From Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son : A road trip

After few days in Chiang Mai : One of them were I learned how to drive a motorbike for the first time and one of them were I spend so much money in markets we decided to leave Chiang Mai for Pai.

Northen Thailand is beautiful and very similar to Northen Laos in Landscape and there is many caves to visit and treks to do around Pai.

We left on the morning and we joined Pai in hitch-hiking in a few hours. I guess we were really lucky because we reach it faster than the local bus.

Along the road the view was amazing. We met Mina who was on his way for his sister weeding in Pai. She was nice enough to drive us to the city center of Pai and she show us the way to get a guesthouse.

We rent a motorbike, one for each of us, to AYA Service. They are know for good quality of motorbike and insurrance. Then we left Pai for a four days trip on the road from Pai to Mae Hong Son. This road 108 is well know for all the curves. From Chiang Mai you have 1864 curves. If you reach it, you can apply for a certificate in the chamber of commerce in Mae Hong Son. For 40 Bahts, they will gives you your certificate.

From Pai, you can visit the white Buddha, the hot spring, few elephant camp’s, the canyon, « typical villages » and many caves.

I had my first elephant ride in Tom’s elephant camps. That was an experience. I was so scared before, I am happy that I have done it but I am not sure that I will be again for a 1 hour and half walk on an elephant back. If I can choose, I rather like walking. Elephant are impressive animals and being up on his back makes you feeling really small.

I choose to stop and ride in Tom’s Elephant camps because he has a good reputation about how they treats elephants. They also are working with volonteers. Pay for an elephant ride helps them to keep elephants.

Few decaces ago elephants were used for war or helping for logging. Now they become less usefull for local people. Tourism help them to keep their elephants and provide them particular care. In Tom’s Camp, the family have his elephants since four generations. The elephants are well trained an part of the Tom’s family. An elephant eat 250kg of food every day. They are vegetarian and eat constantly.

Wanna join Tom’s family as a volonteer ? Contact them by email : http://www.thomelephant.com/

For the first hot springs, one who are one every maps, you have to pay for the admission. As you will see in the map below, there is free hotspring on the way from Chiang Mai to Pai. I did this one and that was a pleasure to be there.

The Caves are really expensives so the best option is to chose one you wanna do. You must have a guide, it seems to be very dangerous to venture alone.

The Canyon is a shame to miss. It’s beautiful. Not really high but the walk you may have in there is impressive. I recomand it if you are not to afraid of heights. Goods shoes are mandatory for this walk.

Of course, in Pai and around you will notice a lot of tourists traps. Just be aware of it and don’t spend you money in unusefull services and be sure to valid in details every thing you pay before like tours or treks. It’s seems to be the same for the « typical villages » accross the road. Most of them are used to see tourists since decaces and there are no longer typical.

Pai is a backpakers town, really nice but visited by tourists for decaces and to find an area of preserve nature you have to leave Pai for Mae Hong Son 100km to North of Pai. The road is really nice to drive. Y best advice for you to find a typical village is to follow our instinct an search for roads less used by tourists.

You will maybe not find long neck tribe or other « typical » tribe but for sure be closed to the real Northen thai way of life than spending money for a picture with one of this « typical tribe ».

We stop along the road in the small town of Soppong. It is located half way between Pai and Mae Hong Son.

The Little Eden Guesthouse was our haven for one night after one exhausting day. If one day I will have a house I would not imagine it an other way than Little Eden Guesthouse.

From Soppong, you can join Mae Hong Son in 50 km. From Mae Hong Son you will have a lot of trek tour with guides for one to three days. We did on our own buut it’s up to you. We stayed at Friends Guetshouse (best prices on town for us 400 Bahts for a double room).

Well, there is so much to say. In four days I had a wonderful road trip and I will never forget it.