Loops & Overnight Trips:

(Faster Day Rides For The Serious Biker )

DOI INTHANON / MAE CHAEM - 267 kms return. See map.  Routes 108, 1009, 1192, 1088 & 108. A ride to the highest mountain in Thailand. For the more serious biker, this is a brilliant one day big bike ride, going Chiang Mai - Hot - Mae Chaem - Doi Inthanon - Chiang Mai. All roads are good winding motorcycle roads, except for route 108 Chiang Mai - Chomthong which is a bit boring; but route # 1122 from Doi Inthanon - Mae Chaem is one of the most exciting roads in North Thailand (best ridden going up from Mae Chaem - Doi Inthanon.) If you have the time, this loop is better with an overnight stay in Mae Chaem, as this allows time to enjoy the big waterfalls and fantastic scenery on Inthanon, the highest mountain in Thailand.

The Doi Inthanon / Mae Chaem area also has the best trail bike riding in North Thailand. On an overnight trip go in the opposite direction to that recommended for the day trip. The recommended route for an overnight trip then is, Chiang Mai - Chomthong - Doi Inthanon - Mae Chaem - Hot - Chiang Mai. Night time in Mae Chaem is extremely quiet, but getting there by motorcycle is exciting enough!

PHAYAO - 380 kms return via Chiang Rai or 400 kms return via Lampang. See map.
Routes 118, 120, 1 & 118. Chiang Mai - Phayao is a great ride over 2 lots of mountains. Phayao is a pretty town beside a large lake. The road Wang Nua - Phayao has magnificent forest cover and beautiful panoramic views of the Phayao lake. Wat Si Khom Kham by the lake in Phayao has some bizarre statues of life in Buddhist hell to bewilder the farang, and is highly recommended for a look.

Night time in Phayao is nice with lots of restaurants beside the lake, to eat and drink at and watch the sun go down in a relaxed atmosphere.
 

The recommended route to Phayao is Chiang Mai - Mae Kachan - Wang Nua - Phayao; but there are three choices back from Phayao:

1. Phayao - Chiang Rai - Wiang Pa Pao - Chiang Mai, the northern route.
2. Phayao - Ngao - Lampang - Chiang Mai, the southern route.
3. Phayao - Wang Nua - Lampang - Chiang Mai, the indirect route

We prefer to return to Chiang Mai via the northern route Phayao - Chiang Rai - Wiang Pa Pao - Chiang Mai. The recommended stop on this route is Charin Garden / Coffee shop on route # 118, 15.3 kms south of the T junction of routes # 1 & 118 / 6 kms north of Mae Suai. The best coffee & home made cakes & pies in North Thailand!

CHIANG RAI - 470 kms. See Map. Routes 107, 10891, & 118. The route Chiang Mai - Fang - Tha Ton - Doi Mae Salong / Mae Chan - Chiang Rai - Wiang Pa Pao - Chiang Mai. Routes no. 107 / 1089 or 1130 / 1 / 118.
For the serious biker, this is possible as a one day BLT ride - breakfast in Tha Ton, lunch in Chiang Rai and tea back in Chiang Mai. Done in a day this is a fantastic ride, but if you have the time it is better with an overnight stop in Chiang Rai. 
The Chiang Rai loop is best ridden in a clockwise direction from Chiang Mai - Tha Ton - Chiang Rai. From Tha Ton there are two choices, the long way via Doi Mae Salong & route 1130 or the short way via Mae Chan & route 1089. The Mae Salong way is 20 kms longer, steeper and more winding for approximately 1 1/4 hrs extra riding; the Mae Chan way is faster and less winding, but still a great winding motorcycle road. Return to Chiang Mai direct via Wiang Pa Pao, or with a night in Chiang Rai return the long way via Phayao - Wang Nua - Mae Kachan - Chiang Mai. 

Recommended drink / eat stops are (1) Chiang Dao Hill resort, on 107, 100 kms north of Chiang Mai), (2) Apples at Tha Ton 175.7 kms north of Chiang Mai, (3) Chiang Rai town and (4) Charin Garden resort on 118, 37.6 kms south of Chiang Rai / 137.9 kms north of Chiang Mai. Charin Garden Resort has the best coffee / cakes and pies in North Thailand – don’t miss out! 

But better again for this Chiang Rai trip, is to make it a 4 or 5 a day ride around the Golden Triangle area. (For more info see A Motorcycle Touring Guide To The Golden Triangle).

