| Day 1 |
| 10.00 am |
Meet at the designated meeting point (airport/hotel in Chiang Rai/specified attraction in Chiang Rai). |
| 10.30 – 11.30 am |
Travel to Wat Rong Khun, a dazzling white-washed temple built by Ajarn Chalermchai Kositpipat, a famous Thai artist, with a strong determination to create an intricate piece of art dedicated to the reign of King Rama IX. It has received much praise from visitors for being as beautiful as “the heaven” itself. |
| 12.00 – 1.00 pm |
Lunch at Ma Long Ter restaurant, Art Bridge of Chiang Rai |
| 1.30 – 2.30 pm |
Arrive at Ban Dam Museum, comprised of a group of Lanna-style black houses built by Ajarn Tawan Datchanee, another internationally-renowned Thai artist often praised alongside Ajarn Chalermchai. The contrasting colors used by the two artists has brought about the phrase “Chalerm builds heaven while Tawan builds hell”. |
| 3.00 – 4.00 pm |
Arrive at Rong Sua Ten Temple, another highlight of Chiang Rai built by a Chiang Rai artist. The main building is painted in blue and shows the diverse colors through the arts and architecture of Chiang Rai. |
| 4.00 – 5.30 pm |
Check-in at the accommodation, Le Terrarium Bed & Sleep Chiang Raim and enjoy some leisure time. |
| 5.30 – 6.30 pm |
Dinner at Lu Lam restaurant. |
| 7.00 – 7.30 pm |
Enjoy the light and sound show at Chiang Rai Clock Tower, designed by Ajarn Chalermchai Kositpipat and said to be one of the most spectacular of its type in Thailand. It’s also been nominated as one of the not-to-miss landmarks for people visiting Chiang Rai. |
| 7.30 – 9.00 pm |
Shop at sprawling Chiang Rai Night Bazaar, the liveliest (and busiest) market in the center of town. |
| 9.00 pm |
Enjoy free time until bed. |
| Day 2 |
| 8.00 – 9.00 am |
Breakfast at the hotel restaurant and check-out. |
| 9.30 – 10.30 am |
Arrive at Wat Pra Kaew in the Mueang district of Chiang Rai province. A visit to this temple provides a look back in time to Chiang Rai’s prosperous past, as this is where the Emerald Buddha, Thailand’s most important Buddha image (now situated at the Grand Palace in Bangkok), was first discovered. |
| 10.30 am – 12.00 pm |
Arrive at the Lanna Culture Preservation Center, Oob Kam Museum. Here, you’ll find out about Chiang Rai’s ethnic diversity represented by various artifacts over one hundred years old and learn about the history of each tribe. |
| 12.00 – 1.00 pm |
Lunch at Khao Soi Por Jai restaurant |
| 1.00 – 2.00 pm |
Akha Mud House, Ban Lor Yo, Mae Chan district, Chiang Rai province
Arrive at Ban Lor Yo community, an Akha community that dates back over 80 years. Listen to the story of the community and the Akha tribe from Khun Yohan, the owner of Akha Mud House, Doi Mae Salong, and the leader of Ban Lor Yo community. |
| 2.00 – 3.00 pm |
Plant more greens for the community.
Travel into the community forest to plant trees and carve your own wooden label for a good memory. Walk through the forest and discover how it has been adapted to serve the community. |
| 3.00 – 6.00 pm |
Check-in at Akha Mud House and enjoy some free time. |
| 6.00 – 7.00 pm |
Enjoy an Ahka-style Khan Toke dinner, complete with a traditional welcome show from the local Akha children. |
| 7.00 pm |
Enjoy free time before bed. |
| Day 3 |
| 8.00 – 9.00 am |
Breakfast at Akha Mud House |
| 9.00 – 11.00 am |
Walk around Lor Yo village and soak up the Akha lifestyle, culture and beliefs, such as the Akha cultural gate and local games like the Akha top, Koh Noh and the traditional Akha swing. |
| 11.00 am – 12.00 pm |
Akha Cooking Class
Visit the mud house kitchen and learn some Akha recipes, which make use of the local ingredients to create delicious dishes only available in this part of the world. |
| 12.00 – 1.00 pm |
Have lunch – which includes your self-cooked dishes. |
| 1.00 – 3.00 pm |
Learn about the Akha handicrafts
Try making some Akha crafts, including Akha bracelets crafted from natural materials into tribal-style fashion items. Make your own Akha figure, a souvenir full of souls and beliefs of the Akha people. |
| 3.00 – 5.00 pm |
Take a break and freshen up. |
| 5.00 – 6.00 pm |
Try cooking some Akha dishes. |
| 6.00 – 7.00 pm |
Dinner with Khun Yohan’s family. |
| 7.00 pm |
Enjoy leisure time. |
| Day 4 |
| 8.00 – 9.00 am |
Breakfast at Akha Mud House |
| 9.00 am – 12.00 pm |
Learn about the local Akha wisdom and build eco-friendly mud houses.
