Mae Hong Son loop with some dirty bits.

Moto-Rex

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Gday all, this is my first trip report, hope it works out.

The planned trip was to do a variation of the Mea Hong Son loop ridding on the dirt as much as possible.

Riders; Pendle and Me (rex)
Bikes; 2 XR250's, hired from Jaguar in CM. We found him to be a good guy to deal with.
Map; GT-rider.
Spares: 1 Mars bar each.

Day 1. Chiang mai to Pai, via Wat Chan.

Left Jonadda guest house CM and headed north for Samoeng, going by the samoeng loop. (1096)

Once at samoeng it was just a matter of following the signs to Wat Chan......arr heads or tails.

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The road to Wat Chan is about 50% dirt, and in pretty good condition.
Once at Wat Chan we decided to get a drink, while there we meet an American guy who lives in thailand and spends most of the time going on bike trips with he's wife. He said alot of the time they just camp out in a tent.
As you can see the bikes set up with tent on one side and sleeping gear on the other.
And yes...that is a bird cage of the back, he said "every were we go the bird goes. Very nice guy.

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The road from Wat Chan to Pai is about 30% dirt, and all the way great scenery.
We stayed at the unicorn guesthouse, its opposite the school, and has very nice rooms plus a pool.

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Day 2, Pai to Mea Hong Son. via Muang Noi, Ae Ko a 100% dirt loop which connects up with HWY 1095 about 45km's from Mea Hong Song.
The dirt loop which Ive never seen on any other map than GT-Rider is fantastic, around 80 km's of varied terrain, single track alot of the time, rocky, fast, slow, steep, smooth very thing you need for a good day in the dirt.
Warning, To hook back on to the loop at Muang Noi, you must go to the hydro electric building, turn left into the car park, look straight ahead you will see a small track opening....thats the start of the loop. It will seem like your going the wrong way at first, because your heading south, but the track soon goes around the back of a mountain and track begins to head north. Also there's some really quick sections on this track, just remember this is a main HWY for the hill tribe people, so back off a bit, as tempting as it maybe.

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Made a wrong turn and ended up at Saem Khun Lue hill tribe.
There's always one cheeky little fella in every tribe.

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By the time we made to HWY 1096 it was dark because we spent so much time trying to find the start of the loop, so 45 km to Mea Hong Son with dodgy XR head lights....not much fun.
We had never been to Mea Hong Son, what a beautiful place, great night market on the lake is good for food etc.
We stayed here, clean and cheap, cant remember the name, its right behind the white pergoda.

Mea Hong Son in the morning.

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Day 3. Mea Hong Son to KhunYhum via Wat Chan. About 80% dirt.

Before we left, we went and checked the long neck people.

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There was great scenery on this road, some really steep sections, as you can see this track would be good in the wet season.

Oh what a feeling Toyota

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Local girls checking out the gt-rider map over a coke or two.

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Towards the end of the track this quiet a few river crossings.

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Got to Khun Yuan which is small little town, stayed at Ban Farang guest house...nice rooms and good food....very friendly staff.
There was an orthopedic surgeon from Pattaya staying there, he told us if it wasn't for motor bike accidents he wouldnt have a job........business must be good, he had a brand new BMW (car).

Day 4. Khun Yuan to Mae Charm.

The best part of this day was the road section (hwy 108) heading south , what a road even on old XR250's its was good, I would imagine on roady it would be amazing.
We found a few dirt roads but just seemed to be getting lost all day.
Pendle got a puncture, thats when we worked out we should have had more than 2 mars bars in the spares kit.
We made to a small hill tribe where the local store was ran by a lovely old lady. Every time we said we wanted something..like spanners off she'd go and find them in her store, then rubber patches and glue again she find them somewere. I reckon if we'd ask for tail shaft for a 57 chevy she would sorted it out.
She told as the tribe grows coffee for starbucks, and had a book with all the managers who have visited the tribe from all over the world.

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Day 5. Mea Charm to Chaing Mai. We just took the hwy back.
 

daewoo

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Excellent...

I would love to do a bit more off the beaten track riding up there...

Congrats on your first trip report...

Cheers,
Daewoo
 

DavidFL

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Moto-Rex
Congratulations on a great trip & many thanks for contributing a trip report after only joining in January.

Now you’ve got me on a couple of points
1. The pic of the Lisu girls. Can’t quite fit this one in. What village & where?
2. The stream crossings between MHS & Khun Yuam. I don’t recall any east (& there must be some) of the R108, but were you on a trail to the west of R108?
3. The Unicorn GH in Pai, don’t know that one; but it sounds inviting with a pool. Have you got photos of the pool?
4. The Yank who lives in Thailand “on the road with his missus & bird” sounds like a real winner. Got any more info on him? He should fit right in with Pikey's eclectic GT Rider gang.

Glad you enjoyed the GT Rider map & had a great time.
What’s the next trip?
 

Moto-Rex

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Gday there David.

First the points.

1. The photo of the girls was taken in Wat Chan, I dont know what tribe. They said they had come into town because they had finished picking the rice. Funny thing on the map there's a picture of you and a hill tribe girl, they where all fascinated by the shot. They all wanted to know were the girl was from, and keep saying how beautiful she was. They didn't comment on you.

2. Ive just been through the photo's and I have made a mistake....the river crossing photo was taken towards the end of the main dirt loop on the way to MHS, about 20 km,s north of the 1095 hwy. Sorry about chief . That was a good section was about 5 crossing's, this one was about 35 meters across......I had made it 34 meters without getting my feet wet. Missed by that much.

3. Sorry didnt get a shot of the pool but it was nice, surrounded with timber decking, but in December it was to cold for a dip. I think they have internet connection there too.

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4. The American, he told us he was 62yo and had been living in thailand for the last 12 years, said he was living in Phuket at the moment. He was a splitting image of that actor Morgan Freeman, he wore a white leather jacket, white leather jeans, white leather shoes, and had a white helmet......he was one "cool dude".
He said he was planning a 8 month trip through Vietnam and Indonesia. Hopefully Ill run into to him again, very interesting guy. I would have liked to take photo but didnt want to intrude.

Next trip I take a few more photo's and not wait so long to do the report so I dont forget so much.
David I have meet you a few times, I changed my name to Moto-Rex from barflyrex. Hope thats OK.
Im in pattaya right now, and will go to the bkk motor show, then head up to CM from there.
Will look for some long term accommodation in CM, and do a lot more trips.
Hope to get a bike when I make up my mind what to get. Hopefully the motor show will give me some ideas.

cheers Rex

One more of the Toyota.

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DavidFL

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Moto-Rex wrote: David I have meet you a few times, I changed my name to Moto-Rex from barflyrex. Hope thats OK.
Aha, I was thinking about that - but didn't recognize you 100% in the photos. You've lost weight (been off the booze?)
Now having revealed your true identity - it was about time you got round to doing that ride & writing it up. I think the procrastinating started about a year ago at happy hour in the Kafe if I’m right.
Hit me up for a celebratory beer when we next meet.
 

Moto-Rex

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Captain_Slash wrote: The village where they grow the coffee for Starbucks, was it Huai Hom by any chance? There was a feature on it in the Bangkok Post about 5 years ago saying that that was where Starbucks were getting their coffee beans from and I went there to check it out and bought some coffee beans from them. I will be going there in a few days time to buy some more
Your spot on Captain slash, thats the place.