Thailand Guide
The north
Activities
1 Hilltribe Tour Mirror Art Group, 106 Moo 1, Ban Huay Khom, Tambon Mae Yao, Chiang Rai
053 737412 www.mirrorartgroup.org Branch of an NGO working with the hill tribes in Chiang Rai province that runs tours, one- to three-day treks and longer village homestays, on which you can learn a hill-tribe skill such as weaving or playing an instrument.
2 Natural Focus 053 758658 or 085 888 6869 www.naturalfocus-cbt.com Organizes one- to fifteen-day tours to learn about mountain life, as well as youth, workstay and volunteer skills programmes. Run by an NGO, the Hill Area and Community Development Foundation.
3 Hilltribe Museum Treks Hilltribe Museum, 620/25 Thanon Tanalai 053 740088 www.pda.or.th/chiangrai One- or multi-day jungle treks run by the Hilltribe Museum's PDA development agency to non-touristy areas, usually including elephant riding and a longtail-boat trip. They also lay on a wide range of guided tours, to their Akha project at Ban Lorcha, Mae Salong and other places of interest.