Trekking the Golden Triangle
Duration: 4 days / 3 nights
Departures: Daily, join tour basis from Chiang Mai
Visited places: Chiang mai, Thaton, Maekok River, Mae Sai, Chiang Rai, Golden Triangle and Chiang Saen.
A complete and active tour showing the highlights of the North. Suitable for private groups and families. Perfect trip for active people who don’t like to sit in a tour bus.
Trip Highlights
- Trek to hill-tribe villages
- Doi Chiangdao mountain and it’s surrounding valley
- Chiangdao Caves and Buddhist sanctuary
- Hiking easy nature trails
- Elephant camp and elephant’s back riding
- Boat trip down scenic Maekok river
- Mae Sai and the Burma border market
- Thailand’s northernmost point
- A glimpse at mystical Golden Triangle
- Hall of Opium museum
Itinerary
- Day 1: Start from Chiang Mai / Trek to hill tribe village
- 08h30am. Your guide will meet you at your hotel in Chiang Mai, then we will drive up north to the Chiangdao area. Stop at an elephant camp nestled in lush jungle surroundings. Watch elephants bathing and demonstrating their skills. After the show, experience an elephant’s back ride through the surrounding jungle. Drive to the Chiangdao caves for lunch at a local restaurant, followed by some basic cave exploration. The cave system has 3 chambers which can be explored, and some are said to have been inhabited by some Burmese monks in the past. Then drive on to a village to begin our short hike through jungle and countryside, eventually reaching a Palong village. Continue walking to reach a basic Lodge where we will overnight. Dinner at the Lodge. (Basic accommodation).
Meals: Lunch, Dinner - Day 2: Chiangdao – Thaton
- After breakfast, we take a short hike to reach a small Karen settlement. Continue the trek to reach another village where our vehicle is waiting for us. Proceed to the Chiangdao caves and Buddhist sanctuary, where we will have lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, continue by car to Ban Thaton, a small village near the Burmese border, overlooking the Maekok River. End of the day at leisure, and we suggest you to take a walk to visit Wat Thaton Temple, with it’s giant Buddha statue overlooking the valley. Dinner is at leisure tonight, and you have the choice of eating at the hotel, or going to a small local restaurant down the main road.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch - Day 3: Thaton – Mae salong – Hilltribe village
- Depart to Doi Maesalong, a scenic mountain road leading to remote villages, Akkha and Yao hilltribe village. Reach the Chinese refugee village Santikiri on the summit. The Kuomintang Chinese are established here since two decated after Shan Khai Checks troups were defeated by the communist Mao’s Chinese troops. They fled their home town in southern China Yunan’s province, and after a short sojourn in Burma, came to established themselves in remote areas of Northern Thailand. Continue down the valley to Chiangrai for lunch.
- Afternoon depart to a large Karen village, from where we will embark on elephant’s back, ride up the mountain. End up in a small hilltop Lahu village where we spend the night with a local family. A delicious Thai dinner is prepared by your guides. (Very basic accommodation, dormitory style hut).
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner - Day 4: Mae Sai – Golden Triangle – Chiang Mai
- Trek for one hour to a small waterfall and continue to the forestry office. Meet our vehicle and drive north to Mae Sai, Thailand’s northernmost point and an official Thai-Myanmar border crossing. Visit the bustling border market and optionally cross the border and visit the Burmese town of Thachilek (subject to border opening and border pass fees). After a lunch in Mae Sai, we proceed by vehicle to the famous “Golden Triangle”, the point where three country’s borders meet: Thailand, Laos and Myanmar. Optional visit (when timing allows) of the Hall of Opium, an interesting museum relating the history and golden era of the Opium Trade and the infamous golden triangle.
We end the visit and drive back to Chiang Mai (3+ hour’s drive), making a stop at a local Temple along the way.
Arrive back to Chiangmai early evening, usually not before 7pm.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Pricing
Rates per person in Thai Baht. Valid from Nov 2009 to 31 Oct 2010
| tour CT529 | Rate / person | Departure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Join Tour | n/a | n/a | |
| Private Tour | 2 – 4 persons | 11,600 | Every day |
| 5 – 6 persons | 9,900 | ||
| single room supplement | 1,000 | - | |
Including
- Transportation by private air conditioned car/van
- Experienced English speaking tour guide
- Excursions and visits as mentioned
- Accommodation on day 1 and 3 in lodge / hill tribe village are very basic
- Accommodation on day 2 in tourist class hotel in Ban Thaton
- Meals as mentioned
- Elephant show, elephant riding, cave entrance fees, boat fees
Not Including
- Beverages. Additional meals and personal spending.
- Gala Dinner at hotels during festive period.
- Guide tips and gratuities
- Optional border crossing fees $us 10.-
- Optional entry ticket to Hall of Opium museum (THB 300.-)
Option: extra day at the Golden Triangle
Add a day and spoil yourself spending a night at the infamous Golden Triangle. We recommend Anantara Resort for a maximum luxury or the Imperial Golden Triangle Hotel, ActiveThailand partner’s hotels. The visit will be more relax, with more shopping time to be spent at the Golden Triangle area, as well as a boat trip on the Mekong river, between the three countries. Please make a request on the comment box of our inquiry form.
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