Online booking is not offered for this Hostel. Contact them for availability and reservations (any contact info we have is listed below).
Please see Soppong for other available Soppong hostels and accommodations.
Please see Soppong for other available Soppong hostels and accommodations.
The Hostelz.com Review
Cave Lodge is really more of an experience than a place to stay. It's far enough off the beaten track that it takes a wee effort to get here, but once you arrive you find a wealth of exploring waiting for you in the surrounding caves and mountains.
The Location
Between the towns of Pai and Mae Hong Son lies Soppong. Disembarking from a bus here, walk to the motorbike taxi stand and jump on the back for the nine-kilometer ride -- all the drivers know Cave Lodge. They very kindly stashed our big packs in front of them, so just hang on with your second little backpack if you've got one. Cave Lodge is located beside a Shan village -- one of many ethnic minority groups in Thailand, these people are refugees from Burma and live very simply.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The dorm and basic private rooms are very much a local experience -- made nearly entirely of bamboo, they have raised platforms with bedding and a large mosquito net to keep you bite-free. You are basically camping in a structure -- it's still open to the air. Unfortunately the humidity gets to the bedding and it smells a bit moldy. The nicer private rooms have their own bathrooms and make for a more controlled environment. You can stash your valuables at the front-of-house safe.
The shared bathrooms are outside and have either Western or squat toilets. No toilet paper provided. There are several showers, the one in the sauna building has hot water. On a hot day a cold shower's kind of nice. Overall, the outside bathrooms are akin to a campground's facilities -- no luxury here, but the price reflects that. They are reasonably clean.
Common Spaces
The main building contains the dorms; restaurant (medium-cost for the area and no cook-for-yourself option); several seating areas; a fire pit; a ping-pong table; and books, including John the owner's memoirs about running the lodge and exploring local caves for the last several decades. There is no TV or internet. At night it's quite peaceful, at least in the rainy season when there were few travelers passing through. During high season the lodge gets full, but they promise they'll find you a place to stay, even if it's curling up beside the fire. There is a very friendly cat and a young puppy.
Activities
Although guests have been known to stay long-term, it's usually the geographical surroundings that captivate their interest. Within easy walking distance is the biggest cave in the area, you can take a bamboo raft down the river that runs through the cave and on the far side at dusk hundreds of black-tailed swifts and bats swarm around the cave entrance in the daily "bird show." Cave Lodge runs several day trips exploring caves in the region by foot and kayak (most with require four people to sign up).
Summary
The Cave Lodge experience is a bit isolated and rustic, so if you're tired of the city it's a great bet. There weren't many people during our September visit, and we think it's a lot livelier and more fun when the tourist season picks up.
The Location
Between the towns of Pai and Mae Hong Son lies Soppong. Disembarking from a bus here, walk to the motorbike taxi stand and jump on the back for the nine-kilometer ride -- all the drivers know Cave Lodge. They very kindly stashed our big packs in front of them, so just hang on with your second little backpack if you've got one. Cave Lodge is located beside a Shan village -- one of many ethnic minority groups in Thailand, these people are refugees from Burma and live very simply.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The dorm and basic private rooms are very much a local experience -- made nearly entirely of bamboo, they have raised platforms with bedding and a large mosquito net to keep you bite-free. You are basically camping in a structure -- it's still open to the air. Unfortunately the humidity gets to the bedding and it smells a bit moldy. The nicer private rooms have their own bathrooms and make for a more controlled environment. You can stash your valuables at the front-of-house safe.
The shared bathrooms are outside and have either Western or squat toilets. No toilet paper provided. There are several showers, the one in the sauna building has hot water. On a hot day a cold shower's kind of nice. Overall, the outside bathrooms are akin to a campground's facilities -- no luxury here, but the price reflects that. They are reasonably clean.
Common Spaces
The main building contains the dorms; restaurant (medium-cost for the area and no cook-for-yourself option); several seating areas; a fire pit; a ping-pong table; and books, including John the owner's memoirs about running the lodge and exploring local caves for the last several decades. There is no TV or internet. At night it's quite peaceful, at least in the rainy season when there were few travelers passing through. During high season the lodge gets full, but they promise they'll find you a place to stay, even if it's curling up beside the fire. There is a very friendly cat and a young puppy.
Activities
Although guests have been known to stay long-term, it's usually the geographical surroundings that captivate their interest. Within easy walking distance is the biggest cave in the area, you can take a bamboo raft down the river that runs through the cave and on the far side at dusk hundreds of black-tailed swifts and bats swarm around the cave entrance in the daily "bird show." Cave Lodge runs several day trips exploring caves in the region by foot and kayak (most with require four people to sign up).
Summary
The Cave Lodge experience is a bit isolated and rustic, so if you're tired of the city it's a great bet. There weren't many people during our September visit, and we think it's a lot livelier and more fun when the tourist season picks up.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
September 2008
Cave Lodge Details
(To add or correct information for this listing, please use the Listing Update Form.)
Location/Contact| Address | 15 Moo 1, Pang Mapa, Mae Hong Son, Soppong, Thailand |
| Website | cavelodge.com |
| Telephone | +66 053 617203 |
| Fax | +66 053 617203 |
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Hostelz.com Guest Reviews
