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Chiang Mai Activities and Top things to do guide
 Meo,
Lisu, Yao, Akha, Lawa and Karen hilltribes live throughout northern Thailand's
mountains. They share animist beliefs and honour numerous forest and guardian
spirits. Each tribe has distinctive ceremonial attire, courtship rituals,
games, dances, agricultural customs, puberty rites, languages or dialects,
aesthetic values and hygienic habits.
Popular 'Jungle Treks', lasting from 2 to 7 days, take visitors through
forested mountains and high valleys and meadows, and include visits to
remoter high-altitude hilltribe settlements for overnight stays. The best
guides are hilltribe youths who customarily speak English, Thai and at
least three tribal dialects.
Treks commonly feature travel by foot, sometimes by boat, elephant-back,
horse-back or jeep, frequently a combination of two or three modes of
transportation.
Prospective trekkers are advised to shop around companies offering such
tours for the best conditions. All treks must be registered with the Tourist
Police. This is done for trekkers' protection. Avoid companies that do
not abide by this law. Visitors are welcome to enquire from the Tourism
Police to confirm which tour companies have negative or bad reputations.
Also, avoid narcotics, essentially everything from 'soft drugs' such as
marijuana to 'hard drugs' such as opium and heroin, both during travel
and at hilltribe villages. There are severe penalties for such usage.
Valuables, such as passport, jewelry and money, should be deposited in
the safe of your hotel or guest house while you are trekking upcountry
Wear sensible clothing to protect your limbs and sleep under a mosquito
net at night. Malaria is a real threat, and sensible precautions should
be taken to avoid it.
Visitors should remember to
a) Respect hilltribe beliefs and religious symbols and structures.
b) Dress modestly. Hilltribe people are generally modest. Inappropriate
attire may offend them.
c) Ask permission before photographing someone. Some villages do not permit
photography.
d) Avoid trading western medicines and articles of clothing. Contributions
to their welfare, items such as pens, paper, needles, thread, cloth and
material used for embroidery are perfectly acceptable.
Trek prices are determined by the duration of the trip, transportation
modes, meals available and the size of the trekking party.
This has been developed, with joint cooperation of the Tourism Authority
of Thailand and San Kamphang Cooperative, into a new recreational area
of San Kamphang. It covers the distance of approximately 20 kilometers
from Chiang Mai city. To reach the place, there are two routes; the first
one runs along Chiang Mai - San Kamphang - Teak Sprout Producing Station
- Hot Spring (You will pass by Meung On Cave that is 4 kilometers away
from the Hot Spring) while the other route runs along Chiang Mai city
- San Kamphang - On Lui village - Hot Spring. For those who want to go
there by bus, the terminal is at Chang Puak Terminal
 This
popular new activity features exciting trips by Land Rover between Chiang
Mai and Mae Hong Son, taking five days and four nights, or Chiang Rai
and Ken Thun in Myanmar, taking three days and two nights. Much of the
journey is along dirt roads and tracks so that visitors can witness out-of-the-way
areas. Accommodation is in forest lodges or basic hotels.
Although bird-watching has been a popular activity among Thais for many
years, it is only relatively recently that overseas visitors have recognized
the potential of this fascinating pastime. In total, almost one thousand
different species of birds - some local, others migrating here- have been
spotted in Thailand. Most of Thailand's national parks offer good opportunities
for bird-watching such as Khao Yai National Park, Kaeng Krachan in Petchburi
and Doi Inthanon National Park in Chiang Mai province.
 Each
morning, at Km 10 on the Mae Rim-Samoeng route, trained elephants demonstrate
their formidable and highly-valued forestry skills from 9.30 until 11.00
AM, at the Mae Sa Elephant Training Centre. The centre is some 30 kilometres
from town. Admission is 80 baht per person. A jungle tour on elephant
back, lasting more than two hours through adjacent forests, is offered
after the show and costs 250 baht per person. Elephants can also be seen
at the Pong Yaeng Elephant Centre at KM 19 on the same route.
This riverside enclave, at KM 56 on Highway 107, features daily shows
of elephants at work, from 9.00 AM until 10.00 AM, and from 10.00 AM until
11.00 AM, and offers elephant rides, and opportunities for bucolic river-rafting
through largely pristine and tranquil forests, or jungle treks to neighbouring
hilltribe settlements.
Meo, Lisu, Yao, Akha, Lawa and Karen hilltribes live throughout northern
Thailand's mountains. They share animist beliefs and honour numerous forest
and guardian spirits. Each tribe has distinctive ceremonial attire, courtship
rituals, games, dances, agricultural customs, puberty rites, languages
or dialects, aesthetic values and hygienic habits.
Popular 'Jungle Treks', lasting from 2 to 7 days, take visitors through
forested mountains and high valleys and meadows, and include visits to
remoter high-altitude hilltribe settlements for overnight stays. The best
guides are hilltribe youths who customarily speak English, Thai and at
least three tribal dialects.
Treks commonly feature travel by foot, sometimes by boat, elephant-back,
horse-back or jeep, frequently a combination of two or three modes of
transportation.
Prospective trekkers are advised to shop around companies offering such
tours for the best conditions. All treks must be registered with the Tourist
Police. This is done for trekkers' protection. Avoid companies that do
not abide by this law. Visitors are welcome to enquire from the Tourism
Police to confirm which tour companies have negative or bad reputations.
Also, avoid narcotics, essentially everything from 'soft drugs' such as
marijuana to 'hard drugs' such as opium and heroin, both during travel
and at hilltribe villages. There are severe penalties for such usage.
Valuables, such as passport, jewelry and money, should be deposited in
the safe of your hotel or guest house while you are trekking upcountry
 What
is considered polite in your country is probably considered polite in
Thailand, too. However, there are a few cultural pitfalls, mainly social
and religious taboos, the breaking of which can cause offense. For example,
Thais revere their royal family. Even social malcontents, Who ignore legal
and community standards, refuse to tolerate a faintly implied slur on
the monarchy. Outward expressions of anger are regarded as crude and boorish.
Visitors who remain calm and smile will find all sorts of doors opened
to them. Visitors should dress neatly in all religious shrines. They should
never go shirtless, or in shorts, hot pants or other unsuitable attire.
Shoes should be removed when entering a private Thai home, a Buddhist
temple chapel, any of the Islamic community's mosques.
Each Buddha image, large or small, ruined or not, is regarded as a sacred
object. Never climb onto one to take a photograph or do anything which
might indicate a lack
of respect. Public displays of affection between men and women are frowned
upon. Westernized Thai couples may hold hands, but that's as far as it
goes in public.
It is considered rude to point your foot at a person or object. Thai
is regard the head as the highest part of the body, literally and figuratively.
Therefore, they do not appreciate anyone patting them there, even as a
friendly gesture.
Thai is customarily ask questions which are regarded elsewhere as being
personal. If the visitor is asked, 'Where are you going?' or 'How much
do you earn?' such questions are asked in a friendly manner and signify
genuine interest. Joking answers such as, 'I'm not sure' or "Never
enough!' are perfectly acceptable.
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