Mae Hong Son Travel Guide

• Mae Hong Son town and airport is located in the remote north west of Lan Na virtually on the Myanmar border. First settled by the Shan people [ Tai Yai ] the region is home for Shan architecture and art, for the Karen and the Hmong minorities and the natural beauty of the Mae Suriin Water falls and Nam Tok Mae Surin National Park.
• The major places of interest are the Burmese Temple of Wat Chong Kham, the 80 meter sheer fall of Mae Surin Waterfall, the Pai River [ Nam Mae Pai ] and its bamboo raft voyages and local wildlife.
• The town of Mae Hong Son was founded in 1831, made a city in 1874 and a Province was created in 1893

The significant sites are:

• The 6 Temple [ Wats ] complexes mentioned below
• The Pai River valley
• Mae Surin Waterfalls
• The National Park, and
• The ethnic minorities' villages

(thailandsworld.com)

How to get there?

By plane

Nonstop 30 minute flights from Chiang Mai are available from Thai Airways, Nok Air, and SGA.

By road

There are two road options from Chiang Mai, both taking 5-6 hours by car. Route 1095 via Pai (280 km) is the more scenic drive, while route 108 via Mae Sariang (350 km) is an easier drive.

Mae Hong Son is located 924 kilometres from Bangkok. Drive from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and then choose the following routes to Mae Hong Son: Chiang Mai, Hot, Mae Sariang, Khun Yuam, Mae Hong Son (Route 108) with 1864 curves, a distance of 349 kilometres. Chiang Mai, Mae Malai, Pai, Mae Hong Son (Route 1095), a distance of 245 kilometres.

By bus

Regular bus services connect Mae Hong Son with Chiang Mai (Arcade bus terminal) and the entire trip will take at least 7-8 hours. A better option is the minibus, also leaving from Arcade in Chiang Mai, which only take 5.5 hours but cost 250 baht. If you're going by bus, you can choose the northern (Pai) or southern (Mae Sariang) route. The northern route is a little faster. The new bus station is about a 15 minute walk from the center of town to the southwest. The bus station is set on a seemingly deserted street that runs parallel to the main road in town.

There is also an overnight bus to Bangkok's Northern Bus Terminal (Moh Chit) which takes about 16-17 hours.

Sombat Tour, operates an air-conditioned bus which runs directly from Bangkok to Mae Hong Son every day. The bus departs from Chatuchak (Mochit 2) Bus Terminal at 8:30 p.m and arrives in Mae Hong Son at 10:30 a.m (14 hours) with a fare of 718 baht.

By train

The nearest train station is at Chiang Mai.

One can travel from Bangkok to Chiang Mai by rail and then continue to Mae Hong Son by bus. For more information, call 1699, 0 2223 7010, 0 2223 7020 or visit.

(Wikipedia.org)