5 day bike tour - help me plan it.

[CBR250]

Planning a short 5 day tour from BKK of the North and Central parts.

Day one is straight to Chiang Mai, with a day and night of rest and play after.

Then thinking of up around Pai and down to Mae Hong Song and continue down to Mae Sot or even Umphang.

Then across Sukhothai to P'lok and along Petchabun to Chompae, then back down to BKK.

Like this:

http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Bangkok+Thailand&daddr=Kotchasarn+Rd+to:19.55898,98.1906+to:Mae+Hong+Son+Thailand+to:Mae+Sot+Tak+Thailand+to:Umphang+Tak+Thailand+to:Maliwan+Rd%2FRoute+12%2FAH16+to:Bangkok+Thailand&hl=en&sll=15.24179,100.761108&sspn=2.655018,4.938354&geocode=FRtn0QAdSCX9BSnzYQ0oMmAdMTHHD4uFY4VFNg%3BFVCuHgEd3oXmBQ%3BFURyKgEdCEXaBSkxZNiBbHLQMDGBNkLPxUYDEw%3BFYfnHQEdIGnVBSlvm17gg9naMDEgS4r6xUYDAQ%3BFQ_4_wAdyxriBSltjoE9o73dMDFQd4r6xUYDAw%3BFRtl9AAduobkBSmHRl9JrCLnMDFwd4r6xUYDAw%3BFbx4_AAd7OMVBg%3BFRtn0QAdSCX9BSnzYQ0oMmAdMTHHD4uFY4VFNg&mra=ls&via=2&dirflg=ht&vpsrc="0&z=6

 

[TonyBKK]

My only suggestion- avoid Highway 1- it's rather miserable on a bike. Take the 11 instead- it adds very little to total distance and is a much more pleasant / scenic road.

I hear the MHS loop is in rough shape on account of all the rain, flooding and mudslides- take it easy and have fun!

Happy Trails!

Tony

 

[CBR250]

Thanks, will take the 11 instead.

It will probably be the 1st week in October so hopefully the rainy season will have cleared up a lot by then, but have just read of some terrible reviews of the condition of the raod to MHS and Pai.

Would be a shame to be up there riding and have to miss out on that particular loop.

 

[DavidFL]

1 day up
1 day rest day
1 day back
Doesn't leave a lot.

Day 1: Ride up Bkk -Cnx
Day 2: Rest day Cnx?
Day 3: Cnx - Doi Mae Salong
Day 4: Doi Mae Salong - Doi Tung - Mae Sai - GT - Chiang Rai
Day 5: Return to BKk.

OR
Day 1: Bkk - Sukhothai
Day 2: Sukhothai - Nan
Day 3: Nan R1148 - Chiang Rai
Day 4: Chiang Rai - Tha Ton - Fang - Chiang Mai
Day 5: Chiang Mai - Bkk

OR
Day 1: Bkk - Mae Sot
DAy 2: Mae Sot - Mae Sarieng
Day 3: Mae Sarieng - Pai
Day 4: Pai - Chiang Mai, easy
Day 5: Chiang Mai - Bkk.

Multiple choices & more than likely you will make up your mind on the day, subject to the weather conditions & outlook.

GT Rider Touring Overview
WHERE TO GO:
The best place to go is the one where you enjoy yourself the most - you can only decide this after you've come back. Wherever you go the first time you will enjoy yourself, and there's something wrong with you if you don't. So don't hesitate - get out there and go.
For bikers North Thailand can be conveniently be divided into two areas (1) the Mae Hong Son Loop and (2) the Golden Triangle / Laos border area. But before you head off up-country try some of the excellent day rides & overnight loops from Chiang Mai.
Look at the GT Rider Thailand photo gallery for photos of Thailand's great motorcycle roads and attractions, or the GT Rider Laos photo gallery for hundreds of photos.

THE MAE HONG SON LOOP
The MHS Loop to the west-north-west of Chiang Mai has the best forest cover, narrower more winding roads, less traffic and is less developed than the immediate Golden Triangle area...........

THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE / LAOS BORDER
This area to the north and east of Chiang Mai has more hill tribe villages, more loops and choices of places to go, and is more developed than the Mae Hong Son loop. The Laos border region has the best riding on a road bike and is the least touristed area in the North.
Sport riders don't hesitate to go to Nan, the roads are awesome, & you can't claim to have ridden North Thailand until you have done either of The Doi Phukha loops in Nan.......

WEATHER

Rough rain guide - consider this for predicting where the rain's coming from & where to ride and avoid it. The rain comes from the sea & in North Thailand that means from either;
The Bay of Bengal & Burma way = the west-south-west
The Gulf of Tonkin / China Sea & Vietnam way = east-north-east

So if there’s a lot of rain around you just need to know where it coming from – either the West or the East.

If it’s coming from the west-south-west, then there’s a chance that the further east you go the less chance of rain. So if you’re starting from Chiang Mai then head towards the Laos border & Nan to get a dry ride.
If it’s coming from the east-north-east, then there’s a chance that the further west you go the less chance of rain. So if you’re starting in Chiang Mai then head west towards the Burma border & Mae Sarieng / Mae Hong Son to get a dry ride.

Hope this is a help.

If it is your first time out riding in the North, the tendency is often to try & cover too much distance & not take enough of the scenery & people in. But then if you're coming from Bkk I guess all you want to do is ride without the traffic.

 

[Rod Page]

A very useful & informative post - cant we highlight it in some way to assist others with a similar enquiry in the future? When I clicked on to new posts this morning 3 of the first 5 posts were new-comers looking for similar advice.

 

[DavidFL]

CBR250;270634 wrote:
Would be a shame to be up there riding and have to miss out on that particular loop.

Well if the mini buses are still getting through, so can you on your CBR250.
A few boulders to ride around & a couple of hundred metres of dirt here & there, if you come now, will make it a nice adventure trip, plus greatly improve your riding & bike handling skills I'd say. But if it is October dont worry it will all be different again...:wink:

TRAFFIC & ROADS

......After Wet Season - some of the asphalt roads are potholed, but they are usually repaired within a couple of months

.

 

[hs0zfe]

Fly or take the overnight bus or train, then rent a bike!!

Chris