Adventure & Sports: Mae Hong Son

Often called the “City of Three Mists” because it is mist-shrouded for most of the year, Mae Hong Son is mostly rugged mountain country with very little flat land for agriculture. Its farthest corners are accessible only by dirt roads, and in the rainy season these become muddy trails and travel is possible on foot only. Many guesthouses in Mae Hong Son take tourists on jungle and hilltribe treks.

Accommodation

Guesthouses and a few luxury hotels in the provincial capital. Hilltribe settlements offer simple cottage-style accommodation. List of discount hotels in Mae Hong Son

Adventure in and around Mae Hong Son

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- Mountainbiking
The hub for mountainbiking adventure is Pai district, where several bike shops rent out bikes and gear to tourists. Bike tours explore nearby and remote hilltribe villages, waterfalls and hot springs. The best time is November-May.

- Hilltribe Treks
The ethnic groups in Mae Hong Son include highland tribes and immigrants from the Shan State of Myanmar. Any combination of transportation modes are offered by tour operators: off-road vehicle, raft, elephant riding and mountain biking.

- Whitewater Rafting
Pai River, Mae Hong Son’s major artery, originates in the mountain ranges that form a natural border with Myanmar and flows through several districts for a distance of some 180 km. A raft trip starts at Ban Nam Kong, 65 km from Pai and continues through virgin forests, waterfalls and 15 sets of rapids, a journey time of about five hours.

- Hiking
Doi Mae Ukor in Khun Yuam district is part of Mae Surin Waterfall. Hiking trails here wind through waterfalls and a vast field of wild sunflowers that bloom in November, attracting crowds of tourists. The mountain is some 90 km from Khun Yuam.