The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: September twenty-eighth, enjoying a jungle trek in Thailand.

Chiang Mai, the second largest city in Thailand, is situated on the Ping River in the country's northern highlands. Once capital of the kingdom of Lao, Chiang Mai's temples and elaborate fortifications have made it a destination of choice for travelers to South East Asia. Truly adventurous travelers also use Chiang Mai as a base for treks the area's hilly jungles.

Northern Thailand is populated by more than a dozen distinct tribes who migrated from Burma and southern China in the last century. Each has its own culture, religion, language, art and style of dress. Many of the hill tribes live in small, remote villages, growing garden crops and raising pigs and chickens, much as their ancestors have done for a thousand years. Houses are built with bamboo and raised one story off the ground, with metal roofs. Hospitality is still a virtue, and villagers welcome visitors into their homes, providing an opportunity to experience a unique way of life firsthand.

Of course, getting to these villages can be a challenge, even from Chiang Mai. Roads tend to be dirt and deeply rutted. Elephants and bamboo rafts are common conveyances, but many remote villages can only be reached via foot trails through jungles that teem with exotic insects and brightly-colored snakes. These are not treks a stranger would undertake alone. Fortunately, Chiang Mai has more than 100 registered trekking companies ready to help visitors experience a unique adventure off the touristed paths.

FMI For more information on visiting the hilltribes of Thailand, visit www.thailine.com. The Thai Tourism Office can be reached at 800-842-4526 or www.thailand.com

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