The Golden Triangle Rider

[scotty007]

CHIANG MAI-PAI-MAE HONG SON-KHUN YUAM-MAI SARIANG-HOT-CHIANG MAI

This ride is probably best achieved as a day loop on a big bike, due to the amount of corners, hills, and distance (590KMS)

Started off at 06:30 just as dawn was arriving, the weather was pleasantly cool, with very little traffic.

On the road to Pai it was misty making me pretty cold, until the sun rose, the Pai road can be fairly chopped up in places, especially on the big u bends in the hills, were it can be extremely bumpy, but no dirt stretches, coming into Pai at the bottom of the hills, there is road widening going on, and there can be loose gravel on the road.

Arrived in Pai at 08:30 and stopped for brekky, then onto Mae Hong Son, the road is in very good condition, and has seen a lot of improvements recently, there are 2 bridges still out with dirt diversions around them, and one stretch of hard dirt of about 2KMS around Soppong.

Arrived in Mae Hong Son at 11:10 and had a coffee next to the 7/11 on the main street, then onto Khun Yuam.

The road between Mae Hong Son and Khun Yuam is in very good condition and is fantastic fun, with some excellent fast sweepers that seem to flow together.

Stopped at Khun Yuam for lunch at 12:50 at the Ban Farang, where the owner was lamenting about the amount of business she gets these days.

Then onto Mae Sariang, the road in this section is not so great and there is quite a few road works and one bridge diversion and one long stretch of a hard dirt and tar on dirt after Me La Noi the road surface is good.

Arrived in Mae Sariang at 14:15 at the PTT petrol station with the 7/11, refueled, had a drink.

Then onto Hot, and I have to say it was starting to get a bit hot, the road surface through to Hot is generally good, with a few of the faster sections being a bit bumpy.

Arrived in Hot at 15:35, stopped for a drink, then onto to Chiang Mai, the road is pretty good, and opens up to 2 lanes divided after Chom Thong, arrived in Chiang Mai at 16:55[]