Trekking throughout Northern Thailand has become a very fashionable extension
to the standard sight-seeing tours that have operated in this area for many
years. For thousands of tourists each year, along with the history & charm of
Chiang Mai & its people, trekking has become a major drawer for the region.
The aim of this article is to provide hands on "how to" information to ensure
that you get the very best from your particular trek.
Trekking in Northern Thailand provides its visitors with memories that will
stay with them forever, it really is an unforgettable experience, I actually
have a couple of friends who after trekking around Northern Thailand for a
couple of weeks promptly went home, sold everything up and now live up in the
mountains north of Chiang Rai, and confided to me recently that they had
never been happier, it’s that life changing !.
Chiang Mai as the major city in the region, is also the “hub” for all the trekking orientated activities. The mountainous ranges that surround the city,offer lush un-spoilt tropical jungles & wilderness containing numerous wild plants & flowers, including hundreds of varieties of wild flowering Orchids.
This area is also home to several groups of
Hill Tribes People,who migrated to Northern Thailand from Myanmar & China up to around 200 years ago. These
trekking adventures provide the perfect opportunity to view first-hand the
traditional lifestyles of the major groups of different ethnic hill tribes
including the Lisu, Karen, Long Necks, Akha, Lahu, & Hmong hill tribes.
Many of the treks are actually built around the hill tribe villages & people all
which adds up to a fantastic adventure for both the visitors & the locals.
A good trekking guide will help explain the traditions, the unique tribal and
spiritual beliefs and their rituals.
While the increasing popularity of trekking has seen some commercialisation
of these ethnic groups, this does not need to detract from experiencing their
unique culture and gaining an understanding of the hill tribes’ history,
traditions,culture & values.
Providing that you are reasonably fit, not heavily pregnant, or a child under
6 years of age, and that you don't mind 'roughing it' a bit, then Thailand
trekking is just right for you. The treks undertaken are completely safe and the trekking is generally well organised, with registered guides leading you along well worn routes.
Chiang Mai as the trekking centre, is the place I suggest you use to book
your trek, DON’T book anything on the internet, DON’T book anything until you
arrive !, there are MANY different tour companies / shops offering EVERY type
of tour & timescale imaginable.
Many of the guesthouses also double up as trekking tour specialists. Several
of the trekking companies also have smaller satellite offices located around
the main tourist areas of the
Night Bazaar ,Thapae Road & the eastern areas
of the old city. Please check out both the
Google Map for the centre of
Chiang Mai & the rather fabulous
Interactive Photographic Map of Chiang Mai centre !!.
You need to take your time visiting several of the different tour companies to
ensure you get EXACTLY the mix of activities that you want, don’t take notice
of taxi drivers, tuk-tuk drivers, songthaew drivers or anyone else that is
likely to be making money from their recommendations !!.
The main areas that the trekking tours operate in are Mae Hong Son (12hrs),
Pai(6hrs) & Chiang Dao(3hrs) all north-west of Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai(6hrs) (
hrs in brackets denotes travelling time from Chiang Mai) north of Chiang Mai.
Pai is also a good alternative as a base, as it is located between Mae Hong
Son & Chiang Dao and offers quite a substantial range of various treks from
this small town located on a plateau with mountains all around, this is quite
a popular alternative to the bustle of Chiang Mai.
Pai really is an enchanting place, with a lovely winding river running
through it, and lots of homestay properties that follow the course of the
river.
A few suggestions & tips to ensure you get the best of your trek:
1. What is the right size of trekking group ?: – it should always be less than 10 people, ideally 6-8 is a nicely balanced group size.
2. Who is the leader ?:- trekking alone in the mountains around Northern Thailand is NOT advised, use the services of a registered guide, all registered guides have to undertake a month’s training at the University of Chiang Mai before receiving certification. Make sure your tour operator confirms that they are also registered with T.A.T.(Tourism Authority of
Thailand) before handing any money over. The T.A.T. has strict guidelines the
agencies must follow to insure the trekker receives the best service with
good reliable guides. You could also ask to see recommendation letters from
previous satisfied “trekkies”, this is common practice and they are used to
it.
3. How long are the treks?:- its really up to you, the shortest ones are just a few hours, the longest ones can be a couple of weeks, the most popular are the one & two day treks, the one day treks are typically for the people that don’t want “too much culture” ie staying out overnight, sleeping on a mat,covered by a mozzy net, eating “local” food !!. The two day treks are
definitely for the hardier types who have more of the “explorer” instincts.
But again it really depends on what you want from your trek you can include
white-water rafting, riding elephants, bamboo rafting, jungle trekking,
kayaking etc, etc.
4. Where will we stay?:- accommodation & food on ALL overnight treks is “basic”, thats half the fun, beds typically are mats made of straw with just blankets & a mosquito net to cover you, food is typically rice (with everything), fish & vegetables. It is a good idea to take chocolates, snacks &
fizzy drinks with you as you will be burning a lot of energy, and some people will not take to the local food as well as others.
5. What will I need to take with me?:- Things to bring(you can get all of these things cheaply in Chiang Mai)
- Small backpack / rucksack
- Warm, weatherproof clothing (particularly from Nov. to Feb)
- Sun block
- Lightweight raincoat / plastic poncho
- Sandals (Teva or Teva-style is good for walking through the river - as long
as you don't need ankle support these are good for the whole trek for most of
the year.)
- Sturdy weatherproof footwear with good grips (not essential if you are
happy walking in Tevas).
- Socks (for the evenings)
- Long trousers / pants are good for parts of the trek (the ones where you
can unzip the legs are ideal)
- Torch / Flashlight (+ extra batteries)
- Towel
- Hat
- Insect Repellant
- Some people like to bring along a cotton sheet / cotton sleeping bag liner
for sleeping in / under.
- Money for soft drinks / beers / handicrafts / tips (small notes can be
useful)
6. What is the best time of year to go?:- Chiang Mai area generally has
Excellent Weather throughout the year, however avoid June – October as that is the rainy season, outside of that period is fine, if you choose December or January make sure you take plenty of spare clothes, it can get very chilly during the winter nights !!.
7. How to choose which trek?:- you need to first of all decide what you want included, also do you want "rigorous" trekking, or something "easier" more like a ramble. Ensure you get exactly what you want, don’t be hurried or pushed by the agents, there are plenty to choose from. Don’t just go for the cheapest trek, weigh everything up carefully, if its too cheap corners are
cut which will usually result in a disappointing result.
8. What will it cost?:- costs vary tremendously as you would expect, but purely to be used as a guide(based upon 6-8 people):
1x full day tour - typically 2,500/3,000thb/person
2x full day trek - typically 2,000thb/person/day
3x full day trek - typically 1,500/2,000thb/person/day
But remember, its not about getting the cheapest price, its ALL about finding
the right ingredients within the trek that you want, along with the "demands"
of the trek to meet your own fitness levels.
By just following this simple guide, it will ensure that you too have
memories of your time in Northern Thailand for many years to come.
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