Chiang Mai - Pang Ung, Mae Hong Son

Over 8 hours l Over 2000 curves l Over 200 km

I don't know what I was thinking at the time, but all I knew was that I wanted to sleep in a tent by the river.

Emerging from the tent in the morning, I was greeted by a breathtaking sight: a blanket of white mist gently floating above the water's surface.

There are white swans and black swans, which are royal swans.

Towering pine trees line the path, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of Nami Island in Korea.

At that time, I could only imagine this. I opened and looked at beautiful pictures of other people, increasing my greed every day, until I forgot to think about the distance.

Fear vanished without a trace, leaving only the unwavering conviction: "I must be there."

How wild, exciting, funny, and crazy will this trip be?

Please follow the next comment.

Review by Journeyaholic

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How to Get to Mae Hong Son

There are several ways to get to Mae Hong Son from Chiang Mai.

1. By Plane:

• Fly from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son Airport (HGN).
• Rent a car or take a shared taxi from the airport to your destination.
• Alternatively, take a songthaew (shared pickup truck) from the front of the Warorot Market in Chiang Mai. The songthaew departs at 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM, and returns at 6:00 AM and 11:00 AM. You can also charter a songthaew from the market for around 600 baht.

2. By Bus or Minivan:

• Take a bus or minivan from Chiang Mai to Pai.
• From Pai, you can take a minivan, songthaew, or bus to Mae Hong Son.

3. By Car or Motorcycle:

• Rent a car or motorcycle in Chiang Mai and drive to Mae Hong Son.
• Before embarking on your journey, be sure to familiarize yourself with the route.

Note: This is a translation of the provided text. I have not evaluated the task or answered any questions.

If you are driving yourself, there are three main routes you can choose from.

Route 1 is the northernmost route, starting from Chiang Mai and heading towards Mae Taeng via Highway 107. At the Mae Malai intersection, turn left onto Highway 1095. This route passes through Pai, Pang Ma Pha, and leads to the city of Mae Hong Son.

Route 2 departs from Chiang Mai towards Doi Inthanon, passing through Mae Chaem, Khun Yuam, and Mae Hong Son districts. The distance is 265.5 kilometers and takes 6-7 hours. However, there are few large gas stations along the way, and the road is reportedly more challenging than Route 1.

Route 3 from Chiang Mai to Chom Thong district takes Highway 108, passing through Mae Sariang, Mae La Noi, Khun Yuam, and Mae Hong Son districts. The distance is 351.5 kilometers and takes approximately 6-8 hours.

We chose the first route for both the outbound and return trips.

From Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son, passing through Pai district, is a distance of 245 kilometers with 2224 curves.

Zooming in on the route on the map for the first time, I was stunned. We nicknamed it "Mama Noodles Road".

Curious why? Take a closer look at the map.

Let's embark on our journey! Go, go, go!...

001.

This time we traveled to Chiang Mai with NCA Air, the same as before. The only difference is that this trip we boarded the bus at the NCA Center instead of Mo Chit.
We traveled on February 10, 2016 at 7:30 PM.

Arriving in Chiang Mai around 6 am, getting off at Arcade Bus Station.

The entire journey was freezing, forcing me to dig out a pair of long pants from my bag to wear underneath.

The moment I stepped out of the car, I was overwhelmed by the intense cold.

After washing our faces and brushing our teeth, we went to rent a car.

Let's try a different restaurant this time.

This shop is located right next to Bike Gee. No deposit is required, just your ID card. However, unlike Bike Gee, this shop is open 24 hours a day.

After making various stops for necessities, including refueling, our departure was delayed until 7:00 AM.

After riding for a long time, it was unbearably cold, so I had to stop by a 7-Eleven.

To stay warm, put on another pair of pants and wear a pair of 19 baht fabric gloves from 7-Eleven as a temporary solution.

After riding for about an hour, my hands started to feel numb.

Don't assume it will be warm just because the sun is shining during the cold season.

You are mistaken in your thinking.

