Mae Hong Son

Mae Hong Son (แม่ฮ่องสอน) is a city (pop. 8,000) in Mae Hong Son Province, Northern Thailand.

Get in

By plane

Non-stop 30 minutes Flights from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son Airport (HGN) are flown daily by Nok Air.

By road

Mae Hong Son is 924 kilometers from Bangkok. Drive from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and then choose a route to Mae Hong Son. There are two road options from Chiang Mai, each taking 5-6 hours by car:

• Chiang Mai—Hot—Mae Sariang—Khun Yuam—Mae Hong Son (Rte 108) totals a distance of 349 km. This is the easier drive, especially the Chiang Mai to Mae Sariang part.
• Chiang Mai—Mae Malai—Pai—Mae Hong Son (Rte 1095), a distance of 236 kilometers but with 1,864 curves. While this is the more scenic route, it is more demanding of the driver.

By bus

Regular bus services connect Mae Hong Son with Chiang Mai (Arcade Bus Terminal). The trip will take at least 7-8 hours. A better option is the shuttle van, also leaving from Arcade in Chiang Mai, which only takes 5.5 hours but costs 250 Baht. If you're going by bus, you can choose the northern (Pai) or southern (Mae Sariang) route. The northern route is a little faster. The new bus station in Mae Hong Son is about a 15 minutes walk from the centre of town to the southwest. The bus station is set on a seemingly deserted street that runs parallel to the primary street in town.

There is also an overnight bus to Bangkok's Northern Bus Terminal (Mo Chit) which takes about 15 hours.

Sombat Tour, operates an air-conditioned bus which runs directly from Bangkok to Mae Hong Son every day. The bus departs from Chatuchak (Mo Chit 2) Bus Terminal at 15:00, 17:00, and 18:00 with a fare of 718 Baht.

Travel by train to Mae Hong Son

The nearest train station is at Chiang Mai. One can travel from Bangkok to Chiang Mai by rail and then continue to Mae Hong Son by bus. For more information, call 1699, +66 2 2237010, +66 2 2237020 or visit (Thai) State Railways.

Get around

This is a small town so walking is the way to get around. There are bicycles for rent from Titan Internet shop (across from the 7-11 and post office). To do anything in the surrounding areas a motorbike, or at least a bicycle, is needed.

The new bus station seems like it is in the middle of nowhere and the tuk-tuk and motorbike taxi guys love that. A ride to the centre (including most guest houses) costs 80 Baht, but really it's only a 10-15 minutes walk to the centre of town. You should just turn left out of the bus station and walk straight until you hit the golden statue. Walking up next to the statue and the station is just a bit further towards the downtown.

What to see in Mae Hong Son

Walk around the picturesque lake and visit the surrounding wats. Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu (aka Wat Phai Doi) overlooks the town from the west and offers superb views.

• Ban Rak (Thai) - Mae Aw | A Kuomintang (KMT) village near the Myanmar border. On your way up (or down), you can stop by Pang Ung (Ruam Thai), a picturesque Shan minority village high in the mountains.

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• Pang Ung - Often referred to as Ruam Thai on some signs and maps, is a Shan Minority Village near Mae Hong Son. It should be combined with a trip to Ban Rak (Thai). It is a picturesque village of bamboo houses, probably dolled up a bit for the tourist industry. Bamboo grows everywhere, including one stand at least 80 feet tall. There are one or two restaurants. It is unclear what they serve. Shopkeepers and restaurant owners speak some English, but this is not as heavily touristed as one might expect, so communication will be limited if you don't speak (Thai). There are at least two homestays here, and another guesthouse in the town between Pang Ung and the primary street. From Mae Hong Song, follow signs for Ban Rak (Thai), but at the village of Na Pa Paek, turn left, following the signs for "Pang Ung Reservoir," or something of the sort. The signs are not exactly consistent, but if it indicates a reservoir, you are going the right direction. It is about 5.5 kilometers from the turn-off, at N19 29.955, E097 54.705.

• Fish Cave - Thumpla | This is a beautiful spot to escape the heat. A water channel that wends its way out of a small submerged cave. What is inside the cave is still unknown, but it astoundingly draws thousands of the "Pluang-Hin" fish into the cave, with only a small number of them coming back out.

• Pha Sua Waterfall | This waterfall consists of six levels and offers some fine walks. This waterfall is about 20 m high and 30 m wide. It is said to be the most beautiful waterfall in Mae Hong Son Province. In rainy season and the cascading water makes the waterfall look like a rolling mat.

• Thampla-Phasua Waterfall National Park - อุทยานแห่งชาติ ถ้ำปลา - น้ำตกผาเสื่อ | This national park covers more than 488 kilometers of the "Thanon Thongchai" range that separates Thailand from Myanmar. "Doi Larn" is the highest peak in the area, with an elevation of about 1,918 m.

What to do in Mae Hong Son

• Hiking | One of the main reasons for tourist to go to Mae Hong Son is to go hiking in the surrounding mountains and visiting hill tribe villages. Nearly every guesthouse offers tours.

• Mae Hong Son Loop | The provincial capital of Mae Hong Son is only one part of this vast and beautiful mountainous province. Explore the rest of the province by taking the popular Mae Hong Son Loop which travels through the province on a circuit that starts and ends in Chiang Mai.

Muslim Friendly Shopping in Mae Hong Son

• Night Market - Interesting market where you can buy art and handicrafts from hill tribe people.

Muslim Friendly Food & Restaurants in Mae Hong Son

To be updated. For the time being head to the nearest 7/11 for Halal dishes.

Buy Muslim Friendly Condos, Houses and Villas in Mae Hong Son

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Muslim Friendly hotels in Mae Hong Son

• Please check the latest Hotel Rates for Mae Hong Son

Mae Hong Son has a broad range of hotels, mainly clustered around the lake. There are several hotels within the city. If you've got your own transport there are several more resorts farther out of town. Take a look before checking in because there are always changes.

• JongKam Palace | Bungalows, large rooms with king size beds, air-con, hot showers, free Wi-Fi, pleasant gardens.

• Pana Huts - Fan rooms with hot showers.

• Fern Resort - Well appointed 2-bed bungalows dot the expansive and attractively landscaped grounds of the resort. Guides can be hired for a hike in nearby Mae Surin National Park. No TVs in rooms, and the Wi-Fi is slow.

• Rooks Holiday Hotel & Resort | One of the more upmarket places in Mae Hong Son and offers wooden cottages as well as standard hotel rooms. It's a little bit out of town, but within 10-15 minutes walk of the night market/downtown. Some of the cottages are in need of a little refurbishing so take a look before check-in.

Go next

• Mae Sariang
• Pai
• Pangmapha

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