Pang Mapha

Soppong, often referred to as Pang Mapha (the name of the local district), is a small but thriving market town halfway between Pai and Mae Hong Son on the Mae Hong Son Loop. The caving and trekking among the surrounding limestone hills is superb, and there are some reasonable places to stay.

The highlights of a visit are the colourful ethnic hill tribes and the extensive limestone cave systems that dot the area. Several Shan, Karen, Lahu and Lisu villages lie within walking distance of town, and most are used to visitors and happy to welcome them; resorts and guest houses can arrange a guide if you need one. The region around Soppong is thought to hold one of the highest concentrations of limestone caves in the world, many with chambers as large as cathedrals, which makes it something of a mecca for cave enthusiasts. Nearby Tham Lod Cave is among the biggest caves in Thailand, and you can enter and exit by different routes on a bamboo raft or even a kayak.

The town itself consists of a single street, Highway 1095, with only a few hundred inhabitants and little of interest, so the appeal lies entirely in the surrounding caving and trekking. It is far quieter than the scene in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai or Pai: rather than choosing between hundreds of trekking agents, you simply pick a place to stay and they arrange a route and guide. Many people visit on a day trip from Pai, less than a couple of hours away, but there are acceptable resorts and guest houses if you want to stay over, but do not expect much in the way of shopping, dining or nightlife.

The limestone hills around Soppong are riddled with caves, and the area is thought to hold one of the highest concentrations of caves in the world, many with chambers as big as cathedrals. The best known is Tham Lod Cave, about 9km north of town, where the Nam Lang River runs right through the mountain and bamboo rafts carry visitors through the main chambers. A few kilometres away, Spirit Cave is famous among archaeologists for finds more than 10,000 years old, and to the west, around the Shan village of Mae La-Na, a river flows for about 12km through Tham Mae La-Na, one of the longest caves in Thailand. Anything beyond the main show caves should only be explored with a local guide.

Trekking here is a different experience from the busy circuits around Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Pai. Instead of choosing between dozens of agencies, you simply ask where you are staying, and the owners arrange a guide and a route to suit you, often starting from the door. Treks run from a single day to a week, with several hours of walking a day on steep tracks and nights in Lahu, Lisu, Shan or Karen villages that see far fewer visitors than those near the big towns; several villages are within walking distance of town for a shorter outing. November to February is the season for trekking. In the rains the trails turn slippery and leech-ridden, though the caves can be visited all year.

Pang Mapha is reached via Highway 1095 and local roads from Mae Hong Son town (about 60-80 km). Buses and songthaews run regionally but schedules are irregular; many visitors travel by rented motorbike or organised transfer.

• Nights from November to February are genuinely cold in the hills, so bring warm layers for evenings and early starts.
• Soppong is a one-street town with a market, a fuel station and little else, so carry enough cash and do not expect much shopping or nightlife.
• Some guesthouses close for a few weeks between July and September; contact them before arriving in the low season.
• Use a local guide for any cave beyond the main show caves, and let your guesthouse plan trekking routes.
• Buses and minivans between Pai and Mae Hong Son stop in front of the market, about two hours from either town; for the caves, a motorbike or motorbike taxi is easiest.