Chiang Mai is without a doubt one of the must-visit places in Thailand. Surrounded by green mountains and influenced by a charming Lanna way of life, this famous city is an ideal holiday destination for anyone who seeks a relaxed, back to nature holiday, with a fun mix of activities.
This tour is perfect for families who want to cycle at a leisurely pace through a beautiful region and experience a variety of northern charms – from sleeping in an adobe hut, visiting an organic farm, cooking your dinner, kayaking on a lake, boiling eggs in a natural hot spring to bathing with elephants!
A wide range of activities, from educational, to physical to just fun. We guarantee all members of your family an unforgettable experience in Thailand
After an early pickup, it’s just a short transfer to start our ride outside downtown
Chiang Mai. We start with a gentle ride on quiet back roads, cycling through small
villages, numerous paddy fields, fruit orchards, all with a stunning backdrop of the
mountains. We will ride across the dam of the sixth largest national park in Thailand,
Sri Lanna, and finish at Mae Ngad Reservoir. Here we take off our bike helmets and
put on our life vests and launch our kayaks for the next phase of our adventure. We
first take a boat out to a floating restaurant for lunch. After a bit of rest, we take up the
paddles and kayak around buffalo island, so-named for its primary residents. Back
at our raft, you’re free to jump or slide into the stream-fed waters. It’s back to shore
and a short cycle or a transfer to our resort with its own organic farm.
Today we’ll start by exploring the Chiang Dao cave where you can see the
numerous natural formations of limestone and crystals. Keep your head low as you
are walking through the tunnel filled with stalactites and stalagmites. Then we take
a short transfer to stunning Wat Bann Den to check out the Lanna architecture as well
as the glittering Nagas. From here we get on our bicycles for an easy ride in the
countryside. We take a dirt track along an irrigation canal where we cycle from
village to village, meeting plenty of friendly locals along the way. Our destination is
Mae Jo Baan Din, also known as Earth Home, a small organic farm promoting
sustainable living. Here we’ll immerse ourselves in the famous Thai cuisine as we
learn about the ingredients, how to prepare them and cook them. Our host will take
us to the organic garden to learn about the vegetables and herbs used in Thai dishes,
and after picking our ingredients we will prepare dinner. We overnight in an adobe
hut built with all natural materials. There is no hot water tonight but it’s all part of the
experience to go Thai-style.
Today we put our bikes aside and spend the day with Thailand’s national animal – the elephant. We transfer to the elephant park, get changed and kick off the day learning about these gentle giants and how they have been exploited in the logging and tourism industries. This camp serves as a sanctuary for the rescued elephants. We get up close to these highly intelligent and emotional mammals as we spend the day preparing food, walking and bathing them; it’s hard not to fall in love with your new buddy. There will be plenty of photo opportunities, so don’t forget your cameras. Enjoy freshly prepared lunch served right at the park. Please note that SpiceRoads does not endorse any activities that will bring harm to the animals and therefore the elephant camp we bring you to will not allow any riding. Please stay attentive, take caution around the elephants and follow the instructions provided by the camp staff, all the while having fun! Tonight we’ll spend some time with ethnic Lisu. There are approximately 55,000 Lisu living in Thailand presently in six main tribes. We’ll have a villager escort us through the village and he’ll take us to a local house to have a cup of tea and teach us about traditional medicine at the shaman’s house.
After breakfast, we are likely to see Buddhist monks on their morning ritual, walking in their peaceful manner for their daily alms from villagers. Thai Buddhists give alms with their highest respect. This morning a transfer takes us to the Ginger Farm, where you will have the opportunity to learn about the important role the water buffalo has played in ancient rice farming techniques. If you are willing to get your feet dirty you can participate in a hands-on demonstration of planting and harvesting rice. We have lunch at the Ginger Farm that serve a wide variety of organic food and refreshing healthy drinks to cool down with. After lunch, we cycle on flat terrain to Ban Tawai to see sculptures handcrafted from wood featuring many unique shapes that reflect the heritage of the local craftsmen. Next we ride for 15 km to visit the historic ruins of Wiang Khum Kham, the first Mon settlement dating back to the 11th century. Following our visit back in time we have a 30 minute transfer to our resort, the Horizon Village Resort surrounded by a beautiful botanical garden, a mini zoo and of course a swimming pool.
After breakfast, a short transfer to Bor Sang Umbrella Village. Bor Sang is famed
for handmade parasols made from bamboo and rice paper. The village has made
umbrellas for generations and the art has been handed down through a small
number of families that live here. You can create your unique painted umbrella as
a souvenir. Then get back on your bike and start cycling on a smooth tarmac road.
Today is an easy flat ride, shaded small tarmac roads lead you through villages,
pass by schools, temples and many fruit orchards. When the mountains start to
appear in the background we are close to our destination – a hot spring. San
Kamphaeng Hot Springs offers many different pools, including one that you can boil an
egg in! Let the minerals and the heat do their magic on your biking muscles. After
lunch, our tour is over and we transfer you to your hotel in Chiang Mai city or the
airport.