A 'Tuk Tuk' Hill Tribe Mountain Adventure in Chiang Mai

You’ll be picked up at 8:00am from the CHIANG MAI GATE HOTEL in Chiang Mai city and our team will transfer you by minivan to The Tuk Tuk Club base in Mae Wang, around 45-60 minutes South West of the city.

On arrival at our base you’ll be introduced to your trusty Tuk Tuk and driver (chauffeur option) and get settled in for the adventure ahead.

Our Tuk Tuks are specially modified to not only cope perfectly with the winding mountain roads but also to give extra comfort and views from the back seat. There are Bluetooth speakers for you to play your road tip selections and you can even roll back the roof if you fancy catching some sun!

PLEASE NOTE:
For those on the self-drive option there will be a detailed, in-depth driver training session followed by a test that all drivers must pass before heading out onto the road. For those who’ve chosen the chauffeur option this is a great experience to learn more about the Tuk Tuks, how they work and, if you’d like, the opportunity to have a quick go yourself!

You’ll the start the journey by heading through fantastic winding lanes passing through small farming communities (think classic SE Asia photo ops) and up and visiting stunning remote (and almost never visited) Temples, and at one of them we’ll even make a small blessing for the adventure ahead.

You’ll have a simple but hearty lunch at a great local restaurant and then start to head up into the serious mountains. On the way you’ll stop to take the short hike to a forest waterfall and explore a tiny Karen community and then you continue to wind up the hairpin bends to your overnight destination of a remote Karen village where you’ll camp and have an incredible authentic ‘Hill Tribe’ experience.

Once you’ve arrived at the campsite you’ll have a traditional Karen greeting and then have the opportunity to explore the local village and meet the ‘elders’ and learn about their community, culture and way of life.

In the evening you’ll learn how to cook jungle style with an open fire and lessons from our Karen hosts before spending the night under the stars – a proper Thailand adventure.

NOTE – the tents are actually very comfortable with mattresses / cushions / pillows / blankets etc and there are ‘Western’ style toilets and a hot shower available!

• TUK TUK DRIVING TIME: +/- 5 HOURS INCLUDING DRIVER TRAINING
• DISTANCE COVERED: +/- 75 km

After breakfast you’ll explore the local area and forest around the village with your guide and members of the local community before getting back into the Tuk Tuks and heading along yet more stunning roads (plenty of stops to take in the views) into the heart of the foothills of Doi Inthanon, Thailand’s highest mountain.

This is a fantastic journey through spectacular mountain scenery, along rarely travelled roads, giving you a real insight into Thailand, well away from the tourist trail.
You’ll stop for a late lunch at a small roadside restaurant – the real deal in terms of local Thai country fare – and then head on to the small Karen community of Ban Mae Khlang Luang, your overnight base.

Your overnight accommodation in the village is surrounded by mountains and rice terraces and is the perfect setting for the second night of the adventure.

Once you’ve checked in you’ll explore the village, see how the community live and get to sample some of the freshest coffee around in one of the most atmospheric coffee shops we’ve ever come across!
In the evening it’s time for a traditional Thai style BBQ in the rice fields! Great fun and a real Thailand tradition.

• TUK TUK DRIVING TIME: +/- 2 HOURS
• DISTANCE COVERED: +/- 40 km

After breakfast you’ll head out to hike and explore the forests around the village in the foothills of Doi Inthanon.

The hike is ‘only’ around 5 – 6 km (lead by a local village guide) but takes you through fantastic forests and eventually to a series of stunning waterfalls.

You’ll have lunch at the foot of the largest waterfall and there’s plenty of time to swim in the pool below.

After lunch you hike downhill out of the forest and back to the Hill Tribe village where you stayed last night. It’s then time to say goodbye to your Tuk Tuk as you transfer back to Chiang Mai city by private minivan, arriving back at The Chiang Mai Gate Hotel at around 4:30pm

• TUK TUK DRIVING TIME: NA – no Tuk Tuk driving today
• DISTANCE COVERED: NA