Please prepare windproof clothing, including a windproof jacket, windproof pants, gloves, socks, a scarf, and glasses. A buff or face mask is also recommended.

This trip was admittedly very deficient. There was nothing except for glasses and a scarf.

002.

We continued riding for a while, but I couldn't take it anymore and had to stop for another break. My clothes weren't windproof, so I was freezing cold while riding.

This shop is called "The Witch's Shop." Feel free to stop by for a cup of tea or coffee.

Exiting the shop, you'll encounter this magnificent curve.

There is a shoulder lane at this point where you can safely stop to take pictures.

There is no text to translate in the provided input. Please provide the text you would like me to translate.

We will head to Pai town for lunch.

The road is under construction and the shoulder is being improved periodically.

The air is quite dusty. Glasses and a mask are very helpful.

After a short time in Pai, I ended up at this blood pudding shop.

Add any leaf except lettuce and water spinach.

The peculiar taste is suspected to be from strawberry leaves.

Just past the rice shop is a second-hand clothing store.

I quickly found a windbreaker in decent condition for 200 baht.

Without this, I doubt I'll make it to Mae Hong Son.

It is noon, but the air is still cool.

Foreigners riding motorcycles in tank tops, how carefree they are! What are their hearts made of? Haha.

003.

With our gear packed and bodies energized, we continued our journey towards Pang Ma Pha District.

The scenery on both sides of the road is as beautiful as the story.

The Doi Giw Lom viewpoint is a popular spot for tourists, especially foreigners.

Riding along, I came across this curve and was startled. The entire curve was painted red. I don't know why they painted it red.

However, we believe that it makes the road slippery and more dangerous than it should be.

Another stop for cars and people is at the Pang Ma Pha viewpoint. There is fresh coffee available here.

However, we are not comfortable with this, so we would prefer to arrange sponsorship instead.

Frankly, I was exhausted at that time. I had never ridden a motorcycle for such a long distance and duration.

She collapsed and fell asleep right behind the viewpoint sign. She was simply exhausted.

Despite having come this far, we must continue.

Spotted this vehicle, a shared taxi traveling from Pai to Mae Hong Son.

I inquired about the price, and they informed me that the fare from Pai to Mae Hong Son is 100 baht.

004.

We finally arrived in the city center of Mae Hong Son. We counted the kilometer markers all the way here. Actually, we didn't have to enter the city center, because the entrance to Pang Ung is located before the city center. However, we decided to come into the city center first because we couldn't miss this place while we were in Mae Hong Son. Phra That Doi Kong Mu, the landmark temple of Mae Hong Son, is a must-visit to pay respects to the sacred things for good luck.

It may seem surprising that there are sticks in the flower pots used for offerings.

This is because there is a belief in the community about supporting life.

They presented a wooden offering along with the flowers.

When paying respects, we must place flowers at the base of the stupa.

Each day of the week is represented by a presiding deity, and wooden sticks are placed there to support life.

After we have finished paying our respects at the stupa,

Walk out to the other side and go around to the back, and you will find a coffee shop.

The name of the shop itself is beautiful. This shop is called Before Sunset Coffee.

The view is spectacular, living up to its name. If you come in the evening and wait for the sunset, it will be even more beautiful.

However, when we arrived at the balcony viewpoint of the restaurant, it was backlit.

This establishment offers a plethora of photogenic spots, making it an ideal location for a relaxing and enjoyable outing.

Descending from the Phra That, you will encounter the monument of Phraya Singhanat Ratcha.

Phraya Singhanat Ratcha, originally named Chanaka Lay, was of Tai or Shan descent.

Born around 1826 in Kyaukme, Shan State, Burma. In 1856, a battle broke out in Shan State.

Chanaka migrated to Pang Moo village and lived with Paka Hmong.

Chanakya was known for his diligence, courage, intelligence, perseverance, and integrity.

As a result, he diligently assisted Paka Hmong, who grew fond of him like a son and offered his daughter, Nang Sai, as his wife.

