2 Day Hmong Hill Tribe Lodge Adventure Tour

2 Day Hmong Hill Tribe Lodge Adventure Tour

The Hmong Hill Tribe Lodge Adventure takes you on a 2 day journey that gives you an insight into the Hmong people, their culture, lifestyle and ancestry.

It also sends you and your travel party down a veritable roller-coaster of outdoor activities creating an action packed two days out of Chiang Mai that includes elephant trekking, ox-cart riding, white water rafting, trekking, mountain biking and sightseeing, the latter with an emphasis on the Hmong Hill Tribe.

Perfect as a 2 day escape from Chiang Mai and for Family Fun, none of the activities are overly demanding and are perfectly within the grasp of anyone with an average level of fitness.

Day 1

Get picked-up from your Chiang Mai hotel in the morning by Land Rover (or similar). First stop is the Hill Tribe Museum to give you a bit of background and a taste of things to come. Then its off to the local market at Mae Malai where you can stroll around and see the local produce and crafts produced by the rural people of this region.

Jump back into the Land Rover and drive onwards to the elephant camp and go elephant trekking for an hour. For many, the elephant trekking experience is the highlight of their holiday. It is exciting, unforgettable and there is no better place to do an elephant trek than the countryside surrounding Chiang Mai with the long association with elephants that the area has. After the elephant trek there is also an opportunity to take a ride on a traditional northern Thai style ox-cart.

After relaxing over a picnic lunch it’s time to spice up the day with some white water rafting on the Mae Tang River. During the height of the rainy season the Mae Tang River, particularly in the upper reaches can be the source of quite an adrenaline rush but during the hot season water levels fall to make rafting in inflatable’s not viable so we switch our sights to bamboo rafting instead. Same, same but different and guaranteed great fun!

After the river rafting experience its back into the 4WD to climb 850m above sea level to the village of Baan Pang Hai, a Hmong Village and the location of the Hmong Hill Tribe Lodge which is your home for the night. Dinner usually takes the form of a distinctly Thai themed BBQ which is followed by a display of Hmong dancing and singing.

Overnight at the Hmong Hill Tribe Lodge

Day 2

Enjoy breakfast, the clean mountain air and beautiful views at the Hmong Hill Tribe Lodge before heading off in the Land Rover to the small village of Ban Teen Doi where you take a short stroll to Ban Mae Pa to collect your mountain bikes. The mountain bike trail takes you past a small village reservoir before reaching an old Temple which has ornate wall paintings.

After a picnic lunch continue onwards to visit the Royal Project, an initiative quite instrumental in transforming the mountains of northern Thailand from opium production to organic foods, flowers and more. The Royal Project not only teaches the hill tribes people how to grow fruits, vegetables and flowers but also purchases the produce as well, thereby maintaining the initiative.

Afterwards we drive back to Chiang Mai and drop you off either at your Chiang Mai hotel or the airport for your onward journey.

The Hmong Hill Tribe

The largest population of surviving Hmong are found in the remote, mountainous regions of Southern China while isolated populations can be found in Burma, Laos and Thailand. Where they originally came from and how and when they migrated to the places that they now call home are a mystery lost in the sands and mists of time.

That the Hmong are an ancient tribal people there is no doubt. Snippets of a great journey through 'a land of dry sands and of cold and snow' and 'a land six months light and six months dark' are still discussed and their forefathers almost certainly came down from Mongolia and into Southern China, the latter a country not generally renowned for extending warm hospitality to ethnic minority groups.

The Hmong have no written script of their own, their cultural identity and distinctions simply being handed down the ancestral ladder in the form of folklore, traditions and customs.

Sleeping Arrangements

The Hmong Hill Tribe Lodge provides a unique opportunity to experience firsthand the traditional Hmong culture and way of life as naturally as possible in a spectacular setting.

The Lodge comprises 10 individual houses, each comprising four separate rooms arranged around a central communal area with a large fireplace. Its simple yet stylish, serene and rustically elegant.

Location: 2 Day Hmong Hill Tribe Lodge Adventure Tour

This 2 day adventure tour takes place in and around the Suthep-Pui mountain range which is conveniently located in Mae Rim District, just a hours drive from Chiang Mai. The Hmong Hill Tribe Lodge itself sits at an elevation of 2,700ft above sea level providing a mild and cool climate all year round.

When to go

There is no right or wrong time of year to do this 2 day adventure tour near Chiang Mai. The hot season in Chiang Mai city is from February through to April. The monsoon season is from May to October and the cool season is from November through to the end of January.

During the monsoon season there is a higher chance of rain but this is northern Thailand, the jungles, forests, rivers and water falls all of which need rain to flourish and increase the fun factor. Plus the monsoon season is also low season which means significantly reduced hotel rates throughout Thailand.

The hot season brings sun and dry weather but we are up in the hills where life is much cooler. The cool season on the other hand can be positively cold, especially at night up in the hills.

Go on the 2 Day Hmong Hill Tribe Adventure Tour