Planning a trip {single senior male} to Mae Hong Son. Any helpful advise would be appreciated.

Rent a bike/car and go via Pai, Mae Sariang and Doi Inthanon-Chom Thong. If you're not keen on doing it yourself, consider public transport to Pai/Mae Hong Son and then fly back to CM, or vice versa. You can walk to hotels/town from MHS airport. Fern Resort is a nice place just south of the town if you fancy some peace and quiet, though has got pricey over the years. There's a nice, hilly, lakeside town north of MHS that is worth a visit. Bit of a KMT outpost as I recall.

Prepare for cool nights this time of year.

Dress for cool weather.

Rent a bike/car and go via Pai, Mae Sariang and Doi Inthanon-Chom Thong. If you're not keen on doing it yourself, consider public transport to Pai/Mae Hong Son and then fly back to CM, or vice versa. You can walk to hotels/town from MHS airport. Fern Resort is a nice place just south of the town if you fancy some peace and quiet, though has got pricey over the years. There's a nice, hilly, lakeside town north of MHS that is worth a visit. Bit of a KMT outpost as I recall.

Prepare for cool nights this time of year.

I presume you mean via Pai, Mae Sariang OR Chom Thong-Inthanon (and then-Mae Chaem-Khun Yuam). It would be quite a trek to go via all of them.

Also, OP, walk up the hill to Wat Kong Mu to see the sunset over the town. Try the great Kai Mook restaurant round the corner from Fern (Restaurant, not the resort) and of course spend plenty of time exploring round the lake temples.

My preference would be to follow 108 WSW out of Chiang Mai and follow it up to Mae Hong Son. 1 The road is better, 2. It is not as cold 3. Pai is useless.

My preference would be to follow 108 WSW out of Chiang Mai and follow it up to Mae Hong Son. 1 The road is better, 2. It is not as cold 3. Pai is useless.

Good point.