Karen culture

The Karen hill tribe is the largest ethnic minority group in Thailand.
They originated from Tibet and migrated to what is now Myanmar, Laos and Northern Thailand.
 
They are mostly located in the mountains, living in wooden and bamboo houses.
They rely on agriculture, including rice cultivation. They take care of domestic animals : cows, buffaloes, goats, pigs, chicken.
The women traditionally weave manually clothes, blankets and bags.
They are originally Animists but some of them are now Buddhists or Christians.

There are different subgroups in the Karen ethnic group. Chi and his family, the family host at our homestay, the people at the village and our tour guides are part of the White Karen subgroup.
 
Karen people are also known to be those who take care of elephants. They used to own them and work with them in the forest and farms. They have a long history and relationship with the elephants. All the mahouts (elephant caretakers) are from the Karen hill tribe.

The best way to learn about the Karen culture is to spend some time in the community.
You can stay overnight at our homestay in some of the bamboo and wooden huts.
You might be able to participate in some activities such as rice plantation, harvesting or weaving.

There are many villages in the mountains of Mae Wang National Park that you can visit while trekking.
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