Mae Hong Son is well worth a visit. The small city offers charming and authentic tourist attractions to its visitors. Many other places of interest are located around the city.
This article covers the following topics
With a population of only about 7,000 people, Mae Hong Son is a small town in the very north of Thailand. In the middle of a mountainous landscape dominated by tropical mountain rainforest, Mae Hong Son offers many tourist attractions.
Mae Hong Son city is one of the places to visit when driving the Mae Hong Son Loop. Apart from Chiang Mai and Pai, Mae Hong Son is also one of the destinations to stay overnight when driving this adventurous tour. Mae Hong Son is also an ideal starting point for sightseeing and visiting places such as a Karen long neck village or the beautiful Chinese village Ban Rak Thai. Mae Hong Son is a tranquil town without any nightlife.
Below you will find information about the 11 best places of interest in Mae Hong Son City.
Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu is the most revered temple in Mae Hong Son. The location of the temple is on the Doi Kong Mu hill. From the city center, you can reach the temple on foot via a staircase. Alternatively, the temple can be reached by car, motorcycle, or tuk-tuk via a road.
Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu consists of two white chedis in Burmese style. The bigger Chedi was built in 1860. The smaller Chedi was built a little later, in 1874, by Phraya Singhanatracha, the first governor of Mae Hong Son.
The two chedis contain relics of Maudgalyayana (Mahāmaudgalyāyana), and Sariputta (Śāriputra) brought from Myanmar. Both were considered to be two main disciples of Buddha.
Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu is the best viewpoint in the city of Mae Hong Son. From here you can see the whole city center and the airport.
Wat Chong Kham is the oldest temple in the province of Mae Hong Son. The beautiful wooden temple was built during the reign of Phraya Singhanatracha in 1827. Unfortunately, Wat Chong Kham was mostly destroyed by a fire in 1970. Therefore the majority of the present temple is a replica from the 1970s.
The temple was built by craftsmen of the ethnic group Shan (Tai Yai). The pagoda contains relics of Buddha.
Beside the pagoda, in the big hall, there is a big Buddha statue which is called Luang Pho Toh. This statue is modeled after the model of Phra Si Sakyamuni in the temple Wat Suthat Thepwararam in Bangkok.
Wat Chong Kham is in the city center at the small lake Nong Chong Kham directly beside the temple Wat Chong Klang which is prominent by the white golden Chedi.
Wat Chong Klang is directly beside his wooden sister temple Wat Chong Kham at the small lake in the city center of Mae Hong Son. Wat Chong Klang attracts attention, mainly because of his white-golden chedis.
The pagoda of Wat Chong Klang was built between 1867 and 1871 in Mon style by Burmese monks.
Besides the main altar, nearly 200 glass paintings tell the story of Phra Vejsandorn Jatakas (stories from the former lives of the Lord Buddha).
You will find Mae Hong Son’s Walking Street in the city center near the small lake Chong Kham. Walking Street is, in fact, the Night Market, where you can buy many locally produced souvenirs. Moreover, in Walking Street, you will find many street kitchens where you can try the local cuisine at a pretty low price.
For the Night Market, the road leading down from the post office and Ngamta Hotel to the small lake and the road along the lake are closed to traffic. Therefore, the Night Market is called Walking Street. The night market is held every evening during the cold season. During the rest of the year, the night market is held every Friday and Saturday.
Beside many souvenirs and delicious food, you also have the opportunity to take a beautiful photo of the two temples Wat Chong Kham and Wat Chong Klang. The illuminated temples are reflected in the water of the small lake Chong Kham, which is a fantastic subject for a photo.
People in Mae Hong Son are early risers. Many locals do their daily shopping at the morning market in the city center.
We can highly recommend a visit to the morning market as this market is very authentic.
The market is located between Singhanat Bamrung Road and Pha Nith Watana Road, both leading from the city center to the airport. Coming from Singhanat Bamrung Road, the small side road next to the Krung Thai Bank takes visitors directly to the large covered hall of the morning market. This place is also very popular with the locals to give alms to the monks. Of course, also non-Buddhist tourists are allowed to buy food and give it to the monks kneeling at the roadside. This procedure may even be photographed. The locals, as well as the monks, are happy about the interest of the tourists!
