Started a small conversation with Xiuzhi on the location you must go to, and clicked on one thing, “I want to try the Mae Hong Son Loop” I joined the vibe and decided to push making the loop. After the New Year and coming back to Chiang Mai, we began plotting the spots where to go on the loop how long, and what kind of ride to take, we ended up taking a Yamaha Aerox155cc to have sufficient power for the entire trip and you’ll expect some weird slopes and angle of crazy climbing luckily it survived with 0 crash and 0 damage.

The Mae Hong Son Loop, nestled in northern Thailand's hilly region, is a stunning and lesser-known site that provides a unique and extraordinary experience. This 800+ kilometer trip brings you through beautiful hillside communities, and breathtaking natural scenery, making it a must-see for adventurers and cultural enthusiasts.

The most common route making the Mae Hong Son Loop starts at Chiang Mai although Mae Sariang, Mae Hong Son, Pai, and back to Chiang Mai, and it typically takes three to four days some may take up to eight to nine days to ensure that they will enjoy the trip no just by driving the entire loop cause each city on the loop has a different offering to discover.

For those seeking a more spiritual experience, the Mae Hong Son Loop is dotted with ancient temples and sacred sites. Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu in Mae Hong Son and  Wat Phra That Mae Yen in Pai are just a few temples providing peaceful havens for reflection and meditation.

Recommended Motorbike Rental Location:

• https://maps.app.goo.gl/AG1obj6zSXGevv1j6 (Chiangmai Good tour)
• https://maps.app.goo.gl/geWUjQ9qjghyZMBq6 (Cat Motors Motorbike & Scooter Rental)
• https://maps.app.goo.gl/L5ZWXiFDuJv9LzEu9 (Mango Scooter Rental Chiang Mai - 踏板车和摩托车租赁 - มอเตอร์ไซค์ให้เช่าที่เชียงใหม่)

We ended up taking a bike from Chiangmai Good Tour for having a nice deal from the shop owner and giving an awesome discount it depends on how good you are at negotiating but the 150+cc starts at 400 to 500 THB and 125cc motorbike starts at 250  to 300 THB. These shops give a special rate if you’re taking a bike for so long and for the safety deposit, they will ask you if you want to surrender your passport or 3k THB deposit money.

So, what are we waiting for let’s start the expedition and pack your necessary clothes depending on the weather on your planned travel.

Expedition Itinerary:

Day 1: First day of Mae Hong Son Expedition to Doi Inthanon

Waypoints  and Destinations

https://maps.app.goo.gl/DQVckbAUYgQtm4pP9

Started the trip from Chiang Mai Heading to Doi Inthanon Summit as the last stop for the first day of the trip; We took Route 108 road and headed to the city before turning to Route 1009 going up to the first stop to the Doi Inthanon National Park Tickets but first as usual you have to pay some entrance fee before heading inside the National Park 60 THB for Thai’s,  300 THB for foreigner per head, 20 THB for motorcycle entrance and 30 THB for large vehicles. It's so outrageous that they charge the foreigner 6 times from local rates, What can I do? Just pay for the entrance fee, there’s a catch after paying and receiving the tickets the checkpoint security didn't even check the ticket if we paid or not, just a funny moment 

The second stop is Wachirathan Waterfall, it's a bit offroad going down so be careful while taking this route, at the waterfall I’m not sure if we’re lucky or not cause at the end of the waterfall it creates a rainbow effect, and it's so pretty.

The third stop is Sirithan Waterfall, we almost passed this location cause Google Maps fucked it up haha so after seeing the sign of the waterfall near the Google Maps pin, just turn left and there’s just a small trail going down.

The fourth stop was Pati Non, just to have our lunch and some coffee. It was also a stopover to relax and enjoy the view of the peaceful mountain of Doi Inthanon, ended up stopping at a nice store “กาแฟสมศักดิ์ โถ่บิเบ” with a good ricefield view but it wasn’t a good weather cause everything is dry and not green.

