The Mae Hong Son Loop: an Adventurous Backpacker’s Dream
- admin967943
- Aug 24, 2025
- 9 min read
Sure you can take the bus from Chiang Mai to Pai or even make the drive yourself in around 3 hours, but the region is a motorbike lover's dream! I spent 3 days driving a 160cc motorbike through the lush green forests of remote Northern Thailand– here are my recommendations and stories!
A bit of backstory: a local had told me about the Mae Hong Son Loop my first time in Chiang Mai, and after enjoying every moment of my first motorbike trip– the legendary Ha Giang Loop in North Vietnam– I was eager to embark on this adventure.
I flew into Chiang Mai from Hanoi and, at the iconic Tha Pae night market, reunited with a group of friends I’d met in Koh Tao three months ago. With the help of a Chang or two (or five), I convinced them all to accompany me on the journey of a lifetime.
Day 0: Planning
Leah, Philine, Liam, Alex and I gathered around a Revolution Chiang Mai table and began to discuss our plans. We found a motorbike shop that would allow us to rent motorbikes in Chiang Mai and leave them in Pai; they even offer to bring your large bags to Pai for just 100 baht each! I highly recommend Aya Service– their bikes are high quality and quite reasonably priced! We rented three 160 CC Honda PCX motorbikes for 500B each, which actually came out to 250B a day as Philine and I shared a bike.
Next, we mapped our route and picked out towns to stay overnight. As per online suggestions, we booked accommodation in Mae Sariang and Mae Hong Son– more to come on this later!
Finally, we went back to our respective rooms and began to pack. I brought only my 15L Osprey day pack, and packed three pairs of shorts, three tops, one bikini (you never know!), two pairs of socks, knockoff Chaco sandals and a sh*t ton of excitement! This ended up being the perfect amount of clothing and I went to sleep that night absolutely jittery with anticipation.
Day 1: Chiang mai to mae sariang
We woke up at 8 am as to arrive at AYA promptly at 9; surprisingly, we all made it by 9:05! We picked up our motorbikes and bungy cords (essential!) to strap our bags on, handed off our bigger backpacks, took pictures of the vehicles and got ready to roll out.
We headed south through Chiang Mai and once out of the city center immediately stopped at 711 to fuel ourselves up. We bought a most classic arrangement of cheese toasties, pastries, nuts and a rogue Oreo flavored coke– 5/10 if I’m being honest, but I will say it really tasted like Oreos!
We were a bit apprehensive of the cloudy skies above, but sheer excitement pushed it to the back of our minds. We continued southwest from Chiang Mai along a highway, which was unfortunately quite understimulating to the ADHD backpacker mind. We had just pulled over to reassess our route when it began to drizzle. This underscored the urgency of figuring out a new plan, so I found a well-rated coffee shop in a small town called Chom Thong about 45 minutes away. We put our backpacks in trash bags, restrapped them with the cords and continued on.
When I tell you this is probably the best coffee shop I’ve ever been to, I mean I was a barista for two years, I am a huge coffee snob and this is the best coffee shop I’ve ever been to. It’s located just outside the village overlooking bright green rice fields and boasts hammocks and outdoor chill areas as well as a beautifully modern, air-conditioned interior.
The menu was creative and featured high quality beans from around the world. We lounged around for an hour, fully embracing the “Sabai Sabai” lifestyle. The café is called Young Folk Beans & Brew and it’s a must-see on the loop!
While sitting down, we unanimously agreed that we didn’t want to continue along busy, truck-filled highways. We devised an alternate route on quieter roads that would take us through Doi Inthanon National Park, home to the highest mountain in Thailand! It added an extra couple of hours, a price that seemed well worth paying for the beautiful scenery to come.
I want to say that this part of the drive was stunningly gorgeous with jaw-dropping views all around, but it was so foggy and rainy that we genuinely couldn’t see a thing beyond the trees lining the road. Heavy grey clouds surrounded us, only allowing us views of the path immediately in front of us, and hairpin turns came out of nowhere.
We drove on in these conditions for several hours, stopping whenever the rain got so heavy that we couldn’t keep our eyes open. After 50 kilometers of nothing but rice fields and jungle obscured by thick fog, we came across a standalone home and small restaurant on the side of the road. We parked, grateful for refuge, and sat shivering around the property’s singular table. There was no menu, but the elderly lady that greeted us suggested some dishes to which we eagerly agreed. Let me just say, she cooked some of the best pad krapow I’d ever eaten. With full stomachs and positive attitudes, we gained the strength to continue on. I’ve attached a Google Maps pin and definitely recommend stopping here– the kids were so curious and friendly with us!
As dusk drew nearer and it became too dark to wear sunglasses, mosquitoes and other bugs flying into our eyes began to pose a problem. (packing note: I highly recommend bringing clear glasses for nighttime driving). We were soaked to the bone, our rain jackets had all ripped in the wind, the temperature and sun had fallen AND we were low on gas. However, around 7 pm we approached the outskirts of the largest town we’d seen so far and knew we’d finally arrived at our destination. The guesthouse we booked seemed quiet– almost deserted; upon arrival, it was immediately clear we were the only guests. The owner explained to us that it was the rainiest time of the year and therefore hardly any tourists were attempting to do the loop. Well, checks out. We set our bags down in search of a dinner spot.
