Green Trails Blogs
Ban Jabo, Village of the Sea of Clouds
Nov
Ban Jabo on the Mae Hong Son Loop
Ban Jabo is a Black Lahu village on the Mae Hong Son Loop, just off the road no 1095 from Pai to the town of Mae Hong Son. The location is spectacular and the views of the mountains of Thailand and Myanmar are magnificent. This village used to be an unvisited backwater until about 10 years ago when Thai vloggers, bloggers magazines and other local tourism influencers discovered Ban Jabo. For most tourists, the village is a brief stop on the way from Pai to Mae Hong Son, but to enjoy the main attraction of Ban Jabo you stay overnight. There is a variety of small homestays and restaurants.
The Sea of Clouds
What is the attraction of Ban Jabo? That is the “Sea of Clouds“, which is a natural phenomenon. It is an overcast layer of clouds that resembles an ocean. If mountain peaks rise about the clouds, it looks like a sea with islands. This view is at its most beautiful just before sunrise. We spent an overnight there in a homestay in 2018, which was interesting to say the least. Ban Jabo consists of two rows of houses with one side limestone cliffs and on the other side spectacular views.
The signature dish of Ban Jabo is a bowl of noodles, which you consume with a cup of coffee, admiring the view. The Black Lahu people have fantastic traditional dress which you can rent for taking pictures or selfies.
The village of Jabo
Some of the Black Lahu villagers have cashed in on the tourism boom and established coffee shops from where you can observe the “sea of clouds” just before sunrise. They have made a special seating area that allows your legs to bungle freely, the so-called “swinging legs” café. The name “Jabo”, by the way, is a household first name of the Lahu people, like “John” in English. Other typical Lahu names are Ja-eu, Ja-thi, Ja-oo and so on. Ban Jabo means the village of Jabo. The Black Lahu people are also known as “Muser Dam”.
The Black Lahu people have beautiful traditional dress which is on display and for sale in shops. You can also rent a costume for a small fee and dress up as a Muser Dam.
How to get to Ban Jabo
As far as I know, there is no public transportation to Ban Jabo in Pang Ma Pha district, Mae Hong Son province. You might want to take a public bus or songtaew from Pai to Mae Hong Son and hop off at the intersection of Ban Jabo. From there it is about 3 km by foot to the first houses of the village, but you might be able to hitch a ride.
