Mae Hong Son

I didn’t see much of Mae Hong Son the town, but spent a week or so in the province. We stayed at cave lodge, which is out past Pai (see my entry there), and visited some hill towns.

Cave lodge was run by a fellow Australian who was very fervent in his support for the hill tribes (I remember he was bitter that they learnt Thai language in school). They took us on tours to hill tribe villages, with local guides as translators.

It really was a relaxed kind of place – sometimes so relaxed I felt like time had stood still and I would wake up from a dream in 20 years time not knowing how I got there.

I remember skipping the elephant ride for a bamboo raft ‘bamboo laft’ trip which was very relaxing – and cooler and less smelly than the cute elephants.

I had a sense, while I was there, however, that we were quite close to the Burma border and therefore guerillas and multi-drug resistant malaria. We were told the parts we were in were safe if you didn’t venture too far on your own however.

When I got back home to my first day of honours at uni, I came across a person who had stayed at cave lodge too, and I didn’t feel so special after all.

my sister and I are going to backpack to the North of Thailand and we want to go to this place too…

Away from the bustle and madness of Bangkok and the pleasant business of Chaing Mai, Mae Hong Son, on the border with Burma, was a wonder ful place to spend a few days. Ths local scenery is breath taking – as were, unforunately, the vast swathes of forest being slashhed and burnt. A wonderful area, with wonderful people. Yes, I want to go back.