🌄🚣 PAI & MAE HONG SON LOOP ADVENTURE: 4-Day Mountain Magic!

#springitinerary "Northern Thailand's ultimate road trip through misty valleys and hill tribe villages" 🗺️ ITINERARY OVERVIEW Day 1: Chiang Mai → Pai (136 curves!) Day 2: Pai → Mae Hong Son (hidden caves) Day 3: Mae Hong Son exploration Day 4: Return via Mae Sariang (scenic alternative route) 🛵 DAY 1: CHIANG MAI TO PAI (3hrs) 🌅 Morning Stops: 7:00 AM Doi Suthep Sunrise (optional early start) 9:00 AM Mae Malai Market - Stock up on sticky rice snacks 10:30 AM Tham Lod Cave - Bamboo raft through illuminated caverns 🏡 Afternoon in Pai: 2:00 PM Check into Pai Circus Hostel (treehouse vibes) 4:00 PM Pai Canyon Sunset Hike 🍜 Night Market Must-Eats: Khao Soi Pai (creamier than Chiang Mai's version) Sai Oua (Northern herb sausage) 🌿 DAY 2: PAI → MAE HONG SON (4hrs) 🚗 Scenic Route Highlights: 7:30 AM Ban Rak Thai - Chinese tea village at Myanmar border 10:00 AM Fish Cave (Tham Pla) - Feed sacred mountain fish 1:00 PM Pang Ung Lake - Misty alpine-style reservoir 🏨 Evening in Mae Hong Son: Stay at Fern Resort (jungle bungalows) 6:30 PM Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu Sunset 🛶 DAY 3: MAE HONG SON EXPLORATION 🌄 Morning: 5:30 AM Long Neck Karen Village Visit (support ethical tourism) 8:00 AM Morning Market - Try Khanom Jeen Nam Ngiaw (pork blood noodle soup) 💦 Afternoon Adventures: 12:00 PM Kayaking on Pai River 3:00 PM Su Tong Pae Bamboo Bridge - 500m walk through rice fields 🌙 Night: 7:00 PM Night Bazaar - Shan-style tapas 🚙 DAY 4: RETURN VIA MAE SARIANG (6hrs) Alternative Scenic Route: 7:00 AM Mae Surin Waterfall - Thailand's tallest single-drop fall 10:00 AM Mae Sariang Market - Burmese-influenced street food 1:00 PM Ob Luang Gorge - Grand Canyon of Thailand 💰 BUDGET (4D3N) Motorbike Rental: 1,000฿ (automatic) Gas: 500฿ total Accommodation: 1,500-4,000฿ (hostels to resorts) Food/Activities: 2,000฿ 📸 INSTA-HOTSPOTS: Pai Canyon narrow ridges Pang Ung's morning mist Bamboo bridge reflections ⚠️ PRO TIPS: Rent 150cc+ bikes for mountain roads Pack warm layers - mornings can be 15°C Download Maps.me for offline navigation "More than just 1,864 curves, this loop is Northern Thailand's soul - where each turn reveals hill tribe smiles, hidden hot springs, and the purest mountain air!"