Iconic Roads of Northern Thailand

[ZCM]

This report takes you through some of the most iconic roads in Northern Thailand.

Road Condition:
Paved and mostly smooth, but some broken up / pothole sections
The Ride: GOOGLE MAP DAY 1 & 2 / GOOGLE MAP DAY 3

The APPENDED alternative I recommend (beginning from Tham Luang): GOOGLE MAP​

Day 1. Chiang Mai to Pua – Approx 435 km​

The ride out. I set off north on the R108 in the early morning, avoiding the main peak traffic time. My Kawasaki felt a little cramped due to the additional camping gear slung on it, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was a cool ride so I warmed up with a coffee at Mae Kachan Hot Springs.

It was so much prettier than my photos show and set a nice mood for the start of my ride.

I stopped briefly at the interesting abandoned “Angkor Wat” building next to the hot springs. (Click HERE for a video and more info and showing the inside of this building – also included in my “Interesting abandoned buildings list“).

Really a fascinating place that has been left to decay for well over a decade!

After Mae Kachan I took a left turn onto the R120 to Phayao, then connected to the R1021 onto the (famous) R1148, stopping at “Magic Mountain” in Pha Chang Noi, in Pong District.

Around this area (Phu Langka Resort and Magic Mountain cafe’) is particularly pretty in the early mornings, due to the sea of mist that envelopes the valley below. There was no mist by the time I had arrived (approximately 11:30 am) but I planned to have a bite to eat at the cafe. Unfortunately, though, it was shut. Actually, there was one person working there (unsure if it was the owner or just someone employed to work there), who was rather rude to me in truth, so it has put me off a bit from visiting the cafe in future, sadly.

After a short break of enjoying the view, I set off to find the iconic ถนนเลข 3 (Road Number 3) in Bo Klua.

Iconic Road 1: The R1148​

For many riders in Thailand, if you ask them what the most iconic road in Northern Thailand is, the R1148 will be one of the first roads they will mention. Ironically, although a beautiful road, it is personally not one of my favourites. There is one short section that I enjoy riding on and there are of course stunning views to enjoy, but I do find the road rather predictable. I personally prefer riding the smaller, more rugged routes, with tight technical twists and switchbacks, which is also when my lighter bike comes into its own. The R1148 is more about sweeping curves and beautiful viewpoints, which of course is top of the criteria list for many riders. The following photos do give some indication of how stunning the viewpoints are and how great the road condition is, making it easy to understand why it is so beloved.

Currently, there were some surprisingly intense roadworks for a few kilometres on this normally smooth road. Not a problem for my bike and tires, but a possible issue for others.

Onto another of the iconic roads! From the R1148 I took the R1170 and then headed onto the scenic R1081.

Iconic Road 2: ถนนเลข 3 / Road 3 (on the R1081)​

This fantastic section of the R1081 draws crowds, due to the road perspective creating a number 3. (The main video at the end of this report shows the route in all its glory). There were quite a few people enjoying photo/video opportunities (which also meant a bit of a long delay for me, which was ok though. Just that I wasn’t sure where I would end up sleeping that night, so time management was on my mind by this stage). This iconic road boasts some really stunning views and fabulous twisty roads.

Whilst waiting my turn to take a photo/video I met a couple of Triumph Bobber riders. Turns out they were friends/colleagues of P. Tu, the owner of Triumph Chiang Mai, with one of the gentlemen being from Triumph Bangkok. Triumph Bangkok is owned by famous Thai actor and motorcycle rider K.Dom Hetrakul, who I met at Triumph Chiang Mai’s Grand Opening. (Link to that fabulous event here).

The two Triumph Bobber riders kindly invited me to join them at a homestay guesthouse they were staying at in Pua, but I had my heart set on camping out solo on a mountain, thus declined. Was very nice to be asked though! We swapped details and wished each other safe travels. It is always great to make connections, despite my introversion. Plus, I was lucky to get this fab photo too!

Once I had the video footage I wanted, I headed off to the Bo Klua Rock Salt Wells. (I actually ended up on a gravel dirt road at one point, and a farming zone with cows crossing the route, but that is all in the video below…)

Place of Interest: Bo Klua Rock Salt Wells

Opening hours: 6 – 8
Entry price: Free
Location: Google Maps.​

Bo Kluea (meaning ”natural salt pond”) is a mountain area of natural rock salt and has been a significant source for salt production since ancient times. Salt trading has been going on for generations in the region, trading internally to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Mueang Sa, Nan and Phrae as well as with Chin Haw merchants from Yunnan, Guangxi, and other provinces of China via Xishuangbanna, Including Shan State. In the past, there was also fighting over the control of natural salt ponds, which were an important commodity at the time.

