Northern Thailand is home to the majority of Thailand's more than 700,000 tribal peoples, many of whom emigrated from Laos, southwestern China, Myanmar (Burma), and Tibet, and retain their traditional costumes, religion, art, and way of life. Opportunities to visit these distinctive ethnic enclaves and to enjoy the region's scenic beauty make the rural north one of the country's most popular destinations.
Hill-tribes traditionally practiced slash-and-burn agriculture: burning forests to clear land; planting poppies as a cash crop; and then setting up new bamboo and thatch villages whenever their farmland's soil became depleted. This unsustainable practice has now changed.
Visitors should practice cultural awareness and encourage only positive methods of sustainable tourism (i.e., trek with local guides and avoid littering or damaging the natural environment).
Both self-guided trips and scheduled tours -- by car or motorbike -- are great ways to get around the area. Hill-tribe tours and trekking are also very popular activities and bring visitors into intimate contact with the hospitable minority groups of the north. Many use Chiang Mai as a hub for forays into the surrounding hills. With its cooler climes and pleasant towns, it is a great region to get adventurous and explore.
