*MOTO TRIP* Chiang Mai > Mae Salong > Chang Dao ( + restricted area at Doi Tung and agricultural area at Pha Daeng) )

 *NOTE* I did this trip prior to considering blogging about my trips. I hope to update with a better detailed map when i work out my route.

Overnight moto trip: 
Chiang Mai to Mae Salong, through a restricted area at Doi Tung, then a slight detour around Pha Daeng way. (Mainly because of going off on a scenic agricultural route and going way off track and getting a bit lost, lol).


Day 1: Chiang Mai > Doi Tung > Mae Salong.

The 118 main route through Chiang Rai is pretty much just a long busy road. It has some sweeps but its more about getting from A to B, at least for me. Things get more scenic once you get onto the 1149 to Doi Tung. 

The 1149 and Doi Tung area has some stunning views in my opinion and its an area which seems to attract few foreign tourists. It is, however, a popular attraction for Thai, particularly the Mae Fah Luang Garden. Doi Tung is also an area with a lot of coffee plantations (you will see a lot of Doi Tung coffee shops around the northern region). A contrast from the neighbouring tea plantation area of Doi Mae Salong, where i headed to next, and where i stayed overnight. Before heading into Mae Salong area i headed to a restricted area near the Burmese border. There are certain times where you are allowed access into this zone (and later i hope to update with the details), and luckily i was allowed access.

By the time i came out of the restricted access zone and was nearing Mae Salong, i was overheating a bit. It was a very hot day and although I wear a mesh armoured jacket and always have a Camelbak  on me, i was sweating. So I took the opportunity to cool down in a pretty stream.

There were loads of butterflies around and the stream was cool and flowing. I nearly lost a pair of flip-flops ive had for around 8 years and that i love. I watched the stream carry them off on its current, but, determined to get them back i launched myself after them, and got them back i did..haha! Yes, i really DO love those flip-flops that much...

I arrived at Doi Mae Salong (very steep inclines at Mae Salong) and checked into the Phumaktawan Resort

 Initially the resort seemed blissful, and although it was beautiful and the view was stunning, the connecting walls were thin. No rooms came detached and each small house had two guest rooms. A noisy family with a noisy kid and a penchant for noisy tv viewing came to stay next to me, which put a bit of a dampener on my stay, sadly. They really could do with insulating the rooms a bit better to be honest.

Mae Salong itself is a place for a bit of a chill out. It has a nice temple up a steep twisty hill, and a LOT of tea. The locals are ethnically Chinese and the main language is Yunnanese. Really doesn't feel like Thailand much at all. Food-wise there isn't a great selection really (imo), but you wont go hungry. There are even 7/11's. lol. The most raved about coffee shop within the biking community is Sweet Mae Salong and it really is very nice actually. Great coffee and great cake (which is often hard to find in Thailand) and a great view. They even provide binoculars.

Day 2: After a bad breakfast choice at a local place resulting in a stomach upset, i made a later start towards Chiang Dao than planned. Was a nice easy route down the 117, so much so that i had time to kill, so took a detour onto a rural road. Turned out to be a really beautiful agricultural route with practically zero vehicles on the route. In the end I got a bit lost trying to head out towards Chiang Dao,  and although my GPS said one way, two sets of locals said another. So, I decided ignore the GPS and go with the locals directions..which did actually land me out at Chang Dao. Would seem that if i went via the GPS i would have arrived at Doi Ang khan..which i would have liked, but it was getting late and i wanted to get back to Chiang Mai that day. Will need to investigate that route more later and find out for sure where the other route ends out at. Stopped off at Chang Dao Nest resort for a cool drink, then headed back to Chiang Mai (then needed to do a short detour into CM via the Pai road because the police had shut down the intersection. Likely some kind of accident. Massive queues of traffic. A guy waiting on a bike said he had already been waiting for 1 hour...so i didnt fancy waiting). 
Got home later than i hoped, but feeling good.