Adventure Touring in North Thailand - Pai to Mae Hong Son

Day 1 of our ride from Chiang Mai to Pai had been spectacular, thanks to some impeccable roads and beautiful mountains, national parks and waterfalls. Most importantly, the discipline and road sense of locals and tourists alike made our ride extremely enjoyable and stress-free.

Even though completing the Mae Hong Son loop was definitely on our mind (well, that is what we were here for!), I had prepared the itinerary mindful of the fact that any and every place worth seeing enroute was not to be missed. Even though the main towns on the Mae Hong Son loop are Pai, Mae Hong Son and Mae Sariang, we felt it made no sense to just ride and munch miles for the sake of checking the loop off the list! If we were to cover everything enroute, it obviously meant too many detours. However, it did not really matter at all as long as we were all having fun.

This day was going to be long and exciting because of many exciting places that we were scheduled to ride to before we reached our final destination. We had anticipated a long day and hence left Pai at 8.30 am, with a stopover for breakfast at the small, charming town of Pang Mapha, also called Soppong, about 45 km from Pai. The road to Soppong is extremely windy and steep, but the smooth and sweeping curves make it a gorgeous ride. A massive mountain pass midway between Pai and Soppong provides a beautiful view of the mountains of Chiang Mai state.

At the high mountain pass between Pai and Soppong

View of the Mountains at a pass between Pai and Soppong

Having read a lot of positive reviews about Soppong River Inn, that was 100% going to be our breakfast halt. A beautiful riverside café that stands tall on bamboo cantilevers, the flowing muddy river is a treat to hear and watch as your breakfast is getting ready!  

The main attraction at Soppong is the famous Tham Lod Cave, a massive cave that can be explored on a bamboo raft! A running stream with loads of fishes chasing you make it an adventurous ride to the farthest cave. For the locals here, tourists are their only source of livelihood. And rightly so, the government has made it mandatory to take along a guide, who knows each minute detail of the cave inside out. Though it took us almost a couple of hours to check out all the three sections within the cave, the visit was well worth it!

The entrance of Lod

Entering Lod Caves

You can see the bamboo rafts down there!

The majestic Lod Caves

After a lovely visit to Tham Lod caves is where the weather took an ugly turn. It started raining and we were caught totally off guard. We were totally unprepared for showers because January and February are considered dry months in this part of Thailand. Hence, we did not carry any rain gear along with our usual motorcycle kit. Nevertheless, we decided to keep moving towards our next destination, Ban Rak Thai, a good 90 km away, in the hope that it would eventually stop raining.

Rain rain go away! Enroute Ban Rak Thai in rains

Loads of caves and waterfalls enroute!

About 20 km before Mae Hong Son, a right turn at a fork will put you on the road to Mae Aw or Ban Rak Thai, a small Chinese outpost village at the Thai-Myanmar border. While chalking out the itinerary, I had read that the scenery along the route will feel reminiscent of medieval China with tea plantations on both sides surrounded by thick dark green forests. Well, the last 25 km were exactly like what I had read! 

Customary picture with the signboard

Clicking pictures at the Thai-side before crossing over into Myanmar!

Entering Shan State (Burma)

And we were inside Shan State or Myanmar or Burma or whatever you call it!

When you move further on, you will be enamored by the views the serene lake offers, realizing that your effort has been absolutely worth it. Get yourself a cup of Oolong Tea and some locally grown dry-fruits as you soak in the tranquility! 

Small border town of Ban Rak Thai

The beautiful lake at Ban Rak Thai

Well, the rain Gods had decided not to show any mercy on us or so it felt! Here we were at Ban Rak Thai, already drenched, when it started raining again! It was 4:30 pm when we started sipping our teas and with another 140 km to go till Mae Sariang, we decided to halt at Mae Hong Son, 35 km from Ban Rak Thai and continue the ride the next day! 

Welcome to Mae Hong Son province

This decision of ours turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because we managed to find our best accommodation in North Thailand- an exotic fully furnished villa with secure parking! In stark contrast to the nearby Chiang Mai and Pai, the houses and temples in the town center of Mae Hong Son have notable Shan-state style influence, obviously because of its proximity to the Burmese border. (By the way, the armed groups at the Ban Rak Thai border check post preferred to call themselves citizens of Shan State and not Myanmar!)

Regarded as the most mountainous province in Thailand and famous for its untouched beauty and rugged wilderness, Mae Hong Son is indeed spectacular! One of the many places where some introspection makes you contemplate how amazing your passion for travelling indeed is! Because these are the kind of places you would never have come to otherwise!

