Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [354]
A few internet shops can be found around the southern end of Th Khunlum Praphat.
Mae Hong Son Internet (88 Th Khunlum Praphat; per hr 30B; 8am-10pm)
Main post office (Th Khunlum Praphat; 8.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, closed holidays) Towards the southern end of Th Khunlum Praphat.
Srisangwal Hospital (0 5361 1378; Th Singhanat Bamrung) A full-service facility that includes an emergency room.
TAT office (0 5361 2982; www.travelmaehongson.org; Th Khumlum Praphat; 8.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri) In an old two-storey wooden building opposite the post office, with helpful staff. Tourist brochures and maps can be picked up here.
Tourism Information centre (0 5361 4010; Th Khunlumpraphat; 8.30am-midnight) Offers basic tourism information and internet access (per hr 50B).
Tourist police (0 5361 1812, emergency 1155; Th Singhanat Bamrung; 8.30am-4.30pm)
Sights
With their bright colours, whitewashed stupas and glittering zinc fretwork, Mae Hong Son’s Burmese- and Shan-style temples will have you scratching your head wondering just which country you’re in anyway.
WAT PHRA THAT DOI KONG MU
Climb the hill west of town, Doi Kong Mu (1500m), to visit this Shan-built wát, also known as Wat Plai Doi. The view of the sea of fog that collects in the valley each morning is impressive; at other times of the day you get a view of the town. Two Shan chedi, erected in 1860 and 1874, enshrine the ashes of monks from Myanmar’s Shan state. Around the back of the wát you can see a tall, slender, standing Buddha and catch views west of the ridge.
WAT JONG KHAM & WAT JONG KLANG
Wat Jong Kham was built nearly 200 years ago by Thai Yai (Shan) people, who make up about half of the population of Mae Hong Son Province. Wat Jong Klang houses 100-year-old glass jataka paintings and a museum (admission by donation; 8am-6pm) with 150-year-old wooden dolls from Mandalay that depict some of the more gruesome aspects of the wheel of life. Wat Jong Klang has several areas that women are forbidden to enter – not unusual for Burmese-Shan Buddhist temples.
The temples are lit at night and reflected in Jong Kham Lake – a popular photo op for visitors.
WAT HUA WIANG
This wát (Th Phanit Wattana), east of Th Khunlum Praphat, is recognised for its bòht boasting an elaborate tiered wooden roof and a revered bronze Buddha statue from Mandalay.
OTHER TEMPLES
Other notable temples include Wat Kam Kor, known for its unique covered walkway, and Wat Phra Non, home to the largest reclining Buddha in town.
Activities
TREKKING & RAFTING
Mae Hong Son’s location at the edge of mountainous jungle makes it an excellent base for treks into the countryside. Trekking here is not quite the large-scale industry it is elsewhere, and visitors willing to get their boots muddy can expect to find relatively untouched nature and isolated villages. Trekking trips can be arranged at several guesthouses and travel agencies.
Long-tail boat trips on the nearby Mae Pai are gaining popularity, and the same guesthouses and trekking agencies that organise treks from Mae Hong Son can arrange river excursions. The most common trip sets off from Tha Pong Daeng, 4km southwest of Mae Hong Son, or Huay Due Port at Ban Huay Deua, 2km further. Boats travel 15km downstream to the ‘long-neck’ village of Huay Pu Keng followed by a stop at the border town of Ban Nam Phiang Din, 20km from the pier, before returning. It takes approximately 1½ hours to reach Ban Nam Phiang Din and costs 900B from Huay Due, 800B from Tha Pong Daeng.
Another popular route conducts bamboo rafts between Thung Kong Moo (10km northwest of town) and the village of Soppong to the west (not to be confused with the larger Shan trading village of the same name to the east).
The prices quoted here are for two people; as with elsewhere in Thailand, the per day rates drop significantly with a larger group and a longer trek.
Friend Tour (0 5361 1647; 21 Th Pradit Jong Kham; trek per person per day 700-900B) With nearly 20 years experience, this recommended outfit offers trekking,