floor. A mosquito net is also provided.

Day 2: Mountain Village - Elephant trip and rafting

With a bit of luck the chickens scratching around the village will have laid some eggs for your breakfast ! Afterwards you'll climb on your elephant for a 1hour journey through thick jungle, valleys and river crossings. Step by step, these impressive beasts negotiate their way on the difficult paths. High on their back you have a great view of the countryside, but keep an eye out for stray branches… you don’t want a slap in the face!

The elephants will bring you to a riverside camp where a bamboo raft is prepared for you. You'll take your place on the raft and the helmsman, armed with a long pole, will float you peacefully down the Ping river. On the way back to Chiang Mai you'll stop to visit an orchid farm, arriving back into Chiang Mai at around 4pm.

Your arrival time back to Chiang Mai cannot be guaranteed, so we don't recommend that you attempt to continue your journey immediately by overnight sleeper train or by flight. It's much better to spend the night in Chiang Mai, where you can enjoy a hot shower and a soft bed, unwinding while you reflect on your mountain adventure. This can be arranged for you, just let us know on the quote request form.

What to take with you:
• Boots and a sleeping bag (you can hire a sleeping bag locally for approx £2).
• Daypack/rucksack, torch and water bottle.
• Shorts and long trousers, short and long sleeved top, rain jacket and socks.
• A hat or cap, sun block cream and insect repellent with DEET (diethyl-meta-toluamide).
• Comfortable shoes (hiking boots not essential, but not sandals).

Click here for information about treks in Thailand.

If you plan to stay longer in Northern Thailand, a good module to travel onto is the golden triangle self-drive, or if you prefer not to drive try the overnight on the Mekong module. Should you wish to head for the beaches, then check out the beautiful beaches and bounty islands in our modules of southern Thailand.

A peek at your accommodation:

Click here for the quote request form

Click here for more modules in northern Thailand