Pooh Eco Trekking Day Tours
Pooh Eco Trekking Day Tours
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Pooh Eco Trekking Day Tours
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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.
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4.5
515 reviews
Excellent
384
Very good
73
Average
21
Poor
14
Terrible
23
Usha C
Singapore, Singapore25 contributions
Jan 2020 • Friends
As we were on a tight schedule, we did the one day Eco trek with our guide Thip, which was a great experience. Even though there were only 2 of us, we had an additional guide (his cousin) which meant we were very well looked after. They were great to chat to, and tag teamed to make sure we had the fullest experience possible (for e.g. one walked us to a waterfall, while the other brought the car around, they worked together to cut down banana flowers for us to eat, shared homemade rice wine with us, etc)
It’s not a trek for people who are totally unfamiliar with jungle trekking, although the guides were extremely good at slowing things down when needed. There are small rocks to climb, streams to cross, and fallen tree logs to balance on / haul yourself over. That being said, we are not highly experienced trekkers either, and we found it do-able. The description on the website to “bring a positive attitude” is very good advice indeed.
Our guides were very familiar with the jungle plants and we literally foraged as we went along, it was an amazing experience for us but if you are picky with food you may find this difficult to deal with. Lunch was cooked for us on the go, with a small number of supplies from the local market and the rest of the vegetables / cutlery / cookware foraged from the jungle !
We did get to walk around a hill tribe village but as someone else has commented here, it was more like a slightly awkward out of town guest visiting, rather than an exploitative tourist trap. We literally saw one other small guided tour along the same path, and no other tourists for most of the 4-5 hrs even though it was the tourist high season. It was very peaceful and beautiful, and the guides were very respectful of their environment.
The toilet situation is basic (squatting, no running water or toilet paper, thankfully our guides came prepared with supplies) but the outhouses are actually pretty clean, save for a little mud, and they don’t smell. There are giant vats of water for you to clean up after yourself. I’ve seen far worse in cities.
All in all, a wonderful way to get to know northern Thailand, off the usual touristy path. Many thanks to Thip and his team!
It’s not a trek for people who are totally unfamiliar with jungle trekking, although the guides were extremely good at slowing things down when needed. There are small rocks to climb, streams to cross, and fallen tree logs to balance on / haul yourself over. That being said, we are not highly experienced trekkers either, and we found it do-able. The description on the website to “bring a positive attitude” is very good advice indeed.
Our guides were very familiar with the jungle plants and we literally foraged as we went along, it was an amazing experience for us but if you are picky with food you may find this difficult to deal with. Lunch was cooked for us on the go, with a small number of supplies from the local market and the rest of the vegetables / cutlery / cookware foraged from the jungle !
We did get to walk around a hill tribe village but as someone else has commented here, it was more like a slightly awkward out of town guest visiting, rather than an exploitative tourist trap. We literally saw one other small guided tour along the same path, and no other tourists for most of the 4-5 hrs even though it was the tourist high season. It was very peaceful and beautiful, and the guides were very respectful of their environment.
The toilet situation is basic (squatting, no running water or toilet paper, thankfully our guides came prepared with supplies) but the outhouses are actually pretty clean, save for a little mud, and they don’t smell. There are giant vats of water for you to clean up after yourself. I’ve seen far worse in cities.
All in all, a wonderful way to get to know northern Thailand, off the usual touristy path. Many thanks to Thip and his team!
Written January 3, 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.
Willem
Kristiansand, Norway9 contributions
Aug 2019
We booked this trip via the website of Pooh Eco Trekking. Everything is arranged very well. We got our instructions and were picked up from our location in Chang Mai (our valuables and luggage were stored at Eco Tours). We were with our familiy (5 persons: three kids aged 18, 15 and 12). The jungle tour is very exciting. We went along and through the river (take surfshoes with you) and slept in the middle of the jungle in a beautiful hut. Tee and our other guides cooked us a lovely meal and we ate from self made bamboo plates and cutlery... Tee knows a lot about nature, animals, plants and about the Karen culture. We also slept in one of their villages, it was very special to meet the people and that they like to share their home with you. We also planted some trees, I hope they will grow well. Overall this was the highlight of our visit to Thailand. If you are looking for something special, of the beaten track, than this is a tour you should book! Enjoy!
Written March 20, 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.
Claire C
San Francisco, CA3 contributions
May 2024 • Friends
I went on the 2 day, 1 night trek with a group of 6 friends and I could not recommend this trip enough! It was such a great way to see a hill village, how people live and the beautiful jungle. Tee was our guide and extremely knowledgable about not only the Karen Tribe but also many of the other groups in the area. He answered all of our questions, cooked us an amazing meal over a fire at the host family's home and translated conversations between us at the host family.
