Northern beauty

A LAND in the mountains and shrouded in mists almost all year round. Add in mysterious caves with swimming fishes, a Chinese village and Mexican sunflowers from mid-November to mid-December and you have the province of Mae Hong Son. Travelling by road towards the north from Chiang Mai for about 80km, visitors will first arrive in Pai, a laid back town which is a back-packers haven. The town is full of guesthouses, souvenir shops and restaurants. In the proximity of the town are spas and elephant camps. Meanwhile, just 44 km out of Mae Hong Son town is a Chinese tea village, complete with mud houses and tea shops. The provinces other attractions include the Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu, Wat Phra Non, Wat Chong Kham, Wat Chong Klang and Wat Kamko. Tham Pla or fish cave is located 17km outside town.

In mid-November the Doi Mae U-Khor comes alive with the spontaneous blooming of yellow Mexican sunflowers.