Riding Distances:-

1) Pai- Soppong: 45 km

2) Soppong – Lod Caves: 11 km

3) Lod Caves- Ban Rak Thai: 90 km

4) Ban Rak Thai – Ban Phumon Talang (Mae Hong Son): 50 km

Stay tuned as we visit Thailand's highest motorable road the next day!

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.

Adventure Touring in North Thailand - A prelude

Two of the best riding routes in Southeast Asia (perhaps even the world) await you! Is that a big statement to make? Yes, but now that I have done it, seems 100% true!

A motorcycle ride across North Thailand’s incredible roads was on top of my list ever since I returned from my ride to the Himalayas in July. What started as a desire to celebrate my 26th birthday doing something I loved doing most - motorcycling through the mountains of North Thailand, ended being one of the most memorable 10 days of my life. As I write this, the famed Mae Hong Son Loop and Golden Triangle stand checked off the wishlist!

Being my first international ride, every aspect of the ride was planned meticulously (in stark contrast with my rides here in India, where most things are unplanned!). Finally, as 2018 began, it was time to embark on the first ride of the new year.

The Crew – 

Since we had booked separate flights from Mumbai to Bangkok and from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, we had to get our passports stamped at Bangkok, collect our luggage and check-in to our second flight. Our connecting flight was within 1.5 hours of landing in Bangkok and understanding our situation, a lady-officer told us to go straight to the express counter, which also had a queue and token system. Luckily, for us, helpful folks ensured there was no token, no queue and no extra fees and 5 minutes is all it took to get our Visas and passport stamped!

  

Note: - In case you fly the same airline all the way to Chiang Mai, you can get your Visa on arrival at Chiang Mai too!

The straightttttttt highway as seen while landing in Bangkok!

As we landed in Chiang Mai, the second biggest city in Thailand, we saw lots of amazing sounding tuk-tuk’s (local auto rickshaw) and motorbikes all around that made us feel we had indeed arrived at the right place! 

Welcome to Chiang Mai! A beautiful sight with those mountains in the background

Getting used to some MotoGP style rickshaw drivers!

We checked into our hotel and headed straight to collect our motorcycles that were booked 3 months in advance ;-)

With Pop, you can immediately tell by the vibe of the place that he is one of the most genuine people around in the business and for good reason is widely regarded as one of the best by everybody in Chiang Mai.

With the man himself, Pop!

Big Bikes for the ride – 2 Suzuki VStrom 650 (2017) and 1 Yamaha FJ09 (2016)

2016 Yamaha FJ09

2017 Suzuki VStrom 650

We collected our motorcycles and headed straight to our hotel, getting a hang of our motorcycles and the different settings and controls. Kept our luggage at Pop’s place who offered to take care of our belongings. We transferred the essential luggage into the top case mounted on each of the three bikes. With this, we were ready to rock the majestic mountains of Northern Thailand!

Though Day 1 was full of travel, it was a relaxed affair with lots to look forward to from next morning, when the actual ride would start.

I have detailed out some specific logistical information that will help anyone who plans to ride this circuit in the future-

Reaching Chiang Mai – 

Air Asia, Lion Air and other airlines operate multiple flights daily to Chiang Mai from Bangkok, so getting here is extremely convenient.

Visa Issuance- 

Effective Sep 1, 2017, the Thai tourist Visa costs THB 2000 (payable only in Thai currency and in cash) and issued on arrival for a period of 15 days.

Documents required-

1) Arrival Card (available at the airport)

2) Valid Passport

3) Valid hotel/apartment address in Thailand that can be verified (hotel booking printouts work just fine)

4) Confirmed return ticket to show that you will be flying out of Thailand within 15 days of entry

5) Atleast THB 10,000 cash per person that serves as proof that you have the necessary funds for stay in Thailand

Motorcycle Rentals in Chiang Mai –

There are tons of motorbike rental shops in Chiang Mai. You can rent out all kinds of bikes, scooters and cars depending on your budget and comfort. As for us, we rented our motorcycles from Pop Big Bikes, situated in the heart of Chiang Mai. This guy has an amazing collection of motorcycles and is considered the best in Chiang Mai. Though more expensive than every other motorcycle rental shop out there, the bikes he owns are in top-notch condition, very well maintained, periodically serviced and look brand new. Riding gear too can be rented, but we carried our own helmet, riding jacket, gloves and touring boots.

POP Big Bikes for Rent

Scooters, Bikes, Superbikes, you name it and he has it!

What an incredible number of bikes this guy has!

