Mike's Authentic Trekking
Mike's Authentic Trekking
5
Walking ToursEco ToursHiking & Camping ToursPrivate ToursNature & Wildlife Tours
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Full view
About
My name is Mike. I grew up in a Karen village and have worked as a tour guide for more than five years. Mike’s Authentic Trekking is your best choice for an AUTHENTIC hill tribe trekking experience. Spend a night in a Karen village! Spend a second night in a Lahu village! Eat their food…learn their language…wear their clothing…discover their culture. An AUTHENTIC experience! Also included: trekking, bamboo rafting, and a visit with rescued elephants! 1-, 2-, or 3-Day Tours Available! Would you like to go on a spectacular trekking tour through the remote jungles of Northern Thailand? On a 1-, 2-, or 3-day excursion with Mike’s Authentic Trekking, you will enjoy breathtaking views on a guided tour through the trails and mountains north of Chiang Mai. Our treks are one-of-a-kind journeys into lush, green, mostly-unseen jungles, and provide a unique opportunity to experience the authentic culture of the native hill tribes. If you are interested in personalized or group trekking tour out.
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
579 reviews
Excellent
574
Very good
1
Average
0
Poor
2
Terrible
2
FamilyKelowna_BC
Kelowna, BC23 contributions
Dec 2019
We booked a 2 day 1 night trek (private tour) with Mike. He was easy to contact, flexible and accommodating. We were a family or 5 that arrived by overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Arrangements were made for a pick up from the train station. Although we were travelling with backpacks, we downsized to a “day trip” size back pack as we really did not need to bring that much with us and did not want to carry more than necessary. Our larger back packs were stored safely in their office located in Chiang Mai. We did not meet Mike but were instead greeted by his brother Sobat (“Bat”) and a guide named Chia (sp?). They were both amazing, funny yet humble individuals. So happy that we meet them and they were our guides throughout the trip.
After being picked up and our bags stored away, we stopped at a local market to get any items we may have needed (don’t forget toilet paper!!). We then headed to the Mak Fo Waterfall which was nice. We were able to jump in for a quick swim and photos. We then stopped for lunch and afterwards our trek through the jungle started. It was moderately difficult but there was no rush as you could stop and rest as needed. We were entertained by Bat along the way – not a very good singer but entertaining lol. He provided us with insight into how the Karen people lived as we trekked and he showed us food and plants along the way. He also shared stories of his childhood and his current family life.
We arrived at the Karen Hill top tribe village which was amazing to see. The people were kind and accommodating. We hoped for a little more interaction with the local tribe people to share their stories (help participate in their daily lives) but understand their hesitation (and lack of speaking English). Perhaps in time this can be incorporated more into this Trek as we could see the benefit to all individuals. Even if there is a struggle with language there is always others ways of communicating (demonstrations, teaching each other simple words, playing with the children, etc - this would mean a lot). We stayed in a modest (keep in mind where you are) accommodation (no hot water or electricity 😊 – super quick shower lol), helped prepare our evening meal and enjoy refreshments around a camp fire while exchanging stories. It is nice to know that some of the money we paid for this trip is actually being shared with the local hill tribe people to help with their way of life.
The next day we were able to feed and wash the elephants in the river. That was such an amazing experience as these beautiful animals just allowed us to interact with them with ease. You can see that they are treated well and taken care of. After we went on a 2 ½ hour bamboo rafting trip which ended in another village where we had lunch and ended our trip.
We would recommend as the memories from this trip will be with us for years to come!
After being picked up and our bags stored away, we stopped at a local market to get any items we may have needed (don’t forget toilet paper!!). We then headed to the Mak Fo Waterfall which was nice. We were able to jump in for a quick swim and photos. We then stopped for lunch and afterwards our trek through the jungle started. It was moderately difficult but there was no rush as you could stop and rest as needed. We were entertained by Bat along the way – not a very good singer but entertaining lol. He provided us with insight into how the Karen people lived as we trekked and he showed us food and plants along the way. He also shared stories of his childhood and his current family life.