..I’m embarrassed to say that I wasn’t extremely impressed by the actual Salt Well visitor facility, which sounds awfully entitled of me. I somehow expected more, but the backstory is super interesting though!


Heading to Doi Phu Kha

With the afternoon sun beginning to set I knew I had a finite time in which to find a place to set up camp and sleep. Doi Phu Kha was just an additional 21 km away, so I headed onto the R1256 in the hope I could camp there. I was beginning to feel hot and grubby by this stage. I first sought out a petrol station and bought some water and instant noodles in case no options were available later when I camped, (which was a smart move in the end).

One weird thing happened whilst riding the R1256. A man with a pillion was riding in front of me on a scooter. I made a wide berth around them without tooting my horn, which in hindsight I regret, because suddenly he veered his bike sharply into my path, causing me to veer quickly over to the other side of the road. They were obviously just enjoying a scenic romantic ride and not paying attention, but the complete lack of awareness of surroundings gave me a fright, (although I should have expected it, really). In frustration, I shook my head after overtaking and headed off.

I thought nothing more of it, but a short distance later when I looked in my rearview mirror I noticed he was at the back of me, eyes blazing, looking annoyed. Bugger..! I picked up speed, but he was nifty. Although I was able to keep a decent distance between us, I was surprised and shocked that he was still giving chase as the kilometres ticked by. It also annoyed me that he would put his pillion at risk like this, particularly as neither were wearing helmets. Eventually, I lost him. I did not enjoy the idea of a confrontation over nothing.

Place of Interest: Doi Phu Kha National Park

Opening hours: 8:30 – 4

(I turned up at around 5:30 pm and they let me through to camp overnight)

Entry price: I paid 240 Baht for entry + camping (I didn’t ask for any discount)

(I will amend prices later once I find out the official prices. I was too hot and tired to check)

Location: Google Maps.​

When I pulled up at the national park entrance the army attendants were visibly surprised to see me. I had no idea if I could camp there or not and was dreading being told no, as I didn’t fancy trying to find accommodation once it was dark, or trying to set up a camp in the dark either. Thankfully there were no issues. They asked me if I needed a tent (I didn’t), but good to know that they do provide them. I was also too tired to make any query about prices. I paid only 240 Baht for both entry and camping, so I had no complaints.

I rode up to the campground and was pleasantly surprised to find out I was the only one there. The facilities were nice and clean and I had the pick of wherever I wanted to set up, so I cheekily choose the communal campground area, which had the epic mountain view. Unfortunately, whilst setting up, I had the sudden comic realisation that I had forgotten to pack the new tarp I had bought to go over my DIY hammock-tent. The old one was leaking, so I replaced it. D’oh! No matter, some improvisation was all that was needed and I just had to hope for kind weather.

Oops! Live Facebook Video from that evening:


Once I had finished my camp set up, I cooked some food and settled in for the night. The stars were abundant and hypnotic and the lull of the blissfully quiet mountain engulfed me. I slept like a baby.

Day 2. Pua to Chiang Khong – Approx 312 km​

Whilst in my tent, I pondered about where I might head to next. I just wasn’t sure. There were a few pin-drop places I could head to, but nothing really spoke to me. As luck would have it I received a message whilst I was considering my next move. It was from my friend Kay, the owner of Big Bike Tours. He saw that I had posted on social media that I was riding in Pua and turns out that he planned to be in Chiang Khong that evening with his current tour group. Given that I had not seen Kay in some time (and that we needed to discuss the upcoming Women Riders Tour of the North), I figured that fate had just dictated which direction I should head. So, I packed up and headed north.

The first planned stop for me that day would be Phu Sang National Park and the lovely waterfall there. This meant that initially, I would be back riding on the R1148 for approximately 100 kilometres. I was ok with that because it was interesting to see the route from the opposite direction. Previously I had considered riding up to remote the Laos border at Muang Ngeun, but that would add an additional 170 kilometres to an already 290-kilometre ride, which would be just too much for me that day. If I didn’t have the deadline of meeting up with Kay I would have ridden to Muang Ngeun and camped out again (or stayed) somewhere closer. As it stood, I would be hugging the Thai/Laos border routes instead.

The Thai/Laos Border Roads
Anyone who has ridden these iconic roads (or similar routes), will understand just how incredible they are. It really is hard to put into words. Viewpoints, panoramic views, switchbacks, technical tight twisties, unpredictable road conditions, and so on. It’s just glorious! I love border routes and I was in seventh Heaven.

