| Hill Tribe Background Information.
The term “ hill tribes ” refers to the twenty or so nomadic ethnic
minorities originating from Myanmar, Laos, and southern China. Meo, Lisu,
Yao, Akha, Lawa and Karen are the outstanding hill tribes, which live
throughout northern Thailand's mountains. They share animist beliefs
and honor numerous forest and guardian spirits. Each tribe has distinctive
ceremonial attire, mode of dress, courtship rituals, games, dances, agricultural
customs, puberty rites, languages or dialects, aesthetic values and hygienic
habits.
A visit to hill tribe up to mountains offers a unique cultural experience.
While in recent years the hill tribes have been increasingly drawn into
the modern world. Some villages now have electricity, and a motorbike
or truck is occasionally seen in larger settlements. Increased popularity
in hill tribe trekking is starting to transform what was once a unique
cultural excursion into a tourist-packed parade. This seems to make the
look of tribes people to be “glorified zoo exhibits”. To avoid such trappings,
seek out more discerning trekking guides, ones with smaller groups, proficiency
in the local languages, and intimate knowledge of the hill tribes.
Chiang Mai is one of the best venues for trekking
and exploring hill tribes. You can take a day's bus ride from Bangkok
to Chiang Mai. There are many travel agents operating hill tribe and
trekking trips. Popular “jungle treks” lasting from 2 to 7 days, take
visitors through forested mountains and high valleys and meadows, and
include visits to remoter high- altitude hill tribe settlements for
overnight. The best guides are hill tribe youths who customarily speak
English, Thai and at least three tribal dialects.
You will stay inside village huts and you only need to take a daypack
with your own personal things. However, in winter, it is advisable to
bring a sleeping bag. The thatched walls of the huts provide no insulation
against the cold night air, and you will be provided with the thinnest
of blankets. Another necessary thing you should bring with you is torchlight.
Besides, you should wear sensible clothing to protect your limbs and
sleep under a mosquito net at night. Malaria is a real threat, and sensible
precautions should be taken to avoid it. |
Do's and Don'ts in visiting hill tribe villages
In visiting hill tribe villages, there are some do's and don'ts travelers
should remember as follows:
- Respect hill tribe beliefs and religious
symbols and structures.
- Dress
modestly. Hill tribe people are generally modest. Inappropriate attire
may offend them.
- Ask permission
before photographing someone. Some villages do not permit photography.
- Avoid
trading western medicines and articles of clothing. Contributions
to their welfare, items such as pens, paper, needles, thread, cloth
and material used for embroidery are perfectly acceptable. And remember,
contributions should not be given to individual person but to group
or community.
- Avoid narcotics, essentially
everything from ‘soft drugs' such as marijuana to ‘hard drugs' such
as opium and heroin, both during travel and at hill tribe villages.
There are severe penalties for such usage.
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