Where we left off last time

[CR]Relax your body and mind at Baan Rabiaeng Dao in Chiang Mai and Pai, Mae Hong Son.

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This is a one-day trip purchased from the Pai Walking Street. The trip goes to Mae Hong Son. The tourist attractions are as follows: Pang Ung, Baan Rak Thai, Rak Thai Village, Pang Tong, Pha Suea Waterfall, Long Neck Karen Village, Doi Kong Mu Temple, Tham Pla Park, Su Tong Pae Bridge, and Doi Kiew Lom Viewpoint. The price is 700 baht per person. This price includes: insurance, park entrance fees, and local maintenance fees. We have to pay for food and other expenses ourselves. The trip departs at 4:00 AM and returns at 6:00 PM. Pick up and drop off at your accommodation.

The tour guide had scheduled a wake-up call for 4:00 AM, with a courtesy call at 3:30 AM. However, the actual call came at 3:30 AM, informing us that the tour guide would be arriving at our accommodation shortly. Fortunately, we had already woken up before the call, but we were still not fully dressed. After boarding the vehicle, we picked up two more tour participants, a retired uncle and aunt. This made the trip feel more like a family outing. I secretly envied the uncle and aunt for being able to travel together like this, almost like a honeymoon trip. The uncle and aunt were also very capable, choosing a lovely accommodation that was located next to a rice field. The aunt told us that she had chosen it herself after looking at it online, while the uncle was the one who followed her around. However, he said that they often travel together, and sometimes he is the one who drives. He just tells her where he wants to go, as their children are all working. After picking up the uncle and aunt, we set off for Mae Hong Son. This trip had a total of 6 people, including the driver and the tour guide. The tour guide informed us that due to the low number of participants, they were not using a van for this trip.

From Pai district to Mae Hong Son city, approximately 106 kilometers. The first place to visit today is Pang Ung, which most people call the Switzerland of Thailand. It is the number one place to visit on this trip. The journey takes 2 hours to reach Pang Ung. At first, I sat and watched the view, the moon, and the thick fog. I fell asleep for a while and woke up again before I arrived. Finally, I arrived at Pang Ung at approximately 6:30 am. The tour guide gave me one hour.

Our fellow travelers

One of the activities available at Pang Ung is bamboo rafting. Each raft can accommodate 3 people, including the paddler. Life jackets are provided. The cost is 150 baht per raft, and the round trip takes 30 minutes.

But our boat is rowed by young children. I feel sorry for them, but I asked the young rowers all the time if they were okay. Do you need help rowing? The younger brother said he was okay. Sitting on the raft, I admired the scenery and took pictures. The air was cool and comfortable.

Secretly taking pictures of a couple, how envious they are.

Many people have pitched tents. I will come and sleep here next year.

Finally, I made it to the shore. I walked around the area and saw that there were many people camping, guesthouses, and even homestays. The atmosphere felt very much like being in a foreign country.

After that, we traveled to Li-Wine Rak Thai for breakfast. It took 25 minutes to get from Pang Oung to Rak Thai Village. Upon arriving at Li-Wine Rak Thai, we found restaurants and resorts to stay in. The restaurants are decorated in a Chinese Yunnan style and are located by the reservoir, offering a distant view of Rak Thai Village.

Enjoy your meal while taking in the atmosphere. Next door is a coffee shop that serves beverages.

The shops have started to open, most of which sell souvenirs and tea shops. For this meal, we had a delicious clear soup and stir-fried mushrooms with oyster sauce. For two people, it cost 360 baht. We finished with a hot tea that was served. The tea here is very fragrant and delicious.

After that, we walked to see the scenery and the point that we missed the most was the Riwai Rak Thai Resort. We walked around looking for it but couldn't find it. We only found it when the tour guide called us to get on the bus. We really wanted to come here, but in the end, we could only look at it. I wanted to cry. It's okay, we will definitely come back again. Next time, we will stay here too.

Feeling sad all the way, why didn't the tour guide tell us? Or did we miss it ourselves? We sat all the way to Pang Tong. This place is called a stopover for taking pictures in front of the sign with the sheep statue. The tour owner said it was not open yet. I only know that there are many kinds of cold-weather plants planted inside, raising animals like sheep. After taking pictures, we continued to Pha Seu Waterfall.

We have arrived at Pha Seu Waterfall. We can hear the sound of the waterfall nearby, but they have blocked us from going down to it.

The journey is not difficult. It is a staircase, easy to walk. It takes less than 10 minutes to reach the waterfall.

But he blocked me from going down to the waterfall.

After taking photos, we continued our journey, as if we were taking a leisurely drive while enjoying the scenery along the way. This route is rich in nature, with forests and mountains lining both sides of the road. The view is refreshing and pleasing to the eye.

Upon arriving at the mud volcano, we discovered that it offers a variety of health and beauty services. The site boasts natural mineral springs and mud, which are used for facials, body wraps, spa treatments, massages, and hot spring baths. Additionally, they sell various products, with prices clearly displayed. All we could recall was a 15-minute foot soak for 20 baht.

Uncle and aunt sat soaking their feet, while we went to see the mud pool, took pictures and sat waiting for the car. When everyone was there, we continued our journey. The next stop was the Sutong Bridge.

The Sutongpei Bridge is located in a village. The village is very livable, quiet and peaceful, with not many tourists. When we arrived, it was almost noon and the weather was very hot, but it did not affect our sightseeing. I have been wanting to come here for a long time. Today is also the day of the end of the Buddhist Lent. There were villagers who came to make merit, but the tour guide forbade them from going far, otherwise they would have walked to the temple.

At the entrance fence, next to it, there is a coffee shop in the village for sale. It is a small shop.

A picture of a person who built a bridge to conveniently travel to the temple without stepping on the rice in the field.

