Things We Love About Mae Salong in Northern Thailand

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Mae Salong is a mountain top town in northern Thailand known for Oolong tea production. Its location near the Myanmar border and prominent Chinese influence makes it an interesting place to spend some time. We stayed almost a week!

Check out More places to visit in Thailand and Ways to get around in Thailand.

Table of Contents

Here are the things we love about Mae Salong:

Mae Salong in Northern Thailand Red leaves in the foreground, tea plantations along mountains in the background.

Yunnan-style restaurants around town.

Mae Salong in Northern Thailand a Yunnan style Chinese restaurant with red lanterns. Tea leaves are drying on the rooftop. — Yunnanese food is one of our favorite regional cuisines in China.

Interacting with locals and brushing up on our Chinese.

Getting our own little cottage for $10/night at Shin Sane Guest House. It was chilly enough in the evenings to need a comforter!The friendly, helpful staff.

Mae Salong in Northern Thailand two members of the staff at the guesthouse smiling at the camera

And the friends we met while staying there.

These inappropriate towel hangers in our bathroom.

Mae Salong in Northern Thailand a pink and a blue towel hanger with inappropriately placed hangers on the cats' bodies. — Those are probably supposed to be tails…

Drinking locally picked Oolong tea with every meal.

Going on sunrise walks. (Okay, just one.)

The bustling morning market around the corner from our guest house.

Mae Salong in Northern Thailand a morning market with a monk receiving alms from a woman and sellers with vegetables and fruits

Trying something new at the market for breakfast every morning.

Mae Salong in Northern Thailand breakfast — Wan Dou Fen, Yunnan style yellow pea tofu with peanuts, chilis, garlic, and sugar.

Spontaneously being invited to and attending a Thai-Chinese wedding.

Mae Salong in Northern Thailand the portrait of a couple who is getting married with flowers and wedding guests in the background

Mae Salong in Northern Thailand a table with a red table cloth covered in Chinese and Thai dishes — Such a delicious meal! Eight dishes for good luck 🙂

Spending a day exploring nearby towns and villages by moto. The views are stunning!

Mae Salong in Northern Thailand Jen and Stevo on a motorbike smiling at the camera

Learning about tea by seeing how it is grown, picked, and processed firsthand.

Mae Salong in Northern Thailand tea plants in the foreground and mountains covered in tea plants in the background.

Trying snacks from the local market and 7-11 (Don’t judge us!)

Mae Salong in Northern Thailand pandan and red bean covered in coconut shavings and sugar with sesame seeds.

Mae Salong in Northern Thailand deep fried peanut snacks, iced sweet tea and oolong tea

Mae Salong in Northern Thailand a 7-11 snack called chocolate collon stick — Too funny to pass up.

This dog.

Mae Salong in Northern Thailand a small white dog with a ponny tail sticking straight up on it's head is sitting on top of a blue motorbike. It is looking at the camera with it's tongue sticking out.

Discovering an abandoned tea themed tourist trap with giant teacups and animals.

Mae Salong in Northern Thailand an abandoned hotel with large tea pot statues, a pagoda-like building, and two large lion statues at the entrance. — The buildings on the left are unfinished hotel rooms. Some even had bed frames already installed.

Mae Salong in Northern Thailand a woman is standing inside a giant teapot making a teapot shape with her body — Interesting angle of this giant tea pot.

Mae Salong in Northern Thailand a huge grey statue of a Chinese lion and a golden baby lion hugging it

The amazing views at sunset from Phra Boromathat Chedi, the temple on the hill.

Visiting the Chinese Martyrs’ Memorial Museum and learning about Mae Salong’s fascinating history.

Mae Salong was part of the Golden Triangle drug trade going on between Burma, Thailand and Laos. Many anti-Communist Chinese soldiers stayed in Mae Salong after they had been stationed there to convince opium growers to switch to growing tea. The history of the town is fascinating!

Mae Salong in Northern Thailand outside a museum in Mae Salong

If you’re heading to northern Thailand, we definitely recommend adding Mae Salong to your itinerary.

What do you think about these photos? Have you been to Mae Salong?

Comments

Paula McInerney says

October 10, 2015 at 6:43 am

You and me at the Oolong tea , which I love. What an amazing part of Thailand. We love northern Thailand so will have to look into Mae Salong, when we get there next.

- Jennifer Joslin says
  
  June 23, 2016 at 11:40 pm
  
  You would love it! We knew nothing about it until we arrived and it ended up being a highlight of our trip.
  
Meg Jerrard says

October 5, 2015 at 4:15 am

OMG those towel hangers are AMAZING!!! Gotta admit, they’re my favorite photo throughout this whole post even though the rest of the region does look fairly stunning 😀 Haha literally made me laugh out loud 😀

- Jennifer Joslin says
  
  June 23, 2016 at 11:41 pm
  
  Haha this makes me think we would be great friends 🙂
  
Sophie says

October 5, 2015 at 2:52 am

Great photos! I really love Oolong tea! I haven’t been to this part of Thailand but from reading this post and learning about the Chinese influence, i’d really like to explore the area.

- Jennifer Joslin says
  
  June 23, 2016 at 11:45 pm
  
  It was an unexpected and super interesting find! I think you’d really enjoy it 🙂
  
Mar says

October 5, 2015 at 12:39 am

I had never heard of this part of Thailand and it looks more like China that SEA. You guys make me laugh in all your posts 🙂

Dave from Daves Travel Pages says

October 5, 2015 at 12:27 am

Those towel hangers were awesome! lol

Betsy Wuebker | PassingThru says

October 4, 2015 at 1:05 pm

We’ll be in Thailand for a month beginning next week and you’ve definitely piqued my interest in visiting Mae Salong. The Chinese influence and the history in particular set it apart. Thanks for the inspiration!

Kathrin says

October 4, 2015 at 2:43 am

owww the photos look so beautiful. I especially like the one you took on your sunrise walk 😉 Hope to visit Thailand soon!

LeAnna says

October 4, 2015 at 2:06 am

OMG! I LOOOVE oolong tea! I would go there just for that alone! I actually had no idea that there was such a strong Chinese influence in Thailand (or even just in this region of Thailand), it looks like the combination of cultures would truly be fascinating to experience!

jen says

October 4, 2015 at 12:54 am

That place looks full of quirky little discoveries around every corner – sounds like my kind of place! Looks like you guys fully enjoyed it.

Paula McInerney says

October 4, 2015 at 12:32 am

I haven’t been to Mae Salong, but I do love northern Thailand. I have read about it, and think that the history of the town would be fascinating.

Erica says

October 3, 2015 at 11:03 pm

Ooh I love that abandoned tourist trap with the teacups! I love anything abandoned. My favorite kind to explore!