Get out of the heat and chaos of Bangkok (a city of 18 million people) and away from the crowds on the beaches and experience the more relaxed pace of life of Northern Thailand through true adventure.
Chiang Mai is a 13th-century ancient city of the Lanna Kingdom with over 700 years of history. This is a great place to experience the spiritual side of Thailand, with over 300 Buddhists temples in the city alone. Chiang Mai is a city of culture and tradition in transition. It has a distinct culture (of the Lanna Kingdom), with more temples than any other city in Thailand, and has a lot of historical sites including portions of an old city that are still intact. The inner city of Chiang Mai is a perfect square that is surrounded by an old dirt and brick wall twith a moat on all sides.
There are at least 10 different hill tribes in Northern Thailand, many of them divided into distinct subgroups. The tribes have sophisticated systems of customs, laws and beliefs, and are predominantly animists. They often have exquisitely colored costumes and dances, though many men and children now adopt Western clothes for everyday wear.
On this amazing tour we will hike through the jungle to discover remote hill tribe villages. We will also have the opportunity to spend time with these hill tribe hosts and guides to learn about their unique cultures and to sleep in a local homestay.
We will experience this amazing landscape as the local people do organically - on foot and through the rivers that are the arteries of life and culture to this still wild land.
