Karen community in the mountains

My name is Samart (Joe) and I am a former Buddhist monk, now working in tourism. I believe in sustainable living in the nature, so I built traditional tribal jungle huts, high in the mountains in Mae Wang, to move away from the city of Chiang Mai. Here in the mountains it's a simple life, quiet and traditional. You will stay in the middle of lush jungle and enjoy the amazing views to the valley. The sight of the morning mists clearing in the sunrise is my favorite, and I consider myself lucky to experience it every day! I built the huts with help from my friends and volunteers. We used natural building materials from the area. We have solar panels for electricity and an expanding organic farm where we grow fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices for delicious Thai meals. There are two Karen tribe villages close by and we set up a weekend school at the huts, to teach local children English, sustainable living and other useful subjects to improve their lives. If you stay with me, you can help at the weekend school or at the schools in villages where we also need volunteers for teaching English. You can also help locals working in the fields and learn about rice farming. We always have a lot of work at our huts and organic farm as well if you are interested in learning traditional building methods and about permaculture. Or you can explore the area, go for treks and hikes and visit local waterfalls. You can cook with me in the evenings, my friends say I am a good cook, and I enjoy teaching them how to cook traditional Thai meals.