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 1 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: Windsor Suites Hotel or Prince Palace Hotel (4 nights)

Day 2 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 3 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 4 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 5 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: Down Town Inn or The Park Hotel (B, L, D)

Day 6 Chiang Mai – Wat Chan
Morning pick up from your Chiang Mai hotel and head north to Mae Malai 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. From here you head into the mountains to the Karen Lodge that is completely surrounded by forest, mountains and the sounds of birds and mountain streams. In the afternoon explore the pristine nature of rice fields, hills and rivers around 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 sounds of 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.
Overnight: Karen Lodge (B, L, D)

Day 7 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. Picnic lunch at the camp. Afternoon, take an elephant ride through the mountains and along streams for 1 1⁄2 hours. Continue walking a short distance to Karen hill tribe village Baan Houy Ya-Tai.
Dinner and overnight at the village. Here you relax at the village and enjoy a delicious barbecue before retiring to your hill tribe house for the evening. Bedroom with mattress and mosquito netting is provided.
Overnight: Musikee Eco Lodge (2 nights) (B, L, D)

Day 8 Wat Chan
Breakfast at village, 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. Travel with local truck to visit Baan Sao Dang, a Lisu hill tribe village and continue to the Royal Project Baan Sao Duang specializing in indigenous and non-indigenous plants.
Picnic lunch is served at the village or at the Royal Project. Here you must taste the delicious coffee grown at the Royal Project. Afternoon, local truck transports you 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 9 Wat Chan – Chiang Mai
Relax until 10.00. 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 can relax or swim in the natural surroundings. Around 16.30 arrive in Chiang Mai and transfer to your hotel.
Overnight: Down Town Inn or 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
2010 English Speaking Departures Daily
Inclusions
Tour Price Includes Tour Price Does Not Include Accommodation at hotels as specified or similar Any airfares & Airport taxes Meals as mentioned (B-breakfast, L-lunch, D-dinner) Drinks with meals All entrance fees as specified in the above itinerary Visas / Insurance / Tips Ground transportation by private air-cond. vehicle with baggage handling   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 2010 US $ 1295 US $ 250
Estimated International Airfare - International airfare is NOT included in this tour
Canada - West Coast N/A USA - West Coast US $ 1400 Canada - East Coast N/A USA - East Coast US $ 1600
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.