Hilltribe Treks
Trekking in the mountains of northern Thailand - which is what brings most travellers here - differs from trekking in most other parts of the world, in that the emphasis is not primarily on the scenery but on the region's inhabitants. Northern Thailand's hilltribes, now numbering nearly 750,000 people living in around 3500 villages, have so far preserved their way of life with little change over thousands of years; visiting their settlements entails walking for several hours between villages. Around eighty thousand travellers now go trekking each year, the majority heading to certain well-trodden areas such as the Mae Tang Valley, 40km northwest of Chiang Mai, and the hills around the Kok River west of Chiang Rai. Beyond the basic level of disturbance caused by any tourism, this steady flow of trekkers creates pressures for the traditionally insular hilltribes. However, the effects of tourism are minimal in comparison to exploitation of tribes by lowland Thais, their lack of land rights and poor health provision and educational services. Most tribespeople are genuinely welcoming to foreigners, appreciating the contact with Westerners. Nonetheless, it is important to take a responsible attitude when trekking.
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