A grinning carpenter in a remote Thai village greets me as I explore the mountains around Chiang Mai.
Although Chiang Mai is a neon-bathed tourist trap, you can visit hill tribes a few kilometers from the bustling city whose simple lives are a world away from nearby bars, casinos and strip joints.
The main hill tribe around Chiang Mai is the Karen, who originated from Myanmar.
In the company of a Karen guide I took a whistle-stop tour of several remote villages, where people live in wooden houses, weave their own clothes, and grow all the food they need.
I’d highly recommend a tour of Chiang Mai hill villages, especially if you can find a guide who’s a member of the local community.
But a word of warning – avoid the Baan Tong Luang (Long Neck Karen) village.
Baan Tong Luang is like a human zoo, where people from ethnic groups are ‘displayed’ for visitors.
It’s an uncomfortable place to visit, and it tainted my experience of meeting the real hill tribes around northern Thailand’s biggest city.
