G Adventures has announced that, beginning November 2, the company will offer a new five-day Northern Thailand Hilltribes Trek in which travelers will share meals and cultural traditions with members of three indigenous communities, which have never before hosted organized tour groups.
The itinerary, which was loped by G Adventures with the Community Based Tourism Institute in Thailand, also aims to help generate employment and sustainable income in these areas, where the average family’s income is just £450-500 per year.
The trip will visit the Pang Mapha region, approximately four hours from Chiang Mai and include three days and two nights with Red Lahus, the Black Lahus and a Karen tribe in their remote hill villages. These treks will be exclusive to G Adventures.
Among the experiences travelers that will have the opportunity to experience are: learning about traditional and sustainable carp fish farming in Ban Meung; traditional smallholder agriculture in the cultivation of rice, bamboo, and corn; medicinal herb harvesting from the forest, along with harvesting of local fruits, vegetables, mushrooms along the trekking route that travellers will enjoy for dinner; traditional cooking; and time permitting, the chance to learn traditional handicrafts such as basket weaving, wood carving, natural fabric the-dying and looming.
The new route is part of G Adventures "50 in 50" initiative, a five-year plan to integrate 50 new social enterprise projects into G Adventures trips by 2020.
In addition to Thailand, four more “50 in 5” social enterprise projects will be up and running by the end of 2015:
- Australia - Providing travel industry education to Queensland’s young Jirrbal Aboriginal people so they can work closer to home and preserve ancient traditions.
- Galápagos – Launching community-based tourism on Floreana, so the local economy can benefit from overnight stays, and creating employment for youth and women.
- Colombia - Working with indigenous communities in the Sierra Nevada to help them benefit from tourism while protecting their heritage and culture.
- Women on Wheels - Empowering disadvantaged women in India to become drivers in the travel industry, while providing safe transport for female travelers.
All 50 social enterprise projects – known collectively as G Adventures for Good projects - are under development by G Adventures through its nonprofit foundation, which will invest more than CAD$5-million in social enterprises over the next five years.
The five-day Northern Thailand Hilltribes Trek (trip code: ATHH) is priced from USD $299, with longer itineraries also available.
Visit www.gadventures.com