Subsequently, Chanaka Leo migrated with his family and gathered people to establish a village called "Ban Kun Yuam" (present-day Khun Yuam District).

Villagers recognized Chana Kule's good character, competence, and leadership qualities, leading them to appoint him as the headman of Kun Yuam village.

Subsequently, Ban Kuen Yuam was elevated to the status of a city, and Chanakale was appointed as the first lord of Kuen Yuam.

King Chulalongkorn ruled and brought prosperity to the country for 8 years until 1874.

The city was renamed Mae Hong Son, and King Inthawichayanon became the ruler of Chiang Mai.

King Rama I elevated Chanakale to the rank of Phraya Singhanat Ratcha and appointed him as the first governor of Mae Hong Son.

King Phraya Singhanat Ratcha ruled the city until 1884, a total of 10 years, before passing away at the age of 58.

005.

Finally, the place we have been waiting for has arrived: "Pang Ung".
We have to ride through the village of "Ruat Thai", not "Rak Thai". I saw many people confused about this.
When we went, we were able to enter directly. We didn't have to exchange cards at the Arts and Crafts Center, or if we did, it was for fishing.
The area is accessible between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM.
However, it is advisable to arrive before sunset, as the road becomes very dangerous in the dark.
The road leading up to the village entrance is very narrow, and cars can barely pass each other.
I want to say that upon arrival, all the fatigue from the journey almost disappeared.
I was excited by the beauty of the scenery in front of me.
Who would have believed that a province we never thought of visiting would have so much to offer?
There is a phone signal here, and it even has full 3G coverage from Dtac. Other networks are silent.

As for accommodation, there are:
Villagers' homestays located in Ruat Thai village. Prices range from 400-2500 baht.
For example, Lumphala Homestay (phone: 08 2766 7455, 08 3571 6668)
Nai Ching Homestay (phone: 08 0677 9169, 08 3581 4224)
Lung Jai Homestay (phone: 08 9552 4520)

The Royal Project's accommodation at Pang Tong 2 (Pang Ung) has 5 houses and a camping area for 50 tents per day.
Contact during office hours at 08 7661 8594, 08 0847 8456.
This area is under the supervision of the Royal Forest Department.

Ruat Thai Guesthouse, a lakeside guesthouse with over 10 houses.
Prices range from 450-850 baht. Contact at 05361 1244. This area is located outside the dam ridge.

A local homestay located near the entrance, offering both a coffee shop and a barbecue restaurant.

This is the checkpoint before entering the area under the jurisdiction of the Forest Department.

Admission is free, but donations are welcome.

This money will be used to maintain and improve this area.

There is no text to translate in the provided input.

Please provide the text you would like me to translate.

This area is designated for parking. There are also shops nearby.

Upon arrival, we immediately went to inquire about tent reservations, as we did not bring our own tent.

And the winner is...

We slept here tonight. The purple tent costs 350 baht and can accommodate about 3 people, but I slept alone. Haha!

The small tent next door costs 150 baht and can accommodate one person.

A short distance from our tent, there is a wooden bridge that extends outward.

A must-visit landmark for photo opportunities.

Let's put our belongings in the tent and head to the dam crest for some photos.

The sun is setting, and the light is beautiful.

Spotted a pair of black swans with their cygnets riding on their backs. Absolutely adorable!

This section is the residential area.

Walk down a little further and you will find the bamboo raft boarding point. If you want to take a raft ride in the evening, you can do so here.

We'll keep it for a morning mist adventure instead.

The sky is getting dark and the air is starting to cool down. I should hurry and take a shower.

Anyone coming here should be warned to take a shower before it gets dark, as the water here is as cold as the water in a freezer.

The bathroom lighting was dim, almost gloomy. I had to psych myself up for a while before I could take a shower. Haha!

006.

It's dark here, really dark. The only light comes from the distant shops and the occasional lantern from other tents.

After taking a shower, it was already dark, so I was hungry.

The highlight of this place is definitely the grilled pork.

