TOUR ITINERARY (3 days/2 nights)
The tour starts Sundays and Thursdays .
Price: 5,000. THB per person all inclusive except alcoholic drinks. 25% discount for children under 12 years of age
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Day 1 HIGHLIGHTS
--- Trek through the jungle to find the ingredients for your picnic beside the river
--- Relax with a traditional Thai Massage
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Your Thailand tour begins with an early arrival at Punjen Hide-Away from the Ban Pin train station.
You'll be treated to a generous breakfast. (Western style) in the Hide-Away's beautiful garden view dining room.
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After breakfast, your tour guide will lead you on an easy path through the jungle .The hike takes about 45 minutes alongside a jungle stream, observing the endless variety of flora and fauna Explanations of what you are seeing and how they relate to village life will be offered along the way.. Once at our favorite picnic spot in a clearing by the stream, your guides will show you how they catch fish in the the three traditional ways. Wood is gathered and a fire is lit to cook your meal in bamboo. You are welcome to participate in each activity or just sit back and relax by soaking in the river while the work is done for you...
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The trained and experienced village massage ladies will be waiting to give you a one and a half hour traditional Thai massage upon your return. Lie back and relax; you're literally in good hands!
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Dinner is served at 7pm and includes three or four homecooked Thai dishes. Wine and
beer are available at extra charge.
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Day 2 Highlights
--Enjoy interacting with the village schoolchildren
-- Ride in a pony cart through the village and countryside/ or the local songtow transport used by the villagers
--Learn about butterfly production
--Visit friends in the village and hear their stories
--Try your hand at intricate weaving
--Visit a 7 tier waterfall and swim in the pristine high pool
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After a leisurely breakfast, meet our ponies and climb into our carts to take a breathtaking ride through the countryside to visit Saloke village. This village is populated by a Karen Hill tribe that came down out of the mountains over 150 years ago. They were the first people to settle in the area of Wang Chin. They migrated from the mountains to escape an epidemic, which was probably typhoid.
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Your first stop is at the village school. The children are always excited to see you and the pony carts.
Some of the teachers may ask you to come into their class to say hello It is a real event for everyone when there are visitors!
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Next, the pony carts take you into the village. A stroll with your guide includes visits to her own family and other friendly folk This is not a scheduled tour so you never know what you will see. It also depends on the season as to what is going to happen. You may end up trying your hand at harvesting peanuts, or weaving or even preparing scorpions for someone's lunch (not yours!).
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After you have completed your walk through the village, it's back into the pony cart for a short stop at the crematorium so you can see the old and new ways of cremating bodies - not as ghoulish as it sounds!. Our last stop is the butterfly farm where many species of butterflies are cultivated. After a generous lunch of local specialties at the Hide-Away, you take a 15 minute ride in the song tow (pick up truck with bench seating in the back which is typical public transport in our area) to the gorgeous Wiang Ko Sai National Park. . Here you may swim in the park area at the base of the 7 tier waterfall or climb to the very best pool at the top. After the heat of the jungle, the breeze blowing over the waterall and cool mountain fed stream is a welcome experience. Returning to Punjen Hide-Away, and a cold drink and a few minutes to relax, your guide will then walk you around the Hide-Away to show you our own garden with its many varieties of plants, and also some of the traditional ways of preparing whole grain rice. Dinner is a full three course Thai meal.
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Day 3 Highlights
--Visit a rural market town and shops
-- See a Buddhist temple from an insider's view
-- Enjoy the view from a mountain temple
-- Relax in a hot springs spa
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After a hearty Western breakfast, go by song tow to visit a stunning view point and temple outside of the town of Wang Chin.
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The scenic route takes us down the mountain to explore what a village town has to offer. Visit a local basket shop and food market with explanations by your guide of the exotic offerings and check out the low prices in a variety of stores.
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After lunch at Hide-Away at about 14:00, check out from Hide-Away and go to the Salang temple which is on the way to the train station. Their museum of ancient temple artifacts will give you a new insight into Buddhism and its history.
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A gorgeous scenic route takes us up the mountain for beautiful views in time for a relaxing soak at the hot water springs.
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We suggest you take along drinking water, insect repellent, good walking shoes (that can get wet), swimming suit and hat. All meals, transportation, and guides are included in the
rural Thailand tour.
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If you are looking for a southern Thailand jungle adventure we recommend you visit Tree Tops Jungle Safaris at Khao Sok National Park
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