170 kilometres of glorious route riding later, I arrived at Phu Sang National Park.

Place of Interest: Phu Sang National Park
Opening hours: 6 – 6
Entry price: Free for waterfall
Thai: Adult: 20 Baht, (Child: 10 Baht)
Foreigner: Adult: 100 Baht, (Child: 50 Baht)
Parking:20 Baht
Location: Google Maps.
​

Phu Sang National Park is a lush national park with a variety of flora and fauna, and caves with stalactites and stalagmites. The park contains a popular warm water waterfall, which maintains a temperature of around 35 degrees Celcius year-round. Swimming/bathing is permitted and there is a small cafe’ on site. Entry to the waterfall is free (parking is 20 Baht). However, there is a fee for the walking trail (and dual-pricing is in place).

I spent a fair bit of time at Phu Sang Waterfall, in the hope of getting some juice into my phone. I didn’t prepare properly for this trip and my phone battery (and other tech) was close to dead due to camping out and being unable to charge everything up. Normally I can charge up via a USB port on my bike, but unfortunately, that needs replacing! The small cafe’ thankfully had a socket where I could charge my phone for a little while.

Sometime later I set off, continuing to hug the border on the fantastic R1093, dodging dare-devil suicidal squirrels who intermittently dive-bombed across the road in front of me. Not many photos of this area due to a low phone battery, but sometimes it’s nice to forget about photos/videos and just ride, anyway.

Only one thing frustrated me that day. Which was losing out on riding a rather special alternative route I had pin-dropped. My phone had already died on me a while back, so I wasn’t able to access the pin-drop. No matter, one for next time!

En-route to Doi Phu Tang, I used up the last of my phone battery by recording a landslide section on iconic road R1093. This section was of particular interest to me because I first spotted the landslide back in 2017 when I had just returned from riding in Laos. This section of road has been undergoing continual work since then, which is a very long time!

This is how the area looked back in 2017:

Place of Interest: Phu Chi Fa
Opening hours: 24 hours (but pitch-black at night!)
Visit during sunrise/daytime/sunset instead.
Entry price: Free
Parking: Free. Fairly secure. No covered parking.
Location (the newer entrance): Google Maps​

Phu Chi Fa is a famous tourist attraction of the Thai highlands, known for its distinctive cliff-edge and epic view over Laos. It is a fairly steep walk up to the peak, but the effort is soon forgotten once you arrive at the 1,442 elevation peak. Best viewed during the cool season and avoided in the Rainy Season, unless you enjoy the atmosphere of being shrouded in mist.

The next amazing viewpoint is the stunning Doi Phu Tang, just a mere 27 kilometres from Phu Chi Fa on the fantastic R1093.

Place of Interest: Doi Phu Tang
Opening hours: 24 hours (best viewed at sunrise)
Entry price: Free
Parking: Free. Open-air parking at the base of the mountain
(camping is available in the parking area. Bring your own camping gear)
Location: Google Maps.​

Doi Phu Tang is a stunning mountain known for its year-round early morning mist. Once the mist clears you are presented with a glorious view of mountain peaks, which includes Laos. Standing at around 1,638 meters above sea level means the peak does require a bit of a trek up, but the view is most certainly worth it. Coffee and tea are available at the base of the mountain, served by local Chinese Haw hill tribes, Yao and Hmong minority groups, who live in the area. The video below from 2019 shows how stunning the view is in the early morning.


It was a glorious ride along this route, passing through many small and interesting Hilltribe villages. I made it to Chiang Khong by around 5 pm, which would give me time to clean up and watch the sunset. I stopped off at the Thai/Laos border boundary post before heading to Namkhong Riverside Hotel. (800 baht + 100 baht optional additional fee for breakfast)

Laos on the opposite side (crossing guide HERE)

November 2017 – Riding into Laos “Muang Sing or Bust”​

When I checked into the Namkhong Riverside Hotel I confess I felt my heart sink a little. The staff were lovely but the contrast between small-town life (and noise) and the camping spot at Doi Phu Kha was a chasm! These old Chiang Khong hotels are made of teak and sound vibrates and the hotel guest above me had bricks for feet. The bed looked comfy though! The room was clean and the view was pretty.

I got myself cleaned up, plugged in my tech and made the error of opening up my camp gear inside the room, spilling an absurd amount of dried grass around the room. No matter, I would just need to clean it up. (This boo-boo is included in the video edit at the end of the report). I messaged my friend Kay and went to eat, with the plan of catching up with him and his tour group later.

I ate at my hotel (the food was good) then met up with Kay at Rin Bar. I slept comfortably but not as sweetly as the mountain camp-out.

