Ecotourism Programmes and Pricing

ET 102: One day - The Pang Soong Nature Trail.

ET 201: Two days & One night - The Pang Soong Nature Trail & 4WD programme.

ET 202: Two days & One night - The Pang Soong Nature Trail & Downhill trek.

ET 102: One day - The Pang Soong Nature Trail.
Ref. No: ET 102
Programme: The Pang Soong Nature Trail.
Meal Code: (L) Picnic lunch.
Location: One hour north of Chiang Mai.
Introduction:
Spend the day following a programme that includes a guided 4 hour tour along the stunning Pang Soong Nature Trail, guided by local 'Khun Muang' villagers who are receiving assistance in developing their own eco-tourism product.
The Pang Soong Trail is a community based tourism project run by the villagers of Ban Mae Lai, in the Mae On district of Chiang Mai Province with development and promotional support from the Voluntourists Without Borders (VWB) initiative.
The villagers are 'Khun Muang', the original farmers of the Chiang Mai area, and have for years grown 'Chaa Mieng', a local variant of tea. Nowadays, with their offspring showing little liking for fermented tea, and coffee prices relatively high, they are turning to farming 'Arabica' coffee.
Not a hill tribe, they are somewhat unique in that they have been ignored by tourism development and as such they, and the mountainous areas they live in, are amongst the last 'undeveloped' attractions of the north.

Valid until 31st October 2007

*in Thai Baht per person

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ET 201: Two days & One night - The Pang Soong Nature Trail & 4WD programme.
Ref. No: ET 201
Programme: The Pang Soong Nature Trail & 4WD programme.

Day One
Meal Code: (L,D) Picnic lunch.
Location: One hour north of Chiang Mai

Introduction:
Spend the day following a programme that includes a guided 4 hour tour along the stunning Pang Soong nature trail, guided by local 'Khun Muang' villagers who are receiving assistance in developing their own ecotoursist product.
Overnight in this rustic Lodge, dinner and time around the campfire, followed by a 4WD day tour of the remote villages and scenic attractions of this genuinely little visited area of the north - populated almost exclusively by Khun Muang.
Not a hill tribe, they are somewhat unique in that they have been ignored by tourism development and as such they, and the mountainous areas they live in, are amongst the last 'undeveloped' attractions of the north.
The nature trail follows a path edging the river course over some 15 waterfalls ranging in height from 2m to 30m as the trail ascends from 1'000.m.a.s.l. to app.1'500 m.a.s.l.
To facilitate access, a path has been cut along the edge of the stream with steps, ladders and handrails where needed to ensure safety.
The vegetation is thick with a variety of flora seldom seen any more anywhere but in very remote jungle areas on the north, where tourists and locals alike rarely set foot.
The Pang Soong Nature Trail is a stunning 3-4 hour round trip (up and down) walk, to be opened to the public in November 2004.
Track of the Tiger, has funded the compilation of a comprehensive nature trail guide for the project. The guide, written with the assistance of the Chiang Mai University Herbarium Consultancy that covers the geology, climate, forest cover, flora and fauna
We hope this pilot project, with 'fair trade based' forest guide and trail maintenance fees being paid to the village by all who enter, will prove a model for the development of community based sustainable eco-tourism in the north.
Itinerary:
0800 hrs. You are collected from your hotel by our English speaking tour guide and transported by 4WD to the trail head, at Pang Soong Lodge, some 50 kms., outside of Chiang Mai.
Check into your accommodation, a double or twin bedded room in the main building, with private bathroom.
0930 hrs. Issued with a trail guide, a booklet (on loan) covering the flora and fauna of the trail along with much general 'ecological' detail, and a walking stick, you set off along the trail accompanied by your guide and led by a local community forest guide.
We travel at a slow pace and en route stop frequently at designated stations where the guide will assist you in locating items of interest detailed in the nature trail guide, and acting as interpreter between yourself and the local community forest guide.
1100 hrs. Continue up the trail stopping at the points of interest as you go, reaching the turnaround point at the base of another waterfall.
1200 hrs. Stop for a picnic box lunch at a rest stop, at the base of a waterfall. Those who wish to swim in the cool pools below the waterfall are encouraged to do so.
1300 hrs. Commence the return journey back down the trail.
1400 hrs. Arrive back at the artist's retreat and enjoy tea, before taking a 4WD excursion to some of the villages higher up the mountain (1'000 - 1'900 m.a.s.l.) where you will be able to walk through the village, stopping to chat to the locals (with the help of your guide) and observe the late afternoon/early evening activities of the local people.
Note* When surveying these villages to write this programme in November 2005, the villagers claim to have seen less than 6 foreign tourists come through, on 4WD or motorcycle expeditions in the preceding 11 months of the year.
Return to Pang Soong Lodge for a set Thai style dinner and time around the campfire before retiring to bed.

