Tham Lot Travel Guide
Tham Lot is located in the north of Thailand and is a real beauty if you enjoy underground scenery or want the unique experience of boating through a pitch black cavern along a subterranean river.
- What is It?
- A massive cave complex in the far north of Thailand.
- When to Go
- The dry season between November and May is the best time to experience the subterranean river.
- Nearest Town
- Mae Hong Son is about 1 hour away by car.
Not to miss: the river running through this cave.
What makes Tham Lot so special is the fact that the Nam Lang River flows right through the heart of the cave. Dripping stalactites and stalagmites fill the chambers with a surreal ambiance, helped along by the huge populations of swifts and bats that live inside.
The entrance is reminiscent of a gaping jaw, leading into the first chamber that is about five stories high and 200 meters wide. Most visitors hire a guide and a lantern at the entrance of the park to help them along. The established tour leads visitors past all the main highlights, each of which is marked with a sign.
A bridge allows you to cross the river to the other side where a small sandy beach is home to boatmen who wait to take adventurous travelers down the river through the cave. Teakwood coffins believed to have been left by the ancient Lawa people have been found deep inside Tham Lot and other neighbouring caves.
Travel to Tham Lot - Getting There
Tham Lot is nine kilometers outside of the tiny village of Soppong. The nearest towns of note are Mae Hong Son to the north and Pai to the south. Weekly flights run to both towns from Chiang Mai, which is the closest major city and host to an international airport. Visitors can rent their own car and drive the winding mountain road to Sopping itself (4 hours), or book at tour with a travel company in Chiang Mai or Pai. Intrepid travelers can hop on the local bus that leaves from Chiang Mai every morning (5 hours).
