
Discover places through the people who live there.
Our village connections help you explore beyond the usual routes.
MANITABI · CHIANG MAI & NORTHERN THAILAND
Walk in the forest, share a village meal, try traditional crafts.
Discover a wider world in Northern Thailand.
Travel a little further into the places you visit.

ABOUT MANITABI
ManiTabi comes from “Maniac Travel”: travel for the curious.
Take a step beyond familiar routes and popular spots.
Based in Chiang Mai, we introduce you to life in Northern Thailand.
Our journeys begin with relationships with local people.
Time with village hosts and hands-on experiences in nature
can change the way you see a place.

Our village connections help you explore beyond the usual routes.

Harvest, make and taste. Discover how nature and everyday life connect.
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Walk, cook and talk together, and settle into the rhythm of the village.
VILLAGE TOURS
Into nature, beside the craftspeople, around the village table.
Choose your next journey through the experiences that interest you.

NATURE & LIFE / KAREN
Visit a Karen village in the mountains. Walk with your hosts, cook local food and learn about traditional life and natural dyeing.
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VILLAGE STAY / TAI LUE
Learn about Tai Lue culture and local knowledge through traditional cooking, forest activities and time with village hosts.
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CACAO & CULTURE / LISU
Visit a Lisu village in Chiang Rai, learn how cacao becomes chocolate and discover a way of life close to nature.
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FARM & COFFEE / KAREN
Stay with a Karen coffee-farming family and learn about harvesting, roasting and brewing, with time to get to know your hosts.
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VILLAGE CRAFT / KAREN SILVER
Make your own ring or bracelet with a village artisan on a day trip exploring traditional Karen silverwork.
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SLOW TRAVEL / CYCLING
Cycle slowly through the countryside with Sawan, a world cyclist, and explore a small, simple and slower way of living.
Explore this tourSEASONAL JOURNEYS
Meet a place at a special time of year.
Discover village festivals and experiences to enjoy around your lantern-festival visit.

WANG PAI VILLAGE / SALAKAPAT
Help the people of Wang Pai create an elephant float and share their annual Salakapat festival, with Tai Lue traditions and village hospitality.
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LISU VILLAGE / NEW YEAR
Join New Year celebrations with colourful clothing, rice-cake making and circle dancing, alongside a visit to a cacao farm.
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CHIANG MAI / NOVEMBER 2026
Between lantern-festival evenings, explore markets, cacao farms, Karen villages and craft workshops, with five experiences on 23–26 November 2026.
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MANITABI SHOP · CHIANG MAI
Find Karen handwoven textiles, shade-grown coffee and cacao, and bamboo crafts made by the people we visit, at our small shop in Chiang Mai.
Drop in during your trip or before heading home.
Just browsing is welcome. Come and share your travel stories.
TRAVELERS’ STORIES
Stories from people who have travelled with ManiTabi.

The generosity and hospitality of our hosts made this a wonderful visit. I recommend it to anyone interested in local ethnic communities.

I was deeply moved by a way of life that takes only what is needed and draws so much of its food, clothing and shelter from the village surroundings.

I learned how difficult coffee growing can be, and learned just as much from seeing the villagers live with freedom and happiness.

Seeing homes, cooking and gathering food up close taught us about the practical wisdom of living with nature.

I felt gentleness and kindness in the village. It reminded me that richness can come from the heart, beyond earning money.

Experiencing everyday life and culture and getting to know the villagers like relatives was especially memorable.
YOUR LOCAL NAVIGATOR
Naoto SakataChiang Mai Sakata / Founder, ManiTabi
I visit villages, meet local people and build trust over time. These relationships are at the heart of the journeys I create in Northern Thailand.
From village tours to fairly traded crafts and community projects, I hope to create encounters that stay with you long after the trip.
Read my story (Japanese)MEDIA APPEARANCE
Watch a Japanese-language programme about our work in Chiang Mai.
Watch on YouTubeJOURNAL & NEWS
LET’S PLAN YOUR JOURNEY
Tell us what interests you and when you are travelling. We are happy to help.