*MOTO TRIP* *DAY RIDE* **LAYMAN'S GUIDE!** The 1095 Pai Road - A succinct slice of Pai ~!

LAYMAN'S GUIDE series.  No waffle. Non wax-lyrical. Straightforward. 

 THE 1095 ROUTE TO 

PAI 

Whether on a scooter or a bigger bike, here is the Zed CM layman's guide to the 1095 route to Pai

ROUTE: From Chiang Mai city, head for route 107 (see map above - also note my tip about taking route 121 initially). This road is a busy dusty road, get through it best you can, nothing really to enjoy here. When you hit the junction with the 1095 left turn towards Pai, i recommend that you DO NOT turn left. Instead, head straight on for approximately 700 meters to the Shell Garage and fill up.

(There are small village petrol pumps dotted along the way but if you fill up at this garage, you shouldn't need to fill up along the way. Scooters included). If you have a bigger bike with a higher tank capacity, you won't need to worry about filling up here..but its a good fuel stop in any case). Once filled, make a U-Turn and head on to the 1095 and into the hills towards Pai.


The 1095 is a twisty fun road, but ride within your capabilities. For fast riders this road will only take a couple of hours..but can take as much as five for inexperienced riders. Add to that possible stops too. So keep in mind it could be a potentially long ride if you are on a small bike and are inexperienced. 

My personal top stop-off points: 

32 Coffee Hill: This is my staple stop off point, which is around half way to Pai. A good place for a drink, plus they have nice toilet facilities if you need to freshen up. 32 Coffee Hill is also within a restaurant and resort complex, so if you find yourself hungry or very tired, it is worth knowing these facilities are available too. When on route to Pai or just enjoying the road, this is usually my only stop off point. But if you have time, the next two destinations are worth visiting...

Mork Fa Waterfall. (The waterfall is BEFORE 32 Coffee Hill, so keep that in mind). I love this waterfall, but tends to get busy. It also has an interesting twisty road area to explore, if that's your thing. The waterfall itself is 60 meters high, very pretty and a great place to cool down. National park fees apply.  
8am - 6pm. Entry fee: 100 baht adult (20 baht for Thai), Parking 20 baht (motorbike).

Huai Nam Dang

Huai Nam Dang is a huge expanse of national park with spectacular views, hot springs and waterfalls. You can also rent a cabin in the National Park, and camping is permissible, but only if you bring your own equipment. 8am - 5pm. 200 baht for adults (40 baht for Thai), 100 baht for children (20 baht for Thai) *I need to check update on prices, as National Park fees have increased.


*NOTE*
Checkpoints: On route you will come across a few checkpoints, usually with only one main one being manned. Slow down when approaching and make sure you remove sunglasses and have as much as your face shown as possible. Normally you will not need to stop and be waved through. 

Pai

When you arrive in Pai I suggest you head straight for the PTT garage and refuel. (Tourist Police on left hand side, PTT straight on for 300m until you see the PTT garage on the right hand side)

 ENJOY PAI! 

For Pai and beyond I recommend the GT.Rider Mae Hong Son Loop Map

..and there you go. Have fun.

*IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATION* Take water, wear a helmet, wear protective clothing, take a mobile phone, have a license, have insurance!

*MOTO TRIP* *DAY RIDE*: Chiang Mai > Mae Sai > Phayao > Chiang Mai. 640+ km

Conclusion (yes, im starting with a conclusion): Sore bum.
lol.

As a foreigner in Thailand, if you wish to stay for any length of time, you will usually get acquainted with visa trips. These can be frequent, depending on your visa type. For this particular trip i headed to the Thailand/Burma border (more info on how to do a border visa trip here). I decided, unwisely maybe, to set off early. Like 6:30am early.
Now i know that i am of Scottish blood, but i have lived in Thailand long enough to have acclimatized. I have also always hated the cold and been able to cope with the heat. So, at 6:30am riding in cool season temperatures, i did not find it fun. In fact, i had to slow my pace right down because the wind and cold was going straight through me. Wearing three layers, a jumper, a jacket with a windproof jacket on top, just didn't cut it and body was shivering so violently that i thought my bike was having issues! Really!

Thankfully there is a great little spot for warming up just before you hit the city of Chiang Rai. The Hot Springs at Mae Khachan. I parked up and nipped into the coffee shop where they pump in hot spring water into troughs. Here you can soak your feet, whilst drinking your coffee. My hands in particular reveled in the heat, as they had gone quite numb.

After warming up (wasting a good hour or so doing so), i carried on up to Mae Sai, the border town into Burma. Report on that here.Visa sorted i grabbed a bite to eat and started off back to Chiang Mai.
Except i didn't.

Now i didn't actually intend to head to Phayao, my plan was a quick trip up to the border and back again. However, me being me (aka - stupid), i missed the Chiang Mai road turn off and found myself heading towards Phayao. I decided i may as well just go into Phayao and make it a day trip.

Phayao itself is a pretty town. Some find it a little boring, but i find it peaceful. I love the Naga serphants on the water.

Ive done a couple of day trips to Phayao here and here (to be fixed) and also a bit of a dancing video at the Naga, which caused a few smiles. (I intend to do something with this video down the line. One day...one day..)

 
After a quick view i headed back to Chiang Mai, arriving a couple of hours later. 

