Adventure Touring in North Thailand - Chiang Mai to Pai

After months of planning and excitement, the most awaited day was here. Fortunately, the previous evening in Chiang Mai gave me this perception that northern Thailand is not as touristy as the islands and beaches of the south. The lesser, the merrier isn't it? And seeing nobody from our sub-continent reaffirmed my belief that we had come to the right place to ride motorcycles ;-)   

Starting from the gorgeous Chiang Mai, the Mae Hong Son Loop is a 700 km journey that takes you through the Mae Hong Son province. While the loop can be tackled in either direction (clockwise is preferred for most because that is a safe bet), we decided to do it anti-clockwise, hitting Pai first, because in extreme steep corners is where the real adventure lie!

Having read extensively about the breathtaking mountain-views that keep getting better, it was now time to experience every bit of it. The morning was humid but beautiful; with each of us determined to turn the extremely windy and uphill ride from Chiang Mai to Pai into one full of adventure. Who wouldn’t love maneuvering a big adventure touring motorcycle for some foot peg-scraping and extreme cornering! (just kidding, we exercised extreme caution while riding!)  

With the luggage deposited, bikes checked and tuned, top cases locked, tanks full and GPS turned on, we left the old city of Chiang Mai via Route 107, also known as the super highway. Taking a left turn after riding for approximately 30 km put us on the iconic Route 1095, full of twisties going all the way to Pai. Route 1095 boasts of 762 daunting turns that come hard and fast, with the mountains and jungles providing for a mesmerizing backdrop.

The three motorcycles!

However, known for not doing things the conventional way, we decided to round off the 762 curves to a 1000 by exploring some extremely scenic places enroute!

1) Mae Sa Elephant Camp

Entering the Mae Sa Elephant Camp

Elephant Show in progress

You gotta see it to believe it!

2) Doi Mon Cham

Doi Mon Cham

Apparently bikes weren't allowed in this people-only zone! Got lucky

3) Ta-Pai World War II memorial bridge

WW2 memorial bridge on the outskirts of Pai

View from the memorial bridge

After almost a 3-hour detour to Mae Sa Elephant camp where we witnessed elephant shows and elephant art and Doi Mon Cham that has some incredible river-views and mountain-ridges, it was almost 2 pm by the time we hit Route 1095 again, with Pai still a good 120 km away.

The beautiful river side cafe inside the camp!

Needless to say, we hit Pai by 4.30 pm. How did we manage to do that? I believe these pictures will do more justice to the sheer magnificence of this highway than my words! 

Too bad the brakes had to be applied at 190 kmph!

Enroute Pai on Route 1095

Who wouldn't fall in love!

Signboard fantasies!!

Well, it was a memorable ride! 

We decided to go to the best place to watch the sun go down over the mountains – the Pai Canyon, a ridge with a valley on either side located about 15 km from the Pai riverside.

Sunset at Pai Canyon

Welcome to Pai! 

The little hippy hamlet of Pai is located in the highlands of Mae Hong Son and boasts of mountain trails, waterfalls and national parks inhabited with abundant wildlife, especially wild elephants. We stayed right by the riverside, with our cottage overlooking the gigantic White Buddha statue on the top of a mountain. The Pai riverside has a particularly laidback and relaxed vibe and it is an easy walk via wooden bridges to different restaurants and bars.

Pai is home to some remarkably creative people who sell their work on the street once the sun goes down, a great way to support local small-scale businesses.

Good vibes

Truly, this is the kind of place where you wish you could build your own house and live forever!

Ride Summary:

Chiang Mai – Mae Sa Elephant Camp – Doi Mon Cham – Ta-Pai Bridge – Pai Canyon – Pai  (210 km approximately)

Some words of caution:

1) Make sure you tank up before starting because gas stations on Route 1095 are very few. You wouldn’t want to be running out of gas on this stretch!

2) Keep a few warm clothes handy because the temperature drops as you keep going higher up the mountains and you can literally feel the wind-chill

3) There is no need to rush the ride. We left at 10.30 am, took at 50 km detour that kept us off the main highway for about 3 hours, but we still made it to Pai well before 5 pm! So, take your time and enjoy the beauty this region has to offer.