Day 1, Tuesday
Relax and prepare yourself for your adventure on world-class Singapore Airlines. Meet other students, watch on-demand movies and unwind. A Rustic Pathways Flight Leader will accompany each of our escorted group flights from Los Angeles, making sure that your journey is easy and enjoyable.
Day 2, Wednesday
Ghost Day - After flowing through different time zones and passing the International Date Line today is ‘lost’ in the ambiguity of international travel. Don’t worry - you’ll be able to pick up a free day on your flight home.
Day 3, Thursday
Sawat dee and welcome to Thailand! You’ll arrive in Singapore where Rustic staff will be eagerly awaiting your arrival. They will show you the way to the coach bus waiting outside, which will bring us straight to our hotel. We’ll get you checked in straight away so you can take a shower and catch up on some horizontal rest for a few hours. You’ll get a wakeup call around 7 which means that breakfast is ready – come down to the pool where the buffet is set up, go for a swim if you’d like, and then it’s time to head back to the airport. In less than a couple hours, you’ll land at Bangkok’s brand new international airport where you’ll be met by your program leaders and the rest of the students on your program. From here, you’ll take an easy 1 hour flight up to Chiang Mai, hop in our VIP vans waiting at the airport, then it’s just a few easy minutes to our Chiang Mai Base house where you’ll be staying for the night. Take a walk, visit a local market, and gaze up at the mountains which look down over the city. Have your first taste of authentic Thai food before dozing off for the night.
Day 4, Friday
Today, you’ll get to explore the charming northern city of Chiang Mai. After breakfast, you’ll head up to Doi Suthep, the beautiful mountain and temple which overlooks the city. This is a great chance to snap some winning pictures and experience the unique ambiance of Wat Phra Thet Doi Suthep. In the afternoon, we’ll continue cruising around town, hitting some of the town’s most interesting sights and best shopping spots. Enjoy a traditional northern Thai feast, and an optional Thai massage. As the evening wanes, you’ll return to the Chiang Mai Base house for the night.
Day 5, Saturday
Today, we’ll rise early and head for the mountains. About 2 hours out of town outside of the city of Lampang, we'll grab only what we need for the next few days and begin life on the trekking trail. Our first outing will be a 3 day village-hopping journey deep into the mountains. Along the way, we'll stop in different villages along the way to say hello and rest our tired feet. The terrain varies greatly from thick bamboo groves to pristine rainforests. We'll pass Hill Tribe peoples on the path off to work in far away fields, and stumble upon beautiful waterfalls about every couple of hours. Whenever possible, we’ll do trash pick-ups or trail maintenance to share some positive energy with the villagers we pass by. When we reach our final village for the day, we'll cook up a simple, hot meal, take a wonderful bucket shower, and feel like a million 'baht' after changing into some fresh, clean clothes. In the evening, we'll relax and tell stories around the campfire while drinking locally grown tea.
Day 6, Sunday
We'll continue on the trail, finding a few nice surprises along the way. In the late afternoon, we'll arrive at our next Hill Tribe homestay, wash up and get involved in the village. Play with local children, fascinate them with your digital camera, teach some English, help our host families gather food for dinner, or initiate a trash pick-up – whatever it may be, our goal is to engage and make connections with the local people. By sharing positive energy in this way, you become much more than just a tourist and more like a cultural ambassador with the power to share your knowledge and smiles with thse villagers. Sit down for dinner with our gracious hosts, enjoy a few cups of tea, and enjoy a night of cultural exchanges.
Day 7, Monday
Today we’ll continue even further into the jungle and finally to a village with no access by road. Life out here is completely different than even rural lowland villages, as it truly is isolated from the world below. When not trekking, this experience will be about truly experiencing these cultures and learning about their traditional knowledge. Your guides will show you some neat jungle survival tricks, and how to harvest food in the wild. In the evening, enjoy the time around the fire and gaze up at the stars above while practicing some phrases in the local lingo.
Day 8, Tuesday
After breakfast, we’ll begin our trek out of the jungle. By afternoon, we’ll be back in the same village where we did the Hill Tribe home-stay just a couple of nights ago, and the familiar faces will be very happy to see you again.
Day 9, Wednesday
Welcome back to civilization! Returning to the vans, you’ll likely feel you’ve been away for much longer than 4 days, and that it’s surely time for a hot shower! Our next stop will be a quaint little mountain town north of Chiang Mai called Chiang Dao, or “mountain of the Stars”. The village sits in the shadow of one of Thailand’s highest peaks, also known as one of the best places for bird-watching in the region. Here, we’ll check in to Malee’s guest house and enjoy a well-deserved sumptuous buffet of authentic Thai food. You’ll also be treated to the comfort of a real bed and a hot shower.