Take a truck ride in search of some mud, which is needed to be used for construction. You’ll be given a demonstration on how the mud houses are built, with the process starting by mixing the mud. After mixing, let the mud settle and use it to cover the walls. Feeling creative? Then design your own wall on one of the houses! |
| 12.00 – 1.00 pm |
Lunch at Akha Mud House |
| 1.00 – 3.00 pm |
Let your imagination flow and design your own mud house.
Once the mud is ready for construction, it’s time to build a mud house in your own style! Khun Yohan will give instructions on coating the walls and creating patterns. The mud houses will be turned into rooms for future visitors. |
| 3.00 – 6.00 pm |
Enjoy some free time. |
| 6.00 – 7.00 pm |
Dinner |
| 7.00 pm |
Free time before bed. |
| Day 5 |
| 7.30 am – 8.30 am |
Breakfast at Akha Mud House |
| 9.00 – 10.00 am |
Ban Ja Boo See, Doi Mae Salong, Mae Fa Luang district, Chiang Rai province
Arrive at Ban Ja Boo See, a Lahu community that is over 100 years old. The Lahu people is known for their simple lifestyle and deep connection with nature. Listen to the community’s story from Khun Amornrat, the community leader. |
A wrist-binding welcome ceremony
After an introduction to the Lahu people, P’Amornrat will lead you into a Lahu house where a wrist-binding welcome ceremony is held. The Lahu people believe that the ceremony will bring good luck and safe journeys ahead. |
| 10.00 am – 12.00 pm |
Living in the wild with the Lahu local wisdom
Being so connected to nature, the Lahu people can teach you skills important to living in the wild, such as picking local herbs to use as medicine and catching fish for consumption – the natural way. |
| 12.00 – 1.00 pm |
Have lunch in the middle of nature and see how some of the dishes are cooked in bamboo tubes. |
| 1.00 – 4.00 pm |
Walk through the lush nature, passing through a bamboo forest, to a waterfall in the middle of the forest. Enjoy the view of Doi Mae Salong and Doi Tung while collecting natural materials to make household objects along the way. |
| 4.00 – 4.15 pm |
Say goodbye to Ja Boo See community. |
| 4.15 – 5.30 pm |
Enjoy a relaxing early afternoon with a coffee and the scenic view of Doi Mae Salong mountain range at Pana Coffee House. |
| 6.00 – 7.00 pm |
Dinner at Akha Mud House |
| 7.00 pm |
Enjoy some free time before bed. |
| Day 6 |
| 7.30 – 8.30 am |
Breakfast at Akha Mud House |
| 9.00 – 10.00 am |
The Thai-Chinese Heroic Museum of Former Chinese Nationalist Army of the Northern Thailand, Santi Kiri village (Doi Mae Salong)
Learn about the Yunnan people’s history of immigration into the North of Thailand. This museum tells the story of the battle between the communist and democratic parties in China, which was the beginning of the Chinese diasporic army… and many more stories to be told. |
| 10.15 – 11.00 am |
Mae Salong Homestay & Outdoor, Doi Mae Salong
Arrive at Doi Mae Salong Community Tourism Center. Listen to the history of the Yunnan community on Doi Mae Salong from Uncle James, or Khun Skurapol Saipetkorsakul, a Chinese-Thai community master, who will tell you about the Chinese culture and stories. |
Experience the traditional Chinese tea culture.
Chinese people have long been connected to the culture of tea drinking, with leaves being cultivated for over a thousand years. Tea is always consumed with great care for its medical properties and warm touch that helps with the cold. |
| 11.00 am – 12.00 pm |
Yunnan-Chinese Cooking Class
Try cooking some Yunnan dishes with recipes adapted to suit the local ingredients, creating unique and charming tastes. |
| 12.00 – 1.00 pm |
Yunnan-style lunch at Mae Salong Homestay |
| 1.00 – 2.30 pm |
Ride a horse through tea plantation, where the community’s main industrial crop is grown.
Generating a large revenue for the community each year, tea is Doi Mae Salong’s main industrial crop. Enjoy a visit through a tea plantation by horse-riding, which was also part of the Chinese lifestyle in the past. |
| 2.30 – 4.00 pm |
See how tea leaves are processed at 101 Tea Plantation.
After seeing the tea plants, it’s time to learn how the leaves are processed for further distribution, including leaf-drying, roasting, pressuring, hot-air drying and packaging. |
| 4.30 – 6.00 pm |
Arrive at Srinagarindra Stit Mahasantikhiri Pagoda, a memorial site dedicated to Princess Srinagarindra and the highest point of Doi Mae Salong range with a panoramic view of the surroundings. It represents the loyalty of the Doi Mae Salong tribes to the Chakri Dynasty of Thailand. |
| 6.00 – 7.00 pm |
Yunnan-style hot-pot dinner at Im Pochana restaurant |
| 7.30 pm |
Enjoy some free time before bed. |
| Day 7 |
| Morning |
Breakfast at Akha Mud House |
| 12.00 – 1.30 pm |
Say goodbye to Lor Yo community and return to Chiang Rai via road. |
| 1.30 pm |
Travel to the meeting point to embark on the return journey. (airport/hotel in Chiang Rai/attraction in Chiang Rai) |
