Su Tong Pae Bamboo Bridge

Su Tong Pae means the bridge of successful wishes. It was built by villagers of Ban Kung Mai Sak with monks from Wat Phu Sama on the hill above, so that the monks could cross the rice fields and the Mae Sa Nga stream on their morning alms round without wading through mud - about five hundred metres of split bamboo laid on bamboo piers, curving over the paddy and the water. It is rebuilt and repaired constantly, since bamboo does not last, and the work is done by the community. Walking it takes ten minutes each way and the surface flexes underfoot. The reason to be there early is the alms round itself: monks cross around dawn and villagers wait on the bridge to offer food, which is the bridge's actual purpose and not a performance. The paddy below is green from August and gold before the November harvest, and bare after it.

What you actually see

• The bamboo span - five hundred metres over paddy and stream, flexing underfoot.
• The alms round - monks crossing at dawn, with villagers offering food.
• The community maintenance - constant rebuilding by the village.
• The paddy seasons - green from August, gold before the November harvest.

When to go

August to November for green fields, November to January for gold. Be there before dawn for the alms round, which is the point of the bridge. After harvest the fields are bare.

Honest expectations

The alms round is a religious observance, not a show - stand back, do not block the monks and do not photograph in their faces. The bamboo flexes and is slippery when wet. Free, with donations for maintenance. Nothing else at the site.

Nearby

Mae Hong Son town is north-east; Pang Oung and Ban Rak Thai are north.