Review Author: Wen Fa

Review Date: 24 May 2026

Review Body: Hidden Chiang Mai: Trek & Raft to a Remote Lahu Community The Trekking and Bamboo Rafting with Trailhead team led by Lek, Kom and Daniel was definitely one of the highlights of our Chiang Mai trip. The experience started off smoothly with punctual hotel pick-up. Before the hike began, the team thoughtfully stopped at a gas station for a toilet and snack break, which we later realized was very much needed as the trekking starting point was in a rural area without proper toilet facilities, especially for ladies. We were also lucky that it was only my wife and I for the trip, so the whole experience almost felt like having a private guide. Throughout the hike, the Lek & Kom shared a lot about the forest, plants, insects and the local lifestyle. We learned many interesting things that we would never have noticed ourselves, including a type of ant considered a local delicacy that can apparently sell for quite a high value, with only about a one-week harvesting period each year. It was very eye-opening and you could really feel their passion and respect for nature from the way everything was explained. Lek also brought along a Canon EOS camera during the hike and helped to take photos for us along the way. The photos were later shared with us, which was a really nice and thoughtful touch to the overall experience. Lunch was simple but incredibly satisfying after the hike — local fried chicken with glutinous rice. What surprised us most was that Daniel even carried a whole watermelon along for the trek. Having sweet, juicy watermelon after lunch in the middle of the forest felt amazingly refreshing and shiok. The bamboo rafting was also a new and enjoyable experience for us, especially when entering sections where the water current became faster. It added a fun and exciting touch to the whole trip. To end the day, we were even treated to ice cold coconut water before heading back to the hotel. Kom also told us about an ongoing local event we were unaware of — the Inthakin Festival (Sai Khan Dok) at Wat Chedi Luang — and recommended that we visit to experience the local festival atmosphere and food stalls. We took his advice and it definitely did not disappoint. Overall, everything was very well planned and coordinated, including the timely return back to the hotel. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a more authentic, nature-focused and less commercialized experience in Chiang Mai. Special thanks as well to our guides — Lek, Kom and Daniel — for making the experience so enjoyable, educational and memorable. Their passion for nature, hospitality and genuine care throughout the trip really made a difference and added a very personal touch to the whole experience.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Kim Davis Reyher

Review Date: 25 Jul 2025

Review Body: What a great day! We enjoyed a challenging hike, great lunch, village visits and a temple visit. We booked a trip for hiking and rafting. Rafting was not possible because of high water due to a big storm. The company did an excellent job of communicating with us about an alternate plan. Our guide was very pleasant and helpful and answered lots of questions. He was also good with our teen age children and after shared some nice family photos.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Leslie Limardo

Review Date: 05 Jan 2026

Review Body: Great guides, fun trail, quaint tribal village, (have money to buy a few things off the local ladies) and amazing bamboo raft ride down the river. FYI you will get wet-we did up to our knees multiple times, but really fun. Really yummy Khao Soi afterward and a good time all around. Trail is medium to hard at times, with slippery pebbles and leaves spots. A full day, but something out of the ordinary :)

Review rating: 5

Review Author: kpkinz

Review Date: 09 Jan 2023

Review Body: just an awesome time with Dan as our guide. We went on a great hike out to see the Lahu people, an indigenous group that live cut off from civilization for the most part. Great people, we were able to have lunch with them and see their way of life. After, Dan took us on a bamboo raft trip down the Dang river, just an amazing lifetime experience and Dan was phenomenal.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Ilesk

Review Date: 05 Apr 2022

Review Body: I participated in Life with the Lahu trekking and rafting tour. The day exceeded all my expectations. An amazing experience in fantastic setting! Super professional guides who made sure everything went smoothly and safe. It's like spending time outdoors in a company of friends. I can highly recommend Trailhead to everyone who visit Chiang Mai. Thank you guys!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Peter Auld

Review Date: 12 Jun 2024

Review Body: We had a truely great day , our guides could not have been more helpful. They even adjusted the trip to suit us at there suggestion which was spot on . We were all a bit apprehensive about the river but the crew made it fun & gave us confidence. It was a great day .