On the first day we stopped at a local market (all costs of food were included in the trip) where we were the only foreigners and were able to learn about local spices, fruits and vegetables and even sample a few things. We had a very tasty meal cooked by Tee and then we started our hike to the village where we would be spending the night. While the distance isn't very long we went in the beginning of May when it was quite hot. When we got to the village, Tee showed us around showing us how people prepare rice, store their chickens and most importantly introduced us to our host family.
This experience was intimate, staying in the extra room of a traditional family home (wooden, on stilts) and eating and drinking the local cuisine together. It is hard to find these kinds of immersive experiences while traveling and this one was surely unforgettable. They brought sleeping mats (very thin - dont expect the best nights sleep), blankets and mosquito nets for us so there was no need to bring anything additional while we were traveling around Thailand which was great.
The next day after coffee and trying tea that Tee had brought us from his own garden, we headed out for a trek along the river and through a cave. We were much more in the jungle which was really beautiful (and cooler!). We stopped for lunch at a waterfall where we swam and Tee brought us sticky rice in banana leaves while we were wading in the water and cooling off.
If you want to spend more time in the village learning about village life then do the 2 night trip as you could spend the second day in the village instead of heading into the jungle early like we did. If we were to go back we would love to do that!
On the first day we stopped at a local market (all costs of food were included in the trip) where we were the only foreigners and were able to learn about local spices, fruits and vegetables and even sample a few things. We had a very tasty meal cooked by Tee and then we started our hike to the village where we would be spending the night. While the distance isn't very long we went in the beginning of May when it was quite hot. When we got to the village, Tee showed us around showing us how people prepare rice, store their chickens and most importantly introduced us to our host family.
This experience was intimate, staying in the extra room of a traditional family home (wooden, on stilts) and eating and drinking the local cuisine together. It is hard to find these kinds of immersive experiences while traveling and this one was surely unforgettable. They brought sleeping mats (very thin - dont expect the best nights sleep), blankets and mosquito nets for us so there was no need to bring anything additional while we were traveling around Thailand which was great.
The next day after coffee and trying tea that Tee had brought us from his own garden, we headed out for a trek along the river and through a cave. We were much more in the jungle which was really beautiful (and cooler!). We stopped for lunch at a waterfall where we swam and Tee brought us sticky rice in banana leaves while we were wading in the water and cooling off.
If you want to spend more time in the village learning about village life then do the 2 night trip as you could spend the second day in the village instead of heading into the jungle early like we did. If we were to go back we would love to do that!
Written June 12, 2024
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.
Victoria M
La Coruna, Spain2 contributions
Jan 2020 • Solo
One day advanced tour... Not advanced at all and shorter than expected. I was told the walking time was round 7 hours... It was not even 5 walking hours and it could have been easily reduced to 2.5-3 hours). Very slow pace with multiple unjustified stops (maybe 1 out of 10 stops was justified) in a dense and uninteresting forest like any other forest. A little bit more of an hour walking uphill, no interesting views and then the biggest chunk of the 'leisure walk' is going downhill on a dense and interssting steep part of the forest. The last hour was the only time I can say it was enjoyable. I cannot understand how it can be justified the 2 hour ride to the site if only to use the name of Doi Inthanon natural park as a bait.
Information about what to bring on the website is also misleading. According to the website, your should bring along sandals, change of clothes, swimwear and towel when you don't require them for this 'trek', so extra weight is carried. On the other hand, what I believe it was required, and not mentioned, is a pair of long trousers as the legs are bound to be scratched.
Manager is not the friendliest of people go say the least. Guide with broken English, smoking a lot (not only on the multiple breaks, but also when walking even if just in front of you). No rapport whatsoever and feels like he is trying to take it as easy as possible to fill a number of hours (i.e. we stopped for lunch, 80-90 m, after the first 75 m walking at a very slow pace)
Expensive and definitely not worth the money. How this company has such a high score is beyond my comprehension. It might be that they take the 2 and 3 day treks in a more serious and professional manner. I hope so.
Information about what to bring on the website is also misleading. According to the website, your should bring along sandals, change of clothes, swimwear and towel when you don't require them for this 'trek', so extra weight is carried. On the other hand, what I believe it was required, and not mentioned, is a pair of long trousers as the legs are bound to be scratched.
