Pai Jungle Trek in Northern Thailand: 3-Day Hill Tribe Trekking Diary

Arthur is 65, retired, and spending three months travelling solo (with company when he wants it!) through Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. These are his diary entries; an honest view from the first ever DECADES trip, and written for anyone wondering whether to make the leap themselves.

Day 1

While in Pai, I decided to take a three-day jungle trek with a local guide called Cha. We discussed where we’d go, what we’d see, how we’d eat and where we’d sleep. Undaunted by some of the answers, I signed the form and handed over the money.

It cost me more than I’d have liked. Cha only runs treks for a minimum of three people, so the choice was simple: pay for three or don’t go at all. More than I’d planned to spend, but too good an opportunity to pass up.

We started early on Thursday morning and did some pretty tough hiking. Three ridges, up over the crests and down into three separate valley floors. Very varied terrain and as challenging as anywhere I’ve hiked before. Thankfully we were largely protected from the sun, but it was still hot and humid. By late lunchtime I’d already gone through most of my two litres of water.

Cha had gathered some kindling along the way, along with a three-metre length of green bamboo. He lit a fire and started hacking away at the bamboo with his machete. Out of it he made a steamer for sticky rice, a kettle to boil water for Thai tea, two drinking vessels and skewers for cooking and eating a rack of pork ribs – all served on a table of banana leaves.

It was absolutely bloody gorgeous.

After lunch we climbed steeply out of the valley to another ridge, followed it along, then descended into Cha’s native village. It’s a Karen tribe village called Pa Mae U Mong, home to about 30 families. We’d done about 18km of serious effort to get there.

After a bit of recovery time he walked me around the village. There’s no mains electricity – just a shared 12v solar lighting system that’s free for everyone to use.

The village “shop” was our next stop. We grabbed a couple of cold beers and sat outside with his neighbours, which felt a bit like an informal outdoor five o’clock club.

Back at the house he cooked a great meal in his mum’s kitchen while I had what could loosely be described as a shower – saucepans of cold water from a big water butt in an outbuilding. I thought I was still full from lunch, but the food didn’t last long.

Then he casually mentioned that his cousin was getting married the next day and we should go and visit.

I wasn’t sure what to expect.

What I found was about a dozen people sitting in a circle on the floor in front of the bride, passing around copious amounts of local whisky made from rice. The legit stuff is about 28%, with the moonshine version apparently somewhere between 35 and 40.

There was some sort of ritual around the offering, with chanting and a complicated sequence of passing drinks around the group. Once that finished we moved to another house and started the whole thing again. And again.

Beers were liberally dispensed as well.

Long story short, I was half-pissed by about half nine and very ready for bed. Thankfully we’d already set up our bedding under mosquito nets before the drinking started.

Day 2

I slept like a baby until about 4am when every piece of wildlife in the area decided I should wake up. The cockerels soon joined in as well. I gave up around 7am and got up to find Cha making coffee.

Not long after that I had to visit the outbuilding to try the Eastern-style toilet – a balancing nightmare. Enough said.

Cha asked if I’d like to join the wedding party for the morning and then do a modified hike later in the afternoon. Sounded like far too good an opportunity to miss.

We went over to the bride’s house and by 7:30am we were being handed beers.

There was an incredible amount of food preparation going on and absolutely everyone seemed to have a role. A few guys out the back were roasting two small pigs over an open fire. Then eight more pig hindquarters arrived, along with vast quantities of sticky rice.

Young and old alike simply sat down and started butchering meat into different cuts for different dishes, all using machetes or choppers. I was particularly impressed watching the mince being made completely from scratch.

By about 10am we’d agreed there’d be no hiking on Friday. Instead we’d stay for the wedding and do a different hike on Saturday.

The wedding ceremony itself was quite a long affair. People dipped in and out over about four hours before the couple eventually joined what can only be described as a full-scale beano of food and drink outside, with seemingly most of the village taking part.

I have never felt so welcome among a group of complete strangers.

Only two people spoke English fluently, and maybe half a dozen knew a few words and phrases, but it didn’t matter at all.

By 8pm I was completely incapable of drinking another beer or eating another morsel. Some of the tastiest food I’ve ever had, all cooked over open fires.

I retired for the night. Thankfully Cha did too – my guide had clearly become my host as well.

Day 3

Saturday morning started with lots of water, tea and a huge omelette containing more coriander than most curries. Surprisingly, it tasted excellent.

Our third day (technically the second day of hiking) was thankfully much less demanding than day one.

We walked through easier terrain with small local crops growing everywhere – corn, rice, ginger and garlic. The garlic was in the middle of being harvested.

Eventually we reached a village belonging to the Lahu people, another hill community that relies largely on agriculture. It was another chance to see how people live day to day, again without electricity and with running water that depends on catchment systems high up in the mountains from the previous wet season.

By that point I didn’t feel remotely short-changed by only hiking about 12km before we called a 4x4 to take us back to the main road rather than the dirt tracks.

And ultimately back to Pai.

I’ve never been so pleased to see a bathroom with a hot shower and a Western toilet.

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