Mae Hong Son Festivals and Events

Festivals and Events

Poi Sang Long Procession is in fact the celebration of novice ordination which the Thai Yai tribe people hold to be a highly meritorious occasion. Traditionally, the candidate-novice, his head cleanly shaven and wrapped with head-cloth in the Burmese style, will don a prince-like garment and put on valuable jewels and gems, and ride a horse or be carried over the shoulders of a man to the city shrine. On the ordination eve, a procession of offerings and other necessary personal belongings will be paraded through the town streets and then placed at the monastery where the ordination will take place the next day. It is usually held during March-May before the Buddhist Rain Retreat period.

Chong Phara Procession The Chong Phara in the Thai Yai dialect means a castle made of wood, covered with colourful perforated papers and decorated with fruits, flags and lamps. It is placed in the courtyard of a house or a monastery as a gesture to welcome the Lord Buddha on his return from giving sermons to his mother in heaven, according to traditional belief. Other activities to celebrate the occasion include dances where performers are dressed in animal costumes. The rite is held during the post rain retreat season from the full-moon day of the 11 the Lunar month (around October) to the waxing moon night of the same month.

Bua Tong Blossom Festival Each year in November, the hillsides of Khun Yuam and Mae Sariang districts are filled with a host of golden Bua Tong Blooms. As gay as a daisy and almost as large as a sunflower, the Bua Tong only blossoms for a month.

At Doi Mae U-Kho, the blossoms appear profusely. Finally, the golden blooms become part of the scene. Some specialists have classified these Bua Tong as weeds and because of this, they may be cleared to make way for cash crops. Fortunately a group of researchers have discovered the flower’s insect-repellent properties. And perhaps that
is why the Bua Tong, a symbol of Mae Hong Son, is still preserved on the hillsides.

Loi Krathong Festival Loi Krathong Festival is held on the full moon night in the month of November every year. Villagers make “krathongs” to float in rivers. At Nong Chong Kham, various entertainments and a contest of large krathongs are held near the central pond. Lamps and candles are lit all around the area. Moreover, at Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu, there is a ceremony of releasing candle-lit krathongs bound with balloons to the sky (known as “Loi Krathong Sawan”).

Mae Hong Son

The centre for mountain biking adventure is Pai District, where several bike shops rent out bikes and gear to tourists. Bike tours explore nearby and remote hilltribe villages, waterfalls and hot springs. The best time is November – May. Experienced guides are ready to lead biking parties through breathtaking back-country trails for up to a week. There are natural cycle paths through the forest, first trod by animals, then beaten by man. They range from as narrow as a single person’s stride or as wide as an elephant or ox cart.

Mae Hong Son

There are five levels of expertise, and all require experienced guides to lead them. Mae Hong Song’sPai River is perhaps the most famous venue, as it smashes its angry path towards Myanmar. A raft trip starts at Ban Nam Kong, 65 km from Pai and continues through virgin forests, waterfalls and 15 sets of rapids, a journey time of about five hours.

Trekking - one of the main reasons for tourist to go to Mae Hong Son is to go trekking in the surrounding mountains and visiting the so-called hill-tribes. Nearly every guest house offers tours. There are also many other tours on offer.

Thampla - Phasua Waterfall National Park อุทยานแห่งชาติ ถ้ำปลา - น้ำตกผาเสื่อ : This national park is in Mae Hong Son province, covering more than 488 km' of the "Thanon Thongchai" range that separates Thailand from Burma. The "Doy-Larn" is the highest plane in the area, with its altitude of about 1,918 meters above the sea water level. Points of Interests...

Fish Cave (Thumpla) - near the village of Huay Pha, about 17 km from Mae Hong Son (Highway 1095), this is a beautiful spot to escape the heat. A water channel that leads its way out of a amall submerged cave. What is inside the cave is still unknown to us, but it astoundingly draws thousands of the "Pluang-Hin" fish into the cave, with only a small number of them coming back out.

Pha Sua waterfall - 26 km from Mae Hong Son on the road to Pai, this waterfall consists of six levels and offers some fine walks. This waterfall is about 20 meters high and 30 meters wide. It is said to be the most beautiful waterfall in Mae Hong Son province. On rainy season, the plentiful water makes the waterfall looks like a rolling mat.