The fifth stop will be the hiking at Kew Mae Pan nature trail is a one-hour trail back and forth there’s no entrance fee but you must have a guide before entering the trail, as a group or individual max of 4 or 6 people per guide and you have to pay 200 THB to the guide, you can form a group before entering the registration if you want to lessen the expenses. So you’ll discover the 14 stops on the trial and also a nice view of Pagoda Noppamethanedon & Pagoda Nopphonphusiri.

The sixth and last stop for day one will be the Doi Inthanon Summit, actually we are looking for a nice sunset view from the summit but we realized that it's only a landmark to say that this is the highest part of Thailand, and the photos at the Google is  Invalid, there’s no park at the Summit, and the photo on the google was the Pagoda’s perspective after this we headed to the accommodation and the fun part is we do not have a booking on the location where we are going which is Ban Rabiang Na Pa Bong Piang but lucky we got accommodated by Mr.Chai in the middle of that village.

Accommodation:

Plotted map direction https://maps.app.goo.gl/nJmcNuBe3UHqWAdD7

Ps. I set it to the walking method cause there’s an invalid turn on Google Maps if you set it to vehicle or motorcycle.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/9a9uFcuvnTE6tgdW8 (ม่อนยอดวิวนาขั้นบันได)

Xiuzhi found the accommodation while we were going down to the offroad and took a chance if we ask some help in the area and also for a stay luckily, he answered and we got the place to stay.

You can send a message to Mr.Chai via LINE or call him directly to book a date on the hut, his hospitality is exceptional he accommodates us in the middle of the night cause we can’t find any place to stay help us to get to the place, prepared the hut and they also prepare a dinner for two person didn’t expect this and so thankful, in the morning they served food for breakfast. Imagine having a good breakfast with a good view is an amazing experience.

Ps. It's kinda off-road if you take his accommodation for the stay and you can ask help from Mr.Chai to get into his accommodation.

For the payment, he doesn’t have an actual rate for the stay but he said, “It's up to you” so he will be happy if you give him a nice amount of money.

Expenses

• Doi Inthanon Nature Park Entrance Fee
• 300 THB/head 
• 20 THB/motorcycle

Day 2: Mae Sariang

Waypoints  and Destinations

https://maps.app.goo.gl/yUfqyhoJQ4tVBndB8

Beginning of Day Two of the Expedition, we started the day very late due to we were enjoying the good vibe and view of the mountain and breakfast after that, we left the accommodation and headed to Mae Sariang.

We headed back to Route 1192 for better road condition after we got back to the main track we headed first to PT Gas Station Maechaem to fill up the entire tank 151km from the accommodation to Mae Sariang once you reached the Gas Station you’re going to take the Route 1088 at the end of this route take right and take the Route 108 and it will lead you to the City.

Two locations you might want to visit for a stopover while on the road are Bo Kaeo Pine Tree Garden (Park) and กาแฟสด @ริมแจ่ม (coffee shop).

Accommodation

• https://maps.app.goo.gl/6shqc7sQvRzBf7E36 (Chill House)
• https://maps.app.goo.gl/G6iByrzaY8m9Xvts8 (Mae Sariang Home)

We ended up taking the Chill House cause it was the last room available and we enjoyed the stay cause they also offered beverages and food with a nice view of a cute little garden at the back of the room. Were not able to make it to the Mae Sariang Home thou we checked both accommodations they have good reviews.

Advantages: Have their coffee shop, bicycles free for use

Expenses

• Chill House: 155.82 CNY (Private Room for 2 Person)

Day 3: Caving, Sunflower Field, Mae Hong Son and Waterfalls

Waypoints  and Destinations

https://maps.app.goo.gl/fvSHZi6jdKcbJzueA

We started the day with a cold breeze hitting our faces while on the road, with no sun just clouds and it was like putting your hand inside the refrigerator, but kidding aside it was a good time to enjoy the ride and the view, from Mae Sariang there will be 1,864 curves to take before reaching the city of Mae Hong Son if you just take the normal route.

For the first stop on day 3, we headed to Tham Kaeo Komon Forest Park, and Xiuzhi found the majestic cave with pure and amazing natural crystals the cave has five chambers the more you go down the more beautiful and less air, photographing is not allowed inside the cave so we didn’t take any photos, but maybe it's only applied to flash photographers cause the camera flashes affect the crystal at the cave and touching the crystals is prohibited as well, at the end it's just a small cave and it only takes 20mins  back and forth.

