Trekking In Nam Ha (1 day)
In the morning you will visit the Nam Ha National Protected Area which is an ASEAN Natural Heritage Site. You will learn about the wildlife have a chance to walk the trails of the primary rainforest, see the old growth bamboo forest and a wild banana forest. Lunch will be prepared at the waterfall, Nam Tok Tad Pa Yeung, before you head off to visit the Ethnic Minority groups of the Akha and Yao peoples living around Muang Sing. You will have a chance to learn about their daily way of life, their traditions and their culture.
You will start at the trekking agent's office at 8:30 and drive by minivan or Tuk Tuk for about 17 kilometres on the road from Muang Sing towards Luang Namtha. You will first walk up a trial in to the mountains of the Nam Ha National Protected Area, along the way there will be places where you can stop and rest. The trial goes up and down the mountain sides passed primary rainforest, old growth bamboo forest and wild banana forests. The mountain trails affords many beautiful views of Nam Ha National Protected Area and while you are trekking along the trail there will be opportunities for bird watching as well as listening to their calls. Your guide will teach you the different calls of the numerous bird and animal species that you hear and you will learn how to call to the birds, bark to the deer and squeak to the squirrels.
About and hour and a half in to the trek you will reach the waterfall, Nam Tok Tad Pa Yeung, there are actually 2 waterfalls a fairly small one but also a much larger one. Here you will eat lunch have a chance to swim in the waterfall and prepare for the second leg of the trek. You will then walk from the waterfall through the old growth forest for about an hour and a half, until you reach the agricultural lands and then it is about another hours walk until you come to the Akha village of Ban Nam Daet Mai and Yao village of Ban Nam Mai and you will learn who they are, about their way of life, their traditions and their culture.
Participant Guidelines
Included in price is;
Transportation, food and water, trekking permit, an English-speaking guide who can translate the local languages and village development fund tax.
What to bring
Please wear long shirt and long pants, good shoes for hiking a hat and a raincoat (in the rainy season), mosquito repellent, some sunscreen, flashlight, optional (binoculars, camera, money to purchase handicrafts and nature guidebook).
Important do's & don'ts
Please do not give individual gifts of sweets or money to children. Ask before taking photos of people or spiritual items. Help keep the trails clean by not littering. Please purchase handicrafts but do not purchase antiques. Do not remove any archaeological remains from the site of the ancient temples. Stay with the guides at all times. Do not use drugs.
Any participants for this tour should meet at the trekking agents at 8:15am. The trekking agents office is located on the main road coming from Luang Namtha Town. Just after you enter the town of Muang Sing and before you get to the old morningmarket you will see a dirt road on your left hand side. On the corner of the main road and the dirt road you will see the Phou Iu Trekking Office.
At the time of booking please indicate whether you are vegetarian and a special meal will be prepared for you.