Day 3. Chiang Khong to Chiang Mai – Approx 380 km
Unexpected Last Day of Trip​

I woke up early, but not because I wanted to. In fact, I planned to lie in for a while. However, a gaggle of local guests decided to wake up before 6 am to take photos on the hotel balcony, with their matriarchal ring-leader possessing a fog-horn voice. They dutifully did what they were told by her, then clucked off in a flurry to the waterside to present alms to the monks. All with much ado. I poked my head out of my balcony like a grumpy Ewok and took this photo, which looks incredibly tranquil given the earlier fussing.

I decided to get up, shower, get dressed, then head to the breakfast buffet that I paid extra for. However, the promised breakfast buffet turned out to be cold rubber eggs, cardboard toast, miscellaneous-meat mini sausages (which I don’t eat), luke-warm coffee or tea and water. Or, Thai porridge. “Buffet…? “ Nevermind. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, though. Maybe I just woke up grumpy due to the noise. It did seem to start off an odd streak for the rest of this trip though…

After breakfast, I packed up my gear, loaded up my bike and headed North on the R1290 “Paradise Road”, (a name coined by David Unkovich aka the GT.Rider). As mentioned previously this ride had a series of odd events and the first main odd event happened on the highway, just outside of Chiang Khong town. A couple were walking their dog (without a leash) at the side of the road. Keep in mind that this is a huge and busy highway. Suddenly the dog shot out directly in front of me and stood staring at me like a rabbit in the headlights when it realised it was in my direct line of being hit. Thankfully my emergency responses kicked in and thankfully I know my bike well enough to know how it responds to emergency braking. I have no ABS on my bike and have to rely on reflexes. An almighty scream shot out of me as prayed I wouldn’t hit the dog or fall, during a heart-stopping moment that seemed to last forever – yet seconds, as my bike flipped about from side-to-side. Thankfully I wasn’t going too fast because I was enjoying the view and thankfully the dog regained its senses enough to run out of the way. But wow… it is moments like this that you realise how quickly something could go so terribly wrong. Either the dog or I (or both of us) could have been badly injured. Unfortunately, my GoPro wasn’t running. I think it would have been a useful video. I did however record my reactions a little later (which is in the video below) from when I pulled over to the side of the road in order to steady my nerves. When I rode on I made a vow to make merit (drop small donations) into every donation box that crossed my path that day. Something for sure was feeling off-kilter!

Iconic Road 3: The R1290 “Paradise Road”​

On a more positive note, the Paradise Road sign was something I was looking forward to stopping at. The sign was the concept of David Unkovich but the designer who put it together was… me! It is such a fun sign on one of Northern Thailand’s iconic roads and has become a known photo-op stop for riders and visitors in the area. As an aside, Chiang Khong has seen a fair bit of development in recent times, including a new beautiful waterfront promenade. There is also an annual Music Festival which takes place, (postponed currently due to Covid).

I took a moment to make this silly video too. Just a pity that the quality is not so good from needing to zoom in so much.

The road condition of the R1290 is just perfect, which is a far cry from the condition in 2017 when there were lengthy roadworks going on.

↓ How the road looked in 2017 ↓

Paradise Road – June 2017​

I continued along the fabulous R1290 but veered right onto the rural road that hugs the border. I enjoy this section of the route because it is rarely used. A small stretch was undergoing some roadworks and was a bit of a muddy mess, but overall it was all good. When I arrived at the picturesque Chiang Saen, I pulled over to have a coffee at Hut of Love Cafe. I was feeling a little out of sorts and figured a coffee and a rest would help. Seems my Crazy Cat Lady Radar must have been sending out signals though because the cafe’ was full of cats and kittens and the mother kitty decided my lap would be the perfect place for a nap. Lucky me!

My next stop was The Golden Triangle Park – the zone where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet. (Info in the video at the end of this trip report)

Next, I wanted to visit Tham Luang Cave, the site where the “Wild Boar” boys were trapped, which made international headlines. First I needed money and fuel though. Which is when I experienced my weirdest moment on this trip…

… to cut a long story short, basically, at the petrol station I dashed into the disabled toilets (only because I was close to the Myanmar border and all my gear was on my bike – which I was concerned about in this zone). I kept my helmet on (which I am glad about now) and er..sat down. ONLY FOR THE DOOR TO OPEN! A man just stood in the entranceway staring at me! I yelled at him to close the door and quickly got myself up and out. Turns out the bloody door lock was broken! No matter… You can watch the blow-by-blow tale in the video below.

