Many of the hill-tribe settlements in Mae Hong Son province are concentrated in the districts and towns of Khun Yuam, Mae La Noi and Mae Sariang, which are good departure points for treks to Hmong, Karen and Shan villages. Of these three small towns, Mae Sariang is the largest and offers the most facilities for use as a base camp.
Although there is not much to see in Mae Sariang, it’s a pleasant, laid-back riverside town with a small travel scene. Two Burmese-Shan temples, Wat Jong Sung (Uthayarom) and Wat Si Bunruang, just off Mae Sariang’s main street (not far from the Mae Sariang bus station), are definitely worth a visit if you have time. Built in 1896, Wat Jong Sung is the more interesting of the two temples and has slender, Shan-style chedi and wooden monastic buildings.