Jungle trekking @ Akha hilltribe village

No tigers, the friendly trekking guide at Akha Hilltribe House said, when I asked if there are any dangerous animals to expect on my way to the Huai Kaew waterfalls up in the hills - as if trekking alone in the jungle during monsoon season isn't itself a real challenge, not to say an adventure. Eventually it is my first side trip to a remote place, because I was curious to visit a locally owned and managed hill tribe retreat, winning the Thai tourist guide award 2006/2008. And I was not disappointed having three days to get out into the bush on my own, experience local food, go to bed with the darkness and awake to the sounds of the jungle.

During the monsoon season the clouds are hanging deep in the hills and it's hard to distinguish if you're wet because of the humidity or rainfalls eventually started again. Drops never stop falling down from the lush green in the bamboo jungle, still to be enriched approaching the water fall. The link Jungle Trekking to Huai Kaew Waterfall will give you some impressions (taken with my Nokia E61i in wet and grey conditions) from my first adventure up in Northern Thailand.

The following day I decided to visit a natural Hot Spa place down the valley. The small road winding down from Akha hilltribe village leads through tea plantations cultivated by Chinese people that settled in this region some decades ago. There are several hill tribes settling along the creeks and guided trekking is popular with tourists to see the famous "long neck tribe" women. The tribes maintain their traditional rural life and seem to live peacefully along each other, exchanging their goods in the near city of Chiang Rai. 

Impressive to see that the government provides and maintains basic infrastructure like roads and energy up to the hills, probably a rather difficult task during the rainy season.
Arriving on foot at the small hot springs site along the river, I was the only visitor during morning hours. But no way to enjoy having the pool for myself ... not because of the sulphur smell but the temperature. After 5 minutes I needed a rest sitting in the cooling rain on the wall that separates the hot springs from the creek. Eventually I was joined later on by French kids to prepare breakfast: boiling eggs in a nearby small pool ...

See more pictures from my trip to the Akha Hill Tribe Village:
Fotos from Akha Hill Tribe House, Chiang Rai Province
Fotos from trekking to Huai Kaen waterfall, Chiang Rai Province
Fotos from hiking to Pasert Hot Spring, Chiang Rai Province
Fotos from traditional rural and urban houses in North Thailand