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29 Moo 4 Tumbon Mae-Na-Thuang, Amphur Pai, Mae Hong Son, 58130, Thailand
Lawa Hilltribe Women in the kitchen
Map of area
Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu
OPC
When you go to Mae Hong Son you must go on a trek. This will give you a chance to visit remote minority, and sometimes refugee, villages while having a great time enjoying the mountains, waterfalls, and scenery! To get a full trekking expperience you should to a five day trek loop from Mae Hong Son to Pai and back. I will have tons more tips on specifics on trekking in Mae Hong Son, so just check out my page!
As with many hilltop temples in Thailand, I think the best time to visit Wat Doi Gong Mu is at sunset. At Wat Doi Gong Mu there is a great view next to the little coffee shop with a terrace there where you can look out over the mountain range landscape and see thesunset behind the mountains. The temperature is also much cooler than the heat of the afternoon, and there are always less tourists/Thais about at this time of day, so is a perfect setting for a peaceful sunset.
I was tempted to put this in 'tourist traps' but I cant decide whether going was a good idea or not. I dont know whether the tribe I visited were authentic or not, but I doubt it somehow. Most tribespeople are migrants that the Thai governments 'detains' and in a lot of cases as tourist attractions. When I visited this tribe I felt very voyeuristic and intrusive, and also the whole place was very staged - from the entrance fee to the stalls. The women just sitting there and waiting for you to ask ' so if you take the rings off will you neck break' or something else similarly stupid.
I bought a few things that I was quite proud of at first until I saw the same items or similar on the market stalls in Chaing Mai. This was very dissapointing as I thought, wrongly or rightly that I had bought authentic hand-made crafts from these women.
I at least made the effort to talk to one woman about her life. She gave me a leaflet to read about a scientist type man who had come here and studied the women. I learnt that the neck - stretching is partly an illusion. The rings compress the colar bone and rib cage, thus giving the impression that the neck is longer than it really is.However the look is suffiently startling enough to stop you having any rational explanation.
The woman I spoke to said that its uncomfortable to wear but more so if she takes it off.
The track from the main road was quite fun in a way, but much different to what I had expected. Only when I got home did I realise that had I gone 2km further I would have ended up in Burma. Perhaps thats the reason I saw so many trucks and armed men. hmmm
Karen is the name of ethnic groups which can be found in the north of Thailand.
There are many groups of Karen in Thailand such as Skaw , Pwo, Pa-o, Kayah and Padong.
At "Huaysuetaw village" the same place where you can find Padong or "long neck karen" in Maehongson, you can also see the village pillars of Kayah where they holding ceremony for spiritual. Kayah respect to spirit so each year in April , they have a big ceremony, the chief of village bring pig head, chicken and more food for offering to spirits and also each year they have new pillar, then you know how long the village established by counting the pillars they have.
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Q: thai flights "I am reading in this and some other forums that there are thai air flights from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son but then I cannot find..."
A: "I know NOKAIR FLIES FROM C.M. and i am pretty sure KANAIR also makes the same trip"
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