Visit hilltribe villages and explore Chiang Mai’s mountaineous terrain by biking, elephant riding, and rafting with overnight at Lisu Lodge.

Tour ID	TCNX0411
Destination:	Chiang Mai, Thailand
Activity:	Elephant back riding, Hill tribe visit, Nature & Adventure, Whitewater rafting
Price:	start from $212 per person
Duration:	2 Days / 1 Night

Tour Rates* (Price/Person) in U.S. Dollars
Period	Single	Double	3-4 persons	5-6 persons	Single Supplement
1 Nov 2009 – 31 Mar 2010	N/A	220	195	168	19
1 Apr 2010 – 31 Oct 2010	N/A	212	187	160	18

Rates include 7% VAT tax and 10% hotel service charge. Major credit cards accepted. No extra charge, no minimum

Note: Booking should be made at least 7 days in advance. The Triple rates are based on a twin sharing room with an extra bed for the third person.

Itinerary

Day 1 Chiang Mai – Lisu Lodge (Lunch, Dinner)

08:30 Pick up from the hotel in Chiang Mai by private air-conditioned vehicle and drive to visit the hill-tribe Museum (closed on Saturday, Sunday & Public Holiday) to learn more about the different groups of minorities.10:00 Proceed to visit Orchid Farm in Mae Rim to appreciate Thailand’s most beautiful orchids

10:45 Continue to visit the Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden, the largest botanical garden in Southeast Asia.

12:15 Depart for Lisu Lodge.

13:00 Arrive Lisu Lodge and a traditional welcome drink will be served. Enjoy a tasty Thai lunch.

15:00 Experience an ox-cart ride through farmland and orchards to the Thai village of Baan Pang Mai Daeng (about an hour ending up back at Lisu Lodge).

Then in the late afternoon, our Lisu guide will take you for a walk through the village. You will start from the Ton Lung temple to view the herbal garden and visit some local families with a stop for a cup of tea and a spot of traditional medicine at the shaman’s house. Afterwards visit the cultural center created by the villagers, where you will find a collection of typical household items and tools used by the Lisu and the Akha mountain tribes.

After the tour, time at leisure until Thai dinner with traditional Lisu dance show.

Overnight at the Lisu Lodge

Day 2 Lisu Lodge – Chiang Mai (Breakfast, Lunch)

After breakfast at the lodge
09:00 Start the trip with a 13 kilometers (8 miles) of cycling to the Elephant Camp. Enjoy an hour of elephant riding through the mountainous jungle scenery down to the river. After a healthy picnic lunch on the bank of the river you will go on an exciting ride, about 45 minutes of white water rafting (or bamboo rafting, depending on the level of the water) that takes you to a traditional Thai country village. From there you return to Lisu Lodge either by bike or by local truck, whichever way you prefer yourself. On the way back, we stop at traditional Akha village for a chat with the shaman (spirit doctor).

16:00 Arrive at Lisu Lodge and then transfer to your hotel in Chiang Mai or airport in Chiang Mai by private air-conditioned vehicle.

Price Includes:

• Transfer and tours by private air-conditioned vehicle on Day 1 and transfer by private air-conditioned vehicle on Day 2 with English/French/German speaking guide.
• Tours with an English guide assistant
• Accommodation in non air-conditioned room with electric fan based on half twin-bedded room.
• Meals as specified.
• Baggage handling.

Price Excludes:

• All airfares as well as airport taxes.
• Other meals and services than mentioned.
• Personal expenses such as drinks, laundry, etc.

Note:

• For your information, there are 10 Mountain Bikes, 14 Elephants and 7 rubber boats and 7 oxcarts. Activities such as mountain biking and white water rafting are suitable for children above 10 years old.
• Guests should be healthy and in good physical condition.
• Weather conditions may impose changes in the program or even the cancellation of certain activities.

About the Package

Chiang Mai
Originally settled by the Mons, King Mengrai founded Chiang Mai as a Thai kingdom in 1296. Centuries later it was absorbed into the Lanna Thai kingdom and became a major center for religion and culture. The Burmese controlled the city from 1556 until King Taksin redeemed it in 1775, placing it permanently under Thai sovereignty. With all this history, there is plenty to hold your attention in Chiang Mai: walk around the old walled city, see traditional temples, trek through rural mountain villages, visit cultural centers and go shopping for exquisite handicrafts. These days, Chiang Mai is Thailand’s northern capital. Various countries have consulates here, and visitors have an excellent choice of accommodation. The climate is pleasantly cooler than Bangkok’s, even cold at night around New Year. Still, the days are hot, and along with the city’s public pools, big hotels open theirs to non-guests. The nightlife here is good and varied, as is the array of international restaurants. There are plenty of Muay Thai, meditation, yoga and massage centers for anyone seeking something unusual.

Lisu Lodge
Named after the hill tribe village called ‘Lisu’, settling nearby the lodge, Lisu Lodge is part of a project to conserve the natural heritage of hill tribes of northern Thailand. The lodge won awards and international acclaims.

During the tour, a family elder will guide you around the village to sample a portion of Lisu customs and culture. You will view the local shrine, admire the work of skilled silversmiths and marvel at fine embroidery work, and may be invited into someone’s home for a cup of local tea. Lisu is one of the hill tribes that migrated from southern China and Tibet in the early 20th century.

The Lisu Lodge, located at the outskirts of a Lisu hill tribe village, is based on a traditional Lisu house design. The lodge, made from wood, woven bamboo and thatch, features basic but comfortable rooms surrounding a central “family” area where you and the other guests eat, socialize, and are entertained in the evenings by local musicians and dancers. Set among fields and mountains, this charming cottage is enclosed by a lovely lotus pond, fruit trees and a small kitchen garden whose outputs are used for cooking delicious Thai dishes for visitors.