Amazing Eco Trek - 2 Days 1 Night

The full two-day Amazing Eco Trek packs the whole mountain experience into one overnight: a market stop and time with elephants on the first morning, a hike through rice fields to a Karen village, a waterfall swim, a cooking session and a campfire, then a second day of jungle walking and a bamboo raft ride home. It suits travellers who want more than a day trip but cannot spare three days.

Day one begins with pickup in Chiang Mai between 08:00 and 08:30 and a stop at a local market to buy food for the elephants. You meet the elephants, feed them by hand and help bathe them, then walk through rice fields to the Karen village where you spend the night. There is a waterfall to swim in, a Thai cooking session for dinner and a campfire in the evening. Day two starts with breakfast in the village, then a jungle hike with another waterfall stop, a visit to a second Karen village and lunch in a Shan village. The afternoon is bamboo rafting down the river before the drive back to Chiang Mai, arriving around 16:00.

The overnight is basic: a village house shared with the group, mattresses, blankets and mosquito nets, simple washing facilities. Pack light and bring a flashlight, a warm layer and a dry bag for the raft.