Tham Lod Cave (Mae Hong Son)

Tham Lod is a cave system located in Pang Mapha District, Mae Hong Son Province. It is a popular stop as it breaks up the journey on the winding mountain road between Pai and the open valley of Mae Hong Son City.

You will also see the names Tham Nam Lod, Nam Lod Cave etc. used interchangeably on maps and signage.

Lod => the name of the river (proper noun)
Nam => water (generally), or small river (in context)
Nam Lod => Lod River
Tham => Cave
Tham Lod (or Tham Nam Lod) => Cave on the Lod river.

Exploring Tham Lod Cave

In addition to national park entry fees, you need to pay for a local guide service. As part of this service, the guide brings along a lamp and takes you into the cave on a bamboo raft.

Bamboo rafting in the near darkness is an interesting sensation. Once into the true dark of the cave, you step off the bamboo raft and admire the cave formations by lamp-light.