Throughout history, Thailand and Burma (Myanmar) have shared close ties. Indeed, much of the Lanna culture that predominates in northwest Thailand has its roots in the multiplicity of ethnic groups that have migrated from Burma to Thailand over the past eight centuries. Our service and adventure program will introduce you to one of these groups, the Karen hill tribe people.

Your stay at a local village house in Mae U Su will allow you to experience the Karen way of life, traditions, and a culture that is based on agriculture and weaving. Some days, you will learn how to weave traditional clothes and accessories. Other days, you will work in the fields, helping to plant and/or harvest seasonal subsistence crops. There will also be time to teach and play with students at the Mae U Su primary school, and to provide food and accommodations to the elderly and poor people of the village.

Our itinerary also includes a walking tour to U Too Tha, a tiny village near the Thai-Burma border that is home to only ten families. Time seems to have stood still in this tiny enclave. People sit by the river, languidly casting for fish or just watching the water drift by. Here, too, we will donate food and help with accommodations, as many of the residents are exceptionally poor. We will also meet with the village headman to learn about projects that are underway or planned.