Pai River Cruise, Long Necked Tribe, Elephant Ride

Our guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel in Mae Hong Son and depart for Ban Nai Soi, a Karen Hilltribe village. There are approximately 300,000 Karen in Thailand, making them by far the most populous minority group in the country. The Karen inhabit many areas of western and northern Thailand, and can be divided into several sub-groups. The Padaung, the famous "long-necked" people whose women traditionally wear many tight bronze rings around their necks, are another of the many sub-groups. The women of the Padaung stretch their necks from an early age. It is a practice applied only to women born during the full moon, with the belief that taking off the rings will result in certain death. Some of the women have up to 25 rings. The wealthier the family, the more rings the women have.  After this visit, embark on a one-hour trek through the forest on elephant back and enjoy the scenery along the Pai River during a one-hour long-tail boat ride.