CM - Mesai - Doi Tung - Pai - MHS - Doi Inthanon - CM

[0zz1]

Hi all GT Riders, this is my first travel related post on the forum but I have been enjoying reading others for awhile.

We left from Chiang Mai on Saturday morning to do a visa run for my friend in Mesai.

Riders Ozzi & Teemu, both with rented Kawasaki ER-6n's which we rented from the Bop Car Rent for 3200 baht / 4 days.

We decided to travel light so we only had small back bags with us and 2 cameras took most of the space in mine.

Day 1
We left CM in great hurry to hit the road so we did not prepare too well and stopped several times to buy missing things like something to tight up our bags to the bikes, cloves, change some money etc..

On the way we manage to avoid the rains and only stopped for 10 minutes just before the Mesai. In Mesai while Teemu was hopping to Burma I found new shoes and dumped my old ones. The new shoes had 4 times thicker base and felt a lot better in foots.

After a little struggle and reading map we found the road 1149 to Doi Tung. This road was amazing! Small narrow road going up and down the most beautiful mountain views. We had to drive pretty slowly as there where a loads of surprises on the way like rocks or trees on the road.

Our bikes on one of the several scenery points on the way. On the other side you can see Burma.

Panoramic views to Burma.

It started to get dark and rain again and we started to hope we would be in Doi Tung already. Finally we found it and there where only one hotel and restaurant so we paid the 1500 baht for a decent hotel room and had a good meal before going to bed, that was a long first day and we where pretty tired from the driving so we did go bed early.

(I think we did around 300 km on the first day)

 

[0zz1]

Day 2
We wake up at 8 am to realize what kind of views we have from our room.

This photo taken from my bed while Teemu is still a sleep.

and another one from balcony.

We start driving first back to the main road and then to some very small mud roads to see some land for sale (and what beauty it was). This was a really good test for the bikes as well and they did surprisingly well with those full road tyres.

Not the worst bits but almost.

Beautiful land for someone who wants to live on the unbeaten track.

Around 1 or 2 pm we started heading towards Fang on the road 1089. We where really lucky with sun shine all the way and what a beautiful road it was to drive. Road had very little traffic and good enough to keep good 100 km/h speed at most times. Couple stops for ice-creams and soon we where in Fang. From here we continued 107 all the way to Mae Tang. I drove this road before with car but it was much more enjoyable with bikes.

After Mae Tang we head towards Pai. We stopped to a only gasoline station on the road before Pai just to find out that they where out of electricity and waited for awhile, but it was getting late and they manage to sell us some gasohol from a hand pump and we started to race towards Pai before dark.

Just about 30 km before Pai it was totally dark and the air full of bugs. We could barely see 10 meter ahead of us and where really tired. Finally we arrived to Pai and I managed to remember the way to a nice resort called Golden Hut just nearby the river. For my surprise the price for a double room bungalow with hot shower where only 200 b a night! Must be some kind of off season deal. We took it and head for the night life.

After a 4 pubs and beers we came back to the bungalows well before midnight and got some well deserved rest.

(The second day we drove around 350 km)

 

[0zz1]

Day 3
We decided to take one day a bit easier and woke up around 10 am had a great breakfast and very nice coffee (unusual in Thailand). After we drove to the Hot Springs to heal our tired bodies. We ended up staying there for hours and met interesting travelers from China, Europe and America.

Later we did go to check another land for sale only on the way to Mae Hong Song.

Crossing river in Pai. I wonder if I would have managed to drive that with the bike..

It must have been already 3 pm when we finally started to drive from Pai towards the Mae Hong Son. On the way there we stopped several times due rain. What we thought was a waterproof jacket wasn't doing its job and we where soaking wet well before halfway.

One of the stops I took this panoramic photo with some of the nice curves on the right.

We made it to Mae Hong Song just before dark and met 3 guys who arrived to MHS day before us by driving the dirt road with 3 scooter from Chiang Mai!!! We found a decent hotel for 300 baht a night (Hotel Mae Hong Song) and head to the lake for a dinner.

Temple by the lake in MHS.

After a good walk around a city we manage to find massage shop that was still open at 10pm and got oil body massage. While Teemu got nice young girl to massage him I got treatment from a 50+ and much heavier than me lady whoom decided to use all the power she had (I heard her biting her teeth together every time she tried to push me through the floor.

Back to hotel and bed just before midnight and a good sleep after some very weird movie that came out from one of the movie channels.

(Day 3 around 130 km)

 

[Marco]

Guys,, you sound like a Finn's? (Ozzi=Ossi? & Teemu)

nice trip you guys having there,, done that last yrs but other way.

 

[0zz1]

Day 4
The spirit wasn't very high in the morning when we realized that all our gear where still wet. Wet jeans, socks, shirt and jacket and it was also dripping a bit outside. We needed to get moving as the plan was to make it to Doi Inthanon.

We had breakfast at nice looking pub on the main road called Cross Roads and head out of the town after filling our bikes full of benzine. It soon started to clear a bit and the roads where great so the spirit started to grow and we enjoyed the driving again. Some amazing curves and up and down hills. We drove the 108 to Khun Yuam and then turned to 1263 towards Doi Inthanon. At this moment I realized that this is the furthest point we have been from Chiang Mai. The trip is almost done and we are further away than any day before around 300km to Chiang Mai whether driving through Doi Inthanon like the plan or doing u-turn and head back to MHS and Pai road to CM.

The 1263 was much better than I expected. Very little traffic. Great views, we past some elephants and couple mud slides but nothing too serious, but Teemu's bike back wheel started to really give us some concerns as it was totally run out of grip. The bike had some 9.500 km and still running with orginal tyres while I had second round under me.

We stopped couple of times to see whether the tyre would last till CM.