Sign on the bridge ramp

The weather is very hot because it is almost noon. However, there are umbrellas for rent at 10 baht. The tour guide gave us less than 15 minutes to take photos. We wanted to stay longer, but we had to understand the tour guide's schedule. We had to make time.

Get on the car and continue to the Karen Long Neck Village. It takes about 30 minutes to get there. Along the way, you will pass a water barrier. There are a lot of rice fields here.

We have arrived at the Karen Long Neck Village.

The villagers here likely earn income from weaving and selling fabrics, local clothing, and souvenirs.

We walked to the end of the village alley and, as usual, Son was curious. He walked straight to the village above, but we felt that they were not yet familiar with tourists and wanted privacy.

This young lady is a lovely, beautiful, kind, and very friendly vendor. She tried on the necklace, which was heavy and pressed against her neck. However, I noticed that she had a cloth underneath it because it was hot and she was sweating.

This village is nestled against the mountains, with a small stream flowing through it. It's a lovely place to live. We arrived at the pick-up point and continued our journey. As it was nearing noon, we headed to Mae Hong Son city. It seemed like a small town. We went to have lunch.

After a delicious meal, we had the energy to continue our journey. We thanked Uncle and Aunty for paying for our lunch. We asked them if they were having fun and if they were tired. They said they were okay and not tired at all. They have traveled to many places. Aunty said that when she was a child, her mother was very protective, so she didn't get to travel much. After exchanging stories, we continued our journey to Doi Kong Mu Temple. It was past noon, and the weather was hot, so we didn't take many pictures. When we reached the top, we could see a beautiful view of Mae Hong Son city.

The next place is a national park. If there are fish, the surrounding area is a stream, forest, most people who come here are families, children. The entrance fee here is 20 baht for adults and 10 baht for children. The tour operator will pay for it. Here is given 1 hour.

And right at the cave there will be a lot of fish swimming against the current. The fish here eat vegetables and fruits.

The strawberry garden is nearby.

And finally, the Doi Kiew Lom viewpoint. It takes 2 hours to get from Tham Pla Park to the Doi Kiew Lom viewpoint. We arrived at 5:00 p.m. The cold wind was starting to pick up. This is a great place to enjoy the view and take photos.

The children are having fun playing on the swings, but they need to be careful when playing, as it can be dangerous.

After that, we traveled to our accommodation in Pai district. On the way, we talked about tomorrow's trip. Uncle and aunt are going on another trip around Pai and Huai Nam Dang. They invited me to join them. Honestly, I would love to go if I had the money and could take more time off work. I'll continue the review later and summarize the expenses for this trip. It's going to be a long review ^^ 6:00 PM. The car dropped us off at our accommodation. We were very hungry, so we ate food from the 7-Eleven convenience store. We prepared to pack our bags because we have to go back tomorrow. T_T

October 28, 2015

I woke up early again today, as usual. I got ready to return to Bangkok. I checked out of my accommodation and walked to the walking street, then to the van station.

The morning atmosphere in Pai

As soon as I arrived at the bus station, I immediately booked a ticket.

Bus schedule

It is recommended to book a car in advance as there are many people traveling to Chiang Mai. We got the 9:00 AM round, arriving in Chiang Mai at 12:00 PM. If you are going to the airport, please buy a ticket to the airport directly to avoid another transfer. The price is 200 baht.

Foreign tourists are as many as ever.

The trip ended with adorable foreign children ^^

The journey from Pai to Chiang Mai Airport took 4 hours. During the van ride, I met two Chinese tourists who were visiting Thailand. We chatted a bit, and I felt a pang of regret that my English wasn't better. If it were, I could have made more friends from different countries along the way. I'm grateful that this trip went smoothly. I actually wanted to come during the winter season, but I didn't want to deal with the crowds and competition for sightseeing and food. Pai was on my and my sister's bucket list, but she's no longer with us. However, every time I travel, I feel like she's with me. It's as if we're one and the same. I try to find happiness in everything I do, and traveling is my ultimate source of joy. I used to be afraid of traveling alone, fearing loneliness on the road. But now I realize it's not lonely at all. I always have travel companions with me. Sometimes I wish I could travel with a group of friends, but as time goes by, everyone gets busy and our schedules don't align. So I've embraced solo travel, and I'm happy with it.

#I love to travel

Translation:

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Travel Expenses Summary for Baan Rabeang Dao and Mae Hong Son

This is the cost per person, this trip we share the cost.

The cost of a VIP bus ticket from Hua Hin to Chiang Mai is 1005 baht.

Flight from Chiang Mai to Bangkok (Thai Lion Air Promotion) 826 Baht

The accommodation fee at Baan Rabien Dao is 500 baht per person.

Accommodation for 2 friends for 2 nights costs 600 baht, which is 300 baht per person.

The fare for a red car from Khon Kaen Bus Terminal to Chang Phuak Bus Terminal is 40 baht.

The fare for a ride from Chang Phuak to Lotus Chiang Dao is 40 baht.

The cost of a round-trip car to Baan Rabeang Dao is 100 baht.

Pork leg rice costs 37 baht.

The fare for the shuttle bus from Chiang Dao to Yaek Mae Malai is 19 baht.

The fare from Mae Malai to Pai is 150 baht.

Motorcycle taxi fare from Pai to your accommodation: 40 baht

The cost of a taxi from Walking Street to the hotel is 50 baht.

700 baht for a day trip

The cost of the food at Re-wine Rak Thai was 370 baht, which we shared equally, so it was 185 baht per person.

Translation:

The fare for a car from Pai to Chiang Mai (airport) is 200 baht.

Total amount per person 4,192 Baht

Note: This does not include other expenses such as food, souvenirs, and shopping.