We arrived at the Karen Hill top tribe village which was amazing to see. The people were kind and accommodating. We hoped for a little more interaction with the local tribe people to share their stories (help participate in their daily lives) but understand their hesitation (and lack of speaking English). Perhaps in time this can be incorporated more into this Trek as we could see the benefit to all individuals. Even if there is a struggle with language there is always others ways of communicating (demonstrations, teaching each other simple words, playing with the children, etc - this would mean a lot). We stayed in a modest (keep in mind where you are) accommodation (no hot water or electricity 😊 – super quick shower lol), helped prepare our evening meal and enjoy refreshments around a camp fire while exchanging stories. It is nice to know that some of the money we paid for this trip is actually being shared with the local hill tribe people to help with their way of life.
The next day we were able to feed and wash the elephants in the river. That was such an amazing experience as these beautiful animals just allowed us to interact with them with ease. You can see that they are treated well and taken care of. After we went on a 2 ½ hour bamboo rafting trip which ended in another village where we had lunch and ended our trip.
We would recommend as the memories from this trip will be with us for years to come!
Written January 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peter
9 contributions
Aug 2020
We are a family of 5 living in Bangkok and desperately wanted to get away for a few days. We decided to do a 2 day, 1 night trek with Mike. It was the highlight of the holiday. It was rainy season so we expected rain and mud and got plenty of both but Mike's enthusiasm and energy shone through and delivered a memorable couple of days. The trek is not too tricky (even for a couple of relatively unfit adults) and the kids loved it. Mike was a very good guide with plenty of knowledge about the plants and animals that we came across. We stopped a couple of times to chat with families with Mike explaining how they lived and worked on the land. We stayed in a village (probably 50 or so families) with no electricity or hot water but it really only served to enhance the experience. There was a feast for dinner and breakfast (way more than we could eat) - it was just incredible what they put together with two open fires and few basic utensils. It really put me and my kitchen gadgets to shame. Unfortunately we didn't get to raft down the river as the rains had made it too dangerous but we half expected that that would be the case. Undeterred we set off the following morning for another 3/4 hours through the beautiful hillsides before lunch and a drive back to Chiang Mai. If you feel like the city is doing your head in and you need space to just reconnect with nature then I cannot think of a better thing to do in Thailand.
Written August 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tamsin D
Bangkok, Thailand9 contributions
Oct 2021 • Friends
Just back from a most fantastic 2 day, 1 night trek. Mike’s brother - Thong Cruise - was our guide. What an absolute legend he is. There were four women on our trek and he kept us singing, laughing and figuring out logic puzzles the whole time. Thong’s English is excellent and he has such a vast knowledge of the local traditions and way of life as he is from a Karen village himself. Our host family were lovely and the accommodation brilliant. What a view to wake up to: perched on stilts on the steep river bank.
Highlights included cooking over the open fire in a traditional kitchen perched on a stool, swimming in the river, the bamboo rafting and of course Thong’s endless patter. Highly recommend this as a must if you visit Chiang Mai.
Highlights included cooking over the open fire in a traditional kitchen perched on a stool, swimming in the river, the bamboo rafting and of course Thong’s endless patter. Highly recommend this as a must if you visit Chiang Mai.
Written October 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nel
2 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
Amazing trek where you will see a lot- starting with amazing waterfall swimming, approx 4hours trek through the nature of Thailand with visit of one of the local people and eating fresh Papaya and other fruits. Sleepover at local people village and experience their life. Morning walk to elehant park and bamboo rafting. Delicious meals are included in the price (food was super good!) Mike is very nice and always smiling person, we asked several questions and he was always happy to answer, he showed us many secrets of Thailand that we wouldnt be able to know without him. I really recommend trek with Mike, it was one the best thing I hav experienced in Thailand.
