A
great many of the tourists visiting Chiang Rai make enquiries about
hilltribe trekking. They come looking for adventure and a learning
experience that will lasty a life time. The experience of a trek around
the northern area usually includes beautiful mountain terrain, wild and
steamy jungles, clean rivers, photogenic waterfalls and unusually shaped
caves. Visitors can journey to these places by foot, by horseback or on
the back of an elephant. Travelling by longtail boats, motorbikes, and
jeeps are becoming more and more popularas tour agencies expand their
approach to tours and trekking. There are abundant routes for trekking
in Chiang Rai, Each route has its own characteristic. Thus, this makes
the activities and cost of each trips different from one another. Please
contact TAT local office for more information.
Some useful advice:
Trekking
alone is not recommended. It is much safer to go with the guide of
trekking agents.
Respect
hilltribes’ beliefs and religious symbols and structures. Be careful
about what you touch. It is better to ask your guide about
some do’s and don’ts before entering a hilltribe village.
Avoid
trading western medicines and articles of clothing. Many of the
hilltribe people are not familiar with the use westem medicines. And
by trading clothing you may be adding a new element of dressing and
grooming contrary to their own. If you want to give something it
should be something to contribute to their welfare, (pens, paper,
needles, thread, cloth and material used for various hilltribe
handicrafts.)
Photographs
should be taken in specified areas. Ask before you take a photograph
of someone. Some villages do not even permit being photographed.
Protect
yourself against the nasty little mosquitoes of Northern Thailand.
Don’t rely only on the use of prophylactic drugs. In Thailand the
many different strains of malaria parasites are resistant to many of
the drugs on the market. You should also protect yourself by wearing
long pants, long-sleeved shirts and thick socks. Also use a strong
brank of mosquto repellent when trekking. At night you should sleep
under a mosquito net and avoid outdoor activities between dusk and
dawn when the little pests are a nuisance.
Do not
approach the elephants during hot sesson, and/or when feeding
without their handlers (mahouts) present.
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