A Chiang Mai Retreat in a Karen Village: Healing for Mind and Body

2025年6月6日 2026年7月6日

チェンマイ坂田

"The hustle of the city," "addictive social media," "work tasks that never leave your mind" —

why not step away from that "always-online" everyday and set out on a 2-day, 1-night trip to heal both mind and body?

The setting is a nature-rich Karen village on the outskirts of Chiang Mai.

Tour overview
Trip highlights
Your village host
Schedule
- Day1
- Day2
What participants say
Tour fee
Other

Tour overview

📍Region: Near Chiang Mai, Thailand
📅Availability: Year-round
⏱️Duration: 2 days / 1 night 〈Day 1 9:00 meet at the airport → Day 2 15:00 disperse in the city〉
🌐Language: Japanese OR English
👧Recommended for:

Those tired of staring at phone and computer screens
“Nature × Wellness” who want to experience it on a short getaway
Not just to reset, but to learn healthy habits and wisdom you can take home

Trip highlights

① Refresh from within with the Karen's traditional wellness practices

Experience the wisdom of the Karen through a sauna and foot bath made with herbs gathered in the village.

Nature's power gently washes away the toxins and fatigue built up in your body.

② Countryside time, healed by nature as it is

Unwind at a Karen home surrounded by rice paddies and fields.

Give yourself over to a quiet, unhurried time you can't find in the city.

③ Grow more beautiful from the inside out with herbs

Thai herbs are said to boost circulation and help flush out waste.

Cook together with the Karen, who live alongside nature, and learn to make food that's gentle on the body.

Your village host

Yatee

Your village host is Yatee — a mother of two who lives in a Karen village 90 minutes from central Chiang Mai. She studied in Chiang Mai during her university years and now lives in the village where she was born and raised.

Yatee is a wonderful host who shows you real, un-touristy "everyday life," welcoming guests with an easy, natural warmth.

Yatee's Instagram

Schedule

Day1

9:00 Meet in central Chiang Mai or at the airport, and depart

Meet in central Chiang Mai (the Three Kings Monument) or at Chiang Mai Airport.

With a light stroll through a local market and a rest along the way, we head to the village — about 90 minutes from central Chiang Mai — in a private chartered car.

11:00 Arrive at the village, welcome drink

On arrival, take a relaxing break with coffee and tea grown in the Karen village.

12:00 Lunch

Enjoy Yatee's home cooking along with the local flavors and unique food culture.

14:00 Gather herbs on a village walk

After lunch, walk through the village to gather the herbs used for the herbal sauna and foot bath.

Plants that might look like mere weeds to an untrained eye become body-healing herbs through Yatee's eyes.

Walking beside the lush village rice paddies and fields, you naturally recharge your energy!

16:00 Karen-style herbal sauna & foot bath

The herbal sauna and foot bath thoroughly draw the waste and worries out of your mind and body.

It's a wonderful herbal sauna using the Karen herbs gathered on the village walk.

The herbal foot bath warms you from the core.

19:00 Dinner

After refreshing your body, enjoy Yatee's home cooking made with the village's organic vegetables.

Campfire and stargazing

Gather around the home's hearth for a fire, and enjoy stargazing — a quiet time far from the city's noise.

Day2

6:00 Wake up, morning walk and sunrise

In the morning, rise a little early and stroll through the village to feel its daily life. If the weather's good, we'll head out to see the sunrise.

7:30 Breakfast, rest

Have a light breakfast and spend some time relaxing.

9:00 Make ya dom

"Ya dom" is a crystallized herbal inhaler brimming with the wisdom of traditional Thai medicine. Blend several natural ingredients to your taste and create a one-of-a-kind scent.

You can take your handmade ya dom home and enjoy a lingering reminder of the village even after the tour.

10:30 Cook traditional Karen herbal dishes

We'll cook using lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, cilantro, and turmeric, plus Karen herbs you won't find in Bangkok or central Chiang Mai.

Beyond simply eating, you'll understand how the food is made by working with your own hands.

12:00 Lunch

Enjoy dishes made generously with the village's vegetables.

13:00 Depart for the city

After a final group photo, we leave Yatee's home with fond farewells.

Around 15:00 Transfer to central Chiang Mai / the airport

We'll take you to Chiang Mai Airport or the city center.

What participants say

H.S.

I got to connect with the village family and experience a life quite different from Japan's. More than anything, the kind villagers' smiles gave me energy and healing (^ ^)

Great nature, herbal foot baths, gua sha, cats, Buddha, a mother's kindness and life wisdom, cooking together, babies and kids, the warm smiles of the Karen… healing level MAX! 5 stars!

Tour fee

＜2 days / 1 night＞

Total participants	Price (per person)
4 people	6,900 THB
5 people	6,500 THB
6 or more	5,900 THB

* Minimum group size: 4 people
* For private tours and other requests, please contact us via Mani Tabi's official WhatsApp.

Payment methods: bank transfer within Thailand, cash in Thai baht, or credit card

3% of this tour's fee is set aside to improve the village environment and children's education.

Mani Tabi provides experiences that broaden travelers' horizons while also contributing to the northern-Thai villages that host them.

When the Myanmar earthquake struck in March 2025, the village nursery was damaged. Led by guests who had visited, we raised donations and rebuilt a nursery the village children can attend. Read more in this article 👇

Other

Special rules for this trip

Nicknames: to switch off from the everyday world, you'll make a nickname like Thai people do
Digital detox: if you like, our staff will hold your phone for you

What to bring

Below is the packing list. Please also bring anything else you may need.

Recommended	Item	Notes
Essentials	Comfortable clothes you don't mind getting dirty	They may get stained with mud or dye
	Long sleeves and long pants	Mornings and evenings can be chilly; they also help keep insects away
	Sneakers	Shoes are recommended for the village walk
	Sauna clothing	If you'll use the herbal sauna, bring sauna clothing (a light T-shirt, pants, etc.)
	Any regular medications
	Sandals
	Toothbrush
Nice to have	Sunscreen
	Hat
	A sweat towel
	A small bag	Big enough for drinks, a sweat towel, and valuables
	Sunglasses
	Shampoo	Bring your own if you're particular about it.
	Conditioner	Same as above

Sleeping arrangements

Toilet & shower

Here are the toilet and shower facilities. They are kept clean, but they aren't like a shopping-mall restroom.

The shower's hot water may not always run. If that happens, we'll provide heated water.

Also, during the cold of the dry season you may choose not to shower. In that case, please bring body wipes.

If you have any concerns, please feel free to get in touch.

Important notes

Getting to the village: It's about a 90-minute drive from central Chiang Mai to the village.About half of it is mountain road, so motion sickness is possible. We keep motion-sickness medicine on hand, butplease bring your own motion-sickness medicine if needed.
Weather: Depending on the weather and conditions, the program may not run exactly as planned. In light rain we generally proceed with care for safety; in heavy rain we wait for it to ease and move to indoor activities.
Small animals & insects：
- Pigs, chickens, and dogs roam freely in the village. They generally won't suddenly attack.
- Because the forest is nearby, there are insects and lizards, though they're generally harmless. We provide mosquito nets in the sleeping area.
Valuables: Please look after valuables such as your passport and wallet yourself.
Staying warm: This village sits at about 1,000 m elevation, so mornings and evenings are cooler than in central Chiang Mai. Bring thick warm clothing in the Nov–Feb dry season, and light long sleeves in other seasons.
Room assignments: You may share the bedroom with other tour participants. If you'd like a private room, please let us know in advance.
Internet: Signal can be weak in parts of the village. Please enjoy the digital detox.