Cost – 

Having booked the motorcycles for a week, we got these amazing motorcycles at a discounted price of THB 1700 per day for the VStrom and THB 2000 per day for the FJ09. Good things here is that rentals here apply for 24 hours, not just during daylight! 

Insurance- 

Even though the bikes come with third party insurance, you are expected to pay up for damages in the event of a crash or fall. Therefore, it is wise to ride responsibly and with proper riding gear on.

Unlike the scenario with most renters, Pop Big Bikes is absolutely okay even you return the motorbike with an empty tank! No hassles of checking the fuel level at all, which is a huge relief. As there is no dearth of scamsters in India, I have this habit of capturing a video by slowing moving across the bike from front to back. This essentially is a recording of the scratches on the bike, if any, and is a lifesaver in case there are issues while returning the bike! Again, nothing of this sort ever happened. Both, renting and returning the motorcycles, were hassle-free.

Deposit –

You will be asked to leave either your original passport or a THB 10,000 as a deposit if you are renting a superbike. There are no two ways about it. Photocopies DO NOT work. You will get a scanned copy of your passport (that also displays the visa stamp). In case you do get pulled over by cops, this is the copy you are expected to possess and show. Luckily enough, such a situation never arose for us! Additionally, no International Driving Permit (IDP) is required to ride in Thailand so your Indian DL will suffice.

Gasoline – 

Well, nobody understands “Petrol” but they sure know what gasoline means. You will see gas stations everywhere and gas is extremely cheap (91 octane fuel costs about 29 THB per litre)

Stay tuned for the next few posts, where I will take you through each day of our incredibly exhilarating journey!!

Saluting our heroes at the highest battlefield in the world!

Today, July 26 or Kargil Vijay Divas, marks 18 years of India’s successful capture of all the outposts lost to intruders and the resulting victory over Pakistan in the Kargil War, a high altitude war along the mountain peaks near the Line of Control that divides the beautiful state of Kashmir between the two countries. This full-fledged military showdown between the two countries erupted after infiltrators from Pakistan were detected by local shepherds taking control of hills in the Indian Territory. 


The difficult terrain of the region limited the extent of engagement with heavy artillery shelling by the enemy on National Highway NH 1D that cuts through Dras and Kargil. The area that witnessed the infiltration is a 160 km long stretch overlooking this only road linking Srinagar and Leh. Even today, the wall that was built by the Indian Army to assist vehicles and help them avoid being targeted by the enemy still stands! Yes, the Srinagar-Leh highway on which thousands of tourists travel every summer was directly in the vision of the enemy. There is a signboard here which reads something like this:

"You are under enemy observation"

To put things in perspective, Kargil is just 170 odd kms from the Pakistani town of Skardu, which provided logistical and artillery support to Pakistani combatants during the war. And Batalik is right there, at the border, about 60 kms from Kargil towards Skardu. So that’s as close as you can get! 

Last Indian outpost in Batalik!

The town of Dras is primarily known to most people because of the Kargil war. It is indeed unsettling when you walk through the streets here and see the mountains right in front where a fierce war was fought. Considered as the gateway to Ladakh, Dras is situated about 142 kms from Srinagar at an altitude of 11000 feet and directly faces the northern areas across the LOC. 

Welcome to Drass! 

The small town of Drass- in the background

What makes this victory even more impressive is the fact that with well-prepared defensive posts atop these mountain peaks, the enemy enjoyed advantages of having a bird’s eye view and the Indian army’s difficulties were just exacerbated by the high altitude and freezing temperatures of the terrain. A board declaring Drass to be the second coldest inhabited place on earth (Siberia being the first) greets you. 

Approaching the town of Dras

10 kms after Dras is the location of the Kargil War Memorial, and a visit to this ground is extremely painful and disturbing and makes you as angry and emotional as you can get. The huge tricolor swaying high, against the Tololing mountain range is sure to give everyone goosebumps! A humbling visit it has been indeed, both the times that I have been here.

Batra Transit Camp, enroute Drass- the board in the background also provides a reference to the lowest temperature ever recorded- minus 60 degrees! 

 

Proud of our soldiers! The tricolour looks gorgeous! 

The flame that burns continuously with a soldier guarding it- in memory of the shaheed jawans of Operation Vijay

 

Goosebumps- a tribute to every soldier who lost his life

No need to caption that!

Tiger Hill, the highest and the most famous mountain peak of this region is clearly visible from here.

The historic Tiger Hill in the background

Now you realize why I intentionally chose to keep the pictures of the war memorial out of my previous post! Saved it for the right occasion, and nothing better than today!

Jai Hind! :)