I'm not sure if it's the best, but the atmosphere is definitely amazing. And it's the most delicious "mooガタ" I've ever had.

Sitting on the ground, gazing at the stars, chewing on a skewer of grilled pork, with the air like this, the temperature like this.

Truly delightful, you must try it!

Please wait before putting away the stove after you have finished eating.

Make full use of the remaining materials and equipment. There is still plenty of charcoal left.

Sitting by the fire, gazing at the stars, and feeling the dew. Ha ha ha!

(These are our fellow pan friends. You can find them by the roadside.)

Another highlight of the evening was the breathtaking moonlight and starlight.

Exquisitely beautiful beyond description, and abundant beyond measure.

We both live in the countryside and enjoy stargazing regularly.

However, the stars we have seen are not like this. It's hard to describe.

The sky was filled with twinkling stars, even though the moonlight illuminated the surroundings.

Yet, it could not dim the light of the stars.

Gazing at the stars and photographing the night sky for hours on end, until they could no longer bear it.

The air was frigid, and the dew was exceptionally heavy. Even the tent and flysheet offered minimal protection.

For those who want to sleep in a tent, we think it's better to bring your own tent. It will likely be of higher quality.

The tent we slept in could accommodate three people and came with three blankets, which should have kept us warm.

Contrary to popular belief, I sleep in three layers of clothing: two pairs of pants, a hat, and a scarf.

The wind entered through the mesh at the bottom of the tent.

The dew was so heavy that everything was damp, both inside and out.

Exhausted from eight or nine hours of riding and full from a delicious meal, his eyelids grew heavy and he began to drift off to sleep.

007.

Dawn.
I set my alarm for 5:00 am, afraid I wouldn't catch the sunrise and the morning light.
But the truth is, the sun here also wakes up late. It's almost 6:00 or 7:00 am before it rises.

You've washed your face and brushed your teeth, so you want me to give you a bath? Dream on!

I'm a little surprised that she's not cold. If she goes down, will her legs get cold?

The temperature is only 9 degrees Celsius.

Early in the morning, monks from the village will come to collect alms.

Some villagers would walk up to the tents selling sets of offerings for alms.

Alms offering set, 40 baht per set.

The monks will be walking through the parking lot area for alms collection starting around 6:00 AM.

After making merit, let's go sit on the raft together.

After getting off the raft, take a picture with the morning light on the ridge of the dam.

Another landmark here, you must take a picture from this angle.

It is unclear whether this is a pavilion or a residence, but it appears to have been unused for some time.

Despite the abundance of pine trees here, this is the first intact pine cone we have encountered.

The whereabouts of the missing items remain unknown. However, we have received reports that...

They've all gone home already, haha.

Capture the perfect shot at this popular spot, a must-visit for any visitor.

The day we went was a normal day. At night, there were no more than 20 tents, and there were relatively few people.

008.

Packing our bags and waving goodbye to Pang Ung. See you again soon!
From Pang Ung, we will head to Ban Rak Thai for breakfast.
Ban Rak Thai is located about 12 kilometers from Pang Ung, bordering Myanmar.

Visitors are allowed to take photos around the area where Leevine Rak Thai is located.

If you had come earlier, it would have been much more beautiful.

This is a cup of fragrant thousand-year-old tea. Please enjoy it for free.

The three jugs you see here are free. They made them for us to try. I like the "Chaiyod Nam Khang" tea. It's very fragrant, easy to drink, and not bitter.

Yunnan pork leg, a steamed bun, and stir-fried shiitake mushrooms with soy sauce.

The mantou is very filling. Just two pieces and I'm completely full.

This section features a coffee shop with posters available for purchase.

There is a drop-off box available at the front of the store.

009.

Tad Pha Suea Waterfall
A waterfall without water, haha! But the staff said that during the rainy season, there will be much more water.
There were foreigners climbing the waterfall, I saw them in the distance.
We just walked down to take pictures, the bottom is a deep rocky area, quite dangerous.

