From The Hill Tribes by Curtis

The forests surrounding Thailand’s highest mountain, Doi Inthanon, hold jewels within. From sparkling waterfalls, to colorful bird life, to dazzling vistas, this National Park area is a special place for adventurous travelers to come roaming. Curtis, one such adventurous traveler from Melbourne, Australia, recently experienced an incredible journey through Doi Inthanon, as he trekked with a group into the jungle terrain of the park. Throughout the area, tribesman and farmers make their homes, and many of them make a living by hosting trekkers and backpackers. Curtis ate many excellent meals provided by the locals, met a group of inquisitive school children, sailed down the river on a bamboo raft, and traveled by elephant.

Here are some excerpts from Curtis’ blog, The Hill Tribes:

“ …we picked up the packs and headed off into the jungle again for a further three hours hiking up very steep hills to a waterfall, thought physically exhausting the walk was worth every step, the surrounding jungle and views were spectacular. After the waterfall we did another quick but steep hike before arriving at the first Village. A small inhabitants of about 8 families living in basic accommodation on stilts with views to die for. Our host family showed us our rooms and then proceeded to make the most delicious Thai curry I have every tasted…

…we set off in the truck to meet up with a group who were going to take us bamboo rafting down the local river… The best description for this would be YAAARRRRR HOOOOO…. With a pole in hand and guiding the rear of the raft I felt like Huckleberry Finn on an adrenaline rush… Definitely a must do for the adventurous types…..

Once the rafting was out of the way the adventure did not stop there…. We then were driven to an elephant sanctuary where we climbed atop of these magical beasts and trundled our way through the jungle for about an hour. Believe me, after an hour of riding on an elephant you start to get a little keen to get back to solid ground, definitely a must do, however at times you are hanging on for dear life. The Elephant that Anne and I ended up riding on was a huge beast by the name of Mumba, who in the end decided to show me her gratitude for my Banana giving by raising her trunk and sneezing all over me…..(I’m sure the rider secretly instructed her to do this for laughs..:))….. Still it was definitely a lot of fun…” (more…)

If you’re planning a trip through Thailand, check out Curtis’ Blog for insightful stories, photos, and reviews from places like Bangkok, Chiang Mai, The Golden Triangle, and Ko Phangan.

Useful Links:
Doi Inthanon National Park
Thailand Travel Blogs