Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DON'T MISS
WAT PHRA THAT DOI KONG MU
Climb the hill west of town, Doi Kong Mu (1500m), to visit this
temple compound
( daylight hours) , also
known as Wat Plai Doi. Two Shan
chedi
, erected in 1860 and 1874, enshrine the ashes of monks from Myan-
mar's Shan State. Around the back of the wát you can see a tall, slender, standing Buddha and catch views west
of the ridge. There's also a cafe and a small tourist market. The view of the sea of fog that collects in the valley
each morning is impressive; at other times you get wonderful views of the town and surrounding valleys.
On Th Pha Doong Muay Do is a long stairway leading to the top of Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu, otherwise a
motorcycle taxi costs 120B return.
Activities
Trekking
Mae Hong Son's location at the edge of mountainous jungle makes it an excellent base for
trekking into the countryside. Trekking here is not quite the large-scale industry it is else-
where, and visitors willing to get their boots muddy can expect to find relatively un-
touched nature and isolated villages. Trekking excursions can be arranged at several gues-
thouses and travel agencies.
Multiday treks in groups of two people range from 1200B to 3000B per person, per day.
As is the case elsewhere in Thailand, the per-day rates drop significantly with a larger
group and a longer trek.
Nature Walks
( 08 9552 6899, 0 5361 1040;
www.trekkingthailand.com
)
Although the treks here cost more than
elsewhere, John, a native of Mae Hong Son, is the best guide in town. Treks range from
day-long nature walks to multiday journeys across the province. John can also arrange
custom nature-based tours, such as the orchid-viewing tours he conducts from March to
May.
John does not have an office; email and phone are the only ways to get in touch with
him.
TREKKING
TREKKING
Friend Tour
