Chiang Mai Tours - MAE HONG SON - Chiang Mai Travel Planner

| CHIANG MAI |

| CHIANG MAI
Hotels & Resorts |

| CHIANG MAI
Tours & Activities |

| CHIANG MAI
Travel & Transfers |

| CHIANG MAI Travel Guide |

| CHIANG MAI
Maps |

CHIANG MAI

TOURS & ACTIVITIES

TOUR CM10

Tours & Activities

cm10

MAE HONG SON
7:30 A.M - 7:00 P.M.

Giraffe-Women and magnificent Burmese-Style temples

MH.1

See long-neck Karen hill tribe at Huay Sua Tao - with Elephant Ride.

A few magnificent Burmese-Style temples will be visited on route such as Wat Phrathat Doi Kong Moo on a hilltop.

City & Old Temple Tour.
(Admission Fee, Lunch included)
[OR]

MH.2

See long-neck Karen hill tribe at Nam Phiang Din - by long tail boat (1 hour).

A few magnificent Burmese-Style temples will be visited on route such as Wat Phrathat Doi Kong Moo on a hilltop.

City & Old Temple Tour.
(Admission Fee, Boat Trip, Lunch included)

THE PADUANG

A small group of around 500 people - but given an inordinate amount of coverage by the media and tourism promotion - the Paduang are one of Mae Hong Son Province's top tourist attractions.

Although only a very small percentage ever wore the 'famous' neck-rings, now almost all 5 year-old girls are fitted with them.

These rings push down on the body, rather than lifting up the head, to give the appearance of a swan-like neck which is deemed to be very beautiful.

Paduang women wear rings for decoration and belifs. It was believed that, long time ago, the spirits were agenred with the people and sent tigers to kill and eat women. The ancestors advised them to put on brass rings on their necks to protect themselves.

They call themselves the Gay Gong Du, meaning people who live on top of a hill.

Some speak a Karen dialect, but they may be a branch of the Tai Yai.
They have legends which associate them with the Khmer, but their language is considered Tibeto-Burman.

Perhaps 30,000 or more live in Kayah state of Burma, mostly west of the Salaween River.
Those trade in livestock, rice, cotton, fruit and vegetables, weavings and basketry and few still have the long necks.
On either side of the border, the Paduang have been nomadic hunters and farmers.

The women's neck rings make for a whispery voice and those who wear them cannot shout.

They also wear rings on the arms and legs, often 20 or 25 kilos of weight altogether!
Yet they still carry loads, like jars of water atop their heads, and gather firewood.
They are hardly fastidious, owning little, and don't bathe often as they must polish their rings each time.

The Paduang are friendly and love visitors (especially well-mannered ones), but they also love quiet.

They are usually Buddhist, but believe in their animistic shamans too.

Their small houses, built on short poles with a small porch in front, have a hearth in the middle of the floor.

Information obtained from:
Window of Chiang Mai, published by the Knowledge Center, 79/1 Kotchasarn Rd, Chiangmai 50100

Adult(s): Child(ren):

Date:
Time:Full day
Options (please select 1 option)
MH1: Elephant Ride
(Extra: THB 500/pax)
MH2: Long Tail Boat

No pre-payment required with confirmed hotel reservation

Pick-up at airport or hotel included in prices

QUICK LINKS: CHIANG MAI TOURS:
Introduction	ELEPHANT AT WORK WITH RIDING, RAFTING
ALL Tours	DOI INTHANON AND WATERFALL
SEARCH DATABASE	CHIANG RAI - CHIANGSAEN - GOLDEN TRIANGLE