In the big hall of the market, you can buy almost everything from clothes and toys to spices and flowers. There is also a closed area at the end of the hall where meat products and fresh fish are sold. However, this area should only be visited by people who are not afraid of internal organs from different animals.
At the end of the hall, there are many food stalls where you can enjoy delicious local food at reasonable prices. Many locals come here to start the day with an abundant breakfast. The people sit together at big tables, and you can just have a seat as well.
There are many vegetable and fruit stands along the Pha Nith Watana Road, which is only separated from the airport runway by a wall.
In Mae Hong Son, the climate differs considerably in the different seasons. Therefore, the products on offer are always changing. Depending on the season, you can find beautiful and delicious strawberries, juicy red tomatoes, or any other fruits and vegetables.
The Mae Hong Son Living Museum is focusing on the history and culture of Mae Hong Son.
This museum concentrates on the life of the local people, their culture, history, traditions, languages, food, art, and faith.
A central focus of this museum is the architecture of traditional wooden houses. The museum itself is a beautiful house made of teak wood. Near the Mae Hong Son Living Museum, there are other beautiful old wooden houses. By the way, the Mae Hong Son Hostel, which is located in the immediate neighborhood, is one of the old protected houses in Mae Hong Son.
Mae Hong Son Living Museum is a good starting point for tourists. Here you can find tourist information as well as maps of Mae Hong Son.
Wat Hua Wiang was built in 1863 and is the second oldest temple in Mae Hong Son province. The wooden structure is an example of the classical Burmese shan style.
Wat Hua Wiang is located next to the morning market and is accessible from Singhanat Bamrung Road as well as Pha Nith Watana Road. The access is relatively unobtrusive.
The temple has been continuously renewed. For example, the old seven ceremonial halls were demolished in 1972 and then replaced by a new ceremonial hall in 1973.
The large seated Buddha statue in the ceremonial hall was brought from Mandalay in Myanmar to Mae Hong Son in the 1930s. The last part of the journey was made by boat on the cross-border river Pai. The big statue had to be disassembled into nine pieces for this trip and then reassembled after arrival.
Phraya Singhanatracha was the first governor of Mae Hong Son and he gave the name to the city. You can see the Phraya Singhanatracha memorial at the entrance of the city center. The statue itself is relatively small. However, it is located in the middle of a beautiful and well-kept flower garden.
The temple Wat Phra Non is located at the foot of the hill Doi Kong Mu. This Wat Phra Non accommodates a big lying Buddha, which is about 12 meters long.
In this temple, there is also a small museum with antiques.
The Royal Folk Arts And Crafts Center Mae Hong Son, also called Mae Hong Son Provincial Art Craft Center, was founded in 1985 with the support of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit. This center aims to support poor people from surrounding villages by teaching them traditional crafts to earn extra income.
The Royal Folk Arts And Crafts Center is a three-story building. On the ground floor, visitors can buy textiles, basketwork, souvenirs, and other products. There are exhibitions on the second and third floors, with the third-floor exhibition focusing on the six hill tribes, Lisu, Lahu, Mong, Lua, Shan, and Karen. Models of the traditional houses of these hill tribes are on display.
Many local people who learn the art of traditional handicrafts in this center are employed after their training. They then produce products that are for sale on the ground floor.
The Guan Yin shrine is the largest Chinese temple in Mae Hong Son. This colorful temple is dedicated to the goddess Guan Yin.
Visitors can pay respect to Guan Yin and ask for her blessing. Visitors can also receive energy from the earth and sky at the "Yin-Yang" point.
Best things to do around Mae Hong Son
Around Mae Hong Son, there are many places to discover. For example, a trip to the beautiful bamboo bridge Su Tong Pae Bridge, a visit to the Karen long-necked women, or a trip to the Chinese village Ban Rak Thai is among the best things to do. Read more.
About the authors:
We are the owners of Mae Hong Son Hostel. We love to travel around Thailand and discover places in other countries.
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