Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [357]
Baiyoke Chalet Hotel (0 5361 3132; trv1864@hotmail.com; 90 Th Khunlum Praphat; r incl breakfast 1280-1600B; ) The rooms at this long-standing midranger aren’t quite as nice as the attractive wooden lobby, but it’s still a decent, convenient choice. Some of the more expensive rooms are quite large and have been remodelled and represent a good deal. The restaurant/lounge downstairs can get quite loud, so request a room away from the street or on an upper level. Low-season rates are 50% less.
TOP END
Southwest of town, a few kilometres towards Ban Huay Deua and Ban Tha Pong Daeng on the river, are several ‘resorts’, which in the Thai sense of the term means any hotel near a rural or semirural area. Discounts of up to 40% are common in the low season and online discounts can be found any time of year.
Ngamta Hotel (0 5361 2794; Th Khunlum Praphat; r 1500-1800B; ) The rooms at the new three-storey hotel are charged at the top-end bracket, but are more midrange in amenities and style. Nonetheless, they’re centrally located and offer fleeting views of the lake and temples. Discounts available in the off-season.
Golden Pai and Golden Suite Hotel & Resort (0 5306 1114; www.goldenpaihotel.com; 285 Moo 1 Ban Pang Moo; r & bungalows 1500-2500B; ) At the edge of the quiet Shan village of Ban Pang Moo, 5km out of town off the road to Pai, this compound features a mish-mash of tidy bungalows and duplexes. Rooms are spotless, large, and tastefully decorated with textiles and have outside seating areas. The restaurant makes the most of the Pai River location.
Mountain Inn & Resort (0 5361 1802; www.mhsmountaininn.com; 112/2 Th Khunlum Praphat; r incl breakfast 2400-2800B, ste incl breakfast 4500B; ) This hotel has clean, cosy rooms with Thai decorative touches. There is a pretty courtyard garden with small ponds, benches and parasols. Standard rooms are a better deal than deluxe as you get a terrace overlooking the garden. All have cable TV.
Fern Resort (0 5368 6110; www.fernresort.info; 64 Moo 10 Tambon Pha Bong; bungalows 2500-3500B; ) This long-standing eco-friendly resort is one of the more pleasant places to stay in northern Thailand. The 40 Shan-style wooden bungalows are set among tiered rice paddies and streams and feature stylishly decorated interiors. Nearby nature trails lead to the adjacent Mae Surin National Park, and to encourage community-based tourism, most of the employees come from local villages. The resort is 7km south of town, and free pick-up is available from the airport and bus terminal, and regular shuttles run to/from town stopping at the Fern Restaurant ( Click here).
Imperial Tara Mae Hong Son Hotel (0 5368 4444-9; www.imperialhotels.com/taramaehongson; 149 Mu 8; r incl breakfast 4472B, ste incl breakfast 5885-7768B; ) Rooms in this upmarket, 104-room hotel all have wooden floors and are tastefully decorated. French windows that open onto a terrace make a change from the standard business hotel layout. Facilities include a sauna, swimming pool and fitness centre.
Eating
Mae Hong Son’s morning market is a fascinating place to have breakfast. Several vendors at the north end of the market sell unusual dishes such as tòo·a òon, a Burmese noodle dish supplemented with thick gram porridge and deep-fried bits of vegetables, gram flour cakes and tofu. Other vendors along the same strip sell a local version of kà·nm jeen nám ngée·o, often topped with kahng pòrng, a Shan snack of battered and deep-fried vegetables.
The city also has two good night markets; the one near the airport offers mostly take-away northern Thai-style food while the market near Nong Jong Kham has more generic Thai food and some tables and chairs.
Fair Book (no roman-script