Mae Salong - just my cup of tea!

**DaveRobin** · 02-07-2008, 02:09 PM

Mae Salong is not a place I knew much about until recently. A little research and I discovered that it’s one of the places the KMT settled after fleeing from Yunnan and the communists around the time Mao became the new emperor of China. The descendents of the KMT soldiers and their families now run a thriving tea industry exporting large quantities of locally grown, picked and packaged oolong, green and other types of tea to Taiwan. There’s also a large local population of Akha and Museur hill tribes to add to the mix in town.

Anyway, I and the missus decided to take a few days away from work and visit the place. It’s a very pleasant 250km (approx.) drive from Chiang Mai past Chang Dao, Fang and Tha Ton traveling past rice paddy and limestone escarpments. With a lunch break at Chang Dao total drive time was around 4, and a bit, hours.

Some mountain views:

Views of the city:

More to come

**DaveRobin** · 02-07-2008, 02:18 PM

We stayed just out of town at the Mae Salong Flower Hills Resort. We took the cheapest room for 650 baht – good value. Rooms seem to be priced according to the view but we weren’t planning to spend much time in, or sit outside, the room.

More to come

**DaveRobin** · 02-07-2008, 02:41 PM

Just before entering the town, we stopped at the KMT Martyr’s Memorial and Museum.

**DaveRobin** · 02-07-2008, 02:50 PM

We ate most of our meals at the Little Home guesthouse. The owners are a Yunnanese couple from Mae Salong who have lived away from the area for the last 30 years eventually returning to open the guesthouse around 18 months ago. He’s an interesting character: 4 years old when his family fled China and a father who died fighting as a KMT volunteer against Thai communists in Thailand during the early 1970s. he has a story of meeting the King when he was just a kid and being asked what can the King do to help him and his people. He replied they needed a road to the town and within 6 months it was built. The guy genuinely loves Thailand and the king. Rooms are clean and only 200 baht per night. Next time we come, we’ll stay here. Their website: :: ÃÑºÅÁ ªÁµÐÇÑ¹ ³... Little Home Guesthouse ::

**DaveRobin** · 02-07-2008, 02:57 PM

I like a nice cuppa in the morning when I wake up, but I didn't know the bloody stuff grew on tress.

**Thetyim** · 02-07-2008, 03:01 PM

^^
Do you know how much their bungalows are ?

Nice TR
Have a greenie

**DaveRobin** · 02-07-2008, 03:04 PM

The Yunnanese have been trading across North Burma, Laos, North Thailand and Yunnan for hundreds of years. The Thais know them as Jin Haw, or in English Galloping Chinese. Of course, their ability to take pack horses and 'things' across the borders without the taxman noticing attracted people like Khun Sa to em, well.... have a cup of tea with them and discuss 'business'.

Maybe tea produces big margins because we saw a few nice cars up there owned by locals - Range Rovers and stuff.

A story we heard is that all the land around Mae Salong belongs to the heirs of the KMT general who led 'volunteer' KMT fighters against Thai communists in the 1970s. Apparently the King rewarded him and now you can only lease or rent from his family if you need or want land.

**DaveRobin** · 02-07-2008, 03:06 PM

Originally Posted by Thetyim

^^
Do you know how much their bungalows are ?

1200 THB up to around 4000 THB.

**Thetyim** · 02-07-2008, 03:10 PM

^
Actually I meant Little Home Guesthouse
The 200 baht rooms look a bit rough but their bungalows look Ok but no price on the website

**DaveRobin** · 02-07-2008, 03:21 PM

Originally Posted by Thetyim

^
Actually I meant Little Home Guesthouse
The 200 baht rooms look a bit rough but their bungalows look Ok but no price on the website

Off season 400 THB and in season 600 THB. The place is next to the more famous, but less attractive, Shin Sane ('The First' in Yunnanese Chinese) guesthouse. There's a mosque less than 100 ms away though so might be noisy during call to prayer at 4am.

**DaveRobin** · 02-07-2008, 03:36 PM

A great excursion is taking a pony ride along a 15km loop from the town and through the jungle and up and down some very steep hills. It costs 500 baht and took just under 4 hours.

The trek was great. Although we started in the city, we quickly hit countryside:

At the first Akha village we saw the spirit gate:

At the opposite far edge of the village we came across the Akha swing. A new one is built every December to mark the new year. I think only women are allowed to use it though.

Later on the same day we attempted to complete the same loop by pick up, unfortunately we encountered a few problems and I thought we would have to spend the night out there and make a major claim on my car insurance. Fortunately the Akha are a great race of people and came to our aid and saved the day. SATU. I'll add the story and pics at a later date.

**Agent_Smith** · 02-07-2008, 11:49 PM

Excellent posts and pictures. Good work.

**Propagator** · 03-07-2008, 12:02 AM

Excellant post - I like the use of the landscaping and colour foliage in this pic

**ChiangMai noon** · 03-07-2008, 12:43 AM

Originally Posted by Agent_Smith

Excellent posts and pictures. Good work.

seconded.

will go there soonish.

like the idea of pony trekking.

**Agent_Smith** · 03-07-2008, 02:59 AM

Will you be in full dress on your "pony trek" CMn?

**DaveRobin** · 03-07-2008, 07:22 AM

Originally Posted by Propagator

Excellant post - I like the use of the landscaping and colour foliage in this pic

We were looking for the resort and were expecting a colourful scene, but when we came round the corner both our necks strained over the dashboard to take a good look. It really is a beautiful and spotless resort. Rooms are clean and modern but a few too many tiles (Chinese style) in the rooms for my liking. Some of the bungalows have stunning views with balconies and a couple of chairs for long relaxing afternoons reading a book, drinking tea, enjoying the view and ignoring the missus.

**DaveRobin** · 03-07-2008, 07:33 AM

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

Originally Posted by Agent_Smith

Excellent posts and pictures. Good work.

seconded.

will go there soonish.

like the idea of pony trekking.

I loved the pony trekking. There are 3 guesthouses in a cluster in the centre of town (Little Home, Shin Sane and Akha) and all seem to offer the 4-hour ride for 500 baht per person. We actually asked a moto taxi driver to arrange ours for a 50 baht commission. Really nice guy and as the town is so small we kept bumping into him, while we were there, in different situations. It was like an Ealing comedy and Alec Guiness playing 5 roles.

It was a bit sad to see so many mountainsides stripped of their trees but people need to live and to do that they need to grow food so I won't judge them. The King ensures that mountain tops (the sources of water) are not cleared. A few Royal Projects around that promote self-sustaining economies among other things.

There's a beautiful new temple containing relics of the King's mother that's been built overlooking the town. I'll post the pics soon.

**Loombucket** · 03-07-2008, 06:54 PM

Good report and some excellent pictures. Well done

**kingwilly** · 03-07-2008, 10:31 PM

awesome thread, thanks for posting, I'd love to visit,. one day.

**sunsetter** · 07-07-2008, 11:52 PM

nice one dr, nice pics, looks nice there

Thaiguy · 12-07-2008, 02:46 PM

absolutely awesome ! and the colours in the landscape? - great pics well done !
This is now on my must visit list , I am going to Chiang Rai next month so I will organise a look.
How's the safety aspect in that area?
Great post really enjoyed , Thanks.

Thread: Mae Salong - just my cup of tea!

Thread Tools

Display

Mae Salong - just my cup of tea!

wow!

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

Posting Permissions