Manager is not the friendliest of people go say the least. Guide with broken English, smoking a lot (not only on the multiple breaks, but also when walking even if just in front of you). No rapport whatsoever and feels like he is trying to take it as easy as possible to fill a number of hours (i.e. we stopped for lunch, 80-90 m, after the first 75 m walking at a very slow pace)
Expensive and definitely not worth the money. How this company has such a high score is beyond my comprehension. It might be that they take the 2 and 3 day treks in a more serious and professional manner. I hope so.
Written July 12, 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.
Derek B
1 contribution
Feb 2024 • Friends
Joined the 3days survival trip with two others from Chiang Mai on very short notice. They made it work anyway and guided us through a quite unforgettable 3 days and 2 nights jungle experience. The video is right - there is rodent trapping & hunting and living from the land. The most inspiring however are the Karen, which share their expertise and joy about the jungle with you, for this arguably too short period. They are tough mothertruckers, on top of that.
So pack your shoes and curiosity, leave your nutritional comfort (micro)zone at home and do something truely real for once. Try everything they offer you, look at everything they show you, bombard them with questions, do what they do, and leave the rest to the spirit of the jungle (as they do). You won't forget this one, any bet.
So pack your shoes and curiosity, leave your nutritional comfort (micro)zone at home and do something truely real for once. Try everything they offer you, look at everything they show you, bombard them with questions, do what they do, and leave the rest to the spirit of the jungle (as they do). You won't forget this one, any bet.
Written May 2, 2024
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.
Serena Paris
Lido degli Estensi, Italy2 contributions
Jan 2024 • Friends
We tryed the trekking experience - 2 days and 1 night. It was amazing!
Once arrived we stopped for a quick lunch in a small beautiful place on the street.
In the early afternoon we started a walk ending in the village where we slept.
The locals are really welcoming and kind. We cooked our dinner with them and eat all together.
For the night they gave us one of their houses equipped with a mattress, a pillow,a sleeping bag and a mosquito net.
My suggestion is to bring one more blanket or a warmer sleeping bag because during the night temperatures are quite low.
In the morning the locals prepared our breakfast and then we left for the second day of walking, a bit harder than the first day but really suggestive.
Not to mention the guide Wee, a very helpful and kind person who wonderfully guide us through this experience.
I absolutely recommend this experience, you won't regret it and you remember it for the rest of your life!
Once arrived we stopped for a quick lunch in a small beautiful place on the street.
In the early afternoon we started a walk ending in the village where we slept.
The locals are really welcoming and kind. We cooked our dinner with them and eat all together.
For the night they gave us one of their houses equipped with a mattress, a pillow,a sleeping bag and a mosquito net.
My suggestion is to bring one more blanket or a warmer sleeping bag because during the night temperatures are quite low.
In the morning the locals prepared our breakfast and then we left for the second day of walking, a bit harder than the first day but really suggestive.
Not to mention the guide Wee, a very helpful and kind person who wonderfully guide us through this experience.
I absolutely recommend this experience, you won't regret it and you remember it for the rest of your life!
Written January 22, 2024
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.
Eleonora Z
9 contributions
Aug 2023 • Friends
I couldn’t recommend more this experience! They came to pick us up at our hotel in Chiang Mai and took us to a market to buy some food (that we would cook on the fire later on) and then to the jungle. It was definitely the best experience during our trip in Chiang Mai!! The guides were lovely, they took care of us ensuring we were always okay and they explained us all the marvelous secrets of the jungle. We saw some many plants and insects we never saw before and cooked food from the market and from the forest on a fire we lighted up close to a water fall. It was amazing, a bit challenging (but not too much, no one of us was an experienced trekker) and so so authentic and heart warming. You could really tell the guides knew all of the secrets of the jungle and that they deeply respected the nature. Also the food we cooked together was soooo tasty, definitely the best experience of our trip in Thailand and I would recommend this to everyone!!
Written August 30, 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.
Magdalenae
Porto, Portugal2 contributions
Jan 2023 • Solo
A must do! I just came back to Chiang Mai after three days of the Eco trekking. It was a unique experience and probably the best memory I'll bring home from Thailand. We spent one night in a Karen village, host by one of the families, and one in Hut by the river. Our guide Tee was spoke very good English he gave us much information about, the Karen people, the vegetation, agricultural techniques and traditional survival techniques, him and the people from the village were wonderful, very patient and gave us a real look of the life in rural Thailand.
Written January 6, 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.
Eva Lo
Gent, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium3 contributions
Dec 2022
We had an experience of a life time on our three day trek with Mr. Tee!
It was great to meet the people in the village, eat, sleep, talk and laugh with them. The scenery was amazing, every day a different environment, travelling from the farms through the community forest, the river and the cave to enjoy. Mr. Tee is an absolute professional with many years of experience, we couldn't have been in better hands.
