Thailand

Laos

Group size

12 on first and 2nd day, 6 on 3rd day

2

Price per person

1400 Thai Baht (47 USD)

100 USD

Number of staff

1

2 (1 main guide + 1 assistant guide)

Hours trekking each day

5h / 3h/ 6h

Hours driving each day

2h,

0.5h / 0 / 0.5h

Altitude at the end of the day

1157m (700m uphill) / 1095m / 725m

Kilometers hiked

6.1km / 4.8km / 10km

Villages visited

1

2

Number of tourists met on the trek

Many,

0

Jungle trek

Heavily over-trekked, many inhabited areas with construction areas for a hydro-powerplant

Treks were overgrown, visibly hardly used, a few big trees, jungle probably more original, although many bamboo as well

Authenticity of village experience

None (even in the village we spend the 2 night the locals only harassed us offering Lahu Massage for 150 Baht)

Very (no tourist facilities, locals very curious, staring, obviously they hardly meet tourists)

Accommodation

Elephant camp + village stay in village with many tourist houses

Village stay with families

Facilities at the accommodation

Flowing water, shower, flush toilets, kitchen with plates and cutlery

No toilets, no shower (washed in the creek), mosquito net, blankets

Food eaten

Fried rice and noodles with vegetables (bought in town), ladyfingers and Thai curry

Banana flower, forest berries, different vegetables and weeds not seen before, sticky rice eaten with hand as there was no cutlery, for breakfast biscuits and instant noodles, canned mackerel, young chewy chicken (bought in the village), Lao Whiskey

leeches

none

many

Other activities

Elephant ride ca 30 min,

rafting ca 20 min,

bamboo rafting 10 min,

swim at waterfall,

orchid farm visit

Cave visit,

swim in creek

Interaction with locals

None except for massage

Village visit with guide, playing with kids, fed animals

Wild animals seen

centipede

centipede, millipede