We'll be in Mae Hong Son for two and a half days in July. We'll be at Fern Resort and now I'm trying to figure out what to do. Not that much info on MHS--should we spend a day trekking? rafting? Visiting tribes (not if it's super touristy)? Elephants (don't want to go to a place where they are exploited, which i think is most places). Will there be enough to keep us busy?
Is there a guide or tour company that you recommend for a good experience? I'm hoping we didn't make a mistake by adding MHS to our itinerary. Please tell us what you know.

Part of the point of MHS is to not be busy! Relax, enjoy the beautiful environment, take a hike. Don't get a guide, don't use a tour company. Fern Resort can give you info on some self-guided (or dog-guided) hikes.

We were there for 3 nights last year and there's plenty to do--but it's not like you're in a major city, so, as Kathie says, enjoy the relaxed pace. Take a few hikes in the national park (on the trails behind the resort), do a hilltribe trek, visit the town (and the temples in town), visit the night market and spend time sipping a beer by the beautiful lake. As I said, there's plenty to do, but it really is a sleepy town that lends itself to a very chilled-out, take-each-moment-as-they-come kind of atmosphere.

You will not regret staying in MHS. We loved our stay at Fern Resort -- the property is lovely, and I agree with Kathie on the dog-guided hike. The pool is wonderful too.

And we found lots to do in the area. Fern Resort has an easy shuttle to and from town. We enjoyed the hike up to the temple Doi Kong Mu for great views of the town and the misty mountians beyond. Also, the best souvenirs (and prices) around.

The lake is wonderful at night when it is surrounded by food and handicraft vendors. You can grab some food and sit at a low table on a bamboo rug right along the shoreline.

Our favorite restaurant was The Lakeside where we cooked our meal on our very own tabletop Thai barbecue -- a bucket of coals surrounded by a moat filled with water. You cook your meat on the hot metal dome and boil your vegetables in the hot water. Great food and lots of fun.

I had one of my best Thai massages in town (sorry I don't remember the name of the place).

Plus, you have lots of tour choices. I can recommend the tour operator Rose Garden Tours (www.rosegarden-tours.com). We had an excellent full day of sightseeing with them (and they also drove us to Mae Sariang).

The company was very accomodating and helped us to develop a customized tour. Our guide, Nang, spoke English very well, was very knowledgeable and so considerate -- we highly recommend him.

We visited a very non-touristy Hmong hill tribe village with Nang. We were the only visitors and Nang had a good relationship with the village, so we felt like guests (rather than voyeurs).

Hope this helps you to feel better about MHS -- it is definitely a worthwhile place to visit.

Thanks so much for all your reassurances. Sounds good and it will be nice to take a break in the middle of our trip. Will definitely look into Rose Garden.

Dog-guided hikes? Can someone say more?...

marya, Fern Resort has a few dogs who live on the premises (if you see Panda--our favorite--say hi, Sue...we miss him terribly) and they know the trails behind the resort like the back of their hands (paws?) and will "guide" guests on hikes.

Yes, in theory the dogs will "guide" you along the trail. And actually our two dogs did a pretty good job (although I will tell you that my husband had tucked a couple breakfast sausages in his pocket, and I think that kept our dogs particularly attentive). BTW, you don't need the dogs, you can easily do the trails on your own if you prefer that.

I enjoyed a visit to Tham Pla (the fish caves) near Mae Hong Son. I think they are included in some of Rose Garden's tours, or you could go on your own.