Mae Hong Son Loop

The Mae Hong Son Loop is northern Thailand’s classic road trip: a circuit of roughly 600km from Chiang Mai through the mountains of Mae Hong Son Province and back, famous for the sheer number of its bends (the most quoted figure is 1,864). The usual route runs northwest on Highway 1095 to Pai, over the ridges to Soppong and down to Mae Hong Son, then south on Highway 108 through Khun Yuam and Mae Sariang before swinging east across the hills to Chom Thong and back to Chiang Mai.

It is a drive for the journey rather than the destination. The road climbs through teak and pine forest, drops into rice-farming valleys and passes Shan market towns, Karen, Lisu and Lahu villages, caves, hot springs and waterfalls, with Myanmar never far to the west. Most people take five days to a week by rented motorbike or car, though it can be squeezed into four. The more nights you spend along the way, the more you get out of the small towns, which empty of day-trippers by late afternoon.

Chiang Mai to Pai (about 135km). Highway 1095 leaves the Chiang Mai plain at Mae Malai and climbs into the hills, with the tightest run of bends on the stretch before Pai. Break the drive at the viewpoints and roadside coffee stops, and save Pai Canyon for sunset just before town. Pai deserves at least two nights.

Pai to Mae Hong Son (about 110km). Beyond Pai the road climbs to some of the highest points on the loop, with views across the ranges towards Myanmar, before dropping to Soppong. Detour 9km north to Tham Lod Cave to raft through its river cavern, ideally finishing at dusk when the swifts return. Further on, a steep side road leads to the Shan village of Mae La-Na and its caves, and shortly before Mae Hong Son the sacred carp of Fish Cave in Tham Pla-Pha Suea National Park are an easy stop.

Around Mae Hong Son. Spend at least a full day here. Climb to Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu for the view, walk around the temples of Jong Kham Lake, cross the paddy fields on the Su Tong Pae Bamboo Bridge and drive the border road to the Yunnanese village of Ban Rak Thai.

Mae Hong Son to Mae Sariang (about 165km). Heading south on Highway 108, stop for a soak at Pha Bong Hot Springs, then continue to Khun Yuam, with its wartime Thai-Japan Friendship Memorial Hall and the Burmese-style Wat To Phae. In November, take the side road east to the sunflower fields and Mae Surin Falls. Further south, near Mae La Noi, the tiny crystal-lined Kaew Komon Cave is worth a short detour. Mae Sariang is a relaxed riverside town and the base for boat trips on the Salween River from the border village of Mae Sam Laep.

Mae Sariang to Chiang Mai (about 190km). The final stage climbs east over the hills to Hot and joins the Ping valley at Chom Thong, where you can detour up Doi Inthanon, Thailand’s highest mountain, before the flat run back to Chiang Mai.

The best time to drive the loop is November to February, the cool, dry season, when skies are clear, the hills are still green after the rains and November brings the sunflower bloom around Khun Yuam. Mornings can be foggy and very cold in the mountains, so pack warm layers. Avoid late February to April if you can: smoke from crop and forest burning fills the valleys, spoils the views and can make the air unhealthy to breathe. The rainy season, June to October, is quiet and lush but brings slippery roads, landslides and poor visibility, and suits a car better than a motorbike.

The loop starts and ends in Chiang Mai, which has the nearest international airport and plenty of agencies renting cars and motorbikes; since you finish where you began, there is no need for a one-way rental. If you would rather not drive, hiring a car with a driver for several days is a comfortable option and costs less than many people expect. Most of the route can also be done by public transport, with minibuses from Chiang Mai to Pai and Mae Hong Son and buses on to Khun Yuam, Mae Sariang and back to Chiang Mai, but services on the southern half are slow and infrequent and you lose the freedom to stop. Flights to Mae Hong Son have come and gone over the years, so check current schedules if you want to cut out part of the drive.

• Direction. Most people go anticlockwise, tackling the busy Pai road first and finishing on the quieter southern half. Going clockwise gives a gentler start and saves Pai for the end. Either works.
• Bends and experience. The road is a long series of steep hairpins, often with gravel or slow trucks on the corners. Only ride a motorbike if you are already an experienced rider, wear a proper helmet, and check that your licence and travel insurance cover you.
• Fuel and cash. Fill up in the towns, as fuel stations are sparse between them, and carry enough cash for small places with few ATMs.
• Rain and landslides. In the rainy season, landslides and fallen trees can block the road and surfaces are slippery, so ride in daylight and allow extra time.
• Pace. Plan on 150 to 200km a day at most. Average speeds are low, and darkness comes early and cold in the mountains.