Tham Luang – Khun Nam Nang Non National Park
Opening hours: 8 – 5
Entry price: Free
Parking (secure-ish): 10 Baht
Location: Google Maps.​

Tham Luang Nang Non, meaning “Great Cave of the Sleeping Lady” is a 10.3-kilometre complex cave system with a huge main entrance chamber that is 80 metres long. In mid-2018, the cave received international attention when twelve members of a junior association football team and their assistant coach were trapped deep inside the cave. The team were very familiar with the cave system and made regular visits. However, an unexpected flash monsoonal flood prevented them from exiting. The clock was ticking as a rescue plan was put into place, which involved local Navy Seals and foreign specialists. Finally, after 18 days of being trapped, the boys and their coach were rescued. All were saved, but sadly one Navy Seal, Saman Kunan did not survive.

The cave has since received much interest and a wonderful job has been done to provide an educational experience. You park up your vehicle first and then a free shuttle bus takes you to the cave entrance (do not make the mistake of riding down where the shuttle buses go, unlike me!). Parking is next to eateries and small shops. I left my items all on my bike without any issues. Well worth a visit.

When I exited from the cave it was boiling hot outside. I bought a cold bottle of water and soaked myself down. I wanted to camp out again that night and my initial plan was to ride the Thai/Myanmar border and continue riding until I was too tired to ride more or when it became too dark. However, suddenly I had a craving to camp out at some hot springs. My ankle was feeling a bit achy(from an accident a few months back)and hot springs sounded like bliss. The only problem was I couldn’t see any remote hot springs up in the area I wanted to visit. However, I knew of a fabulous and private hot springs just outside of Chiang Dao. Given the few daylight hours I had left, I decided to forgo the iconic roads of the Thai/Myanmar route (I have done it many times and although fantastic, the craving for hot springs overtook it) and Doi Ang Kang, and head directly to Chiang Dao instead. This did mean a bit of R108 highway riding initially, but within a short time, I was on iconic roads R1089 and R107 south to Chiang Dao.

Iconic Roads 4: Post on Thai/Myanmar Border Routes – HERE)​

I made a stop at the huge statues at Mae Ai to make a donation (in the hope of restoring some balance and changing my odd luck on this ride). I always enjoy stopping here for a moment. The view is nice and there is always a breeze even when hot. After this, I headed straight to Chiang Dao and suddenly realised that the hot springs were on an adjacent route, which meant I needed to double back on myself to get to it. It was a little frustrating as I was feeling hot and tired and a tad grumpy by this stage. No matter. I headed onto another of the iconic roads, the R1178, for 30km to reach Pong Arng Hot Springs, which is when things took a turn for the worst. Seems my bad luck was not eradicated because I was told that I could not camp at the springs due to Covid. When I spoke in Thai and told him I have been vaccinated the guard looked relieved and seemed he was going to let me enter, but then after a moment (whilst I was opening the app to show him my vaccination details), he suddenly declined again. It made me a little suspicious in truth, wondering if it was because I am “Farang” (foreigner) or if it was the same protocol for all. (Later on, I looked up Pong Argn on social media and saw some photos that a couple had taken of being at the hot springs, so sadly, it may indeed just have been because I’m a foreigner). Given that other national parks and attractions are open at this time, including hot springs, I was left feeling really deflated. The only thing left to do was to head back to Chiang Dao.


Unfortunately, when I arrived in Chiang Dao I was suddenly hit by the smell and haze of smoke. I am not sure why I didn’t notice it when I first arrived in Chiang Dao. Maybe because I was racing against time. The smoke just got me down even more. I weighed up my options and suddenly realised I am about around 70 kilometres from home which is just an hour away, so given the weirdness of my trip, I decided to just ride home instead. Which is why my proposed 5-day trip of riding multiple iconic roads turned into a 3-day one instead. I am not unhappy about it though, especially as my injured ankle (injured some months back after a fall on compacted clay) was giving me some issues. It was a good run and I was happy to hang my helmet up.

Iconic Roads Trip Compilation Video
Video highlights of this trip, showing the iconic road names and covering the wonderful attractions I visited, as well as a few comical moments

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When I arrived home I suddenly realised how tender and swollen my ankle was (from the previous accident), so arranged to have an MRI done. As suspected, the ligament that connects my Tibia and Fibia is partially torn (in two sections, it seems). Happy that it can heal on its own though. Just more time needed, so, onwards and upwards!

Hope you enjoyed this trip report
Safe Travels.
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Other trip reports in this area include:​

 

[Ughetto]

All the men in the forum can do nothing but shut up
Welcome to our side.
Beautiful report.