Chiang Dao and Mae Hong Son: Two Alternatives to Pai

Visit Chiang Dao and Mae Hong Song. Get some rest from more popular destinations, like Pai. If you’re looking for something a bit more Thai, a bit more local and authentic, you have these two lovely towns, which you can visit after you stay a couple of nights in Pai. Read on to find out more about them and plan your trip to the north of Thailand.

When I first went to Pai, I thought it was great. It was 10 years ago and it was my first trip to the north from Chiang Mai, where I then lived. My friends and I had a blast. We visited a few locations there, chilled at some coffee places and had drinks by bonfires. The next few times I went with my husband and we rented a scooter and drove around. It was then when I wrote the article about 9 places to see in Pai. After a while, however, I started to see that this town was not enough for me and I really wanted to see something a bit different. So, I made a trip with friends to Mae Hong Son and Chiang Dao and I loved both of these locations. If you want to plan your trip and go further north from Pai, then choose Chiang Dao and Mea Hong Son. You can easily get there by public transport or by scooter, or car.

In this article I will tell you all about my trips and give you advice on how to get to both locations and what to see and do there.

Chiang Dao

A friend of mine, Adam, took me there many years ago for the first time. It was my baptism – my first proper road trip on a scooter. I was petrified the whole time, but I survived and was proud of myself then. Maybe that’s why I remember this trip so vividly. We stayed in a small place for a very cheap price. It was outside of the town and every day we had to travel somewhere to eat. Thanks to that we also saw a lot of cool places and managed to visit a temple and the Chiang Dao Cave.

The next time I went there was for the Shambhala Festival. I attended it three times. It was an interesting experience to see the least. I think it might not be for everyone. Some people will be put off by the hippie vibe. However, the location and the whole concept of it is very interesting, so it’s worth going for at least a day to check it out.

Chiang Dao is not Chiang Mai, or Pai. It’s much smaller and doesn’t have so many facilities. You won’t find shops here, there are no coworking spaces and there are fewer activities and attractions. You can do most things in a day and then relax in one of the resorts or coffee shops.

Here is some practical information about Chiang Dao.

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Location

Chiang Dao is a small town, around an hour drive from Chiang Mai. It is situated near one of the national parks and surrounded by forests and mountains.

How to get to Chiang Dao?

From Chiang Mai you can take a scooter or a car. It takes about 2 hours. The road can be busy. There are plenty of places to stop on the route to rest. There are also local buses departing from the bus station near the North Gate. You can try to book online here, but most likely you need buy your ticket there. So far they haven’t been able to sell the tickets in advance, so passengers must come on the day of the departure and buy it then.

Here is the driving route from Chiang Mai to Chiang Dao.

From Pai there are no direct buses to Chiang Dao. You need to take a bus or a mini van to Chiang Mai and change there. It will probably be a 2 day trip as it would be hard to do it all in one day. Take a mini van to Chiang Mai in the morning. It takes 3 hours. The mini van arrives in the main bus station, which is around 20-30 minutes ride from the North Gate bus station, depending on the traffic and the route. Stay overnight in Chiang Mai, if you feel more comfortable with not rushing. This way you’ll be sure that you have a place to stay at night and you don’t need to worry. The next morning, go to the North Gate bus station and take a bus to Chiang Dao.

Transportation

The town of Chiang Dao has a few shops and a couple of streets. Most places to stay are outside, some are quite far from everything, so it’s good to have your own scooter.

There are no local buses as people in Chiang Dao have their own transportation. You can rent a scooter near the bus station in Chiang Dao. I saw a couple of points there. If you don’t have your own transport, it will be harder to move around, but you can ask in the hotel for a local taxi.

Where to stay?

There are quite a lot of places to stay in Chiang Dao. I can really recommend 11 rooms. The place is stunning and is a true gem. You will love it there, I’m sure.

If you’re looking for something else, I can also recommend:

• Cozycomo Chiang Dao – this place is a bit further away from the town, but it’s tranquil and beautiful. It’s a perfect spot for those who are looking for peace and quiet.
• Buraphat Resort – a very stylish place with bungalows, in an amazing location.
• Azalea Village – pamper yourself in this stunning hotel.

What to do in Chiang Dao?

Chiang Dao and the surrounding area offer a lot of things to do from caves to tribal villages. Some of the places in town offer trekkings and trips. Here are the best things to do in Chiang Dao.

Drive around

If you have your own transport you can explore the area. Turn into Soi 15 and follow the road, past the bridge. The rice fields on the way are beautiful during the day, but even more so during the sunset.

