A sight of children playing on a swing in their tribal clothing while crowds cheering, their faces gleaming with happiness, will remind you the minute of the swinging motion sent you through the air, touched by cool breeze. It seems everything around you stays still, able to lessen your stress and fatigue and it is so relaxing that you can breathe fresh air deeply. All will make you want to savour this moment as much as you can. Let’s stay on the hill and wait for the night to come, so you could see stars shining on the sky and  experience Akha tribe’s ways of life at Ban Lo Yo village, Pa Tung Subdistrict, Mae Jun District, Chiang Rai province.

         A group of bamboo cottages is neatly arranged along the sides of the hill, harmoniously set on the high terrain and blended with the surrounding green nature. The locals’ ways of leading happy and simple lives are going to inspire you to try “living like them” in order to experience the essence of living once in your life. Nonetheless, “staying at what they provide” can give you the same feeling; Akha Mudhouse, which the children of hill tribal people have helped construct by using natural materials and unused things found in their community and transforming them into cottages. They were built to create happiness for their residents, filled with natural elements in every space. Moreover, they reflect the tribe’s true identity, so much that the visitors feel impressed and want to stay on the hills many more nights.

         You can wander around and  explore the ways of life in the community where the locals still live among nature, listen to birds chirping and singing in the wood, and watch living things grow and some butterflies flying over fragrant flowers. Moreover, you can collect innocent smiles from AKHA’s children. When it’s time for dinner, you will have an opportunity to try the tribe’s traditional food, most of which are made from vegetable and raw meat cooked in simple ways. The food is served with soft sticky rice in bamboo containers and you will eat with a set of wooden chopsticks and spoon, giving a new, unfamiliar taste and methods, but that will make you feel closer to the tribe’s way of life.

         In the evening, you can recharge your happiness and energy in the mudhouse, either lying without blankets to let the cold breeze touch you or cuddling yourself under the blanket. However, don’t doze off too long because you will miss a chance to see stars all over the sky. The high hill is the best place to see clear shining stars, and you have to see the stunning sight with your own eyes. Appreciating the broad sky with millions of stars with cold breeze blowing gently is the ultimate experience of staying on the hill to see stars.

         The clusters of stars is fading when the sunshine is gradually filling in the sky ; The sun is climbing along the hill; the white mist has spread across the sky, covering some of the first sunlight, still allowing little to shine on the sky, a sight that can make you feel fresh and active. While the mist is fading and the sun is shining all over the sky, every living thing lead its peaceful way of life. If you come to this community at the same time the Akha sing, you will hear songs in Akha language, which are unfamiliar but great ones. On Sundays the tribal go to church to attend the Sabbath as part of their religious disciplines.

         You can start your new day with soul full with good vibes. Even though the duration on the hill is short, the memories and experience there can produce the physical and mental energy and inspire you to visit the place again, to collect happiness moment as much as you can by staying on the hill to see the stars.

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Credit by :
Angkhana  Kaewworasoot