Somewhere halfway between Khun Yuam and Doi Inthanon.

We arrived to the Mad Chaem and nearby Navasuan Resort before 6pm and relaxed with some beer, meat balls with mashed potatoes and sauna!

Beer in the Navasuan restaurant.

Again we head to the Mad Chaem to see if there would be any nightlife to explore knowing that this was our last night of the trip. Seemed like the best place for a nightlife was the local gasoline station/7eleven complex so we returned soon empty handed to our bungalow.

(Day 4: 190 km)

 

[0zz1]

Day 5
We woke up at 6am knowing that we need to return the bikes at 8. But somehow we managed to spend the time and realized that we finished breakfast just around 8am and started racing towards CM.

After of couple of stops and some gasoline we arrived to the shop at 10 am and they penalized us with 200 baht each (apparently its 100 b per hr for the extra time), sound fair we thought paid them took my old 400cc Honda to drive home avoiding the police helmet checks they seemed to have every corner of the mote.

all in all we got 1073 km on the bikes in 4 days and those 2 extra hours =)

Now feeling a bit tired from the trip but it was great! Will do again and will recommend everybody to try, next time perhaps off road... who knows.

The bikes where great! The mountains roads are awesome! Cant wait to head out of the town again... till the next time.

 

[0zz1]

Marco wrote: Guys,, you sound like a Finn's? (Ozzi=Ossi? & Teemu)

nice trip you guys having there,, done that last yrs but other way.

Hi Marco,

yes good guess. We are Finns. It does state Ozzi in my passport but most of my Finnish friend do call me Ossi =)

We do also have a plan to drive from here to Finland, but more about that later... and perhaps in another topic.

 

[DavidFL]

Ozz1
Liked your report & photos. Many thanks for posting & contributing to GT Rider.
Did you meet your Finnish? mate Heiki? at the Navasoung in Mae Chaem?

 

[Marco]

0zz1 wrote: [quote quote=Marco]Guys,, you sound like a Finn's? (Ozzi=Ossi? & Teemu)

nice trip you guys having there,, done that last yrs but other way.

Hi Marco,

yes good guess. We are Finns. It does state Ozzi in my passport but most of my Finnish friend do call me Ossi =)

We do also have a plan to drive from here to Finland, but more about that later... and perhaps in another topic.
No problemt o guessing that as there is few of us here already,,my slef and harri the fin,,,
regarding the ride from Here to Finland,, it's in my plan also, but cant do it with my current bike,, have you saw magazine Moto-Ykkonen when Pexa made the trip from Finland to OZ
http://www.moto1.fi/blog.htm that is partially traslated in english so every one can see they outstanding trip and fantastic pictures

 

[0zz1]

Davidfl wrote: Ozz1
Liked your report & photos. Many thanks for posting & contributing to GT Rider.
Did you meet your Finnish? mate Heiki? at the Navasoung in Mae Chaem?

Thank you Davidfl, I surely did meet Heikki, known him for couple for years and what a great guy he is. I have him to thank that we had a hot sauna after the 4 days of driving, I love that resort this was my 3rd time there and sure to go back... perhaps ill take my old custom bike for a run there soon.

 

[0zz1]

Marco wrote: [quote quote=0zz1][quote quote=Marco]Guys,, you sound like a Finn's? (Ozzi=Ossi? & Teemu)

nice trip you guys having there,, done that last yrs but other way.

Hi Marco,

yes good guess. We are Finns. It does state Ozzi in my passport but most of my Finnish friend do call me Ossi =)

We do also have a plan to drive from here to Finland, but more about that later... and perhaps in another topic.
No problemt o guessing that as there is few of us here already,,my slef and harri the fin,,,
regarding the ride from Here to Finland,, it's in my plan also, but cant do it with my current bike,, have you saw magazine Moto-Ykkonen when Pexa made the trip from Finland to OZ
http://www.moto1.fi/blog.htm that is partially traslated in english so every one can see they outstanding trip and fantastic pictures
are other Finns here as well... thank you for the link Im reading it now.. so they are still in India?? The last blog is written just b4 x-mas.

Here is one blog from my friends who drove from Kambodia to Finland...
http://www.thebigtripon.blogspot.com/

 

[0zz1]

aah there are other Finns here as well... thank you for the link Im reading it now.. so they are still in India?? The last blog is written just b4 x-mas.

Here is one blog from my friends who drove from Kambodia to Finland...
http://www.thebigtripon.blogspot.com/

ps. I have some problems using this forum, sometimes it shows empty posts but if i click edit I see the whole post I wrote b4.. :?:

(Seems working a bit better when I disable the BBCode)

 

[TonyBKK]

Great report!

Happy Trails,

Tony

 

[Marco]

Ozzi & teemu

No they complete they ride but lacyness came and they did not fininish they report,, i assume they got they money already so why continue,,,,that show really bad taste if you asking me

 

[0zz1]

Marco wrote: Ozzi & teemu

No they complete they ride but lacyness came and they did not fininish they report,, i assume they got they money already so why continue,,,,that show really bad taste if you asking me

Marco or is that Marko ?

Yes same thing with my friends blog, according to that they are still in Iran, but they did finnish =) the trip.

 

[Marco]

0zz1 wrote: [quote quote=Marco]Ozzi & teemu

No they complete they ride but lacyness came and they did not fininish they report,, i assume they got they money already so why continue,,,,that show really bad taste if you asking me

Marco or is that Marko ?

Yes same thing with my friends blog, according to that they are still in Iran, but they did finnish =) the trip.
Matey

it is Marco,, in some weird way my parents gave me that.

funny how people leave they report unfinished after they arrive to home, but my wild quess is that they are just so tired from riding and writing and no mood what so ever.

 

[0zz1]

here is the map of the trip... the balloons points to places where we stayed overnight.