Stop at the last street stall, where you can buy a delicious bubble tea. The family that owns the stall also run a repair shop. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, my bike broke twice and I had to use the service there. Every time someone there tried to have a chat with me (even though they didn’t know any English and I don’t know any Thai). The people there were so nice that I ended up visiting them every day.The owner of the repair shop also makes custom bikes and it is really interesting watching him putting all of the parts together and creating something like this:

If you follow the road further, past the rice fields, you will get to a T junction. Turn right until you get to a left turn. This road leads to some tribal villages, but also to some really remote places that are yet unexplored by tourists. There is nothing better than riding your bike through empty roads with magnificent views. I spent two days exploring the area.

Visit the Chiang Dao Cave

Once you have done this, go in the opposite direction, towards the Chiang Dao Cave. The cave is one of the main attractions in the area. The outside of the cave is surrounded by little shops, and old temple ruins, which are really worth exploring. Just mind the stray dogs, which seem to be not that friendly as in other places.

The cave itself is huge and, thanks to small amount of tourists, you have an impression that you are the first one to discover the place. The only thing that spoils the visit is the price. This information you will find almost on all travel sites. First you need to pay 20 Baht entrance fee, then you will be informed that you can’t visit the cave by yourself and need to take a guide, who will charge you 100 Baht for the torch (bear in mind that the cave is huge and there is no way you can walk there by yourself, so don’t argue with the people working there). At the end of the tour the guide will inform you that he/she is a volunteer and you need to ‘donate’ 100 Baht for the tour. You don’t really have a choice… However, despite this ‘scam’ the cave is really worth seeing.

Near the cave you can stop in many of the nice cafes and restaurants for a meal or drink. This area is beautiful and very quiet. At the time when I was there is was overflown with yellow and white butterflies.

Climb to Wat Tham Pho Plong

Another great spot to visit is Wat Tham Pho Plong- a beautiful temple, located near the Chiang Dao Cave. There are 500 steps leading to it, but don’t be discouraged. The way couldn’t be more scenic and you can stop from time to time to read the Buddhist quotes, spread out on the green boards on trees and rocks.

Once you get to the top you can sit on one of the benches and soak in the peaceful atmosphere. Walk few more steps up and you will have a few over the nearby forests.

The temple is also a meditation retreat, so you can stay there for a bit and learn meditation from the monks. This is one of the ‘things to do’ on my list.

Drive up the Doi Luang Mountain

Doi Luang is the mountain that is visible from everywhere in Chiang Dao. It stands alone among the rice fields and looks really interesting from afar. You can go up the mountain in a car or on a motorbike. Some guesthouses and hotels also organise trips to the top.

The entrance fee for a foreigner is 400 THB (2025)! This is very expensive for what you can see up there. The price for a Thai person (20 THB) makes it even worse. However, try to get up super early in the morning, before the sunrise and you won’t have to pay.

I got up at 7 and went there at 7:30. There wasn’t anyone at the gate so I got for free. It was super cold in February, so make sure you take some warm clothes with you. The views on the way are spectacular and I really think they are one of the best in the north I’ve seen so far. On the top you will find a Lisu people’s village. These are mainly huts and some bungalows to rent. They look very basic, but I’m sure it’s wonderful to wake up with the view like that. There are also some coffee shops and restaurants there, so you can stop, admire the views, take some pictures and relax for a bit.

Go to a festival

Every year, around January-February the local Japanese community organises Shambhala Arts Festival. It takes 7 days and the days are filled with music and performances.

You can camp there and enjoy vegan and vegetarian cuisine, meet people and, most of all, admire the beautiful views of the surrounding mountains.

Mae Hong Son

Mae Hong Song is located in the north of Thailand, near the Burmese border. It’s surrounded by hills and waterfalls and it’s a stunning little town. I visited it for the first (and only for now) time many years ago, when I first became a teacher in Chiang Mai. I went there with a group of friends. It was so hot that it was hard to breathe! It was the hot season and the smokey season at the same time. Don’t recommend going during months from mid February until May/June. Wait until the winter months – December – February and visit Mae Hong Son then. It’s quite easy to get to and I’m sure you’ll have some great time there.

Here you will find everything you need to spend great time in Mea Hong Son. 

How to get there? 

This little town is 6 hours drive by mini van, or 9 hours by the a local bus, very close to the Burmese border. On my way there I took the latter for only 138 Baht. It was overcrowded and hot, but still pretty comfortable, with a lot of space for legs.

Book your tickets online via 12GoAsia. 

I would avoid driving there if you only have a small scooter, unless you have a lot of time on your hands. It’s best to drive to Mae Hong Son from Chiang Mai by car, or a bigger motorbike. You can easily book a car using my trusted partner’s site Discovercars. It will save you time and money.

