After the laid-back, nature-oriented, happy town of Pai, Mae Hong Son was a real shock. We thought that a town on the Myanmar border would be even more wild and remote, but this turned out to be a wrong assumption. It seems that close proximity to the opium barons is lucrative.
Mae Hong Son is full of stores carrying modern supplies and restaurants serving farang (foreign) food. There is a steady stream of moped traffic and even the occasional 4x4, so keep that in mind if you are thinking of eating roadside. The scenery is beautiful, but the town is not one with nature like Pai. Rather it is very much a giant suburb surrounded by jungle.
The jungle and the steep mountains are very appealing. If you decide to trek from here, be ready for a rugged, difficult climb on most of the days you are out. The climbs are hands-and-foot material and would surely not be permitted without ropes and helmets in a Western country. Completing one is a huge accomplishment and a serious visit to the jungle.
The bus ride back to Chiang Mai from here is roughly 9 hours of gut-wrenching mountain driving, and I don't advise it. For 12 pounds per person you can get a 30 minute flight to Chiang Mai on a really nice airline, and the best part is that there are 3 flights a day, so you are almost guaranteed a ticket on the day you wish to travel. We bought ours on the same day we flew and we still had a choice of flight.
If you are not into hardcore trekking, give Mae Hong Son a miss.
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