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Maehongson / Pai

Daily flights into Mae Hong Sons small airport bring growing numbers of tourists, attracted by the spectacular scenery, numerous hill tribe communities, and soft adventure opportunities.

For those familiar with the name, Mae Hong Son conjures fantastic images of rugged, mist enshrouded mountains where isolated tribal villages await exploration. From the fascinating culture of the indigenous tribal communities to the spectacular natural beauty of the countryside, Mae Hong Son is certainly a dream-come-true destination for many visitors.

Nestled in a deep valley hemmed in by high mountain ranges, Mae Hong Son town has long been isolated from the outside world. Virtually covered with mist throughout the year, Mae Hong Son was once only accessible via harrowing, windy, narrow roads that took most of a day to traverse, an adventurous drive that made the town that much more alluring.

The name of Mae Hong Son refers to the fact that its terrain is highly suitable for the training of elephants. In fact, former governors of Chiang Mai used to organize the rounding up of wild elephants which were then trained in Mae Hong Son before being sent to the capital for work. Elephants remain an important part of the local culture, and elephant trekking is a popular tourist activity, often combined with overnight hill tribe home stays and river rafting.

Mae Hong Son is a fascinating province of Burmese and Lanna style temples, hot springs, hill tribe villages, trekking, rafting, national parks, and even an annual reggae festival. In addition to a charming capital in Mae Hong Son town, the town of Pai is also a traveler favorite; many people come to Mae Hong Son and Pai to experience the natural beauty of northern Thailand or witness one of the many festivals that are celebrated in Mae Hong Son, especially the annual novice ordination ceremony for young men declaring their intentions to become Buddhist monks.

Transport

As a province somewhat off the typical tourist route, Mae Hong Son is best reached by air, though traveling via private car, public bus, or motorbike can be a long and wild ride, which is either good or bad depending on how susceptible you are to motion sickness. For a price, the flight is far faster. Once in Mae Hong Son there are local busses, songtaews, and motorbike taxis for trips between provincial towns and to attractions outside of those towns, such as hot springs and waterfalls.

Getting to and from Mae Hong Son

  • By Train:
    One can travel from Bangkok to Chiang Mai by rail and then continue to Mae Hong Son by bus. For more information, call 1699, 0 2223 7010, 0 2223 7020 or visit www.railway.co.th
  • By Car:
    Mae Hong Son is located 924 kilometers from Bangkok. Drive from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and then choose the following routes from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son:

    Route 108: 1864 curves along the route from Chiang Mai through Hot, Mae Sariang, and Khun Yuam to Mae Hong Son: a distance of 349 kilometers.

    Route 1095: Chiang Mai - Mae Malai Pai - Mae Hong Son: a somewhat straighter distance of 245 kilometers.
  • By Bus:
    Muang Nuea Yan Yon Tour (Tel: (0 2936 3587-8) operates an air-conditioned bus which runs directly from Bangkok to Mae Hong Son every day. The bus departs from Bangkoks Northern Bus Terminal (Mo Chit 2) Bus Terminal at 6 p.m. The trip takes about 17 hours.
  • By Air:
    Thai Airways flies between Bangkok and Mae Hong Son daily. Reservation should be made in advance to guarantee a seat on the once daily flight as the flight connects in Chiang Mai where it picks up more passengers for the shorter, slightly less expensive leg of the trip. Contact Thai Airways at Tel: 0 2280 0060, 0 2628 2000 or call 1566 or visit www.thaiairways.com for current schedule.
  • By Other:
    Travel from Chiang Mai

    By Car:
    Mae Hong Son can be reached from Chiang Mai either by Highway No. 108 via Hot and Mae Sariang, or Highway No. 1095 via Pai.

    By Bus:
    Chiang Mai-Mae Hong Son busses operated by Prem Pracha Transport (Tel: 0 5324 4737, 0 5324 2767) depart from Chiang Mai Arcade Bus Terminal every day. The busses, which run along Highway No.108, leave Chiang Mai frequently from 6.30 a.m. to 9 p.m. The journey takes 8 hours. The busses which run along Highway No. 1095 leave Chiang Mai from 7 a.m. until 12.30 p.m. (??? am ???) The journey takes 6 hours.

    By Air:
    Thai Airways fly once daily between Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son. Reservation should be made in advance at Tel: 0 2280 0060, 0 2628 2000 or call 1566 or visit www.thaiairways.com for current schedule. Nok Air has semi-regular daily flights from Chiang Mai to Pai and flights from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son on several days each week or their affiliate airline SGA. Contact www.nokair.com or www.sga.co.th for more information.

Getting Around Mae Hong Son

Around Town:

Mae Hong Song city is a small town that can be explored on foot, though there are many tuk tuks for rides in and around the city.

Around the province:

By Motorbike:
Many of the guesthouses in provincial towns rent motorbikes for exploring the areas surrounding the towns, but visitors should be aware of the dangers of doing so. In addition to the occasional scam, foreigners are frequently involved in road accidents and Mae Hong Son features far more dangerous roads than it does first class medical facilities. If you must, ride carefully and wear both a helmet and closed-toed shoes. Motorbikes can be hired for 150-500 baht a day depending on size.

By Bicycle:
Bicycles can be hired in the provincial capital and in Pai. Simple pushbikes are inexpensive; nicer mountain bikes are a bit more expensive, but better for tackling hills.

By Car:
A four-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended for travel into the mountains, where not all roads are sealed. Drivers should exercise extreme caution and watch out for other drivers around blind corners as well as potholes and other adverse road conditions. It should also be noted that only Commercial First Class Insurance provides full coverage on rental cars (as opposed to limited personal or third party only insurance). Most international car rental agencies will offer this insurance (some only for those with a valid international drivers license) while local companies may or may not. You may wish to request a copy of their insurance policy and ensure that it states "For Commercial Use". Regardless, inspect rental vehicles prior to rental and drive with caution, particularly as traffic in Thailand can be quite confusing, especially the habit of Thai motorcycles drivers to drive on the wrong side of the road.


By Foot:
If you wish to visit remote hill-tribe villages, the only way to get to many is on foot. It is best to hire the services of a knowledgeable guide who is familiar with the local weather, terrain, and language rather than try to set out into the wilderness on your own.

By Bus, Songtaew, and Motorbike Taxi:
Once in Mae Hong Son there are local busses, songtaews, and motorbike taxis for trips between provincial towns and to attractions outside of those towns. If you wish to check out a nearby hot spring or waterfall, a local bus or songtaew going in that direction wont charge more than 10 or 20 baht per passenger to get you there, while motorbikes, which are the only method of getting to many attractions, will charge you several hundred baht for the convenience of guaranteeing you a ride back.


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