Itinerary:
Day 1:
Leave by motor coach from Chiang Mai to Lamphun. After a 30-minute drive, visit Wat Phrathat Hariphunchai and the branch of the National Museum at Lamphun. After lunch at a local restaurant, the group will leave for Li sub-district, Li, the hidden charm of Lamphun, approximately two hours away. Check-in at the hotel and there will be time for a rest. At 5.00 p.m. (17:00) the group will transfer to a Karen hilltribe village. The community is both Buddhist and vegetarian. Arriving at the OTOP center, one will have the opportunity to see the full array of Karen handicrafts, including textiles and silver ornaments, all made by the villagers. For dinner, we will enjoy a vegetarian Khantoke dinner and a traditional performance by Karen children. Transfer back to the hotel overnight.
Day 2:
Breakfast at the hotel. Depart for Mam Bor Noi village where all live in harmony and refuse the modern world: using water from wells, living without electricity in traditional bamboo houses and weaving their own clothes. Afterward go to Wat Phrabhat Huay Tom to study more about their way of life. Following lunch at a local restaurant we will visit Long Li, the weaving center where women still preserve the tin jok, a pattern of weaving which had almost disappeared from the community. Return to the hotel to relax. In the evening return to Huay Tom village to see the Phra Maha That Chedi Sri Vieng Chai, a great golden stupa. On full moon night of the Buddhist Holy day, villagers gather to pray and walk around the stupa with candles: “wien tien”. Visitors can observe or participate. The sound of chanting and the moving light of candles mark an unforgettable moment.
Day 3:
Check out of the hotel and leave for Ban Thung Hua Chang, which is famous for Lamphun silk weaving using the yok dok pattern. After lunch, we will head back to Chiang Mai. On the way, a stop will be made at Ban Don Luang, a village well known for its cotton weaving. The villagers earn a living from making cotton cloth, some by Pasang and Tai Lue families. Expect to arrive at Chiang Mai around 5:00 p.m. (17:00).