Turned out to be a happy accident and enjoyed the trip :)

*MOTO TRIPS* *DAY RIDE* : The Samoeng Loop - a mini scoop

Samoeng Loop Map

image: GT.Rider.com

Anyone who rides in Chiang Mai will know the Samoeng Loop, and likely know it well. The loop is pretty much the base staple for any riders in Chiang Mai for a quick ride around on a nice day. Its also the one that many tourists on scooters will want to pay a visit to.

Scenic-wise it is pretty, so there are photo ops (*Shamless selfie alert below* :p) and stop-off points for those who wish to do so, but enough twists and curves and dips to keep a rider, who is out purely for the road, happy.

Today i had a quick ride around. Its rainy season and the roads were wet and slippery. But hey, i got to see 4 snakes, (2 dead, sadly :( - not by me, although i narrowly avoided a cobra - at least it seemed to be a cobra as it reared up), a tiny squirrel dashing across the road in front of me narrowly escaping from being squished, frog hunting thrashers when i stopped to avoid the bulk of some rain (locals out with sticks, poking around in the grass to find tasty frogs for dinner), chickens-crossing-the-road galore, and ..would you believe...a Mclaren 650!

I topped the day off by stopping at "The Doi" resort for coffee (love this place and highly recommend it)..which is where i took this shameless selfie.

That's what you call a blissful day..at least in my books.

One good thing about posting an update like this on Facebook is that you find out you werent the only one who spotted the Mclaren (these are really REALLY uncommon to see here). I didnt get a photo, but my friend did.
Fantasic! He also happens to be the owner of a really great bike rental shop and tour company. Highly rated. So if interested take a look at TONY's BIG BIKES.

Now dont ever say i dont help you guys reading this out. I link you to the best places and resources.
..well, so says I. :p

Lastly, get yourself a GT.Rider Mae Sa Valley Map. Fantastic map for the loop and Mae Sa Valley. You can buy online or via these outlets.

*NOTE* I never recommend any product or service or place that i do not have faith in or have experienced. Everything on this blog is my personal account and recommendations. I take pride in writing about what im passionate about!

*MOTO TRIP* *DAY RIDE* (scooter): Mae Ngat Dam area (not the dam itself)

Took a quick daytrip to the Mae Ngat Dam area via a back road. Unfortunately this trip was taken well before i had any notion about blogging about my trip, so the exact details are ..well...lost really. If I retrace my trip at some point, i will post an update.

Anyway, when people think of the dam, they usually think of the famous house boats. These are houseboats on the dam that you can rent for x period of time and stay on. Citylife Magazine (Chiang Mai's staple English language magazine), has a good article on the houseboats here.

Instead of heading to the most well-known zones I took a look at an off-the-beaten-track route that went through a zone that was overgrown and had pretty much zero vehicles. On this route there was even a rural hilltribe local lady who was gathering something from the ground excitedly. Stopped to chat to her, but her Thai was quite broken (obviously not her native tongue). Turned out she was gathering some ant eggs. She had laid down bate and had been waiting for the larvae. She was looking 

forward to cooking them up that evening. She told me they are very delicious and even invited me to join her! This is something i love about people here; the generosity and kindness of spirit. This lady looked like she had so very little in the way of material anything, yet was willing to share her prize with me. I was so humbled...even though i declined politely saying i had no time.  

This route was very enjoyable and eventually came out at a more established road and I progressed  towards Mae Ngat Dam. A little before the dam there was a wonderful scene of people getting wet and playing in canal-ways. Obviously connected to the dam. There were food vendors and the water was nice and flowing. Decided to stop there to eat and enjoy the water, rather than head on to the dam area. Lots of bbq dishes around including some kind of larvae/pupae. Not really my style if im honest, haha.

Ordered some typical bbq food and a cool drink at sat by the water. Ended up being entertained by some (slightly inebriated) local Thai guys. Chilled for a while and then headed back home.
Excellent day!

I did actually visit the dam again some time later and it was completely bone dry!
No people around and no bbq.
That was around late November.

If i visit again, i will document the location as well as my findings.

*MOTO TRIP* *DAY RIDE* (scooter): Mon Chaem, Mae Rim.

Mon Cham (often spelled as Jam) is a scenic day trip from Chiang Mai city center. You can always stay there if you prefer, but i usually just make it a day trip. 


Located on Mong Nong Hoi village, Mon Cham is part of the Royal Project, growing herbs, fruits and vegetables. Due to it's cooler temperatures, a great deal of products are grown which are not often available elsewhere. Strawberries are particularly sought after from this area (you can also do your own strawberry picking). The flowers are really quite stunning and attract a great deal of butterflies, some of which are very unusual looking.

Viewpoint, Restaurant & Camping

The main destination at Mon Cham is the mountain viewpoint which has a Royal Project restaurant, serving fresh dishes made from local ingredients.  You can also camp just down from the restaurant area, which I'm sure must be quite beautiful, especially early mornings and sunset/dusk periods, but i haven't experienced that, so cannot comment (if i recall the prices are between the 700 - 2000 baht range)

Restaurant Opening Hours:

9:00 - 19:00 (August - September)

9:00 - 21:00 (October - February)

The photos are from March period (when it is less scenic than other periods, yet still a lovely trip). March in Chiang Mai region has burning/pollution issues, which often restrict views. It is also the hot season, so quite parched. The good thing about this period though is that there are less tourists around. Peak periods during the cool season (Nov - Feb) attracts visitors to the viewpoint, sometimes excessively. If you visit during the peak cool season period, i recommend you go on a weekday rather than at the weekend.