On Day 2,
you want to allow some time between breakfast and your departure to visit the
Mae Sariang morning market, which is very interesting, with the Thai Yai ethnic
group selling a lot of their products and demonstrating their beautiful
culture. If your time permits, you might want to visit a few more temples or go
back to the Jong Soong Temple.
The drive from
Mae Sariang is pleasant. You will enjoy more greenery of the rolling hills, as
you travel up and down the mountain, with its sharp curves and bends. After
three hours, you will arrive in Ban Huay Dua. You want to stop here to go on a
boat ride on the River Pai. Safety jackets must be worn, even though the ride
is sure to be safe. You will enjoy the greenery on either side of the river,
and in 15 minutes, your boat will stop at Huay Pu Keng. This is a Christian
village of the long-neck Kayan tribe, also known to tourists as the Long Neck
Village. Huay Pu Keng is also the last point on this side of Thailand, with the
Burmese border only 5 km away.
The Kayan,
who are originally Burmese, entered Thailand as refugees some three decades ago
and over the years became Thai citizens. You will see the village lined with
souvenir shops, selling products made by this tribe. Most vendors will be ladies
in their tribal costume and brass neck-rings. They will invite you to sit next
to them and have your picture taken. You want to buy their shawls and scarves,
available in a range of beautiful colours and patterns. If Ma-Chiang is around,
she will pick up her traditional handmade guitar and sing for you. She will
also invite you to buy a CD of her melodious songs. Whatever you buy will go
towards supporting this tribe. You don’t want to spend all your money at the
front stalls, though, and it won’t be possible to buy everything that might
tempt you. For that purpose, there is a donation box, and any amount you donate
will be used for their community development. Also, individuals will accept any
tips you might wish to leave for them. Our good guide had a photograph taken
with the oldest Kayan lady, in her nineties now, and tipped her generously.
Your visit
to this tribal village promises to be both a major tourist attraction and an
eye-opening experience, exposing you not only to the Kayan people’s economic
poverty but their rich cultural heritage. After this visit, you will head back
to Ban Huay Dua by the same boat and have a lovely Thai lunch by the river.
The drive
from Ban Huay Dua to the city of Mae Hong Son takes an hour, and you will arrive
there in the late afternoon. If you want to enjoy a view of the setting sun in
the mountains, together with a sip of coffee, you don’t want to miss a visit to
Wat Phrathat Doi Kong Mu. If you miss the sunset, never mind, as you can still enjoy an evening view from
this hilltop temple, overlooking the city as well as the surrounding mountains
and valleys. Among other things, you will observe people offering worship and
flying fire balloons.
You also
don’t want to miss the MaeHong Son walking street and the night market. There are many things to buy and a
lot of good street food to enjoy. The view of the two beautifully decorated and
lit up temples by the pond - Wat Chong Klang and Wat Chong Kham – and their bright and colourful reflection in the water is majestic. The
market closes around 9:00 pm, though, as this is a rural area and people sleep
early. You will also be quite tired, actually, so returning to your hotel early
might not be such a bad idea!
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