ย�

Trekking in Mae Hong Son

ย�ย�ย�
Mae Hong Son is a small outpost town in Northern Thailand located near the border with Myanmar.ย� Thailand's northern border city, hiding itself in between the towering mountains with densely forested slopes, stretching to the Burmese border. Maehongson is known for its charm of scenery and culture. The people of Maehongson consists of the Shans who live in the city and the hilltribe people who live in remote villages on mountain tops where elements of lifestyle have changed little in hundreds of years.

The Shans' ancestors came from Shans region in Burma. The hilltribe people consist of Karen, Lisu, Mhong, Lahu, and Lua. Both the Shans and the hilltribemen have their own distinctive cultures. They have their own lilting dialect, their own architectural lifestyles, their own customs and traditions, and their own delicious cuisine. Throughout the year, Maehongson holds many festivals and events. Tourists can observe the distinction cultures from these events. There are different dances, rituals, and ceremonies for different events and festivals. Even the foods are different for each event.

The most remarkable tradition and also the most important event for the Shans is "Poy Sanglong Festival" which is the ordination ceremony for the Shans' boys. The event is held in March and there is one big celebration throughout the city.ย� The city is covered with the mist all year long. Maehongson gains its nickname of "the City of Three Mists" from the fact that it has dewy mist in the winter, forest fire mist in the summer and rainy mist in the rainy season.


Experience the wilderness of this remote province. Go Trekking in Pai, Sopong or Mae Hong Son.


Called the valley of three mists, Mae Hong Son province is home to numerous hill-tribe villages and great adventure opportunities.

Mae Hong Son province is located in the remote West of Northern Thailand. The province borders Myanmar's Shan state to the North and all along the west. The province's total area is some 12,681 square kilometers, mostly mountainous and forest-covered, with a few flat valleys in which villages have developed. Rice paddies are cultivated in every valley.

Mae Hong Son is administratively divided in to 7 districts: Mae Hong Son town (in Thai = Amphoe Muang), Mae Sariang, Mae La Noi, Sop Moei, Khun Yuam, Pai and Pang Ma Pha (Soppong).

From Chiang Mai by road it is a full day's drive (7 hours - 280 km), on winding and scenic mountain road, through the Pai and Soppong (Pang Ma Pha) districts.

The road is probably one of the most scenic drives in Northern Thailand. Driving south of Mae Hong Son, road 108 can bring you back to Chiang Mai passing through Mae Sarieng. This section is longer with a distance of approximately 350 km.

The Valley of Three Mists
It is often called the valley of Three Mists because it seems to have mist all year long. In the raining and cold season a humid fog covers the sky most days until mid-morning, and during the dry season, the smoke from slash-and-burn farming lingers in the valley as it is surrounded by mountains.

Thai Airways flights are sometimes cancelled during the hot season on account of poor visibility due to smoke. The landing on the airport located right in town is quiet scenic, dropping down from the high surrounding mountains.
Mae Hong Son Loop

Individual travelers as well as our organized tours generally do a loop from Chiang Mai, which can be done both ways. We recommend counter-clockwise, especially if you want to join our white water rafting expedition along the way. The Mae Hong Son loop is a great trip with plenty of scenic places and point of interests such as caves, waterfalls and hill-tribe villages.

A minimum of four days trip should be considered to do the loop and fully enjoy the sights.

ActiveThailand.com proposes a Self-discovery adventure of the Mae Hong Son loop for people that want to travel the loop in style.

Before the road was built access to the Mae Hong Son valley was virtually impossible, except for logging industry workers who were going to sell and trade in Chiang Mai. Nowaday there is access from the East toward Pai and South to Mae Sarieng. After completion of the airport and with three daily flights access is now easy. However the town remains little visited, and this charming small provincial capital has kept its Shan influence from the past, as can be seen in the architecture of most temples and some older houses.


Pai is a small laid-back valley between Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son town, surrounded by steep mountains. The place is becoming popular with western travelers. This is the starting place for great white water rafting expeditions down the Pai river.


Soppong, in Phang Ma Pa district, is located between Pai and Mae Hong Son town. Soppong is well known for the surrounding limestone peaks and vast caves system said to be some of Southeast Asia's largest! Tham Lod is a large cave with 3 main chambers linked together and a stream (the Lang river) flowing through. Set aside 2 hours for a deep exploration, with exit at the back of the cave before a short hike back to the main entrance on a scenic jungle trail. There are locals with gas or petrol lanterns ready to guide visitors through the cave and give some explanation (little English spoken). When the river's high, locals build bamboo raft to cross from one chamber to next! Most scenic and fun cave to explore in the North. Highly recommended. Another cave is the Tham Lang, not so accessible and very long.