Day 10, Thursday
Today will be a chance for you to recover and chill out in this cool relaxing town. Not far from the bungalows, there is a famous cave, a beautiful temple, and a nature trail. You’ll have free time to explore these sights or simply relax at the bungalow, depending on how you’re feeling. In the evening, enjoy another of Malee’s famous buffet dinners before crashing for the night.
Day 11, Friday
After breakfast, it’s back to the trail again, this time you’ll be exploring the far side of Doi Luang (or Doi Chiang Dao), and enjoy awesome views of the peak while venturing up the hills and through Lahu villages. Tonight, you’ll stay the night in a Lahu village – and you’ll have a chance to learn about the interesting Lahu culture. By this time, you’ll truly be able to appreciate the differences between these fascinating peoples, their distinctive outfits, there ancient traditions. In the evening, check out a special cultural performance put on by the village, and stay overnight with Lahu families in the village. .
Day 12, Saturday
Trek past rushing waterfalls, stop for a swim, and continue down to a Shan/Thai village. Here, learn some jungle survival skills from your well-informed guides, and explore the area and search for vegetables in the forest to add to dinner. In the afternoon, visit the local school, teach and sing some English songs, and play with the smiling children. Stay at comfortable riverside bungalows and enjoy a traditional Thai herbal steam room.
Day 13, Sunday
First thing in the morning, we’ll hike down and back out of the jungle, where the VIP vans will be waiting for us. From here, we’ve got about a 2 hour drive to the town of Pai. Here, you’ll have the chance to peruse local markets, get an optional Thai massage, or visit some natural hot springs. Pai has a great assortment of restaurants where you’ll be able to eat some comfort food that you may have been missing while trekking through the mountains.
Day 14, Monday
In the morning we’ll drive about an hour north to the town of Sop pong, and here we’ll hike and explore some of the longest caves in Southeast Asia. Later, you’ll have the option to go on a caving adventure.
Day 15, Tuesday
First thing in the morning, grab a helmet and paddle and embark on an overnight whitewater rafting trip. This is one of the area’s best rafting trips, and the company which we run with has a perfect safety record. After a solid day of cruising through the valley, you’ll stop off and set up camp at riverside huts in a small village.
Day 16, Wednesday
Once you’ve had a satisfying breakfast, it’s time to hit the river again and continue towards our final destination, Mae Hong Son. Once there, we’ll have a nice look around town and some of the city’s beautiful temples. By late afternoon, we’ll head to the airport and connect on the easy 30 minute flight back to Chiang Mai, where the our vans and baggage will be waiting at the Base house. Take some time to relax, then get showered up and ready to hit the famous Chiang Mai Night Bazaar to shop to your heart’s content. This market is ideal for souvenirs and other goods, and the prices are tough to beat – though you do have to bargain a bit for them. Later on, return to the Chiang Mai Base House and pack up your bags, for tomorrow morning we head to the airport first thing!
Day 17, Thursday
All students connecting to the Elephant Conservation Project, Chiang Mai Woks and Wonders, Come With Nothing, Intro to Community Service, or Ricefields, Monks, and Smiling Children will be able to sleep in a bit and enjoy another day in Chiang Mai. All other students will connect to Bangkok at 7:30 AM in plenty of time to meet up with your next program or the escorted group flight back to the States. Bon Voyage!
An Important Note about Schedule Changes :
Rustic Pathways reserves the right to change, alter, or amend the daily itinerary for this trip at any time. Changes can be made for various reasons including changes in flight or program schedules, changes in the schedules of various external tours incorporated in our trips, the addition of new activities into a trip, or the substitution of an old activity for a new activity. The itinerary shown here provides a good outline of the anticipated daily schedule for this program. As with any travel program, some changes may occur. |
The People You Pass Along the Way Northern Thailand is a place of rich and diverse cultures. For centuries, Chinese traders journeyed across this rugged land en-route to the ports of the Indian Ocean. Along the forested highland fringes of Laos, China, Burma, and Thailand lie a variety of colorful and unique Hill Tribe minorities including the Karen, Akha, Hmong, Lisu, Lahu, Mien, and Shan people. Rustic Pathways is proud to employ Hill Tribe people with few opportunities for outside employment, and our connections in these remote areas run deep. Join our expert local guides who will lead you as you hop from tribe to tribe, hear fascinating stories about growing up in the mountains here, and immerse yourself these intriguing cultures.
The Service – Making Connections
The Backcountry Cultural Experience
