Karen homestay, Thailand
| country: | Thailand |
| location: | Thai hill tribes, Northern Thailand |
| departures: | This trip can be tailormade to depart at a time that suits you, year round and requires two weeks notice to arrange |
| price: | From US $189 (3 days) excluding flights (per person, 4/5 guests). Price falls with increasing group size (US $149, 10-12 guests). Price includes meals, accommodation, transport to/from village, local guides, English speaking facilitator and activities |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Karen culture, wild natural beauty, diverse ecosystems, prehistoric caves, misty mountains, fast-running rivers, emerald paddy fields, self-sufficient agriculture, wild orchids, traditional lifestyle and healthy food.
This is community based tourism at its best – share life with the local Karen people – interactive, authentic, fun and fascinating!
Mae Hong Son is the most mountainous province of Northern Thailand, known for its natural beauty and diverse ecosystems.
In this Karen village, visitors will have a chance to stay with the villagers and learn about their way of life by participating in daily activities such as cooking, basket-making, and cloth weaving.
You can also trek to the top of the highest mountain in Northern Thailand, accompanied by your local Karen Guide, who will share how the gentle Karen people and the forest live in harmony. Here, villagers still wear their traditional costumes and have maintained their traditional culture despite the intrusion of modernisation.
Accommodation is basic but comfortable, food is local and tasty, and the people are amazing. In the evenings you can share photos of home, practice some Karen or just relax!
Please note: We can arrange this group for independent couples, but this will be expensive as costs cannot be shared.
Family holidays: Our homestays are a favorite with families. The guest family stays in a homestay with a Thai family and participates in all kinds of activities - there are plenty of 'gentle' options suitable for kids and parents. Also, activities can be tailored depending on what particular interests guests have.
This is community based tourism at its best – share life with the local Karen people – interactive, authentic, fun and fascinating!
Mae Hong Son is the most mountainous province of Northern Thailand, known for its natural beauty and diverse ecosystems.
In this Karen village, visitors will have a chance to stay with the villagers and learn about their way of life by participating in daily activities such as cooking, basket-making, and cloth weaving.
You can also trek to the top of the highest mountain in Northern Thailand, accompanied by your local Karen Guide, who will share how the gentle Karen people and the forest live in harmony. Here, villagers still wear their traditional costumes and have maintained their traditional culture despite the intrusion of modernisation.
Accommodation is basic but comfortable, food is local and tasty, and the people are amazing. In the evenings you can share photos of home, practice some Karen or just relax!
Please note: We can arrange this group for independent couples, but this will be expensive as costs cannot be shared.
Family holidays: Our homestays are a favorite with families. The guest family stays in a homestay with a Thai family and participates in all kinds of activities - there are plenty of 'gentle' options suitable for kids and parents. Also, activities can be tailored depending on what particular interests guests have.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | The group is met by our English speaking facilitator in the morning in Mae Hong Son, and sets of in 4x4's. En route, we stop at a view point for an orientation - Kor Moo Temple - and also a Karen village, where we have lunch. After that, we arrive in Huay Hee, where we are based for the rest of the program. The programme is flexible, and the emphasis is on sharing the rhythms of real life. Hill tribes people will involve visitors in weaving and crafts activities followed by a demonstration by the blacksmith. There will also be the opportunity to walk around and explore the village and visit the local school. (L,D) |
| Day 2: | Next day we will walk through the nature trail up to Doi Pui mountain. Along the way we will have an opportunity to see a great variety of orchids, fern trees and herbs. The area is protected and conserved by the villagers so the wildlife is very diverse. (B,L,D) |
| Day 3: | On the last day visitors and villagers walk through to the rotation rice fields. Here, Karen people grow rice, corn and other vegetables in integrated fields. Your local guide will explain how they farm, and you can have a go too, if you like. We depart in the afternoon on day 3, getting us back into Mae Hong Son by early evening. (B,L) |
how this holiday makes a difference
 For many years, the Karen people in this region have lived in fear of persecution by National Park authorities, who claimed their farming practices were destructive and attempted on many occasions to evict them. The villagers knew that this was far from the truth – Karen culture is intimately connected to the land, and Karen people have a deep respect for nature. Their lifestyle was being misunderstood by the lowland Thai people. The challenge was: how does a remote minority village, high in the mountains, win public understanding and support? With the help of a local NGO, The Project for Recovery of Life and Culture (PRLC), and our Bangkok based NGO, the community developed a ‘Community based Tourism’ program to invite guests to stay in their community and share their day to day life. Within 2 years, the community had become well known as a ‘learning centre’ to understand Karen life. Many journalists came and were deeply impressed by the lifestyle and spirit of the people. They wrote articles about the sustainable farming practices of the Karen which had an impact on public perceptions, and begun to soften the attitude of local government. Community members gained many skills from working in tourism as community guides and hosts – including analysis, planning, presentation, communication and management. These skills helped community members to communicate more effectively with local authorities, and they were eventually able to forge a compromise which gave them more rights, more hope and more space to live their lives. 7 years later, the village is the hub of an 11 community-wide network, which is working to develop ‘CBT for Community-based Natural Resource Management.’ In addition to skills and voice, tourism has also been a useful income source for local people, contributing up to 10% increase in the income of active group members. Tourism has also proved to local youth that people from all around the world are interested in their lives – stimulating a sense of pride in their community and culture.  This holiday is part of the responsibletravel.com and Conservation International Community Based Tourism Programme to support and promote community based tourism ventures that offer significant conservation and development benefits to local communities. To see other community based tourism holidays and find out more about the programme click here. |
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