Adventure Touring in North Thailand - Pai to Mae Hong Son

Day 1 of our ride from Chiang Mai to Pai had been spectacular, thanks to some impeccable roads and beautiful mountains, national parks and waterfalls. Most importantly, the discipline and road sense of locals and tourists alike made our ride extremely enjoyable and stress-free.

Even though completing the Mae Hong Son loop was definitely on our mind (well, that is what we were here for!), I had prepared the itinerary mindful of the fact that any and every place worth seeing enroute was not to be missed. Even though the main towns on the Mae Hong Son loop are Pai, Mae Hong Son and Mae Sariang, we felt it made no sense to just ride and munch miles for the sake of checking the loop off the list! If we were to cover everything enroute, it obviously meant too many detours. However, it did not really matter at all as long as we were all having fun.

This day was going to be long and exciting because of many exciting places that we were scheduled to ride to before we reached our final destination. We had anticipated a long day and hence left Pai at 8.30 am, with a stopover for breakfast at the small, charming town of Pang Mapha, also called Soppong, about 45 km from Pai. The road to Soppong is extremely windy and steep, but the smooth and sweeping curves make it a gorgeous ride. A massive mountain pass midway between Pai and Soppong provides a beautiful view of the mountains of Chiang Mai state.

At the high mountain pass between Pai and Soppong

View of the Mountains at a pass between Pai and Soppong

Having read a lot of positive reviews about Soppong River Inn, that was 100% going to be our breakfast halt. A beautiful riverside café that stands tall on bamboo cantilevers, the flowing muddy river is a treat to hear and watch as your breakfast is getting ready!  

The main attraction at Soppong is the famous Tham Lod Cave, a massive cave that can be explored on a bamboo raft! A running stream with loads of fishes chasing you make it an adventurous ride to the farthest cave. For the locals here, tourists are their only source of livelihood. And rightly so, the government has made it mandatory to take along a guide, who knows each minute detail of the cave inside out. Though it took us almost a couple of hours to check out all the three sections within the cave, the visit was well worth it!

The entrance of Lod

Entering Lod Caves

You can see the bamboo rafts down there!

The majestic Lod Caves

After a lovely visit to Tham Lod caves is where the weather took an ugly turn. It started raining and we were caught totally off guard. We were totally unprepared for showers because January and February are considered dry months in this part of Thailand. Hence, we did not carry any rain gear along with our usual motorcycle kit. Nevertheless, we decided to keep moving towards our next destination, Ban Rak Thai, a good 90 km away, in the hope that it would eventually stop raining.

Rain rain go away! Enroute Ban Rak Thai in rains

Loads of caves and waterfalls enroute!

About 20 km before Mae Hong Son, a right turn at a fork will put you on the road to Mae Aw or Ban Rak Thai, a small Chinese outpost village at the Thai-Myanmar border. While chalking out the itinerary, I had read that the scenery along the route will feel reminiscent of medieval China with tea plantations on both sides surrounded by thick dark green forests. Well, the last 25 km were exactly like what I had read! 

Customary picture with the signboard

Clicking pictures at the Thai-side before crossing over into Myanmar!

Entering Shan State (Burma)

And we were inside Shan State or Myanmar or Burma or whatever you call it!

When you move further on, you will be enamored by the views the serene lake offers, realizing that your effort has been absolutely worth it. Get yourself a cup of Oolong Tea and some locally grown dry-fruits as you soak in the tranquility! 

Small border town of Ban Rak Thai

The beautiful lake at Ban Rak Thai

Well, the rain Gods had decided not to show any mercy on us or so it felt! Here we were at Ban Rak Thai, already drenched, when it started raining again! It was 4:30 pm when we started sipping our teas and with another 140 km to go till Mae Sariang, we decided to halt at Mae Hong Son, 35 km from Ban Rak Thai and continue the ride the next day! 

Welcome to Mae Hong Son province

This decision of ours turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because we managed to find our best accommodation in North Thailand- an exotic fully furnished villa with secure parking! In stark contrast to the nearby Chiang Mai and Pai, the houses and temples in the town center of Mae Hong Son have notable Shan-state style influence, obviously because of its proximity to the Burmese border. (By the way, the armed groups at the Ban Rak Thai border check post preferred to call themselves citizens of Shan State and not Myanmar!)

Regarded as the most mountainous province in Thailand and famous for its untouched beauty and rugged wilderness, Mae Hong Son is indeed spectacular! One of the many places where some introspection makes you contemplate how amazing your passion for travelling indeed is! Because these are the kind of places you would never have come to otherwise!

Riding Distances:-

1) Pai- Soppong: 45 km

2) Soppong – Lod Caves: 11 km

3) Lod Caves- Ban Rak Thai: 90 km

4) Ban Rak Thai – Ban Phumon Talang (Mae Hong Son): 50 km

Stay tuned as we visit Thailand's highest motorable road the next day!