Chiang Mai / Mae Hong Son · Thailand
Mae Hong Son Loop
1095Mae Malai to Mae Hong Son
Thailand’s most celebrated mountain highway runs 245 km from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son via Pai, through remote hill-tribe country on continuous switchbacks.
From Mae Malai north of Chiang Mai, Route 1095 climbs into the mountains with sustained switchbacks through jungle. Pai, in a wide river valley, is the main overnight stop at ~80 km; beyond it the road crosses high ridges before dropping to Mae Hong Son. The northern leg of the famous loop that has drawn drivers for its unrelenting curves.
Famous for its 1,864 curves, Thailand’s great mountain loop winds through hill-tribe country and the riverside town of Pai on some of the most relentless switchbacks in Asia.
Why we picked it
Scenery
Best seasons
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Mae Hong Son Loop on the map124.6 mi · point to point
Navigate to the start: Apple Maps · Google Maps
Character
Corners
busiest around mile 111Elevation
under 4%4 to 8%over 8%210 to 1,451 mPoints of interest2 stops
- Doi Kiew LomViewpoint73 mi in
- Phang Ma Pha ViewpointViewpoint93 mi in
Hazards
- Burning-season smoke February to April
- Monsoon landslides July to October
- 50 km gaps between fuel
- Steep descents slippery in rain
- Minimal guardrails
Sources
“The Mae Hong Son Loop is a 600 km roughly circular drive around the mountains to the west of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand along highways 108 and 1095.”
Route traced from OpenStreetMap, with its stats measured from that line. How the roads are mapped
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