We walked (absolutely no more driving) past a couple of restaurants, all of which were nearly empty, before discovering a lively bar called Ching Ching Café filled with locals and one other farang that seemed well assimilated into the crowd. We settled on a liquid dinner, toasted our big Changs to the day and laughed about all the chaos. Several drinks and a few conversations with drunk locals later, we turned in for the night, exhausted but ready for the next day!
I wish I had explored Mae Sariang before, but the weather conditions did indeed rain on our parade; we left immediately after breakfast as we knew we had quite a journey ahead of us. However, I am thankful for the little time I did spend in this colorful, relaxed, off the beaten path town.
We stayed at Atom Poshtel– Google says it’s permanently closed but the property is still available on Booking.com, so I would recommend contacting them to see if they’re still operating.
Day 2: mae sariang to mae hong son
We awoke early and optimistic about the weather, because surely it couldn’t be worse than Day 1, right?!
We had planned to head out promptly at 8 am to avoid driving in nighttime rains, but we’d fully tapped into Thai time at this point and ended up having a leisurely breakfast at Phamolar Coffee. This café felt a bit out of place– it was quite upscale for being on the outskirts of a small, rural town– but it was the perfect place to begin another long day.
When we began driving the weather was lightly misty but quickly turned into full on, constant downpours. Thankfully, it gave us an excuse for frequent café stops– let’s call it cultural immersion, as the region is known for its coffee farms! There's plenty of ones along the main road to choose from.
Again, this drive was likely really scenic, but visibility was basically nonexistent. The rains persisted throughout the couple hundred kilometers we drove, but hey, that’s why this region is so lush and beautiful! We even got to enjoy Pha Bong Viewpoint through the mystical clouds.
We were grateful to once again arrive at our destination– Mae Hong Song city!
We stayed at Crossroads House, and I can’t recommend this accommodation enough! The rooms were affordable and cozy, but our favorite part was the “cooking class” offered. For 80 THB per person, we could each choose a dish and the owner showed us how to cook them and even let us prepare some of the ingredients. This was a lovely and wholesome way to spend the evening.
It was also here that we finally met another person doing the loop, though in the opposite directions. We concluded the evening by sharing stories around a firepit (which of course was too wet to light) over some Changs and Thailand’s finest greens. We went to bed exhausted but excited for the home stretch!
Day 3: mae hong son to pai
A light drizzle greeted us as we headed to the common area for breakfast, which was 10/10. We had a leisurely morning as this was to be our shortest day of driving and we were sure the weather couldn’t possibly faze us.
Haha, lol, wrong. The rain was heavier than ever to the extent that roads started seriously flooding, a real hazard on steep, winding mountain roads. Just 20 km out of Pai (so close it was painful) I took a turn too fast, tried to brake but due to lack of traction completely slipped and fell.
We spun into the other side of the road, way too close to a cliff edge for our liking. We are SO lucky the road was empty, because I can’t even bear to think about what would’ve happened if a truck had come around the next blind curve. We were physically fine (I think my finger was bleeding a bit and Philine cut her elbow) but definitely shaken up. No matter how experienced of drivers you are, be careful and WEAR HELMETS!
Needless to say, we drove straight to Pai without stopping at a much slower pace than before. We were thrilled when the kilometer markers for Pai went into single digits and nearly cried with relief when we arrived. We headed straight to our accommodation Revolution Hostel Pai, by far the most fun and social hostel in town, where naps and hot showers were the only thing on the agenda. When we arose, we sat around the Revolution common area, had some Changs (are you sensing a theme, maybe?) and laughed about the chaos of the past few days.
When we finally dropped our bikes off at AYA, we were pleased to see that our baggage was waiting for us. I highly recommend AYA for all your bike and bus needs; I rent from them every time I’m in Pai or Chiang Mai!
It’s safe to say this experience tested us both mentally and physically, but I am so thankful to have done it! Driving through non-touristic villages and amazing nature on motorbikes with my friends was so special, and I would recommend it 100% to the adventurous traveler!
Mae hong son loop pro tips:
Stop and check out the villages: along the route you’ll pass through villages untouched by mass tourism, a rarity for backpackers in Thailand! Here, you’ll get to see the most authentic ways of life and meet locals just as curious about you as you are about them. This was absolutely a highlight for me!
Plan breaks: even though you’re sitting down all day, driving is exhausting! Definitely have some stops marked on your phone but of course stay spontaneous and check out any of the cool spots along the way.
Get a good bike: make sure to rent from a reputable shop (AYA is the way to go!) and do a test drive to make sure your brakes and other features work properly. Cell service and access help is limited in the mountains!
Prepare for rain but don't let it scare you: the weather in the Thai mountains is unpredictable year-round. I really recommend bringing a proper raincoat over the 7-11 single-use ones as those tend to rip easily when you are driving fast. Also bring trash bags for your bags and belongings! We had an amazing time even if we weren't expecting the weather.
Expect the unexpected: as with any off the beaten path journey, be prepared for things to change or go wrong. It all makes for a good story anyway!
Wear helmets and drive safely: though the roads are well paved, sudden landslides and flash floods are common especially during the rainy season. Even if you’ve been driving motorbikes for years, accidents can happen to anyone. Please be careful! Driving slowly allows for taking in views better anyway!
To anyone reading, I hope you have the best time exploring Thailand’s beautiful, westernmost province!
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