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AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures
Thailand Chiang Mai-Mae Hong Son Loop 2024 Day 8: Mae Hong Son To Mae Sariang
Chiang Mai, Thailand Day 08: 16th January 2024 (Tuesday)
This is part of a non-cycling road trip tour of the Chiang Mai-Mae Hong Son Loop, Thailand. Day 8 Mae Hong Son to Mae Sariang:
This is page 7 of a 10-page blog, Click Here To Go To Title Page.
1. Traffic Directions!
Traffic in Thailand is right-hand drive, so drive/cycle on the left. The same thing applies when crossing the road, take note of the direction traffic is approaching!
2. Getting around the Chiang Mai-Mae Hong Son Loop.
Our tour package was for ground arrangements and included a 10-passenger van to take us around the Mae Hong Son Loop, starting from & returning to Chiang Mai. It also included relatively good hotels/homestays. Charge per pax was at a very reasonable discounted rate. This excluded meals (other than hotel breakfasts), airport transfers, entry tickets, and tips. This allows for individuals to have meals according to their own liking & budget. Allow THB100-150 per pax per meal should be adequate.
Note: Malaysian Touch n Go debit cards can be used where Alipay is accepted, such as at 7-Eleven outlets. Just ensure that the cashier sets the exchange to Thai Bahts.
Those interested in joining this guided tour can contact Eddie at +60-612-2600, whom we find a very good & flexible guide and very attentive to our needs
3. Route & Traffic Conditions
Most of Thailand's main roads are paved well well-maintained and almost without portholes. In outlying rural areas, roads could be gravel & un-tarred. No toll is charged for most roads (including highways)! Traffic at the rural areas is fairly light, but there are traffic jams in Chiang Mai try to avoid peak hours.
The Chiang Mai-Mae Hong Son Loop roads are renowned for their scenic beauty AND also the many turns and bends. It is known as the Snake Route with 2,000 bends, some of them very sharp hair-pins, so do get motion-sickness medication in case you need them.
The Chiang Mai-Mae Hong Son Loop roads are renowned for their scenic beauty AND also the many turns and bends. It is known as the Snake Route with 2,000 bends, some of them very sharp hair-pins, so do get motion-sickness medication in case you need them.
4. Weather
Weather at the Chiang Mai & Mae Hong Son provinces differs a lot between day & night time and between the lowlands and highlands. November to January temperature ranges from a daytime high of 33°C to a night-time low of 14°C. At highland areas like Pai, Doi Inthanon & Pang Oung, night-time temperatures can go as low as 10°C. So bring warm clothing and practice layered clothing to keep warm and still allow for stripping during the hotter time of the day.
5. Communicating with Each Other
When travelling in a group it's important to be able to communicate with each other, especially if one gets lost from the rest. Many Thai pre-paid phone sim cards can now be purchased online before the trip and delivered within a few days.
We separately opted for DTAC & SCT-AIS sim cards.
DTAC Happy Tourist SIM for calls & data covers 8 to 30 days with unlimited data and costs about 40-50THB per day. For just data only it covers a period from 8 to 15 days and costs about 35-40THB per day. These DTAC Tourist SIM cards can be purchased via Lazada.
AIS (Advance Info Service) is the largest mobile service provider in Thailand, offering excellent network quality throughout the country, including rural areas. AIS Tourist SIM packages range from 8-day/15GB (at 299THB) to 15-day/30GB (at 599THB) to 30-day/50GB (at 899THB). We purchase SCT sim cards that connect to the AIS network; the 15-day/7.5GB was bought via Lazada.
6. Communicating with Locals
Except for those involved in the tourist industry, most Thai don't speak English, especially in the rural areas. It will be helpful to have a driver who speaks English.
In case of emergencies call the Thai Tourist Tourist Police at 1155 or (+66) 2308-0333 This hotline is available 24 hours a day and responders speak English. OR go to a clinic or pharmacy as most doctors and pharmacists can speak English.
7. Places & Things of Interest
There were many scenic and beautiful places of interest, but one should not miss the following (Note: click on the GPS coordinates for a directional map to the respective places):
a. Mae Hong Son Gate (GPS: 19.28276, 97.96036).
b. Thai-Japan Friendship Memorial Hall - Khumyuam (อนุสรณ์สถานมิตรภาพไทย ญี่ปุ่น) (GPS: 18.83027, 97.93317).
c. Mae La Luang Viewpoint (จุดชมวิวแม่ลาหลวง) (GPS: 18.54040, 97.93819).
d. Tham Kaeo Komon Forest Park (GPS: 18.38926, 97.96651).
e. Tham Kaeo Komon Forest Cave (วนอุทยานถ้ำแก้วโกมล) (GPS: 18.39665, 97.97067).
f. Wat Chom Thong (GPS: 18.14987, 97.94474) has a great view of Mae Sariang.
g. Buddha Statue of Luang Pho (GPS: 18.15139, 97.94441).
b. Thai-Japan Friendship Memorial Hall - Khumyuam (อนุสรณ์สถานมิตรภาพไทย ญี่ปุ่น) (GPS: 18.83027, 97.93317).
c. Mae La Luang Viewpoint (จุดชมวิวแม่ลาหลวง) (GPS: 18.54040, 97.93819).
d. Tham Kaeo Komon Forest Park (GPS: 18.38926, 97.96651).
e. Tham Kaeo Komon Forest Cave (วนอุทยานถ้ำแก้วโกมล) (GPS: 18.39665, 97.97067).
f. Wat Chom Thong (GPS: 18.14987, 97.94474) has a great view of Mae Sariang.
g. Buddha Statue of Luang Pho (GPS: 18.15139, 97.94441).
