Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [353]
Ban Sop Ngao, little more than a roadside village that is home to the park headquarters, is the first town you’ll come to in Mae Hong Son. From there it’s another 40km to Mae Sariang ( Click here), where there’s ample food and accommodation.
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Sleeping & Eating
There aren’t too many places to stay and eat along this route. The most convenient base is Tha Song Yang (the town near Km90 – not the village of the same name at the northern edge of Tak province), as there are a few restaurants in town. Mae Sarit, slightly further north, also has basic accommodation and food.
Thasongyang Hill Resort (0 5558 9088; www.thasongyanghill.9nha.com; Km85, Rte 105, Ban Tha Song Yang; r 200-800B) North of Tha Song Yang, accommodation here takes the form of large modern rooms in a long building, or attractive bungalows in a flower-lined garden. There are a couple of similar hotels in the area, but this place is the nicest.
Per-Pon Resort (08 1774 5624; 110 Moo 2, Mae Salit; bungalows 300B) Just south of Mae Salit, this place has a few rustic bungalows looking over the Mae Nam Moei.
Krua Ban Tai (Th Si Wattana, Ban Tha Song Yang; dishes 20-50B; 8am-9pm) This is a two-storey wooden restaurant in the centre of Ban Tha Song Yang, around the corner from the main market.
Getting There & Away
Srng·ta·ou to Mae Sariang (200B, six hours, five departures from 6am to noon) depart from Mae Sot’s old bus station, close to downtown.
MAE HONG SON PROVINCE
Accessible only by incredibly windy mountain roads or a dodgy flight to the provincial capital, this is Thailand’s most remote province. Although it’s undergone a tourist miniboom over the past decade, with many resorts opening in the area around the capital, few visitors seem to make it much further than Pai.
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MAE HONG SON
pop 6,023
Mae Hong Son, with its remote setting and surrounding mountains, fits many travellers’ preconceived notion of how a northern Thai city should be. A palpable Burmese influence and an edgy border town feel don’t dispel this image, and best of all, there’s hardly a túk-túk or tout to be seen. This doesn’t mean Mae Hong Son is uncharted territory; the tour groups have been coming here for years, but the city’s potential as a base for activities, from spa treatment to trekking, ensures that your visit can be quite unlike anyone else’s.
Mae Hong Son is best visited between November and March when the town is at its most beautiful. During the rainy season (June to October) travel to the more remote corners of the province can be difficult because there are few paved roads. During the hot season, the Mae Pai valley fills with smoke from slash-and-burn agriculture. The only problem with going in the cool season is that the nights are downright cold – you’ll need at least one thick sweater and a good pair of socks for mornings and evenings, and a sleeping bag or several blankets.
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History
Mae Hong Son has been isolated from Thailand geographically, culturally and politically for most of its short existence. The city was founded as an elephant training centre in the early 19th century, and remained little more than this until 1856, when fighting in Burma caused thousands of Shan to pour into the area. In the years following, Mae Hong Son prospered as a centre for logging and remained an independent kingdom until 1900, when King Rama V incorporated the area into the Thai kingdom.
Information
Most of the banks at the southern end of Th Khunlum Praphat have ATMs. Foreign-exchange services are available at Bangkok Bank, Kasikornbank and Bank of Ayudhya.
International telephone service is available at the CAT office, which is attached to the post office – hours are the same. There’s a Lenso International