Itinerary

1. Day 1 - Chiang Mai to Mae Wang

   • Pick up from your accommodation in Chiang Mai and drive to Mae Wang countryside, where you make a short stop at a local market to stock up supplies for the next five days.
   • Drive to a nearby cycling start point and cycle through villages, past fruit farms, rice paddies, crops and waterways. Stop at a local Buddhist temple which is a great viewpoint to enjoy the scenery from. After a two hour ride, stop for lunch at a local restaurant.
   • Trek to a tropical waterfall before walking to a Karen tribe village. Trekking length depends on your wish (please discuss it with your guide, and he will choose an appropriate trail). In the village, meet the Karen family, have dinner with them and spend the night as their guest.

2. Day 2 - Karen Weaving

   • Wake up early and catch the mists lifting below in the valleys. After breakfast, walk to the farmland and rice paddies surrounding the village and learn about traditional farming practices. Come prepared; this is a hands-on cultural experience. Depending on the season, learn about preparing the fields, maintaining water levels, planting, harvesting, drying or milling rice and other seasonal crops.
   • Before lunch, walk to a nearby waterfall and learn how to cook in bamboo stems over the fire. Enjoy a delicious northern Thai lunch jungle style! 
   • Have a hands-on experience of Karen weaving. Karen lady shows you how to prepare for weaving and use a wooden loom to weave traditional striped Karen fabric. This is only a short weaving demonstration (those who wish to turn it into a weaving class, please let us know in the comments). The weaving class will have two parts, each about 4 hours, and you will finish a piece of clothing.
   • In the afternoon, learn how to prepare and cook traditional Lanna dishes during a cooking class. Afterwards, have dinner and spend the night with the host family.

3. Day 3 - Karen Tribe

   • After breakfast, visit the local school where the children love practising English. Please note that school is only open on working days. 
   • Savour a delicious food for lunch before learning about traditional Karen tribe building techniques or woodcrafts, depending on what the villagers need help with during your visit. Weave a traditional Karen roof using leaves, make bamboo walls for Karen hill tribe huts, make a wooden basket or a rice broom. 
   • In the afternoon, walk to Spicy Villa and have a second Thai cooking class. 

   Dinner and overnight in a private bungalow.

4. Day 4 - Elephant Camp Visit

   • After breakfast, go for a trek in the farmland and jungle surrounding Spicy Villa. Stop at another Karen tribe village and a waterfall and have lunch on the way (trekking is optional and length and difficulty is adjustable). 
   • In the afternoon, visit an elephant camp where you learn about Thai elephants. Feed them, and cool off in the river as you take a bath with these gentle giants.

   Dinner and overnight at Spicy Villa. 

5. Day 5 - Buddhist Temple & Minority School

   • Enjoy free time between breakfast and lunch or wake up early to visit a Buddhist temple in the valley to give alms to the monks and make merit. Then, have breakfast at a local restaurant and visit a local mixed minority school. For the kids, this is an opportunity to practice English, which can greatly improve their futures.
   • Drive to Wang River for bamboo rafting before heading back to Chiang Mai.