Day 1/4: Mae Hong Son Loop, Thailand

Chiang Mai is effectively Thailand's capital of the North. I've been here once before when I travelled to Chang Rai and The Golden Triangle to the East. Now I'm going to explore the mountainous region of the extreme North West by doing the Mae Hong Son loop, which is the best known bike ride in South-East Asia. And I'm doing it as the locals might: on a little bike.

Small bikes common in Thailand (100-125cc) are easy to hire in Chiang Mai at around B200 per day. There are a few places that also hire so-called 'big bikes', mid-sized bikes such as a CB400 or ER6, for around B1000 per day. Such bikes are not common in Thailand and if you see one, the chances are a tourist or expat is riding it. Small cruisers (Honda Phantoms) are also popular for around the same price. If you want some protective gear other than a helmet, throw in a fixed fee of about B1000 for hire.

Possibly due me to being cheap, or maybe due to a warped sense of adventure, I hired the ubiquitous 125cc Honda Dream (almost identical to the Honda Wave, also know as the Honda Innova in Europe). After signing a contract stating that I was to be stoned to death if I dropped it, and then handing my passport over to some well-dodgy expat for supposedly safe keeping, I was away.

The 125cc Honda Dream/Wave has four gears in a N-1-2-3-4 pattern, clicking down to go up a gear and clicking up to go down. Which takes some getting used to. It's a semi-automatic so there is no clutch lever. First gear is for steep hills only. For riding around town, stick it in second and forget about it; use all your concentration for the crazy traffic. Third and forth come into play on the faster roads between towns. You can cruise comfortably at about 80 or 90 km/h. To reach 110 km/h you'll need a steep downhill and a tail wind. But as the drum brakes take ages to stop the thing, you probably don't want to be going that fast anyway.

I've ridden in Thailand before, and it pays to be cautious. The center line of the road appears to be treated with contempt by some drivers, so best not to get right up close to it. Also beware of animals on the road, especially stray dogs; it's a serious hazard, and there might always be one around the corner. Riding in dark is best avoided; I got caught out in Southern Laos once and nearly crashed into a cow. With my boundaries set, I headed off on the notoriously winding and hilly road to Pai.

Pai is known for being a great place in the mountains for young backpackers to chillax. The same backpackers are known for throwing up the contents of their latest meal in the minibus on its way to Pai. The last two thirds of the road to Pai is indeed very twisty and fairly hilly (762 turns in 136 kms according to the t-shirts). In other words, it is great fun, even on my little Honda Dream. After stopping off at the Mork-Fa Waterfall in Doi Suthep-Pui National Park (a steep 2km side road leads to it) and sampling the culinary delights of several Thai roadside stalls, I was almost at Pai by lunchtime.

Two main tourist sites are just before Pai. The memorial bridge is a wooden bridge that local workers were forced to build by the Japanese army in WWII. It isn't the original, but like the bridge over the river kwai in Kan, it stands as a testament to the history of the event rather than as a direct artifact from it. The second is the Tha Pai hotspring. It's very natural and basic; just the park with the outdoor spring. Thai visitors were boiling eggs in the hottest pools using a bag attached to the end of a bamboo stick. I stripped to my not-so-hotpants and sweltered for an hour or so, relaxed and apparently healthier for the final few clicks to Pai.

I can see why Pai is popular; a large part of the center is closed to cars (but not bikes) giving it a relaxed pedestrian feel. It is touristy, but not in-your-face touristy like some other towns. This area of Thailand is the Mae Hong Son Province, and tomorrow I'll be heading to its capital.

Riding Distance: 140 kms