Thailand - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 754

here over the first weekend in April for
the spectacular parades of the Poy Sang
Long Festival , which celebrates local hai
Yai/Shan boys' temporary ordination into
the monkhood.

of Ban Bok Shampae. About 9km from
the turn-off, you'll reach the wild, untidy
Pha Sua Falls; take care when swimming,
as several people have been swept to their
deaths here.
Above the falls, the paved road climbs
11km to the village of Naphapak, from
where it's another 7km to Mae Aw (aka
Ban Ruk hai), a settlement of
Kuomintang (anti-communist Chinese)
refugees. It's the highest point on the
Burmese border that visitors can reach,
and provides a fascinating window on
Kuomintang life. Bright-green tea bushes
line the slopes, and Chinese ponies
wander the streets of long bamboo
houses. In the marketplace on the north
side of the village reservoir, shops sell
Oolong and Chian Chian tea, and
dried mushrooms.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By plane Mae Hong Son airport is towards the northeast
of town. Nok Air and Kan Airlines run direct flights to and
from Chiang Mai (6 daily; 35min). From the airport
terminal tuk-tuks (about B80) run into the centre.
By bus and minibus Buses to Mae Hong Son depart
from Chiang Mai's Arcade bus station, travelling via Mae
Sariang or Pai. To meet tourist demand, there are also
hourly a/c minibuses between Pai's bus station and Mae
Hong Son. Minibuses go past the Khunlumprapas-
Singhanat Bamrung crossroads, so ask the driver to stop
there if you're staying in town. From the bus station, south
of the centre, tuk-tuks (about B80) run into the centre.
Destinations Bangkok (3 daily; 16hr); Chiang Mai via Mae
Sariang (5 daily; 8-9hr); Chiang Mai via Pai (1 daily; 8hr);
Pai (hourly; 3hr).

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Mae Hong Son's main hanon
Khunlumprapas, lined with shops and
businesses, runs north-south and is
intersected by Singhanat Bamrung at the
tra c lights in the centre of town.
To the southeast of the tra c lights, the
town's classic picture-postcard view is of
its twin nineteenth-century Burmese-style
temples, Wat Chong Kham and Wat Chong
Klang , from the opposite bank of Jong
Kham Lake. he latter temple is famous
for its paintings on glass, depicting stories
from the lives of the Buddha.
he town's vibrant, smelly morning
market is a magnet for hill-tribe traders
and worth getting up at dawn for. Next
door, the many-gabled viharn of Wat Hua
Wiang shelters the beautiful bronze
Burmese-style Buddha image, Chao
Palakeng. For a godlike overview of the
area, especially at sunset, climb up to Wat
Doi Kong Mu on the steep hill to the west.

10

Local treks
Trekking up and down Mae Hong Son's
steep inclines is tough, but the hill-tribe
villages are generally unspoilt and the
scenery is magnificent. To the west,
trekking routes tend to snake along the
Burmese border and can sometimes get a
little crowded; the villages to the east are
more traditional. Plenty of guesthouses
and travel agencies run treks out of Mae
Hong Son (see below).

INFORMATION AND TOURS
Information TAT, Th Ratchathumpitak, towards the
northeast of the city centre (daily 8.30am-4.30pm; T 053
612982-3, E [e-mail]).
Tour operators There are more than thirty registered
tour agencies in Mae Hong Son, each of which can arrange
local treks. Day tours might include elephant riding and
boating or bamboo rafting on the babbling Pai River. Rose
Garden Tours at 86/4 Th Khunlumprapas ( T 053 611681,
W rosegarden-tours.com) has day-long excursions starting
from B900. For treks and tours, try Sunflower Café (see
p.758) or Tour Merng Tai at 89 Th Khunlumprapas ( T 053
611979, W tourmerngtai.com), which offers community-
based tourism programmes including homestays,
employing village guides and cooks and contributing part
of the profits to local communities.

Pha Sua Falls and Mae Aw
North of Mae Hong Son, a trip to Pha
Sua Falls and the border village of Mae
Aw takes in some spectacular and varied
countryside, best visited by motorbike
(around B200/day from guesthouses) or
on a tour (around B900-1200/person).
Head north for 17km on Highway 1095
(ignore the first signpost for Pha Sua,
after 10km) and then, after a long, steep
descent, turn left onto a side road, paved
at first, which passes through the village