Chiang Mai sits 310m above sea level in the Northern part of Thailand and can be loosely translated into English as ‘new city’. However, there is nothing new about this city, it had been a glorious kingdom of the Chiang Mai province hundreds of years ago and to date tribal folk call the area their homeland and continue to practice their rites, rituals, and traditions. Therefore, visiting these tribes is always among the top things to do in Chiang Mai and may require a day or two.
Civilizations flourished at the bed of the Ping River which eventually flows to the famous Chao Phraya River and nomadic life is preferred by those who inhabit the area. Due to being among the most sought after destinations in Thailand, the city sees a constant flow of tourists who have the luxury of housing themselves at Anantara Chiang Mai Resort where one does not feel like a traveler.
The highlight of the visits to the Chiang Mai tribes is the village of long-necked ladies, one would think that they belonged to an era bygone; however, they still do exist. Young girls receive the first ring for their neck as early as age five and they continue to add rings as the years go by. Some have close to twenty large bangles around their necks, thus they are unusually long-necked. They are officially known as the Padaung Tribe and many wear large bangles on their forearms as well. People of the Lahu, Karen, Akha and Palong tribes live in wooden houses which are usually on stilts and many of them have taken up handicraft, weaving and the production of keepsakes, but traditionally these tribes engaged in farming and animal husbandry.
It is best to take a Chiang Mai Tribe guide with you en route as the visits would be more educational and the tribes would be more receptive as many of the tribes have their own native language which only exists verbally. One other common feature among these tribes is the popular use of silver and silver hued adornments in their attire as opposed to gold which was used by many ancient civilizations.
Auburn Silver is a travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world. Google+
