5 Best Sights in Northern Thailand, Thailand

Tham Pla-Namtok Pha Suea National Park

About 28 km (17 miles) north of Mae Hong Son on the Pai road, this park has one of the region's strangest sights—a grotto with a dark, cisternlike pool overflowing with fat mountain carp. The pool is fed by a mountain stream that is also full of thrashing fish fighting to get into the cave. Why? Nobody knows. It's a secret that draws thousands of Thai visitors a year. Some see a mystical meaning in the strange sight. The cave is a pleasant 10-minute stroll from the park's headquarters.

Family National Park
70 Moo 1 Huay Pa, Mae Hong Son, Mae Hong Son, 58000, Thailand
085-706–6663
Sights Details
Rate Includes: Closed Jul.–Aug.

Wat Chong Kham

A wonderfully self-satisfied Burmese-style Buddha, the cares of the world far from his arched brow, watches over this temple from 1827, which has a fine pulpit carved with incredible precision. It's located on a small lake, right next to the equally important Wat Chong Klang.

Wat Chong Klang

Completed in 1871, this striking white-and-gold structure features a rarely seen wicker Buddha, gorgeous stained glass, and teak figurines that depict the various stages of the Lord Buddha's life. It's one of two Burmese temples built on a small lake in the middle of Mae Hong Son—the other being the similarly named Wat Chong Kham.

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Wat Hua Wiang

Built in 1863, this temple, with it's multitiered wooden roof structure adorned with detailed carvings in zinc, is an excellent representation of Shan-Burmese architecture. It is also noted for housing Mae Hong Son's most celebrated Buddha image, and one of the most revered in northern Thailand, which is now the centerpiece in the main sermon hall. Its origins are clear: note the Burmese-style long earlobes, a symbol of the Buddha's omniscience. 

Religious Building
Singhanat Bamrung Rd, Mae Hong Son, Mae Hong Son, 58000, Thailand
053-612003

Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu

On the top of Doi Kong Mu, this temple has a remarkable view, especially at sunset, of the surrounding mountains. The temple's two chedis contain the ashes of two major 19th-century monks, Phra Moggallana (one of the Buddha's closest disciples) and Phaya Singhanat Racha (Mae Hong Son's first governor, who built the building).