Mae Hong Son

Jong Kham Lake, Pang Ung and the Su Tong Pae bridge in three days

Three days covers Mae Hong Son and its hills. Day one is Jong Kham Lake, the Burmese-style temples and sunset at Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu. Day two starts before dawn at Pang Ung and goes on to Ban Rak Thai, and day three crosses the Su Tong Pae bamboo bridge.

Walk round Jong Kham Lake early, when Wat Chong Kham and Wat Chong Klang reflect in the still water, and browse the morning market for Shan snacks. After lunch, look inside the temples' Burmese-style halls, then climb or ride up to Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu for sunset over the valley.

Start day two before dawn. Ride north to Pang Ung, turning off at Na Pa Paek and following the reservoir signs, to watch mist lift off the water among the pines. Continue to Ban Rak Thai near the border, the village founded by Kuomintang soldiers, for tea tasting and a Yunnanese lunch. On the way back, stop at the Fish Cave near Huay Pha, about 17 km from town on Route 1095.

On day three, cross the Su Tong Pae bamboo bridge over the rice fields to its forest temple in the morning, then book an afternoon or overnight hike to hill tribe villages through your guesthouse. If you are riding the loop, leave for Pai or Mae Sariang the following morning; if not, the road back leads to Chiang Mai International Airport, the nearest with scheduled flights, including flights to Bangkok.

Shan dishes at the morning market, Yunnanese food at Ban Rak Thai

Mae Hong Son mixes northern Thai and Shan cooking, and the morning market is the best introduction. Order khao soi, khanom jeen nam ngiao, nam phrik ong, sai ua and kaeng hang le. Ban Rak Thai near the border serves Yunnanese dishes with oolong tea grown on its own terraces.

Start with the northern staples: khao soi, curry noodles in coconut broth; khanom jeen nam ngiao, rice noodles in a spicy northern broth; and nam phrik ong, a minced pork and tomato chilli dip eaten with boiled vegetables and crunchy rice cakes. Sai ua, a spicy herb sausage, and kaeng hang le, the rich pork curry with Burmese roots, complete a proper northern spread.

At Ban Rak Thai, make Yunnanese food the lunch stop on your border day and buy a bag of its oolong to take home.

In the cool season stalls ring Jong Kham Lake each evening with grills, noodles and sweets. Nights are quiet. Baiyoke Chalet on the main road has a house band most evenings, with the local crowd singing along between the tables.

Best time to visit Mae Hong Son and Poy Sang Long

November to January is the best time to visit Mae Hong Son, with December and January lows near 15C to 16C, afternoons around 30C and valley mist at sunrise. February and March turn hazy from field burning, April averages about 39C, and the Poy Sang Long ordination festival usually falls in late March or early April.

In the cool season afternoons reach a comfortable 29C to 30C. Mornings bring the valley mist the town is loved for, best seen from Doi Kong Mu or Pang Ung at sunrise, so pack a warm layer for the dawn starts.

Haze from field burning can hide the views for days in February and March. From May the rains arrive, peaking in August at about 259 mm. The hills turn deep green and the waterfalls fill, but the mountain roads become slippery and landslides can close stretches of them.

Poy Sang Long is the Shan ordination ceremony. Boys about to become novice monks are dressed in bright silks and jewellery, their faces made up, and carried through town on the shoulders of relatives for several days before their heads are shaved. Check the year's dates locally, as they follow the lunar calendar.