8. Food
a. Breakfast: Western set at Son and Mom in Mae Hong Son (GPS: 19.28941, 97.95440).
b. Afternoon Tea: Pastry & coffee at Chill House & Coffee Cafe (GPS: 18.15553, 97.92274).
b. Afternoon Tea: Pastry & coffee at Chill House & Coffee Cafe (GPS: 18.15553, 97.92274).
Note: For most lunches & dinners we ate together at the same restaurant, although we split into two or 3 groups and ordered by our group. This way each group can order food to their liking and budget.
9. Stay
10. Navigation
I used MapMyRide to track our routes and stops. Geo-tagging of places of interest was done via FaceBook and Google Maps.
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PRELUDE
Yesterday was a pretty good day with visits to a Kayan Long-Neck Village, a local morning market, and several temples (including a wooden temple). Today will be an easier day, but what will be in store for us? Come let's find out!
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THE TRIP DAY 8: MAE HONG SON - MAE SARIANG
Small group tour of the Chiang Mai-Mae Hong Son Loop, Thailand. Day 8 Mae Hong Son to Mae Sariang :
Mae Hong Son (B2 Mae Hong Son Premier Resort)>Mae Hong Son Gate>Mae La Luang Viewpoint>Tham Kaeo Komon Forest Park>Wat Chom Thong>Mae Sariang (Chill House)>Coriander in Redwood>Chill House.
We leave Mae Hong Son and head for Mae Sariang. En route, we will visit a place with good, bad and sad memories, but will end the day with a lovely sunset that did cheer us up a bit.
(Click here for around Mae Hong Son to Mae Sariang Route Map)
Instead of writing afresh, I am linking to my day-to-day Facebook postings during the trip and embedding them here with some brief comments where necessary. Some additional photos are added for emphasis. (NOTE: Click on respective posts to link to the FB post to read in more detail. If you can't see the posts, please log out from your Facebook first)
Kicked off the day with another Western Breakfast at Son and Mom just on the outskirts of Mae Hong Son. Didn't see the Son or the Mom, but the staff here were very cordial and they served good coffee and a mean omelette.
Made a stop at a 7-Eleven for some takeaway lunch; nearby is the Mae Hong Son Gate, marking the border of Mae Hong Son Town.
Mixed feelings here. Although we are glad for the residents of Mae Hong Son, of their World War 2 experiences but mainly have sad memories of the brutal WWII Japanese atrocities during their occupation of many Asian countries.
Instead of writing afresh, I am linking to my day-to-day Facebook postings during the trip and embedding them here with some brief comments where necessary. Some additional photos are added for emphasis. (NOTE: Click on respective posts to link to the FB post to read in more detail. If you can't see the posts, please log out from your Facebook first)
Kicked off the day with another Western Breakfast at Son and Mom just on the outskirts of Mae Hong Son. Didn't see the Son or the Mom, but the staff here were very cordial and they served good coffee and a mean omelette.
Made a stop at a 7-Eleven for some takeaway lunch; nearby is the Mae Hong Son Gate, marking the border of Mae Hong Son Town.
Mixed feelings here. Although we are glad for the residents of Mae Hong Son, of their World War 2 experiences but mainly have sad memories of the brutal WWII Japanese atrocities during their occupation of many Asian countries.
At the Tham Kaeo Komon Forest Park, the main purpose was to visit the Tham Kaeo Komon Forest Cave there. We registered at the visitors' office at the entrance, and from there jeeps took us to the cave entrance and a guide was with us during our short walk. Nice cave formations inside but apologies can't show photos as photography is not allowed inside.
We were happily driving along when someone shouted "Stop!"
Why? Here was the Mae La Luang Viewpoint, with scenic green hills far away on the horizon. These brought back memories of the Batanes in the Philippines, and also the corrugated hills of Sumba, Indonesia.
We checked in earlier into the Chill House our stay in Mae Sariang - the ch. It's a nice place, very green, and our room was on the upper floor facing vegetable plots. Below was the Chill House & Coffee Cafe, where we had some nice pastry and coffee.
After a nice rest, we headed out again to one of the highlights of the day, viewing the warm sunset at Wat Chom Thong. It reflected beautifully off the huge Sitting Buddha Statue sited slightly further uphill (see top-most photo).
"Aroi maak maak!"
(อร่อย มาก มาก; that's "very delicious" in Thai
Our dinner destination was Coriander in Redwood, a premier restaurant in Mae Sariang. The building it is in has a long history of at least 90 years as it was modified from an old house made entirely of redwood. It was originally owned by a Thai local and was once used as an office and residence of an Englishman when they obtained teak concessions in Thailand. Back then, logs were floated down the Yuam River to join the Salawin (Salween) River, continuing their journey through Myanmar. To preserve and give a new life to the old building, of which the structure and the timber quality are still perfect, they have modified the house’s ground floor as a restaurant, while the upstairs meeting room and private dining rooms make for ideal function spaces. Coriander in Redwood prides itself in serving locally sourced and traditional Thai Cuisine alongside top-quality imported Western dishes.
"Aroi maak maak!"
(อร่อย มาก มาก; that's "very delicious" in Thai
(For more photos of the Day 8, Click Here)
This is page 7 of a 10-page blog, Click Here To Go To Title Page.
This is page 7 of a 10-page blog, Click Here To Go To Title Page.
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