By road
By road
Route 1095 isn't as bad as people make it out to be. There isn't much traffic and you can hear the cars and trucks coming. If you're a little adventurous, rent a motorcycle in Chiang Mai and make the ride up to Pai. You can stop at the waterfalls and small towns along the way, and you'll really enjoy the trip, as opposed to being motion sick in a bus for hours, and being forced to stop at the driver's friends restaurants. Make sure to take some warmer clothing on your bike, as it tends to get a bit chilly in the higher portions of the ride. As a novice rider, expect the trip to take around 5 or 6 hours, including stops at sites and restaurants along the way. aYa Service (http://www.ayaservice.com) offers one way rentals from Chiang Mai to Pai or vice versa with luggage delivery for free as of May 2010. They will keep your passport and send it along with any baggage to aYa in Pai.
By road
Route 1095 which connects Pai with Mae Hong Son 50 km as the crow flies, but approx. 110 km by road and Chiang Mai 135 km is a very scenic route through the mountains which takes several hours but worth it. It's a steep and windy drive, with lots of curves, so take a plastic bag and some motion-sickness pills if you need them.
By plane
The nearest domestic airport is in Pai. Kan Airlines (http://www.kanairlines.com) operate one or more daily flights between Chiang Mai and Pai, depending on the season. Flying time is 25 minutes. Passengers can make reservations and purchase tickets through the airlines' websites, their call centres or with a travel agent.
By train
The nearest train station is at Chiang Mai.