Preparation

How to prepare, what to bring, what to know, before your tour begins.

Occasionally, we have requests from solo travellers who wish to book a tour. As our tours are private the group would consist of the solo traveller and our guide. We do not add a solo traveller to another group.

We recommend a minimum of two people in a group, to reduce costs, and to have someone to share the experience with

Solo travellers unfortunately have to pay a higher price as we have a number of set costs which we cannot reduce, such as transport and admin costs. This means that the fee for 1 person will be higher than the per person fee of a booking for 2 people.

You can check the cost of a tour by opening the individual tour page, select your tour departure date, and choose 1 group member - the booking price will automatically appear at the top of the box.

: Category: Preparation; Published: 26 November 2018

Cultureshock can be felt by those who have never experienced conditions found in the local villages. Please be aware that you will be staying in a family home - our homestays are based with a family with children, or a married couple. Please respect their home, their beliefs, and their culture.

We have set standards for our homestays, covering cleanliness, accommodation, and food... but, these are real homes in traditional communities - not model homes, guesthouses or hotels. Facilities are basic: squat toilets, cold showers, rudimentary electric power (no power at all in some villages), thin mattresses.

Food, language, and lifestyle, as well as etiquette can all be sources of cultureshock. We do our best to prepare our guests with information and photographs, and our guides are very helpful too. However, guests should research independently to understand what the experience is likely to entail.

: Category: Preparation; Published: 13 August 2018

Trekking groups

We collect groups with our pickup truck, which has a roof and seating in the back for passengers and luggage. The vehicle can also carry four people in the front, excluding the driver.

Car tours removed

In an effort to reduce environmental impact, and focus on trekking in the local area, we no longer offer car tours or other sightseeing tours

: Category: Preparation; Published: 13 August 2018

Our guides were trained by us, and each holds a TAT guide licence (Tourism Authority of Thailand). We also taught them English (one speaks Japanese too), which helps them to converse with the guests during the trip. But please understand that the standard of language varies - English will be at least their 3rd language, after their tribal and Thai language.

The guides were born and raised in the villages in our programmes, so you can be sure that the information you receive from them about local culture and tradition is authentic - many travel agencies and tour operators use Thai guides who have no firsthand knowledge of the hilltribe communities. Our guides are encouraged, once they have experience and self-confidence, to work for themselves or other agencies, whilst still freelancing for us.

: Category: Preparation; Published: 13 August 2018

Chiang Rai

We pick you up, and drop you off, anywhere inside Chiang Rai city, for free. This includes the new bus station (#2) and the airport, which are both located slightly outside town.

However, for other locations outside the city, we may charge an extra fee to cover costs. Please enter your accommodation name when booking and we can let you know if any extra fees will be charged.

Accommodation located outside town can also impact on the pickup and drop off times, or reduce the amount of time on the trek.