Mae Sariang & Mae Hong Son

West of Chiang Mai the roads narrow and climb into Mae Hong Son province, where Mae Sariang sits in a valley of rice fields that most tourists in northern Thailand never reach. This four-day private tour links eroded canyon country, national parks, a Thai-Myanmar border village on the Salawin River and the highest mountain in the country, and suits travellers who want quiet roads and village life.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Pha Chor And The Thailand Grand Canyon

You are collected from your Chiang Mai hotel and driven about an hour and a half to Mae Wang National Park, in the small quiet town of Doi Lor, for Pha Chor and Kew Sua Ten, known as the Thailand Grand Canyon. The soil pillars are eroded sediment from what is believed to be an old watercourse of the Ping River, weathered into cliffs of strange shapes. Pha Chor's stand thirty metres high beneath a canopy of forest, over a large area still unknown and unseen within Thailand. A mini trek of about two hours explores them, then a picnic lunch in the jungle before the drive to Op Luang National Park for the night.

The Valley Town Of Mae Sariang

After breakfast the road continues to Mae Sariang, a charming and quiet town in Mae Hong Son province, relatively unknown to most tourists and set in a lovely valley surrounded by rice fields. Stops along the way show local lifestyles and people selling vegetables, mushrooms and, depending on the season, insects. In town you visit the famous and unique temples, among them Chom Thong Temple, high on the edge of town with a stunning view of the river valley and the countryside. Lunch is served here, then you check in and can wander the village and meet the community by yourself.

The Salawin River And The Myanmar Border

Day three opens with an easy breakfast and about an hour of winding mountain road to Mae Sam Laep, a Thai-Myanmar border village inhabited by Burmese and Karen people, where Burmese culture is easy to feel. You explore it first at the border school, then take a boat down the Salawin River, which divides Myanmar and Thailand, with views of impressive mountains and the riverbanks that form the border. After a stop at the Karen village of Ban Tha Ta Fang you return by boat, and after lunch drive back to Mae Sariang for a second night.

Alms, Hot Springs And Doi Inthanon

An early start on the last morning takes you to the morning market, where local people buy fresh food and you can offer alms to the monks on their daily procession. After breakfast the return to Chiang Mai becomes the sightseeing: Mae Cham Hot Spring, then natural routes through farm land and Hmong hilltribe agriculture, with a stop to watch the farmers. Doi Inthanon National Park closes the day, the highest mountain in Thailand at 2,565 metres, with the Wachirathan and Mae Klang waterfalls; lunch is at a local restaurant on the way. For longer in the north, see our ten-day Truly Northern Thailand itinerary or the three-day Chiang Rai and Golden Triangle tour, both among our holiday packages.

GOOD TO KNOW

Rates are based on a private tour and cover an English-speaking guide during the visit time of the trip, private air-conditioned transfers, three nights in the hotels mentioned or similar, entrance tickets, the boat and taxes. Only the listed meals are included: lunch on day one, all three meals on day two, breakfast and lunch on days three and four. Other meals, alcoholic drinks and bottled water are at your own account, as are flights, laundry, tips, compulsory travel insurance and visas. Op Luang National Park closes every year from 1 March to 30 April, and surcharges apply over Loy Krathong, Songkran, Christmas and New Year.