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Julianna Sanchez

Review Date: 08 Jun 2026

Review Body: Experience was amazing! We had a lovely hike, saw a local village, and then bamboo rafted. Com and lik were wonderful and tailored the experience to our needs perfectly. We were looking for an authentic experience off the beaten path and this was perfect!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: TGR

Review Date: 13 Jul 2023

Review Body: We did the overnight hike in paddle out on the bamboo raft tour as a family of 4, we all loved it and it's the highlight of our time in Thailand so far. Thanks to our great guides and the kind people in the village that looked after us.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Rachel

Review Date: 25 Aug 2025

Review Body: Really amazing experience going on the hike, visiting the village and experiencing bamboo rafting. The guides took care of us well and provided delicious lunch packs & snacks for us. Hoping to go back to Chiangmai with Trailhead again!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Clare Rosay

Review Date: 22 Jan 2026

Review Body: Great experience with super host KOM.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Eliza

Review Date: 02 Jul 2024

Review Body: The hike was tough!! Be prepared to wear hiking shoes that are waterproof and long pants for the rafting to avoid black fly bites. Other than that, the views were super amazing during the rafting! The guides also made sure we were well-fed (they packed us a little lunch bag with snacks)!

Review rating: 4

Review Author: Ms Mou

Review Date: 03 Feb 2026

Review Body: I did feel the entire package was a little expensive. We drove for two hours and did a medium difficulty trek up a national park - which was a lot of uphill (nice to get a good workout in) and went to a little village where we had pre packed meals, then rafted down the river. The rafting was the best part - spectacular views and very fun, the hike is challenging in a good way (knowledgeable guide) but I thought the village trip was a little underwhelming (I would love to have more meaningful interaction with the villagers as I felt they were just waiting for us to buy their sovenirs). Guide fed us amazing Khao Soi noodles with cold coconut which was a nice touch!

Review rating: 3

Review Author: Gallorj43

Review Date: 28 Oct 2023

Review Body: Trailhead tours are some of the best tours I’ve been on abroad. They’re very professional and well planned. I did two different tours with the company - NUMB and Sticky Waterfall Day tour. Both were the highlights of my time in Chiang Mai. NUMB was as the title says, by the end of the the day you are so tired and pumped out from going downhill all day, which is exactly what you want! If steep runs, roots and rocks is what you love then I highly recommend. The trails were surprisingly challenging and I wouldn’t recommend this tour if you don’t have much experience mountain biking. I think even highly skilled riders will find these trails to offer something. The bikes provided were in good condition and one of the main benefits to doing this tour with trailhead. These trails would be extremely hard to ride if you were to do this on your own - sourcing a full suspension bike in Chiang Mai is very difficult and you need a shuttle to the top. The guides ride these trails so often, their knowledge and guidance is priceless. The sticky waterfall tour was also an amazing experience. The riding is not technical but does require a good amount of physical fitness, there are some steeper climbs, but the truck will be behind you in case you feel you can’t do any part of the ride. The ride takes you through parts of the jungle that you would never see otherwise and there are many sights to see along the way - lakes, caves, rolling red dirt hills, teak forests. The route is perfectly planned and timed. A banana or sticky rice after a hard climb and ample amounts of water are provided. The sticky waterfall is also a not to be missed attraction and riding there is much more pleasure than riding there in a red truck (in my opinion). 10/10 tour experience with trailhead. If I had the time, I would do every tour they offer!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Evelyn

Review Date: 22 Feb 2026

Review Body: Summary: BEST DAY EVER!! Communication & Pick up- seamless Morning coffee at the shop- top quality Gear- new clean light comfortable helmets. Excellent condition Treck mountain bikes with beautiful suspension and gearing perfect for the terrain and easy to operate. Route- fun, varied, challenging but achievable… and if not, there is always the truck that can pick you up and take you the rest of the way Sight seeing- the mountains views and caves were very special and the sticky waterfall an absolute MUST whether you take this tour to get there or not. Food- perfect amount of healthy snacks water electrolytes along the way and your choice from a restaurant for late lunch as a reward at the end of it all. Guide- the king of the mountain; Kom is calm, funny, patient, supportive, and takes lots of photos and videos. I’m 44, female, and ride about 20km/week on flat roads, and have never done mountain biking before… I am now very happy very proud and very tired… if I can do it so can you! And if you are fit and strong and a regular mountain biker, I’m sure you will also enjoy the opportunity immensely.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Luke & Charlotte

Review Date: 29 Oct 2024

Review Body: We had an amazing day with Lek and Kom - we were picked up on time from our hotel by Lek and taken to their office/coffee shop for a free coffee before heading out. We then started the trail with Lek - we had a great chat and a lot of laughs along the way! We took a long boat across the lake with the bikes, carried on through all different terrains (including stopping off in the Forrest at a giant cave!) and ended up at the sticky waterfalls a few hours later. After the waterfalls we were taken to a lovely little restaurant for dinner. With the addition of Lek and Kom taking professional photos all day, we physically could not have asked for more. Lek sent us the photos he had taken with a day or two, and they were absolutely amazing. A lot of shots were taken during the day by Kom, who was following along in a car incase we we needed a break from riding the bikes. We would recommend having a good level of fitness, however Lek is so great at helping along the way if you start to lag. An amazing trip, two lovely guys, could not recommend this trip more. Thanks Lek and Kom!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Jenna

