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Jungle Trek (hike, forest camping, village hut stay) to Salawin River, Hilltribe village homestay, Mae Hong Son (Nov to Feb)
Please contact us well ahead to discuss, research, design and arrange your private group winter trip. Please note nearly all our trips are customized, modified or re-designed and thus details, services provided and prices shall be changed from the below sample one.
Bird eye view of the mountains and rivers on the trail to Salawin river (Google earth image)
What you will have from this trip
- Experience of an out of the beaten track tropical jungle trail walked by hilltribe peoples
- You will walk with one of the best naturalist guides in Mae Hong Son; a Mae Hong Son native with lots of knowledge of plants and animals and local minority cultures
- You will have chance to communicate with local villagers through our translation - that is amazing! Peoples of two very different worlds ask and answer, and chances are when you complete the trip you will have a better understanding of these peoples of different lives/cultures
- Jungle survival and self improvement in physically and mentally
- Knowledge of minority cultures, plants and insects
- Lots of photography experience: nature, life. river, mountains, views, plants, and so many
The difficulty level of the trip is moderate in average, consisting of easy to difficult parts.
However in the below sample itinerary number of days is set so as to offer room for most outdoor-type peoples with moderate level of fitness and good health. You should not have any chronic and serious disease/illness. You must have at least average health and can do forest walk of about 6 hours a day.
Before the trip you should be in Mae Hong Son or in Chiang Mai.
There are public bus and van services between Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son and Mae Sarieng.
It is also possible to take a flight between Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son.
For the transport options please see below the trip program.
Trip Program (Just a sample & we will discuss with you, research and design again for private group)
Day 1 (D)
You should arrive Mae Sarieng today afternoon or evening. Meet and stay in a guesthouse.
Dinner and room provided. The stuff that are not necessary for the trek can be left in the guesthouse.
However no precious items, please.
Day 2 (B,L,D)
After breakfast we will travel in a private rented truck to Mae La Noi. On the way we can stop to visit the interesting places such as
Tham Keow Komon cave. Truck will drop us at a trail head and we will start walking through the villages and their hill farms.
We will stay in a village home.
Entering a Karen hilltribe village
Day 3 (B,L,D)
Breakfast and we will continue the walk through the jungle going up and down the hills, passing creeks to
Ban Mae Lamong village where we will stay overnight.
Day 4 (B,L,D)
Continue walking in the forest with lot of hard wood trees and many other plants. We still pass mountain farms of mostly Karen peoples.
Tonight stay will be in Ban Mai Kon Tai village.
A farm hut in the mountain
Day 5 (B,L,D)
Continue the walk to Ban Mo Hae where we will sleep.
Day 6 (B,L,D)
Today afternoon we should hit Salawin river. The end of the long trek at Ban Tha Ta Phang village on the river bank.
Home stay. Enjoy the scenery of Salawin river between the high steep hills.
Salawin river between Thailand and Myanmar (Burma)
Day 7 (B,L)
After breakfast we will take a rented boat down the Salawin river to Ban Mae Sam Lab - a small border town of mixed cultures: Shan, Bamar, Karen, Northern Thai, Indian, and so on. You will have a time to walk around the small town before lunch in a restaurant, and then take a truck to Mae Sarieng - about one hour drive. End of the trip..
Aerial view of Salawin river, and the mountains we have trekked (Google earth image)
We should arrive Mae Sarieng bus station before 2pm so you can continue by bus to Chiang Mai or Mae Hong Son.
B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner
Our services
- One native naturalist guide speaking local langauges and some English
- Helpers/trail readers according to the group size
- Rented truck car for transfers on Day 2 and Day 7
- Rented boat for Day 7
- Meals as per the program: rice-based, soup; some vegetable, meat, bread and fruits, coffee, eggs. Drinking water will be boiled stream water during the walk
- One night guesthouse stay in Mae Sarieng (double or twin room with private bathroom)
- Bed sheets, blankets, mosquito nets will be provided for homestay; toilet will be outside very basic; shower is in the creek or bamboo shower hut
- Salawin river national park entrance fees
- Fees to pay to the villages for homestay there
- Travel accident insurance
Things to bring (lightest possible)
- Clothes to change (light, easy to dry ones. include a set of warm clothes), hat, shorts
- Toiletries
- Back pack
- Drinking water container
- Flash light, spare batteries and bulbs
- Good hiking shoes and sandals
- Medicines, first aid kit, insect repallants, electrolites
- Some Thai Baht money cash
- Some plastic bags to keep garbage, old clothes, etc.
- Passport, camera, etc.
NOTEs:
- You will carry your own back packs and your stuff during the walks
- Please do not give any free things to any one you see in the hilltribe villages
- Please ask for permit if you want to take photos of tribal people from the front
- If you want to do donation of simpple (also locally available) items such as pencils, learning books, medicines in small quantity, we can arrange with the village head or primary school teacher in the village
- Please do not practice nudity in public
- Please do not bring lot of cosmetics, cigarettes
- Please do not bring alcoholic drinks, electronic and funcy gadgets and toys
- Please take out footware when getting into the house/home
- Please also buy health insurance and trip cancellation insurance in your place
- If you need we can arrange rented car transfer for additional cost:-
- Chiang Mai or Mae Hong Son to Mae Sarieng
- Mae Sarieng to to Mae Hong Son or Chiang Mai or Mae Sot
- Depending on changing local situations the details of the program can be changed for your safety with or without prior notice
Cost of trip
Please contact us to calculate the price for your private customised trip.
Booking should be done at least several weeks ahead of the start date.
To book the trip please send us:
- number of people
- full names, gender, date of birth, nationality and passport number of each people
- the date: Day 1, from where and how you will come, approximate arrival time to Mae Sarieng
- food selection if you are vegetarian, or if you do not eat pork, fish, etc.
- if you need transport and hotel booking services please let us know
Payment:
We need full non-refundable payment by bank at least two weeks before the start date. You will take care of all bank transfer charges, currency
exchange fees and losses if any.
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