Written February 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lea B
13 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
This trip was an amazing adventure into the nature, culture and live of the north of Thailand. We did the 2 days and 1 night tour and it was absolutely awesome!!!! Mike’s tour is totally organized and there is more food than you will need for these days. I loved to sit around the open fire and listen about the stories of his life and how he gets the idea of doing tours like this. I absolutely recommend this tour to everybody and I am a little bit sad that we haven‘t choose the 3 days 2 nights tour with him.
In addition to that Mike helped us with the planing and organisation of the next days of our holiday.
We will never forget this trip! Thank you very much Mike! Hope to see you again!
Lea
In addition to that Mike helped us with the planing and organisation of the next days of our holiday.
We will never forget this trip! Thank you very much Mike! Hope to see you again!
Lea
Written February 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mariette
Amsterdam, The Netherlands12 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
We did the 2-day tour with Mike which was an amazing experience from begin till end. Mike and Poupee were really great guides. Friendly and very communicative. They could tell us everything about nature and life in the hill tribes. Although it rained almost the entire first day, which made the track quite challenging and slippery, we enjoyed every bit of it. Mike is a terrific cook and created a really nice meal in the evening. Spending the night in a Karen Village was one of the highlights. And going down the river on a bamboo raft was beautiful and fun. The word Authentic is really appropriate here!
Written August 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tony
Dublin, Ireland28 contributions
Apr 2022 • Couples
Just had day trip with trek and trip down river on bamboo raft with Mike. He was punctual, courteous, supportive and very friendly all day and cooked a fine lunch for good measure. I would highly recommend this outing and would really like to do a 3 day trek next time
Written April 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Botswana9
San Francisco, CA6 contributions
Nov 2020
My family is mixedThai/American and I've spent a lot of time in rural Thailand, but my daughter and I definitely had adventures on the 2 day/1 night tour with Mike that were new and super interesting for us. I had never been to a village inaccessible by car before or been down the river on a bamboo raft. Mike is a great conversationalist and kept our group (the 2 of us and another family of 3) very entertained with stories from his own life and the Karen villages, as well as excellent singing. Mike was obviously very well-liked and respected by the people we interacted with along the way, including the people who live in the village where we spent the night. He was also clearly a mentor to the children in that village. Mike was happy to converse in English or Thai with us.
The pace of the trekking was just right - doable for most levels of fitness, but a little tricky for me for some of the steep and rocky parts of the hike. The food was very plentiful - no need to pack any emergency food for this trek.
Mike's brother Thong was also a careful driver, taking us to and from the trekking points. Thanks to both Mike and Thong for the great adventure!
The pace of the trekking was just right - doable for most levels of fitness, but a little tricky for me for some of the steep and rocky parts of the hike. The food was very plentiful - no need to pack any emergency food for this trek.
Mike's brother Thong was also a careful driver, taking us to and from the trekking points. Thanks to both Mike and Thong for the great adventure!
Written November 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Xavi A
Dallas, TX1 contribution
Jul 2022 • Friends
Mike (also called Sam) made our trip to Chiang Mai worth it. Every good thing you read in these reviews is true.
His English:
His English was top notch, from telling us the history of the Karen tribe he’s from to talking football. He is very open to learning more as well.
His conversations: He is a friendly, pleasant man. Our conversations with him were always refreshingly authentic, a welcome change of pace from the sometimes scammy and forced interactions you get from guides/drivers.
His driving: Driving up through the mountains the roads can get very curvy. However, you could tell Mike was comfortable on the roads, even during peak rain season. He drove with a confidence that kept us comfortable and hardly noticing the windy roads.
His knowledge: Mike helped us out with translating when we were buying food from a nearby food stand. He also knew a lot about the seasons, the area, the mountains/landmarks, the history, and other things around Chiang Mai and Thailand.
You will not have a bad experience with Mike.
His English:
His English was top notch, from telling us the history of the Karen tribe he’s from to talking football. He is very open to learning more as well.
His conversations: He is a friendly, pleasant man. Our conversations with him were always refreshingly authentic, a welcome change of pace from the sometimes scammy and forced interactions you get from guides/drivers.
