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Published on November 3, 2007

Atrip to the Akha Hill House in Chiang Rai province is certainly not your average Sunday drive … nor is it a trip for the faint-hearted or those lacking the expertise to manipulate a four-wheel-drive vehicle up the steep, slippery, muddy road leading to the resort. Yet this is not a problem, as the staff of the Hill House will pick tourists up from any point in Chiang Rai and transport them there for free. And the trip is all part of the great adventure that lies ahead.

The journey poses no problem for the young Akha hilltribe children either, who handle it with ease, covering the two kilometres from the Hill House to their school in a record breaking 20 minutes, on foot.

The local school has no regular English teacher so it relies entirely on volunteers to teach basic English to the Akha, Thai, Lisu and Chinese children in the area.

One of our group, Kris Wachiraboonsuk, a translator from Mae Fah Luang University in Chiang Rai, tried his hand at volunteer teaching, and soon had the kids whipped into a frenzy of excitement as they sang their way through the alphabet. Their ages range from five to 15. English-speaking volunteers are needed for two weeks or longer. In return, free food and accommodation are provided at the Akha Hill House, making a trip to this area a rich and rewarding experience for those who choose to become volunteers.

It's also a unique opportunity to experience, and be part of, life in a hilltribe village. The Akha Hill House donates 10 per cent of its profits to improving conditions at the school.

Village headman Apae Amor is the driving force behind the Akha Hill house and a man with the vision to realise that the hilltribe's old ways - opium cultivation and slash-and-burn style agriculture - were becoming redundant and illegal. Their animistic religious practices were also losing relevance to today's way of life.

Some of the customs of yesteryear had become socially unacceptable, too. For example, back in the old days, if a mother had twins, the babies were smothered with burnt ground rice powder, while the mother was considered to be a useless member of the community who couldn't work and brought bad luck to the village. Fortunately the practice died out in the early 20th century.

However, some old habits die hard, such as the older women's taste for betel nut. The locals believe this mild, teeth-staining narcotic makes a woman desirable, though this could well be a classic illustration of the old adage about "beauty being in the eye of the beholder".

Apae decided to convert his people to Christianity, a process that proved to be quick and painless. The village simply substituted the ancient spirits of the forest for God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost. They figured that it would be easier to live in the modern world as Christians.

The Akha migrated from Burma to Thailand during World War II to get away from the conflict that was raging between the British and the Japanese, and have proved the hardest of all the hilltribes to integrate into modern society.

For all his efforts in steering his people towards modernity, Apae won the Tourist Association of Thailand's Tour Guide of the Year Award for 2006.

Lawrence Barlow, a Scotsman who's lived in Chiang Rai for about 20 years, is an artist and author who befriended Apae about 15 years ago and is in the process of writing his biography.

"He could see the future coming," says Barlow. "They had to find a new way to make a living, so Apae and seven other Akha families came here to Akha Hill and built a village on the mountain top. Now the population has swelled and there's even a small Internet cafe for those tourists who feel compelled to keep in touch with the outside world, despite the many natural attractions in the area. I've watched him work every day of his life, and that's why he's been so successful. He doesn't go hunting in the jungle anymore - he goes hunting for tourists on the Internet."

Guests can absorb themselves into the village lifestyle or indulge in a range of activities, from jungle trekking either on foot or elephant to wallowing in hot springs or enjoying a traditional Akha massage after a hard day in the jungle.

The Akha people are famous for their traditional values and practices, their colourfully embroidered costumes and the women's elaborate headdresses. While preserving their unique culture, some change has been inevitable.

What is important though, is that the people have control of their future and can make their own decisions regarding important aspects of their lives.

 However, one of their most pressing problems is lack of education. As the school is so small, it can't get government funding for English tuition and relies on volunteers and donations.

Steve Rhodes

Special to The Nation