Review Date: 20 Jan 2026

Review Body: We did the twilight discovery tour in January and it was such a brilliant way to experience Chiang Mai city, and one of the highlights of our whole trip to Thailand. Our guide Vivi was experienced, knowledgeable and good fun. Before we set off, she explained what to expect and some instructions we needed to follow. I'm not a cyclist but I felt safe and the pace was perfect with lots of stops along the way - approx 3 hours in total. The bikes had baskets so you can store your belongings/water, we were given helmets and lights. Most of the tour is around the back streets and small alley ways of the city. There were some parts on the main roads but Vivi kept a good eye on us and drivers were considerate to slowing down and stopping. We visited several temples, markets, Mae Kha canal (where we tried some different foods which were included what we had paid) and Tha Phae Gate. Overall the tour was great fun, interesting and I'd highly recommend!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: K C

Review Date: 08 Feb 2020

Review Body: I've done other bike tours in Chiang Mai...but Trailhead is the best so far by a long shot. They pick you up from your hotel and provided me with a free ice latte to start the morning. They run small group of 5 people so it makes it easier for tour guide to keep track of everyone. Their bikes are top-notch and in mint working condition. Other tour companies I noticed their bikes are not well maintained and it breaks down every time during the tour. The Trailhead tour guide took really good care of us...if someone is lagging behind..they would back to check on them. I did their newer tour, the Sticky Waterfall Explorer. It was pretty tough but a huge reward at the end with a beautiful waterfall and delicious lunch. I highly recommend Trailhead if you don't like chaos of other big tour groups. I'm already planning to book another tour with them...something more downhill and less climbing.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Garrod P

Review Date: 21 Oct 2019

Review Body: I've just finished a tour with TRIALHEAD. What a day. I cant recomend them enough! If you are in Chiang Mai and have a spare day, phone them. I did the tour that ended with lunch at the Sticky Waterfall. It's around 3 to 4 hours of cycling, but dont be put off by that. There are plenty of rest stops on the way to catch your breath. There is also a 4X4 jeep that follows you that Carrie's plenty of water. They also will give you a lift up the main hill (about 1/2 KM) if you dont fancy riding up it. The guides actually pre warn you about the hill and do ask if you would like to jump in for a lift to the top. Unfortunately I found TRIALHEAD on my last day or I would have taken another 1 of their many tours. Thanks TRIALHEAD for an amazing day.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Jia Lin Foo

Review Date: 22 Nov 2023

Review Body: One of the best nature trips we did in Chiang Mai! This cycling trip was perfect because we were looking for something adventurous to do after spending all our time in the city. Every bit of this adventure was super cool - started out easy and then we had to take a boat to cross the lake where the real cycling journey started! It was difficult with lots of uphills, but with great views. We also stopped to explore a few caves! The reward after a tiring day of cycling was visiting the sticky waterfalls where you can walk down on it! The BEST way to end a really fun day. Definitely recommend this trip to anyone looking for a lil bit of adventure :)

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Irin L

Review Date: 21 Jul 2023

Review Body: We joined the tour on day 2 of our trip. A great intro to see parts of Chiang Mai through the lenses of the local. Our guide, Lek took us through interesting nooks & crannies within the city to reach the places of interest. The ride was delightful and fun on good bikes. Lek is pleasant, knowledgeable and took good care to keep us safe on road. In addition, he speaks fluent english and a great photographer too ~ took & shared wt us many photos he captured of us that will serve as beautiful memories in years to come. Very thoughtful gesture! We truly appreciate that on top of safe ride and enjoyable experience. Highly recommended.

Review rating: 5

Itinerary Day 1

Itinerary Summary: Hike, Raft, Explore, Return

Itinerary Description: 08.30am – 8.45am Hotel pick up 09.00am – Leave from the Trailhead shop 10.30am – Arrive at start point, briefing and start the hike 11.30am – Snack break 12.30pm – Reach the Lahu village and enjoy lunch 13.30pm – Bamboo rafting down the Teang river 15.30pm – Finish the rafting and prepare to head back to city 18.00pm – reach Chiang Mai and drop off at your hotel