In PROTECTED VILLAGES
OUR CENTER where the programs take place
Schedule B
Thursday
Those joining the new three day program we pick you up from the Chiang Rai and take you to San Jai village for a one day trek and to learn about the forest environment. Along the way we visit other villages for a truely authentic time.
Friday
Shamanism workshop about the essence and central pillar of tribal culture and the oldest religion in the world. The Akha live by the code “all is always now” an inherent belief where there is no separation between man and nature. The tribe has a deep sense of myth which acts as the hinge between the imagination and the sacred world.
This course is with real shaman elders. Lunch.
Learn more about the shamanism here
In the afternoon there is a forest herb workshop to learn about the forest canopy - the last unexplored resource in the world - where many scientists believe there are cures for cancer and HIV. Learn about the tribes distinct way of life in the forest and ancient medical practices intricately linked with nature.
Return to Chiang Rai for an evening meal.
Saturday
After breakfast we visit some local hot springs and the beautiful waterfall called Kang Khong. Here we can relax, swim and walk through a nice bamboo forest. In the afternoon there is an option to volunteer with the NGO and visiting the hill tribe children in our school. Evening meal and a chance to go intoChiang Rai town to visit the night market.
Sunday
You can spend all day at our Chiang Rai centre and use our free bicycles but you must vacate by 6.30pm. If you are on the week course sleep Chiang Rai and visit Night Market.
We can organize transport to the Laos Border for those catching the boat to Luang Prabang in the morning if you like.
REAL HILL TRIBE CULTURE
Our villages are culturally protected by the United Nations and off the typical tourist beaten track so you can experience customs inherently alive with hill tribe traditions unchanged for hundreds of years. That's what makes the villages so special.
Workshops on shamanism, ecology, naturopathy and mythology interspersed with fun activities make this a unique way to engage in a fascinating culture. Our villages are found deep within the verdant hills and sacred forests between Chiang Rai and Burma, providing a breath taking and beautiful natural setting. Great for photography.
Traditional tribal food is delicious.
The accommodation is dorm but if you prefer you can stay with local families in the villages. Our dorms are bamboo 'long houses' with a central fire hearth - very rustic.
Our guides are hill tribe people who speak excellent english and are extremely knowledgeable about the culture, the environment and forests and customs. They are great fun, safety conscious and very friendly.
Within the program there are intermixed additional activities where we might spend an evening relaxing by the Mae Kok river.
Everyone who spends time with us has a genuinely interesting and good time.
OUR TOURS OFFER
Our 3 day and 7 day Tour starts every Monday and Thursday and takes place in a culturally protected area surrounded by forests. Staying in our villages will allow you to experience how other people live, work, relax and perceive the world in a completely authentic setting. Through hands on activities that allow you to connect with the villagers you will feel like a member of the family, not just an anonymous ‘tourist.’ All food including breakfast, lunch and evening meals are included along with accomodation. We like to show you how the villagers live so there's workshops on traditional life and shamanism the belief system around which the villagers live. Schedules A and B are 3 days tours. The seven day tour are the two together. If you would like to book with us please email us
Schedule A
Monday
We collect you from any point in Chiang Rai and take you to our NGO where you have a Hill tribe language lesson and an introduction to Akha culture. After lunch there's a Chiang Rai Ancient City Tour. We then drive you to San Jai, a small village just south of the Burmese border to have a welcome ceremony. This is a culturally protected area surrounded by forests. You can walk around the village and see what real village life is like.
Tuesday
In the morning there's a workshop to learn about the interconnected relationship the hill tribe has with rice. Depending on the season there is rice planting on rice terraces. Lunch.
In the afternoon we learn about subsistence farming, agriculture and about a sustainable and nature friendly way of life - traditions thousands of years old that have been taught and passed on from one generation to the next. Evening meal.
Wednesday
In the morning we have a traditional Akha Spa with forest herbs (a great detox) Afterwards there's an Akha traditional massage and a short workshop on tradition massage and health.
After lunch we drive to the Golden Triangle to see the Mekong River and view Burma and Laos. We also view the Opium museum. We then drive to Chiang Rai for a farewell evening meal and party. Sleep in our Chiang Rai centre.
For those leaving the 3 program we can organize for you to go to the Laos border in time for the slow boat to Luang Prabang on Thursday morning.