PHRAE - 490 kms. See map. Routes 11, 1023, 101, 103, 1, 120 & 118. The route is Chiang Mai - Lampang - Long - Phrae - Ngao - Phayao - Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai - Lampang - Phrae is an easy half day ride, which allows time to look around Phrae. It has some lovely Shan / Burmese style temples and the famous all teak wood house / museum Ban Pra Tub Jai, which is well worth a look. The return Phrae - Ngao - Phayao - Chiang Mai is a longer 290 kms ride. Stop for lunch in Phayao beside the lake, with time to look at Wat Si Khom Kham Chom by the lake (see # 2 Phayao Loop.) 

NAN - 650 kms. See map. Routes 11, 1023, 101, 1091, 1021, 1, 120 & 118. The route is Chiang Mai - Lampang - Phrae - Nan - Chiang Muan - Phayao - Wang Nua - Mae Kachan - Chiang Mai. This is a longer and great bike ride for the keener motorcyclist. 

Chiang Mai - Lampang - Phrae - Nan is smooth fast winding asphalt, with Phrae - Nan especially an excellent ride. The return route Nan - Chiang Muan - Phayao - Chiang Mai is also great riding; the roads may not be as smooth, but the winding roads Nan - Chiang Muan - Phayao are almost deserted.

Nan - Chiang Muan is a particularly great winding ride. 
Spend a night in Nan at the Dhevaraj hotel, one of the better value hotels in North Thailand. But better still spend 2 nights in Nan and do the Doi Phukha loop, the most spectacular asphalt road / ride in North Thailand! It can be included in an even longer loop including Chiang Kham and Chiang Khong from Chiang Mai.

For more info see A Motorcycle Touring Guide To The Golden Triangle.  Tip Pua: Coming from Chiang Mai / the West, overnight in Pua & start your DP loop from here. Pua is just 100 metres from the R1256 turn off & this gives you the most time for the loop, leaving open options for either the full northern loop, or the shorter southern loop. In Pua stay at the Chomphu Phukha Resort right in town. Highly recommended as the best most spectacular ride in North Thailand, especially when combined with route 1148, North Thailand's best motorcycle road! Nan has the best roads for sport / road bike riders in North Thailand - their are heaps of awesome ones along the rolling hills of Nan province. Don't miss 'em if you like yourself as a sporty road rider.

DOI ANG KHANG - 330 kms. See map. Routes 107 - 1178 - 1340 - 1249 - 107. The recommended route is Chiang Mai - Chiang Dao - Arunothai - Sinchai - Doi Ang Khang - Nor Lae - Fang - Chiang Mai. This is the number one overnight ride from Chiang Mai, and only recommended for experienced riders. The Doi Ang Khang roads are all narrow and winding, as well as being the steepest in North Thailand! If you want to exhilarate yourself on amazing roads that run along the Burma border with spectacular scenery then do yourself a favour and try this one for a brilliant overnight ride. The 4kms descent from Nor Lae towards Fang is extremely steep and totally amazing - how & why do they build roads like this that drop straight off the end of the mountain?

Do the DAK loop & spend the night in Fang (or even Tha Ton), before returning to Chiang Mai, or carrying on North to the Golden Triangle. For full details see A Motorcycle Guide To The Golden Triangle pages 46-49 & 58-59. Note too that the Nor Lae - Nong Tao - Fang road is now ALL asphalt, (contrary to the dirt status described on P59.)

THE MAE SARIENG LOOP - 520 kms. See Map. Routes 108 - 1009 - 1192 - 1263 - 108. The recommended way is Chiang Mai - Doi Inthanon - Mae Chaem - Khun Yuam - Mae Sarieng - Chiang Mai. This is an excellent "fast-ish" flowing ride, good for Karen hill tribes, the highest mountain in Thailand, and some of the best forest cover. Mae Sarieng is one of the quieter, but cleanest, best signposted towns in North Thailand with some lovely guest house accommodation over looking the Mae Yuam river. The highlights of this ride are R1009 up the highest mountain in Thailand, R1192 one of the tightest narrowest winding roller coaster roads in the North, R1263 all steep & winding often “swooping” asphalt thru some of the best forest cover in the North, R108 Khun Yuam – Mae Sarieng rolling undulating twisting smooth asphalt. R1263 & 108 are also good for Karen hill tribes. 
A night in the fresh clean air of Mae Sarieng is also very relaxing.
Before returning to Chiang Mai, from Mae Sarieng ride out to Mae Sam Laep & the Salween river / Burma border for a look. The road R1194 here is 46 kms of steep tight very winding often bumpy asphalt through good forest. Allow a minimum of 4 hrs return for this trip. 

In Mae Sarieng stay at either the Riverhouse Resort / Riverhouse Guesthouse / Riverside Ghouse. Eat at one of the river side restaurants & then drink at the downstairs Pakayor bar of the Riverhouse Resort. The girls managing the bar are cute, fun & like to practice their English.