His driving: Driving up through the mountains the roads can get very curvy. However, you could tell Mike was comfortable on the roads, even during peak rain season. He drove with a confidence that kept us comfortable and hardly noticing the windy roads.
His knowledge: Mike helped us out with translating when we were buying food from a nearby food stand. He also knew a lot about the seasons, the area, the mountains/landmarks, the history, and other things around Chiang Mai and Thailand.
You will not have a bad experience with Mike.
Written July 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Explorer47037705053
8 contributions
Jul 2023 • Friends
first we started off with the tour guide (mike) explaining all the mushroom kinds and how and why are things in the jungle like that, then there was a long hike (about 5km medium terrain) mike was energetic all the time, he would sing, talk, play, and he was also very informative. When we got to the first village a girl from my group had a hurting knee so mike brought her in a scooter to the second village and we got a guy from the first village being our guide, the guy had no socks, ovesized and rubber shoes, and he was walking like he does this every day to say hello and then comes back, (the hike was about 4km long medium to advanced terrain) when we arrived at the 2nd. village there was mike cooking our dinner on a wood fire pan, the food was so extremely good that i got good dreams for the rest 2 days at home, i forgot to mention the breathtaking view from the village. we had dinner at 7pm and went to sleep at 9pm the bamboo room where we slept in was equipped with a mattress 2 blankets, 2 pillows, 2 heavy blankets , and a insect net. when we woke up the next morning (not mentioning the 100 roosters) we had a very good breakfast and at around 8am we started to walk towards the river, which was a 2km walk (easy terrain), the bamboo rafting was very enjoyable because you don't have to walk anymore, when we finished bamboo rafting we had pad thai for lunch and some fruits, and after that we went to the elephant sanctuary where the baby was soo cute that everyone adored him. ( i also forgot to mention the waterfalls you visit the first day and that you get lunch). And thats the end 10/10 would do again
Written July 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi I’m @onsen and I want to go trekking?
When do you start?
Written November 30, 2019
Je viens de reserver par mail auprès de Mike 2 hours de trekking . Je souhaite payer un accompte . Comment puis-je proceder ????
Written June 13, 2019
Dear Sir, Madam
could you write in English please.
Best Regards
Mike
Written June 16, 2019
Most reviews are based on an overnight trek. However my husband and I would be interested in just a full day trip (no overnight). What would the itinerary be like? We are in our thirties and active. Thank!
Written August 7, 2018
I am sure he will be able to arrange just a day trek for you. Mike is very personable. However to get the full experience, an overnight stay should be considered. Hope you enjoy your time - we loved it.
Written January 4, 2019
tygress88
Braunschweig, Germany
Hi guys, I am wondering which immunisations are needed for the tour? It's the only time we are entering the jungle on our trip.
What did you used?
Thanks in advance
Written August 2, 2018
Hi guys,
Rien besoin à part un bon anti moustique pour les vêtements et pour la peau :)
Mike propose des bouteilles d eau à 20 bahts.
Prenez de quoi vous couvrir pour la nuit et ça ira très bien :)
Profitez bien
Written August 16, 2018
สวั้สดีคะ ไม่ทราบทัวร์นี้ใช่เวลากี่วันคะ และสามารถซื้อได้ที่ไหนคะ ราคาเท่าไร ขอบคุณคะ
Written March 23, 2018
What’s the name of the elephant park your guests go to?
Written January 18, 2018
Mike met us at our guesthouse one day before the trek to answer any questions we had and also to collect a deposit in cash. You can just pay the rest in cash the day of the trek. Don't think he has card facilities.
Written October 21, 2017
Hola! Me gustaría tener más información de los tours pero la web no se carga completamente. Hay algún mail de contacto. Gracias
Written February 26, 2017
Hola! Yo lo hice por whatsapp, de todas formas vuelve a probar la web, a mi me carga bien.
Written February 27, 2017
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