Tham Lod is a spectacular cave with some weird rock formations, prehistoric coffins and a river running right through it.

The cave can be explored with the aid of local guides who carry oil lamps and take you on bamboo rafts, or for something different, arrange a trip through the cave by kayak organized by Cave Lodge.

What makes Tham Lod so special is the fact that the Nam Lang River flows right through the heart of the cave. Dripping stalactites and stalagmites fill the chambers with a surreal ambiance, helped along by the huge populations of swifts and bats that live inside. It’s worth standing at the entrance at dusk when tens of thousands of swifts return to nest in the cave.

The entrance is reminiscent of a gaping jaw, leading into the first chamber that is about five stories high and 200 meters wide. To go any further, you’ll need to hire a guide and a lantern at the entrance of the cave (150B), as well as a bamboo raft to take you through the cave (300B one way, 400B return). The established tour leads visitors past all the main highlights, each of which is marked with a sign.

A bridge allows you to cross the river to the other side where a small sandy beach is home to boatmen who wait to take adventurous travelers down the river through the cave. Teakwood coffins believed to have been left by the ancient Lawa people have been found deep inside Tham Lod and other neighboring caves.

Tham Lod is nine kilometers northeast of Soppong; take a motorbike taxi or songthaew to get there. The nearest towns to Soppong are Mae Hong Son to the southwest and Pai to the southeast.

Flights run to both towns from Chiang Mai, which is the closest major city and host to an international airport.

Visitors can also rent their own car and drive the winding mountain road to Soppong itself (4 hours), or book at tour with a travel company in Chiang Mai or Pai. Intrepid travelers can hop on the local bus that leaves from Chiang Mai every morning (5 hours).

  • What is it? A massive cave complex in the far north of Thailand.
  • When to go? The dry season between November and February is the best time to experience the subterranean river.
  • Nearest town: Both Mae Hong Son and Pai are about 2 hours away by car.
  • Don’t miss: the ‘Bird show’ in the evening when swarms of swifts return to nest in the cave.
  • Entrance fee: 150B for guide with lantern, 300B-400B for bamboo raft to travel through cave