Half Day Treks

T 1

Start at the village of Mae Muang Noi and walk through rice, garlic, chilli or corn fields - depending upon the season. Here you can view rural activities in an area where most work such as planting and harvesting is carried out by hand and where ploughing is still carried out using water buffalo. Ascend a steep hill through secondary forest with lovely views of the surrounding area and layer upon layer of terraced fields. The trek finishes at the Lahu hill tribe village of Mae Muang Noi Noi where a vehicle will collect you and return to the resort. This is a short trek of about 1.5 hours.

Moderate

T 2 / T 2A

Start at a Karen village and walk along a well made track through the hills where local hilltribe people work the land to produce rice and corn. The route passes through the Lahu village of Huay Pha Khaem, a village undergoing some modernizations, but which still reflects the Lahu way of life with its stilted houses made of wood, split bamboo and straw thatch. The route then passes through an interesting area of agriculture where you can see for yourself what hard work is needed to cultivate the land. The trek ends at the village of Pha Thai (about 2 to 2.5 hours) where either a vehicle will collect you, or instead, take a long-tailed boat for an hour's trip up the Mae Kok River to return to the resort (T 2A).

Easy

T 3

Take a vehicle to the Lahu village of Gaeng Khum set high above the valley. Spend some time looking around the village before walking down into a small valley which is intensively cultivated with rice, corn, garlic and fruit trees. A short ascent brings you into the temple complex of Wat Thaton. Walk up to the large Standing Buddha which has a platform allowing you to enjoy magnificent views across the Fang valley. Walk down to the valley floor, either along the road through the temple complex, visiting various Chedis and stupas on the way, or down a steep jungle path, and along a riverside path back to the village of Thaton. This is a 2.5 hour walk.

Easy to moderately difficult

One Day Treks

T 4

This is one of the best treks in the area, taking in hill villages, a forest temple, caves, tropical forest, rivers, waterfalls and gorge walking. Set in the national park of Pha Hom Phok, it covers a range of terrains and finishes at some hot springs where hikers can relax in a natural sauna or soak in a hot pool. The trek takes 5 to 7 hours depending upon fitness. There are several steep sections - some requiring ropes and although of short duration, they do require a reasonable level of fitness.

Moderate to difficult

T 5

The trek starts with a steep ascent along a dirt road (only usable in the dry season). After 45 minutes to an hour, enter the Akha hilltribe village of On Air. This is a classic Akha style village with stilted houses straddling a ridge in long linear form. Spend time looking around the village and seeing 'village-life Akha style'. A narrow path takes you on a long descent down through land which shows all the classic signs of 'slash and burn' agriculture. Stop for lunch along the path and then continue to descend, passing through the Lahu village of Huay Pha Khaem on the way. A further hour and the trek ends at the village of Pha Thai where either a vehicle will collect you, or instead, take a long-tailed boat for an hour's trip up the Mae Kok River to return to the resort (T 5A).

Moderate to easy

T 6

Take a long-tailed boat for a 1.5 hour trip to the Lahu of village Pha Kwang. Disembark and walk along a riverside track which hugs the river and which ascends and descends over a few spurs. The Maekok River here is enclosed in a narrow wooded valley with intermittent agricultural areas. The track passes through a few small riverine settlements before ending at the village of Pha Thai where your boat will be waiting to take you back to the resort.

Easy