Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [358]
Mae Si Bua (0 5361 2471; 51 Th Singhanat Bamrung; dishes 20-30B 8.30am-6.30pm) Like the Shan grandma you never had, Auntie Bua prepares more than a dozen different Shan curries, soups and dips on a daily basis. Try her delicious gaang hang·lair, an incredibly rich curry of pork belly with a flavour not unlike American-style barbecue sauce.
Pa Tim (Th Khunlum Praphat; dishes 25-80B; 9am-10pm) Everyone loves this place for its extensive variety of well-priced Thai and Chinese options.
Ban Phleng (Local northern Thai food; 0 5361 2522; 108 Th Khunlum Praphat; dishes 30-60B; 7am-11pm) Just south of town and taking up both sides of the road, this popular restaurant is a virtual crash course in authentic northern Thai and local Shan food. Come at lunch, when as many as a dozen different dishes are on display; simply point to what looks interesting or refer to the English-language menu. There’s a branch in Pai ( Click here) as well.
Salween River Restaurant (0 5361 2050; Th Singhanat Bamrung; dishes 50-160B; 7am-midnight) The menu here spans just about everything, ranging from excellent organic hill-tribe coffee to baked goods, local-style Shan specialities and imaginative Western dishes. The menu is also very strong on vegetarian options. The owners are very friendly and a good source of information.
Fern Restaurant (Th Khunlum Praphat; dishes 60-120B; 10.30am-midnight) The Fern is probably Mae Hong Son’s most upscale restaurant, but remember, this is Mae Hong Son. Nonetheless, service is professional and the food is good. The expansive menu covers Thai, local and even Spanish dishes. There is live lounge music some nights.
Kai Mook (0 5361 2285; 23 Th Udom Chao Nites; dishes 60-170B; 10am-2pm & 5pm-midnight) This open-air restaurant just off the main street combines a lengthy menu with a fun atmosphere. Try dishes such as ôm yam made with fish from the Mae Nam Pai, or wild boar fried with curry paste.
La Tasca (0 5361 1344; Th Khunlum Praphat; dishes 69-189B; 10am-10pm) This cosy place has been serving homemade pasta, pizza and calzone for as long as we can remember and is one of the few places in town to serve relatively authentic Western food.
Drinking
Crossroads (0 5362 0221; 61 Th Khunlum Praphat; 8am-midnight) Where else in Mae Hong Son can you have your beer served by a Thai bartender who speaks fluent Spanish, while chatting with a Shan trekking guide who used to live in Belgium? This friendly bar/restaurant is a crossroads in every sense, from its location at one of Mae Hong Son’s main intersections to its clientele that ranges from wet-behind-the-ears backpackers to hardened locals. Oh, and there’s steak.
Sunflower Café (0 5362 0549; Th Pradit Jong Kham; 7am-midnight) This open-air place combines draught beer, live lounge music and views of the lake. Sunflower also does meals (35B to 180B) and runs tours.
Chilli Bar (Th Pradit Jong Kham; 7am-1am) Loud blues and a pool table dominate the scene at this friendly pub. The available food (30B to 80B), from bar snacks to sandwiches, is chalked up on boards.
Shopping
From October to February the walkway around the Jong Kham Lake becomes a lively night market (5-10pm).
A few well-stocked souvenir shops can be found near the southern end of Th Khunlum Praphat, including Maneerat (0 5361 2213; 80 Th Khunlum Praphat; 8am-9pm), which features an extensive array of Shan and Burmese clothing, as well as Burmese lacquerware boxes.
Getting There & Away
AIR
For many people the time saved flying from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son versus bus travel is worth the extra baht.
Nok Air (nationwide call centre 1318; www.nokair.co.th; Mae Hong Son airport) and its subsidiary, SGA Airlines (0 5379 8244; www.sga.co.th; Mae Hong Son airport), conduct a code-share flight to/from Chiang Mai (1800B, 35 minutes, once daily).