A far cry from the mile-a-minute energy of Bangkok, Chiang Mai is Thai city living at its chilled-out finest. A full-day tour will ensure you check off its top sights — but you’ll also explore areas little visited by tourists, travelling by boat, bike and rickety songtaew truck to quiet neighbourhoods, local markets, riverside villages and suburban temple ruins. After you’ve got a sense of the city, head into Sri Lanna National Park and explore its seven-coloured springs, fruit orchards, reservoirs and waterfalls, stopping for lunch at a rafthouse in between bikes, hikes and kayaks. Don’t wear yourself out too much: this just a warm-up for the adventures ahead on your trip to Thailand!

Welcome to the main event: a five-day trek through jungle-covered mountains. Swing by a buffalo market to stock up on food, then head into the wilderness — following streams, picnicking by waterfalls, spotting birds and wildlife, and passing small farms tended by local communities. Each night will be spent in a different hilltribe community, where you’ll get to meet people from the Akha and Karen minorities, learn about local cultures and customs, try home-cooked traditional food, and sleep surrounded by the sounds of the jungle. Don’t expect any luxuries beyond a cold shower and a hot meal — but after a hard day of trekking there’s not much more you need. Return to Chiang Mai at the end of the route for a final day in town; we'd recommend a traditional Thai massage as a reward for completing the hike!