Mae Hong Son Loop in three days? Or four?
 

Hi

I just realized I made an error of one day on my itinerary, and luckily so far it's just on hotels. Not flights - buying the tickets made me realize I missed a day.

I have booked, so far, Hotel des Artistes and the Fern Resort for the MSH Loop.

I am supposed to fly to Krabi after I am done with the drive - in other words, leave my final hotel and eventually get to the airport in Chiang Mai.

If I leave my itin above at only three nights, I would be leaving the Fern Resort in Mae Hong Son in the morning and sightsee my way to the Chiang Mai airport where I fly to Krabi.

Is this even possible or just too far?

My mistake was that there was supposed to be one more overnight after the Fern Resort which I neglected to make. And then I'd leave that hotel in the morning to drive to CM airport.

If I leave my itin as it is, I will probably just add one more night in Bangkok to the very end, which means three nights in BKK in front, and three nights on the back end. While that would be wonderful, I am sure, I don't want to make my final day on the Mae Hong Son loop a crazy drive trying to get to the airport on time. I can surely take a later flight (have not bought it yet) but I'd rather not go craxy with a 6 hour drive before a flight.

Thoughts? Kop Koon Kah!

PS. Alternatively, I suppose, to staying one more night on the MHS loop is using that final day to just drive to Chiang Mai, sleep, and have a cab take me to the airport the very next morning. Is even that pushing it, to visit the MHS Loop?

That shouldn't be a problem and for a typical drive, not rushing or speeding, from MHS back to CM it will take around 5 or 6 hours. Just time it right and you will be OK.

Hello, thank you. I think 6 hours driving just to catch a flight might be pushing it for me. I think Mae Sariang was noted as another place to stop overnight which is only 3 hours from Chiang Mai. Even THAT is pushing it, and would require a late afternoon flight to Krabi... hmmmm

I will think about this.. thanks again.

The other place you could consider staying on the way back to CM is Doi Inthanon. It is closer to CM and has some great scenery, waterfalls etc. We stayed at Uncle Daengs which was a nice place but with no heating it was freezing at night - the only time i have been cold in Thailand!

Hi

Still thinking about this... if I leave it as it is, I'd have to take a 945 PM flight to Krabi arriving at midnight. Which kind of throws Krabi off. Not to mention I'm not totally keen on navigating for a cab from the airport, etc, at midnight.

There is a 220 PM flight to Krabi but if it's a 6 hour drive I'd have to be on the road at 6 AM to make it.

Here's another solution for you flygirl: http://www.kanairlines.com/main/?page_id=10

Note that they spell MHS as "Mai Hong Son". I haven't flown with this airline but have seen them around for the past few years. I believe a few people here have flown with them.

Hmmm, that would be easy, wouldn't it. Thanks!

Basically in doing it this way I'd be taking a day away from the mountains and replacing it with one extra day in Bangkok at the end. Good idea or will I be so enchanted in the mountains (and miss the last night in another locale...)