Soppong Travel Guide

Soppong is a small but thriving little market town halfway between Pai and Mae Hong Son. There are some excellent resorts here, and the caving and trekking is superb.

The highlights of a visit to Soppong are the colorful ethnic hill tribes and the extensive limestone cave systems that dot the entire area. You can walk to many villages and caves right from Soppong and your resort, removing the need to arrange transportation.

Several Shan, Karen, Lahu and Lisu hill tribe villages are within walking distance of town. They are used to visitors and happily welcome them. Another special highlight in Soppong is the Coffin Caves. The region around Soppong contains the highest concentration of limestone caves in the world, but a few really stand out.

The Coffin Caves are a group of 30 caves in which wooden coffins have been discovered dating back centuries. Although several of them are being studied by anthropologists and off-limits to visitors, a local guide will readily take you to one of the others that are still open to exploration.

Getting There & Away

Soppong is a couple hours north of Pai and south of Mae Hong Son. Although both towns receive weekly flights, the easiest way to get to this remote town is by renting your own vehicle and driving from Chiang Mai, a 4-hour journey. Public buses also make the same journey, but they are much slower and bumpier. Chiang Mai is where you will find the nearest international airport.

Things to Do

Soppong Attractions

Coffin Caves

These amazing caves contain ancient wooden coffins still intact after centuries. some are open to the public.

Hill tribe villages

A great bonus of soppong is that you can walk to several different hill tribe villages, all of which welcome visitors.