Mud volcano

The mud volcanoes in Mae Hong Son province contain minerals that are beneficial for human skin and blood circulation.

Similar to the mineral content of "Dead Sea Mud".

The service fees vary depending on the specific service.

We are short on time, so we can only soak our feet for 20 baht for 15 minutes.

Mud pool. We saw bubbles rising constantly. A sign next to it indicated that the temperature inside the pool was 70 degrees Celsius.

There was also a strange smell, which could be sulfur.

010.

Sutongpe Bridge, a wooden bridge of faith, is located in Ban Kung Mai Sak, approximately 8 kilometers from the city center. "Sutongpe" in the Tai Yai language means "wishes granted." It is believed that if one stands in the middle of the bridge and makes a wish, it will come true. The bridge is called the "wooden bridge of faith" because of the joint efforts of the monks and villagers of Ban Kung Mai Sak, who worked together to weave the bridge floor with bamboo, extending it over the rice field donated by the owner. The bridge was built to connect Suan Tham Phusama and Ban Kung Mai Sak, crossing rice fields and a small river, making it easier for monks and villagers on the other side to travel between villages.

From 10 degrees this morning, look at the sun now.

The weather in Mae Hong Son is very unpredictable. I had to take off the three layers of clothing I was wearing almost immediately.

011.

National Park Tham Pla

Park your car in front and walk about 500 meters.

Payment point, if I remember correctly, is 20 baht per person.

Fish food is available for purchase at the front. It consists of vegetables, as the fish here are health-conscious and enjoy a vegetarian diet.

I found this little guy when I picked it up. Is it a cockroach? Haha!

There are fish below, quite a few of them.

May I pay my respects for good fortune.

The vegetable vendor claimed that the cave was owned by a hermit.

This is incredibly intimate, almost as if it were about to jump up and grab our hands.

012.

After leaving Tham Pla Cave, we will stop by Ban Ja Bo.

We will ride back to Pai district as we will be staying there for another night.

Let's take a break to rest the car and ourselves. We're very tired.

This viewpoint is quite beautiful, and there's even a small coffee shop here.

Let's continue...

This translates to: "I see it in a different way, like... ummm..."

The road was extremely rough for about 2-3 sections, and it was constantly uphill.

This place has a gas station. Let's fill up the tank so we can ride back to Pai for a long time.

The shop is closed.

No worries, the beautiful view remains unobstructed.

The scenery is beautiful, as expected. I don't know if the noodles are delicious, but I didn't get to try them.

Out of the blue, she joined in as if they had known each other for ages.

Greetings from afar.

Let's continue our conversation in Pai. I will move the discussion about Pai to another thread to avoid making this one too long.

I will summarize the expenses for Chiang Mai-Pang Ung for you first.

Total expenses for this trip

The cost of a Nakhonchai Air bus ticket is 584 baht.

Motorcycle rental fee --- 900 ( 3 days )

First refueling --- 50

Cost of gloves --- 19

Cost of Ovaltine porridge --- 43

Witch's Coffee Shop --- Hot Milk 40/Strawberry Pie 15

Pork blood soup with rice --- 50

Windbreaker price --- 250

Second refueling at Pang Mapha --- 70

Coffee price on Doi Kong Mu --- 45

Entrance fee to Pang Ung --- Pay as you wish.

Tent rental fee --- 350

Pork BBQ Set --- 300/set

Battery charging fee --- 20 baht/unit (Battery charging is available at the barbecue pork restaurant).

Alms-giving set --- 40

Third refueling --- 50

The cost of food at Baan Rak Thai is approximately 500 baht.

Postcard price --- 20/card

Foot soak in volcanic mud --- 20

Entrance fee to Tham Pla National Park --- 40 baht/person

Fish food --- 20 baht/bag, but 3 bags for 50 baht.

Fourth refueling --- 50

I will provide a link to the completed post once it is finished. I assure you that it will include recommendations for beautiful locations.

This thread is a continuation of the previous thread.

"Phayao," a city I accidentally fell in love with - http://pantip.com/topic/34945113