Want to drive there? Here is your map

From Pai you can take a mini van. It takes 3 hours. If you have time, go from Chiang Mai to Pai by a mini van, stay a few days and then take another mini van to Mae Hong Son. You can then take a bus or a mini van back to Chiang Mai. All tickets can be booked online.

Transportation in Mae Hong Son

As with the Chiang Dao, you need to have your own mode of transport to see all the attractions around the town. If you are scared of driving a motorbike, you can still have a nice, quiet time in town.

You will rent a motorbike in town, or in your hostel. The price shouldn’t be more than 200 Baht per day.

Where to stay in Mae Hong Son 

First thing I noticed was the fact that the town was clean, picturesque and prepared for tourism. There are a lot of places to stay, the price ranging from 100 Baht to 700 Baht per night. I took a tuk tuk from the bus station (100 Baht) and asked the driver to take me to a cheap guesthouse. I stayed at Johnnie’s Place (150 Baht per night; fan room and shared bathroom) – place was nice, quiet, but could use some decent cleaning. However, it was located in the centre of the town, close to most of the attractions.

Here are other places I recommend:

• Kanda House – probably the cheapest place in Mae Hong Son, but it’s still good for the price. It’s located by the river, in a very quiet spot. 
• Baan Rom Mai – simple, clean and very pleasant. It’s located in the heart of the town, close to all the attractions. 
• Jeerang Countryside Resort – it’s a fabulous place, ideal for a quiet getaway. 

You don’t like my recommendations? Don’t worry! Check out Booking.com for more suggestions. 

What to eat and drink

Mae Hong Son has a lot of places to eat and drink. You have a great choice between the local and western cuisine. The food is reasonably priced and everything is really delicious. Again, you can go for a quiet drink, but don’t expect any wild parties. The town goes to sleep at around midnight.

Both Chiang Dao and Mae Hong Son are easily accessible from Chiang Mai. They are both pretty, quiet and lovely towns with lots of things to do. So, if you are looking for something a little bit less frequented by travellers, something a little less

Things to do in Mae Hong Son

Check out Mae Hong Son’s best spots. Learn new things about Thailand, relax and unwind in the laid-back atmosphere of the town. 

Walk around the centre 

Mae Hong Son’s main spot is a round lake, with a nice walkways and places to sit down to admire the Wat Chong Kham, reflecting in the water. 

Visit the temples 

Wat Chong Kam features golden pillars, 4.85 meters Buddha and replica of the Buddha image in Wat Suthat in Bangkok.

Wat Chong Klang, next to Wat Chong Kham, has a replica of the Phra Phutta Sihing and wooden figurines of human and animals created by Burmese craftsmen.

Wat Muay Tor is an old temple, located outside of the city centre. Climb the stairs and visit the local graveyard. Wander around and admire the architecture of the Wat. If you are lucky, you might strike a conversation with the monks. When I was there, they were all sitting around in their quarters, enjoying cigarettes (yes! cigarettes!).

See the sunrise 

Wat Phra Doi Kong Mu is a temple on the hill, which is great to watch sunrise. I must say, I was too lazy to get up in the morning, so there are no pictures from that site.

Go outside the town 

For a half a day trip, drive to Tham Pla Forest Park (17 km from the town). It is a beautiful, well kept park with a small cave, where you can admire huge fish, swimming in the nearby pond. They are considered as sacred and it is believed that feeding them (you can buy food for 20 Baht from one of the sellers at the entrance gates)  will bring you good karma.

When I was there, the day was scorching hot, so I followed some local kids and jumped into the stream, leading to the cave. It was a very nice spot to relax and watch the locals having picnics.

There are a couple of waterfalls around the area. I visited Namtok Pha Suea, 26 km from Mae Hong Son, on the route to Pai. It is a large waterfall with its water source in Myanmar. The water was pretty low when I was there due to the very dry weather, but I climbed to the top and had a splash in a tiny pond. The place was almost deserted, except a few local kids playing there. If you are tired with the heat, I would suggest going to Pha Suea for a whole day, climbing to the top of it and hiding in a shade there.

Chill at the river 

If you need a place to chill out, head to the big bridge on River Pai, on the way to the Long Neck Village. There are bamboo huts on the water, where for 60 Baht you can lay down, read your book and watch the kids playing.

Both Chiang Dao and Mae Hong Son are easily accessible from Chiang Mai. They are both pretty, quiet and lovely towns with lots of things to do. So, if you are looking for something a little bit less frequented by travellers, something a little less touristy – those places are for you!

Do you have any questions? Would you like to share your experiences or your point of view? Don’t be shy! Leave a comment!

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