MYSTICAL HILL TRIBE ADVENTURE
A cultural tour of Thailand

This great selection of Thailand’s world heritage, traditional culture, splendid scenery and shopping all combined with the unforgettable experience of the Karen hill tribe.

Day 01 Bangkok
Arrive in Bangkok.  You will be met and transferred to the hotel.  Check in starts from 1400 hrs.  The rest of the day is at your leisure. 
Overnight: Prince Palace Hotel (4 nights)

Day 02 Ayutthaya - Bangkok 
Today’s excursion to Ayutthaya. Visit Bang Pa-In Palace and explore the extensive World Heritage sites of ancient Ayutthaya.  (B, L)

Day 03 The Floating Market – Bangkok
Travel out of Bangkok to the largest and most photographed of Damnoen Saduak floating market in Ratchaburi. Visit the Rose Garden and enjoy a leisurely stroll through the botanical gardens admiring the impressive diversity of native tropical flora and fauna. Return to stay overnight in Bangkok.  (B, L)

Day 04 The Grand Palace – Bangkok
Visit the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo with its beautiful Emerald Buddha. Proceed to the glorious Golden Buddha and experience the world famous Thai traditional massage at Wat Pho. (B, L)

Day 05 Bangkok / Chiang Mai (Flight)           
Take a flight to Chiang Mai. Visit Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai’s most famous and most visible landmark. Visit the handicraft village where skills handed down from generation to generation produce traditional handicrafts.   For dinner, savor a Traditional Khantoke dinner and enjoy the sounds and beauty of the Traditional Northern Thai dance. 
Overnight: The Park Hotel (B, L, D)

Day 06 Chiang Mai – Wat Chan
Morning pick up from your Chiang Mai hotel and head northwest (approx 140 kms to Wat Chan) Stop at the local market and see local Thai people selling their goods. Continue to the mountains until you reach Baan Wat Chan the home of the Karen Tribe people for over a hundred years. You visit Baan Chan Temple older than 300 years. Enjoy lunch with scenery of biggest natural pine forest. From here you head into the mountains trekking for an hour to Musikee Eco Lodge. The Eco Lodge is completely surrounded by forest, mountains and the sound of birds and mountain streams. In the afternoon you explore rice fields, hills and rivers and the pristine nature surrounding the Lodge. You can swim in the crystal clear mountain water or relax at the “sunbathing beach” in the middle of the jungle. At 18.30 Dinner is served at the Lodge restaurant followed by a fascinating cultural show with musical instruments and lively performances of proud young hill tribe people. This emotional show gives the audience an insight into the lifestyle of the hill tribe people. The evening is rounded off chatting around a log fire before retiring to the comfort of your private chalet. 18.30 Dinner is served at the Lodge restaurant followed by a fascinating cultural show with sounds of musical instruments and lively performances of proud young hill tribe people.
Overnight: Musikee Eco Lodge (B, L, D)

Day 07 Wat Chan 
Morning start around 07.30am with breakfast at the lodge. 09.00am Start trek from the lodge through the jungle for 3 hours along streams to the Elephant camp. Along the way your guide will show you many edible fruits and medicinal plants. Special Lunch will be Provided (Jungle Style using all natural utensils - bamboo, Banana Leaves). After Lunch swim at a crystal clear mountain waterfall pool. Afternoon, take an elephant ride through the mountains and along streams for 1 ½ hours. Continue walking a short distance to Karen Hill Tribe Lodge. Dinner and overnight at the Lodge. Here you relax at the village and enjoy a elicious barbeque before retiring to your hill tribe house for evening. Bedroom with mattress and mosquito netting is provided.
Overnight: Karen Hill Tribe Lodge (2 nights) (B, L, D)

Day 08 Wat Chan 
Breakfast at Lodge, start trek for 1 hour though the jungle and rice field to Baan Houy Ya-Nai a Karen hill tribe village where an ancient traditional Karen ceremony welcomes you. At the village you observe traditional daily activities such as rice pounding, weaving, and have the opportunity to see traditional hunting equipment. Then go to visit Baan Sao Dang, a Lisu hill tribe village where you witness daily activities and continue to the Royal Project Baan Sao Dang specializing in indigenous and non-indigenous plants. Picnic lunch is served at the village or the Royal Project. Here you can taste the delicious coffee grown at the Royal Project. Afternoon, back to the Lodge where you relax until around 16.00. Dinner is preceded with a cooking demonstration using vegetables grown at the Royal Project. Afterwards enjoy sitting around the campfire enjoying fragrances of the jungle in brilliant moonlight and glittering stars before retiring to your cottage. (B, L, D)

Day 09 Wat Chan – Chiang Mai
Breakfast at 08:00 and relax until 09.00. A one-hour journey will have you at Houy Nam Duang National Park where you visit Thailand’s largest geyser Pong Duat. After lunch, continue along mountain scenery to visit Mok Fha waterfall where you relax or swim in the natural surroundings. Around 16.30 arrive in Chiang Mai and transfer to your hotel.
Overnight: The Park Hotel (1 night) (B, L)

Day 10 Depart Chiang Mai
Depart from Chiang Rai to your next destination.  Check out time is by 1100 hrs. (B)

Departure Dates
2012 English Speaking Departures Daily
Inclusions
Tour Price Includes Tour Price Does Not Include Accommodation at hotels as specified or similar Any airfares & airport/departure taxes Meals as mentioned (B-breakfast, L-lunch, D-dinner) Domestic air ticket Bangkok/Chiang Mai (from USD 150.00 per person) All entrance fees as specified in the above itinerary Drinks with meals Ground transportation by private air-conditioned vehicle with baggage handling Visas / Insurance / Tips English speaking guide assistance
Tour Price
We accept payment in US $ (US Dollars), CA $ (Canadian Dollars) or equivalent EURO (for clients outside North America). Bestway Tours & Safaris offers conversion rate protection. Once full payment has been received, and no modification has been made to the tour itinerary, we will honour that rate. For complete payment procedures, please download Bestway_Payment_Info.pdf Note: to read this file you must have Adobe Acrobat.
Departure Double Occupancy Single Room Supplement 2012 US $ 1460 US $ 295
Estimated International Airfare - International airfare is NOT included in this tour
Canada - West Coast US $ 1300 USA - West Coast US $ 1200 Canada - East Coast US $ 1300 USA - East Coast US $ 1200
Participants
This tour operates on a minimum of 02 and a maximum of 08 participants.
Notes
Customised Itinerary If you would like to have a tour on dates other than the above ones or with a customised itinerary, please contact us and we will be happy to work out an exclusive program for you. Foreign Language Departures Please contact us for information on French, German, Italian and Spanish speaking departures. You may e-mail us at bestway@bestway.com or call us at 604.264.7378. Residents of U.S.A./Canada may call us toll free at 1.800.663.0844.