Day Two
Meal Code: (B,L) Picnic lunch.
0800 hrs. (or earlier) Enjoy breakfast in the open sided sala (pavilion) restaurant with background music provide by the nearby waterfall and your feathered neighbours.
Check out of the Lodge and depart by 4WD along the road that travels through Ban Mae Kampong, over the mountains and down into the Lampang valley on the other side. Along the way, you stop of to explore villages, areas of stunning scenery, and places that interest you.
On reaching the lower slopes of the mountain on the Lampang side, you turn north following the foothills, and then follow the new road that goes back over a mountain pass joining the main Chiang Mai - Chiang Rai road north of Doi Saket. Alternatively, follow a route running south through farmlands and rice paddy that little visited by tourism or mainstream development, weave a tapestry of rural Thai life.
1500 hrs - You re-enter Chiang Mai city from the south along the tree lined Lamphun road, and transfer to your hotel.

Pricing programme Ref: ET 201.
(Valid from 1st November 2006 - 31st October 2007).

*in Thai Baht per person

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ET 202: Two days & One night - The Pang Soong Nature Trail & Downhill trek.
Programme: The Pang Soong Nature Trail & Downhill trek.
Duration: Two days & One night
Ref. No: ET 202

Day One
Meal Code: (L,D) Picnic lunch.
Location: One hour north of Chiang Mai.

Introduction:
Spend the day following a programme that includes a guided 4 hour tour along the stunning Pang Soong nature trail, guided by local 'Khun Muang' villagers who are receiving assistance in developing their own eco-tourism product.
Overnight in this rustic Lodge, dinner and time around the campfire, followed by a full day downhill trek (10 kms) through the remote villages and scenic attractions of this genuinely little visited area of the north, down into the flood plains arriving at Mae On reservoir.
The Pang Soong Nature Trail is a community based tourism project run by the villagers of Ban Mae Lai , in the Mae On district of Chiang Mai Province with development and promotional support from the VWB initiative.
The villager are 'Khun Muang', the original farmers of the Chiang Mai area, and have for years grow 'Chaa Mieng', a local variant of tea. Nowadays, with their offspring showing little liking for fermented tea, and coffee prices relatively high, they are turning to farming 'Arabica' coffee.
Not a hill tribe, they are somewhat unique in that they have been ignored by tourism development and as such they, and the mountainous areas they live in, are amongst the last 'undeveloped' attractions of the north.
The nature trail follows a path edging the river course over some 15 waterfalls ranging in height from 2m to 30m as the trail ascends from 1'000.m.a.s.l. to app.1'500 m.a.s.l.
To facilitate access, a path has been cut along the edge of the stream with steps, ladders and handrails where needed to ensure safety.
The vegetation is thick with a variety of flora seldom seen any more anywhere but in very remote jungle areas on the north, where tourists and locals alike rarely set foot.
The Pang Soong Nature Trail is a stunning 3-4 hour round trip (up and down) walk, to be opened to the public in November 2004.
Track of the Tiger, has funded the compilation of a comprehensive nature trail guide for the project.
The guide, written with the assistance of the Chiang Mai University Herbarium Consultancy that covers the geology, climate, forest cover, flora and fauna
We hope this pilot project, with 'fair trade based' forest guide and trail maintenance fees being paid to the village by all who enter, will prove a model for the development of community based sustainable ecotourism in the north.
Itinerary:
0800 hrs. You are collected from your hotel by our English speaking tour guide and transported to the trail head, an artists retreat, some 50 kms., outside of Chiang Mai.
Check into your accommodation, a double or twin bedded room in the main building, with private bathroom.
0930 hrs. Issued with a trail guide, a booklet (on loan) covering the flora and fauna of the trail along with much general 'ecological' detail, and a walking stick, you set off along the trail accompanied by your guide and led by a local community forest guide.
We travel at a slow pace and en route stop frequently at designated stations where the guide will assist you in locating items of interest detailed in the nature trail guide, and acting as interpreter between yourself and the local community forest guide.
1100 hrs. Continue up the trail stopping at the points of interest as you go, reaching the turnaround point at the base of another waterfall.
1200 hrs. Stop for a picnic box lunch at a rest stop, at the base of a waterfall. Those who wish to swim in the cool pools below the waterfall are encouraged to do so.
1300 hrs. Commence the return journey back down the trail.
1400 hrs. Arrive back at the artist's retreat and enjoy tea, before taking a 4WD excursion to some of the villages higher up the mountain (1'000 - 1'900 m.a.s.l.) where you will be able to walk through the village, stopping to chat to the locals (with the help of your guide) and observe the late afternoon/early evening activities of the local people.
Note* When surveying these villages to write this programme in November 2005, the villagers claim to have seen less than 6 foreign tourists come through, on 4WD or motorcycle expeditions in the preceding 11 months of the year.
Return to Pang Soong Lodge for a set Thai style dinner and time around the campfire before retiring to bed.

Day Two
Meal Code: (B,L) Picnic lunch.
Enjoy breakfast in the open sided sala restaurant with background music provide by the nearby waterfall and your feathered neighbours.
Check out of the Lodge and depart for a trek start point near the hilltop village of Ban Mae Kampong.
Commence a downhill trek using a small stream as your main access, through forest and Chaa Mieng (fermented tea) plantations to a delightful village just above the Mae On reservoir located in the foothills above the flood plains of the Chiang Mai valley.
The vehicle collects you and you drive into Chiang Mai some 30-50 minutes away, depending on whether you take the main or rural road route.
1730 hrs - you arrive back at your hotel in the city.

Pricing programme Ref: ET 202.
(Valid from 1st November 2006 - 31st October 2007).

*in Thai Baht per person

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