After leaving the cave we head straight to the second stop the sunflower field at Thung Bua Tong Fields at Doi Mae U Kho to reach this location just take Route 108 turn right to Route 1263 and then take a small left turn to Route 4009. But this time the sunflowers were dry on our trip so we didn’t stay for so long If you want to see these flowers bloom so beautifully you have to visit around November to December.

Since there was not much to see that day on the sunflower field we decided to visit the waterfall along the way since we didn’t want to back on the same route cause it would take too much time and gasoline to go back so straight on the road on the Route 4009 and you’ll see an entrance of Namtok Mae Surin National Park was 200 THB per adult but the view is not that worth to pay in my opinion and it's just a small Park but, just okay If you wanted to see what's on this waterfall after this one we headed now to the next city which is Mae Hong Son.

So at this point, I had no choice but to head on the same road via Route 4009 with my doubtful thinking that there would be an offroad after checking the satellite on GoogleMaps on the way but Xiuzhi told me that this would be okay it will be going to be flat and It happens.

It was just a kilometer so it would be fine and It’s really flat but if it is full of broken stones, I am going to take a detour to the small town on Route 4009 going straight to Ban Nong Khiao Reservoir just to make it short, take the offroad and it will lead you to the cemented road, some signs it says Route 4009 but it wasn’t labeled correctly on the GoogleMaps but it will take you to the right way until you reach Route 108 so don’t be scared and just trust the map, and one more thing It was a crazy downhill so brakes so tight.

Once you reach Route 108, It’s a relief cause “we’re back to big road b*tches” Hahaha, just take this Route until you reach Mae Hong Son.

Accommodation

https://maps.app.goo.gl/AFdATzGNjb8wG88G7 (Piya Guesthouse)

There are various selections of hostels and hotels we chose not to book online and her guts clicked and we just tried if we could get a room at Piya Guesthouse, guess what? We got the last and biggest room for only 700 THB this kind of hostel is a good way of helping walk-in tourists to have accommodation and not take advantage of having an online booking.

Advantages; near the night market, in front of Nong Chong Kham Lake, very accessible to the road, free coffee in the morning, has parking for cars and motorcycles

Expenses

• Piya Guesthouse: 700 THB (Good for 2 Person AC)

Day 4: Karen Tribe The Long Neck and Ban Rak Thai 

Waypoints  and Destinations

https://maps.app.goo.gl/b8dPmg7vZ2aZ9DP88

It’s now day 4 of the expedition before we start the trip and leave Mae Hong Son City don’t forget to take the Mae Hong Son Loop certificate at Chamber Of Commerce 1864 it only costs you 60 THB with your name and your role on the trip if it's a rider or the driver or just the traveler the location is also plotted on the provided GoogleMaps URL.

The first stop for today will be the Karen Long Neck Village taking Route 108 going down and turning to Route 3018 just follow this route and it will lead you to the big signage for Karen Long Neck Village take a small right from that signage, after that, there will be a boat ride to cross the river and it will cost you 20 THB for the boat crossing and 200 THB for the Entrance fee “Ps. the rates only apply to Foreigners only but locals, and Thais are free” at this point the boat keeper is hesitant to reach me cause asians to look like a Thai, then I asked how much it is in the Thai Language *insert memes sound: It Was At This Moment He Knew He Fucked Up*. Ended up paying 220 THB per head.

It’s an amazing experience to see the Karen Tribe and it amazes me how they can carry those heavy metals with their neck but on the other hand, I felt sad that this tribe is pushed by tourism just to earn money and the lifestyle of this tribe is being exposed. We just bought some scarves and explored the village, after that we just left the village and headed to Ban Rak Thai quickly.

Back to Route 3018 and back to Route 108 just take Route 128 to avoid the congestion of the main city after that you’ll reach Route 1095 which will lead you to the mountains with crazy uphill and downhill again, and then take a sharp hard left going to a small road Route 4001 to Ban Rak Thai just follow the GoogleMaps and you’ll arrive to your destination.

