Elephants at Work and Padaung “Long-Neck” Hill-tribe village

(7.30 am - 6.00 pm. Minimum 2 persons, includes lunch)

The tour begins with a drive north to an elephant training camp in a lush riverside setting in Chiang Dao. Here, the elephants are bathed before their mahouts command them to move logs as if they were working in the logging industry of the past. Using their tusks, trunks and feet, the elephants make rolling huge logs look easy. The tour continues north, providing an opportunity to sample the varying scenery, passing the second and third highest mountains in Thailand on the way to Thaton, where you will enjoy lunch overlooking the Kok River. We continue to a Padaung “Long-Neck” village, where you can see the lifestyle of these hill folk before returning to Chiang Mai.

The Padaung “Long Necks”

The Padaung are a sub-group of the Karen, a large ethnic group of obscure origin that has long inhabited the hills of eastern Burma and northwestern Thailand. Originating from Kayah State in Eastern Burma, the Padaung speak their own language and begin the custom of putting rings on the necks of females when a special ceremony is held to put the first five rings on girls up to five-years-old. The rings press down on the vertebrae and collar bones making their necks appear longer. Each adult woman usually has about 20-25 rings around her neck.

The Orchid Farms present colourful arrays of orchids, both common hybrids (which may be for sale) and rare species. Displayed in tranquil settings, the delicate blooms leave a lasting impression, a perfect image to contemplate at the end of a great day of touring.