Chiang Mai – Mok Fa – Pai - Tham Lod – Muang Phem – Tham Lod – Chiang Mai

This trekking tour lets you having an opportunity to know and learn about traditional local variety of Shan tribe people in Pai, a small sleepy district in a valley of Mae Hong Son, through a homestay activity.

Tour Highlights

• Driving in a minivan on winding and scenic mountain road to Pai, a small laid back valley district in Mae Hong Son
• Getting to know with local host and Shan people in Tham Lod Village, trying Shan traditional herbal food recipes, learning their local history, traditions and folklore, taking homestay overnight
• Walking shortly to Tham Lod, the 400 km long cave featuring stunning limestone formations, three cavernous chambers and a river running through the entire cave
• Taking a 30- minutes delightful bamboo rafting along the Mae Pai River
• Trekking for 3- 4 hours through the forest to a remote Karen Village, getting excited with picnic lunch served in banana leaves
• Learning life and families of Karen tribe, women weaving, their traditional food cooking, and taking great time trying their local rice whisky
• Taking one- hour elephant riding to a stream and taking bamboo rafting back to Tham Lod Village
  

Detailed Tour Itinerary

Day 1 - Chiang Mai – Mok Fa – Pai - Tham Lod L,D
Leave Chiang Mai by minivan(s) towards Pai with a stop en route at Mok Fah waterfalls. Arrive in Pai in time for lunch. In the afternoon continue for about 1 hour over the mountains stopping off at a view point before reaching Tham Lod Village. Arrive at Tham Lod Village and meet with your host family. Depart for a walk through the village to reach Tham Lod Village and Lod Caves, complete with stunning limestone formations, three cavernous chambers and a river running through the entire length of the cave. Watch the vast swirling clouds of swifts and bats at sunset as the swifts return home to nest for the night in the cave, and the bats leave for their nocturnal search for food. Return to home stay accommodation at Tham Lod Village. Enjoy a dinner of traditional Shan recipes unique to this remote highland area. These dishes are full of healthy organic herbs and fresh wild plants and vegetables that impart a distinct and rich flavor to the local varieties of chicken and pork. The Shan food is accompanied by organic brown-black rice grown high in the mountains by remote Lahu villages. After dinner have a supper of tea grown in the Lua territories near the Burmese border. The tea is brewed in the traditional fashion using bamboo tubes over an open fire and drunk from bamboo cups. At this time we talk about local history, traditions and folklore. Retire to bed in the Shan family houses. Overnight in Tham Lod.

Note: Bamboo rafting time / grade: 30 mn / Easy
Walking time / grade: 1h / Easy

Day 2 - Tham Lod – Muang Phem B,L,D
After Breakfast and fresh coffee, depart Tham Lod Village for a 3 - 4 hours walk through the forest to a remote Karen Village on the walk learn about the traditional uses for many of the trees and plants. Stop in the Orchid forest for a picnic lunch-Shan style served in banana leaves. In the Karen village watch the women weave using blackstrap looms that date back thousands of years and learn about Karen traditions any questions you may have about life in the hills will be answered. Overnight with a Karen family and enjoy traditional food cooked over an open wood fire. Spend the evening relaxing and if you are brave you can sample the local rice whisky. Overnight in Muang Phem (Karen Village).

Note: Trekking time / grade: 3h / Moderate

Day 3 - Muang Phem – Tham Lod – Chiang Mai B,L
After a lazy breakfast, it's time to test your elephant riding skills as your mahoot takes you on a one hour ride to a stream where you will ride a bamboo raft back to Tham Lod Village. Back at the homestay you can shower and clean up before lunch and then it is a sad goodbye for your afternoon trip back to Chiang Mai.

Note: Elephant riding time / grade: 1h / Easy to moderate
Bamboo rafting time / grade: 1h / Easy to moderate

Note: Recommended extension: Rubber rafting program on the Pai River to Mae Hong Sorn (2D1N).

Note: We can arrange additional customized trips for you if the above itineray does not match your expectations.