03 Days Chiang Mai - Pai - Mae Hong Son By 4wd

Pick up at your hotel in Chiang Mai and drive to the mountain temple of Wat Doi Suthep, the most famous landmark of Chiang Mai. Continue up the mountain, passing the King's Winter Palace of Phuping to turn onto a rough dirt road to visit the Khun Chang Kien coffee research project and the White Hmong village of Baan Khun Chang Kien. Return to Chiang Mai and proceed to Hmong Hilltribe Lodge and visit the highly interesting Hill Tribe Museum (closed for renovation until further notice) en route. After lunch, take a one-hour trek though orchards and vegetable plantations to the Hmong Village of Ban Nong Hoi Mai. Gain some experience about the Hmong Hill Tribe and learn about their ways of life. Then continue by car to the King's royal project center in Ban Nong Hoi Kao and observe how the hill tribes are trained to grow vegetables and fruits. The center also acts as their buying agent and cold storage for their products. Return to the Hmong Hilltribe Lodge for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, drive 45-minutes south to Mok Fah Waterfall. Enjoy a short walk through the jungle-covered valley to the falls. Take a refreshing plunge in large natural pool and pause for soft drinks near the waterfall. Then, drive west on glorious back-roads with views of high mountain ranges and forests. After lunch at a local restaurant, continue to Soppong and visit the huge caves of Tham Lod. A small river winds through the caves, which we will partly explore on foot as well as on bamboo rafts. We exit the caves and take a 20 minutes walk back to the car park, then drive to Mae La Na, passing though the Red Lahu village of Ya Pa Nae. We continue along spectacular dirt roads along a high mountain ridge to visit the village temple, then continue to the Shan village of Mae La Na and onto Mae Hong Son. Explore the charming city and its Burmese style temple, Wat Doi Kong Moo. Dinner and overnight at Fern Resort.

Visit the busy morning market in town, then return to your resort for breakfast. Visit an elephant camp and enjoy a 45- minute elephant ride through the jungle and across Pai River. Then take a long-tail boat along the pretty Pai River to visit the Longneck (Karen) village close to the Myanmar border. Transfer back to Chiang Mai (5-6 hours drive) with lunch en route at a local restaurant.