just asking for a bit of info regarding trekking away from the normal tourist menu
hello all, after a month in southern thailand, beaching and languishing on islands and beaches, we are now in chiang mai. We desperately want to trek but are put off by the factory tours on offer. Has anyone recently deviated from the norm and done anything different from the mirriad tours on offer here?? We are considering mai hon son and chiang rai but obviously touts and agents here are advisng against it saying it is drout season and these areas are now quite bland.
Also, we plan to go to Laos next but the options seem very limited from here: either 2 or 3 days including many hours on mini buses or slow boats to Luang Pra Bang once again following the masses, has anyone recently tried an alternative?? Please reply with any ideas, we plan 3 days in the Chiang Mai area then really want to get hiking
Any advice greatly appreciated
DAve & Anna
Reply to this hey there Dave and Anna!
can't really help you regarding Thailand but in Laos, with a little hard work, you should easily find something closer to what you're looking for. I suggest just turning up at one of laos many smaller "towns", especially those in the North, and asking around. many local people are more than happy to supplement their meagre incomes by guiding treks to the hill tribes. You can, so long as the guide speaks a little English, design your own trek.
By way of example, or indeed as a direct tip, we rocked up in Muang Khua on the banks of the Nam Ou after arriving from Vietnam and, after a couple days hanging out, met up got talking to a guy called Bounma. a seriously nice guy in a country full of them. He was a teacher in the school as well as a regional co-ordinator, a comparitively affluent, and certainly well respected, young man who, after endless pre-amble (no hard sell here!) tentatively proposed his serices as a guide. Two days later we set off on an incredible three night trek to visit the fascinating Khamu and Tamoi hilltribes. just amazing, and all for only $30 a day, total, for two of us!
If you go there, go the local School and ask for Bounma!
Check out the blog if you want more details
Things have only got better!
Scott
Reply to this Hi
I've deleted your duplicate post.
We flew from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang with Laos Air. It saved a lot of time.
An alternative to tours is to visit some of the towns on the Mae Hong Song loop such as Mae Sairaing and Pai. There are quieter places that organise treks from there or you can get a map and walk yourself.
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