At Ban Rak Thai don’t forget to visit the tea farm of Lee Wine Rak Thai Resort with an entrance fee of 40 THB per person, there’s an astonishing view from the top of the tea farm and a structural design of Chinese influence which looks mixed Hangzhou and Yunnan, Xiuzhi told me that it feels like home while she’s looking at this village, In the morning around 5 am to 6 am try to take spot at the lake so you have a chance to see the cold fogs across the lake while the boats are just floating around.

One more thing about this Village, most of the locals can speak Chinese Mandarin because they said it was influenced by Yunnan Province which migrated to this region of Thailand.

Accommodation

https://maps.app.goo.gl/b86cGVf32crHhwh29

There’s no name for the accommodation but I will try to put the pin location, you’ll gonna find a lady on the road who’s grilling some chicken. Try to ask her if there’s any available accommodation and she’ll take you to the room to check.

Advantages: Right after opening the door you’ll see the lake quickly

Disadvantages: No location on the map

Expenses

• *Near the Lake*:  800 THB (Good for 2 Person) https://maps.app.goo.gl/b86cGVf32crHhwh29

Day 5: Nam Lod Cave and Pai

Waypoints  and Destinations

https://maps.app.goo.gl/fFaMNpcXFSpLaeAE9

We don’t have much time left on our schedules so everything should be on time, then here’s the rain falling from the sky saying “Stay here” “inserting memes: Nani?!” It was cold freezing that morning, and the rain stopped around after lunch so it was a bit tight. Before leaving the Village I just told “Gang Gang Hao” to arrive at Pai. and we arrived so late and rushed.

Before we got into Pai, on the way back to Route 1095 from Pai take a stop at Batu Penanda 1864 corner It’s a big landmark with a coffee shop. It’s a good stopover, and before we go back to track another stopover ahead Tham Pla - Namtok Pha Suea National Park Office this park is connected to 2 more locations in the area which are the waterfall and the camping area you’re going to pay for 1 ticket on these locations to the bottom line 3 in 1 ticket quick detour and back to track.

A second main stopover will be the Lod Cave, I am hesitant to enter the Cave cause it is really expensive, with no tickets and no stamps “It leaves me the big question mark blinking memes,” 600 THB for a maximum of 3 people per group and it covers the 3 locations inside the cave. I wasn’t truly amazed by the location, It's just amazing to see the amazing limestone structures and discovery but other than that It’s just okay.

We left the place and headed to Pai at this moment I had to rush because it was going to be dark, the headlights of the motorbike were in bad condition and there were no road lights so it would be a bit difficult to speed up and do take turns so I just keep looking at the navigation and to the road at the same time, after taking hundreds of turns we reached the main big road of Pai successfully and were safe.

Accommodation

https://maps.app.goo.gl/koAZ23wjLJBw8EnG8 (บ้านแสงเฮือน Baan sangheaun)

As usual, we didn’t book anything on the Internet just visited some interesting places and asked for places to stay and another luck, we got a room to stay for 2 nights.

Advantages: Center of Pai, night market

Disadvantages: It’s just so loud outside cause it is near the night market

Expenses

• Lod Cave Entrance: 600 THB per group of 3 people
• Baan Sangheaun: 1,200 THB for 2 Night (Good for 2 Person AC Room)

Day 6: Hot Spring, Sunset at Pai Canyon, and Na’s Kitchen

Waypoints  and Destinations

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Lkb6avYNad1Dx7jf8

We were looking for some hot spring locations on Pai and the prices were so ridiculously expensive, so Xiuzhi ended up looking for some Free Hotspring She found one at Mueang Paeng Hot Spring even though it’s far but worth the ride, locals sell eggs but it requires cash cause bank transfer is not available.

After taking a dip in the hot springs we headed to the Pai Canyon for sunset viewing, and the view is totally amazing on the location, there’s a small hike to get on the spot.

Expenses

• Hotspring: Free
• Na’s Kitchen: 290 THB

Day 7: Dear Your Mind and Camping Night at Huai Nam Dang

Waypoints  and Destinations

https://maps.app.goo.gl/WicUBTfe6bPabU4W7

Started the day by having a nice Coffee at Dear Your Mind, rested and relaxed in the peaceful area at the back of Pai main street, and stayed there until 3 pm before heading to the Camping Area.