It was great to meet the people in the village, eat, sleep, talk and laugh with them. The scenery was amazing, every day a different environment, travelling from the farms through the community forest, the river and the cave to enjoy. Mr. Tee is an absolute professional with many years of experience, we couldn't have been in better hands.
Written January 8, 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.
eileenl555
Kilmarnock, UK4 contributions
Dec 2022
If you want Elephant rides ……. Don’t come here. If you want to raft down a river ……. Don’t come here. If you want long neck tribes …….. don’t come here. If you want an authentic and unique trekking trip then DO COME HERE. We did a 3-day trek with Mr. Tee, he guided us to a Karen village where we stayed with a family who cooked dinner for us on an open fire. The next day we trekked down a river to a camp site where dinner was prepared by Mr. Tee and other guides, we bathed in the river while camp was set up. On the last day we trekked up river and through a cave.
Written January 14, 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 there, I am just wondering which version of the trek this was? Was it the Hilltribe homestay or the Eco trek?
Written August 19, 2019
We did the Eco Trek in Sopmoei-Mae Sariang Area, which is a trekking of three days and two nights.
Written March 20, 2020
Hola! Queremos hacer la excursion del trekking este agosto. Pero nos gustaria saber si lo reservasteis el dia antes o ya lo reservasteis con antelacion. Nosotros queremos estar 4 dias en Chiang Mai y no queremos llegar el dia 1 para reservar el trekking y que no haya sitio. Gracias por adelantado!
Written April 22, 2019
bonjours nous envisageons de faire un trek mais nous ne savons pas si nous pouvons le faire seul ou si il est obligatoire de le faire avec un guide ou organisme et ou dois t'on se renseigner merci
Written September 6, 2017
Bonjour,
Je ne ferais pas ce trek sans guide, car il n'y a aucun chemin balisé. La végétation repousse très vite et le coupe coupe est indispensable. Tout pour se perdre !
De plus les guides sont de la région, ils vous feront voir des animaux , oiseaux, araignées etc.. que vous ne remarqueriez peut-être pas.
Il existe peut-être des parcours balisés mais beaucoup plus touristiques, qui peuvent être sympas aussi.
Surtout faites attention à la météo, suivant la période il fait très chaud, et pendant la saison des pluies abstenez vous. Surtout que le patron vous dira que c'est sans problème quand il pleut, mais c'est un commerçant avant tout. ( Je n'ai rien contre les commerçants ).
Bon trek !!
Written September 7, 2017
Ja, dat werd gevraagd en lijkt mij geen probleem, maar nuttig in geval van een ongeluk. En logisch omdat we vooraf bij boeking slechts een deel van de prijs vooraf hoefden te betalen.
Overigens was de prijs afhankelijk van het aantal deelnemers (voor de dagwandeling maximaal 8 personen).
Written October 20, 2017
Have a couple of days in Chang mai coming up and will probably do a one day trek . Can someone advise me if I need walking boots or will trainers be ok .
Written March 19, 2017
Een van de gidsen liep op teenslippers. In het regenseizoen zijn waterdichte schoenen nodig als je droge voeten wilt houden. Anders zijn trainers ook geschikt.
Written October 20, 2017
Hi Im going whit my Family on April 2017 and we are interested to do trek for 3 days we are 6 people total.
Regards
Written December 30, 2016
Bonjour,
Nous sommes intéressés par le trek de 3 jours avec Pooh Eco Trekking.
Pourriez-vous nous dire si une réservation en ligne est nécessaire ou si nous pouvons attendre notre arrivée à Chiang Mai? Nous y serons début mars.
Merci à vous.
Written November 7, 2016
J'aimerais faire un trek 2-3 jours avec mon mari et mes 2 enfants qui auront 3ans et demi et pratiquement 10 ans ( sachant que la petite sera portee en sac a dos..),est-ce que cela est envisageable avec elephants et descente riviere?
Merci d'avance pour votre reponse..
Written October 29, 2016
brontesimm
London, United Kingdom
Would you recommenced booking online prior to arriving or booking in person at their office?
Written May 24, 2016
Definitely book ahead if in high season. When we went on the 2 night trek in January 2016 it was maximum of 6 people per trek. And contrary to imagex's experience, we found the staff and the tour to be amazing.
Written June 3, 2016
paangmakulet
Bangkok, Thailand
How to book? Who to contact and any contact numbers available? TIA
Written March 12, 2016
I wouldnt recommend this company. They are run by a bunch of moody idiots. Terrible service
Written March 13, 2016
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.