Thailand is such a diverse country. From busy Bangkok to the island resorts in Phuket and Phi Phi in the south and the rich, cultural history in Chiang Mai in the north, there is a destination to suit every style of traveller. Like many other visitors who make their way to northern Thailand, it has stolen my heart. On a recent trip, I was fortunate enough to explore beyond the typical old town tourist trail, through day trips from Chiang Mai that took us to Lampang, Lamphun and Doi Inthanon National Park including a morning spent with the Karen tribe at the incredible Ban Mae Klang Luang Village.
Ban Mae Klang Luang, a community-based tourism village in the mountains south of Chiang Mai offers a unique peek into Thailand tribal life. Image © Skye Gilkeson
Ban Mae Klang Luang Village
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The day we wound our way up the mountain to the Ban Mae Klang Luang village, was one of my favourite days I’ve ever spent in Thailand. Travelling to the area on the cusp of the rainy season meant we arrived as the morning mist was still lifting off the lush rice terraces, wrapping around us on each bend.
The Ban Mae Klang Luang village is about 80 kilometres south of Chiang Mai and sits at 1200 metres above sea level in the 3rd basin of Doi Inthanon, Thailand’s highest peak. A settlement for the Karen tribes who came across the border from Burma in 1787, there are now four main villages in the area, each comprising 60 to 80 families. Enveloped by brilliant green forests, rice terraces and coffee plantations that support the families who live there, it sets a beautiful picturesque scene in the mountains.
Greeted by our guide, Ken we sat in a small hut as he explained how the village grew their own coffee while he roasted beans over the fire and brewed up a fresh pot of tribal coffee. A thick, black pour, we sipped slowly as Ken explained the origins of his tribe. Subsistence farmers, the tribe once farmed opium on the land now covered with coffee plants. Thanks to the help of the Thai government, namely King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s Royal Project founded in 1969 that taught the tribes about alternative crops such as coffee to curb the drug problem whilst ensuring they had a sustainable livelihood for their families.
As the caffeine kicked in Ken lead us up the hill into the village. Modest wooden hut-like homes sat clustered together on the hill, fighting off jungle greenery at every edge. It was beautifully silent, with just the occasional rustle of a local chicken foraging below the raised houses or young giggles coming from inside the village school building at the top of the hill. As expected, the locals were shy and mostly kept their distance, with a few bravely posing for pictures in their stunning colourful hand-woven Karenic textiles.
Despite the fact that they welcome tourists to the village as a way of supporting their families, this didn’t feel like a commercial tourist tour. It felt like a gentle, respectful visit to someone’s home. Our group was small, we didn’t enter the school or anyone’s homes and I felt privileged to be able to have a brief peek into their way of life, without the feeling that we were imposing or that they were in any way putting on a show for us. We were simply passing observers; as it should be.
The Ban Mae Klang Luang village is in the Ban Luang subdistrict about an hour and a half’s drive from Chiang Mai. Book a tour or for those looking for a more immersive tribal experience, there is accommodation that you can rent on site; from village houses to camping spots. Contact the Mae Klang Luang Ecotourism Information Centre at 089-952-0983 or 086-311-1791.
Unripe coffee beans in the Ban Mae Klang Luang plantation outside of Chiang Mai, Thailand. Image © Skye Gilkeson
Our guide Ken smelling the freshly roasted coffee beans at Ban Mae Klang Luang village, Thailand. Image © Skye Gilkeson
The thick, black tribal coffee brewing while we wait at the Ban Mae Klang Luang village, Thailand. Image © Skye Gilkeson
The modest homes with stunning mountain views at the Ban Mae Klang Luang village, Thailand. Image © Skye Gilkeson
A cow enjoying the rich vegetation at the Ban Mae Klang Luang village, Thailand. Image © Skye Gilkeson
A storm brews over one of the village houses at Ban Mae Klang Luang village, Thailand. Image © Skye Gilkeson
A beautiful local woman who agreed to sit for us at the Ban Mae Klang Luang village, Thailand. Image © Skye Gilkeson
Karenic tribal textiles and the hands of a local woman tell the unique story of the Ban Mae Klang Luang village. Image © Skye Gilkeson
Bold and colourful Karenic tribal textiles, hand-woven in the Ban Mae Klang Luang village. Image © Skye Gilkeson