Soppong Guesthouses, Lodges and Inns
Ask us, where to stay in Soppong, and we won’t hesitate a second to share the best address there.
If you read the other sections already, you probably noticed that we mentioned Cave Lodge quite a lot. This is our main recommendation and not only because their tours are the best in town. This long time running guesthouse offers a big variety of accommodation ranging from dormitories, to basic bungalows with shared bathroom to more private and bigger bungalows with attached toilet. Everything is built with natural material (mainly teak) and bungalows are beautifully scattered around the forest and up on the hill, all facing the river.
The restaurant and common area has a charming open fire place which will keep you warm during cold December nights and it’s a perfect spot for solo travellers to meet other people and share tips and experiences. They also offer herbal steam sauna and massage services as a perfect ending to a long exploring day.
The restaurant has good variety of food, both Thai, Shan and Western, and wood fire oven will be used to bake delicious homemade bread and muffins. Prices are THB180 for a bed in the dorm, THB300 for the basic bungalows and THB400/800 for the nicer/family ones. Cave Lodge is open all year round and no reservation is needed. To get there take a motorbike taxi at the bus station – or rather the bus stop – or follow the indication to Tham Lod if you have your bike. It’s located in Baan Tham, 8 km away from the main road in Soppong.
If you decide to sleep in Soppong proper, 200 m towards Pai from 7/11 you will find Baan Lek Guesthouse. They offer two quite basic rooms with shared bathroom and hot shower at THB350. Choose the one upstairs, made of bamboo and with a nice covered porch to chill out in the evening.
What makes your staying in this place worth it, is the attached restaurant, Busaba. The two sisters owning and running it, are passionate about Thai organic food. Most of the herbs, spices and vegetables that they use in the kitchen come from their farm and even the simplest Thai dishes will taste just better. Few years ago they also started the cultivation of Arabic coffee and they’re planning to offer soon local organic coffee too.
Just few hundred meters past the bus station coming from Pai there is the Soppong River Inn, where a beautiful garden surrounds chalet-style accommodations facing the Lang River. This is the closest thing to an upscale type accommodation you can get in Soppong.
They offer quite a wide variety of solutions, but all the rooms, regardless they call them cottage, hut, bamboo or whatever, are nice, well decorated and beautifully designed. All the units have a minibar, TV (free DVD rental is available), free Wi-Fi and complementary coffee and tea. A nice terrace right on the river is the perfect spot to watch the sunset. Depending on the room type, size and location prices vary from THB700 to THB1200.
The attached restaurant, Seven Elephants Cafe, sitting at the top of the hill in a quite scenic location, is widely considered to be the best in town. A bit pricey compared to other guesthouses, but the food is excellent and the ambience is pleasant, and they also have an extensive wine and cocktail list. The menu offers Shan specialties along with Thai and Western food. Open all day for breakfast, lunch and dinner it is a good one to stop for a meal or just a beer even if you’re not staying in the River Inn. To get there walk 500 m from the bus station or, if you have a reservation, they’ll organize to pick you up when you arrive.