The Camping Night, so instead of staying in Pai for a few more days we just decided to camp at Huai Nam Dang National Park and its amazing experience, camping on the chilly mountain of Thailand, watching the stars in the sky, eating late at night food, well the night spend well with Xiuzhi before she goes back to her home to celebrate Spring Festival.

National Park of Thailand usually provides a designated area for camping and also provides tent equipment rentals to the public so in case you don’t have any proper camping equipment just head straight to the camping sites and ask the visitor center for some information (Pps. Always look on the map for the targeted National Park Campsite if there’s nearest visitor center)

At the campsite area, a few stores are selling some food and warm clothes, so don’t worry about it If you’re not prepared to go to the national park camping sites.

Accommodation

• Tents at Huai Nam Dang campsite

Expenses

• Huai Nam Dang Entrance Fee:
• 300 THB/head (adult foreigner)
• 150 THB/head (child foreigner)
• 20 THB/Motorcycle 
• Camping:
• Tent: 225 THB
• Pillow: 10 THB
• Sleeping Pad: 20 THB
• Sleeping Bag: 20 THB

Day 8: Sunrise, Doi Suthep and The Separation

Waypoints  and Destinations

https://maps.app.goo.gl/RcBfCPHBEhprHeYT9

The sun rises, the sun rays entering the tent, cold weather, and a cloudy view is a wonderful experience, and will do it again soon. After enjoying the beautiful landscape, we headed down to and left the mountain in peace, a slow ride, and stopped at a random coffee shop

Upon reaching the main highway at the end of Route 1095 we took a stopover at the AIR DIAMOND CAFE & HOTEL with a theme of an Airplane partnered with Black Canyon there’s a ticket sold for only 150 THB per person and it includes drinks of your choice we sat and took some picture and relax after that, we just headed to Khun Chang Khian Highland Agricultural Research and Training Station so we took the Route 107 heading to Chiang Mai and right to Route 121 and this leads us to Huay Tueng Thao Reservoir that has an Entrance Fee of 20 THB per person.

So I’m just going to the navigation coordinates but after reaching Huai Tueng Thao Checkpoint I have a bad feeling about this road, and what’s on my mind: “I saw this kind of scene” This is a crazy journey again for 15 kilometers of off-road and I have no choice but to take the risk and slow down into a crazy bumpy road that will lead us going to the Sakura Tree Village, Gladly we survived and the good thing was, I am not going back to the route anymore.

We enjoyed the Sakura at Khun Chang Khian Highland Agricultural Research and Training Station took a lot of pictures and it wasn’t a lot of Sakura at the moment but for me, it is still a pretty location.

Nights fell so fast, so we planned to head down to Chiang Mai as fast as we could, but before that, we stopped at Doi Suthep Campsite to have a stamp and put a joke that let’s have a night in here but due to limited time, we just headed back to Chiang Mai and returned the Motorbike and that how it ends the journey.

Expenses

• Huay Tueng Thao Reservoir Entrance Fee: 20 THB

Summary Note

In summary, Mae Hong Son Loop is a hidden gem in northern Thailand that offers a unique and unforgettable travel experience. From rich cultural heritage to stunning natural landscapes, this route is a must-see for anyone looking to explore off-the-beaten-path locations and immerse themselves in Thailand's authentic charm. Whether you're an adventure seeker, a culture lover, or a foodie, Mae Hong Son Loop offers something for every traveler.

Map References:

• Day 1: https://maps.app.goo.gl/DQVckbAUYgQtm4pP9
• Day 2: https://maps.app.goo.gl/yUfqyhoJQ4tVBndB
• Day 3: https://maps.app.goo.gl/fvSHZi6jdKcbJzueA
• Day 4: https://maps.app.goo.gl/b8dPmg7vZ2aZ9DP88
• Day 5: https://maps.app.goo.gl/fFaMNpcXFSpLaeAE9
• Day 6: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Lkb6avYNad1Dx7jf8
• Day 7: https://maps.app.goo.gl/WicUBTfe6bPabU4W7
• Day 8: https://maps.app.goo.gl/RcBfCPHBEhprHeYT9