About this trip
Five days out of Chiang Mai and up into the hills, walking through national park country to reach Lahu and Karen villages that most visitors never see. This is a proper trek, not a photo-stop tour, so you cover ground on foot each day.
Along the way you raft by bamboo through cave systems and pass through thick jungle scenery before ending up in the hilltop village of Ban Jabo, where you're put up by the community itself.
What you'll do
- Trek through national park terrain from Chiang Mai
- Visit Lahu and Karen hilltribe villages
- Explore cave systems by bamboo raft
- Walk through jungle scenery en route to the hills
- Stay in the hilltop village of Ban Jabo
- Moderate pace with several days of walking, so bring proper footwear
- Fully guided throughout, useful given the remote village locations
Worth it if you're prepared for basic facilities and want genuine cultural immersion with an exceptional guide. Think twice if you need comfort, reliable electricity, or hot showers.
- Guide Mr Sith consistently praised for excellent English, deep knowledge of plants and history, and keeping group energy high with humour.
- Overnight stays with host families provided authentic insight into tribal life; families prepared delicious traditional food and shared customs genuinely.
- Facilities genuinely limited: electricity unreliable, indoor plumbing absent in some places, water boiled rather than hot. Proper water shoes essential for frequent river crossings.
- Trip suits people comfortable roughing it in challenging terrain; marketed as easy hike but involves extreme physical activity and demanding conditions.
Distilled from real traveller reviews on TourRadar — we don't edit out the bad bits.
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Sorted by fit — never by who paid. Price moves and availability come from our own daily tracking.
Departing in Oct is cheapest — from £295, about 28% below the priciest month (Dec).
Getting there
Opens Trip.com, pre-filled — one-way so you can book your return whenever. Prices & booking shown there.
Where to stay
A night before your tour in Chiang Mai · 30 Sept – 1 Oct
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