*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* **LAYMAN'S GUIDE!** The Samoeng Loop - A L00ooptAstiC guide ~!

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

There are lots of places to see and visit on this loop, but for this guide I'm including just my personal favorites.*Note* Fill your tank up (there are village pumps along the way, but best to fill up beforehand. Best to take water too).

 THE SAMOENG LOOP

Whether on a scooter or a bigger bike, here is the Zed CM layman's guide to the infamous Samoeng Loop.

Clockwise or Counter-clockwise, the choice is yours. To keep this guide simple, this guide will be based on clockwise.

Clockwise Loop: From Chiang Mai city, head onto the 121 (see map above). Follow the road approximately for 10km until you hit the 1269 intersection (see photo above). Take a right turn. Follow this road and it will take you into the hills.

The Samoeng loop is really more about the ride and the natural scenery, than destinations. So soak up the atmosphere and enjoy what you see. Have a few tips for pit stops though so here are my top ones: 

Max Coffee and The Doi: For a stop-off and a snack, i recommend either Max Wine & Coffee On Hill or The Doi Resort. (Due to the close proximity of each other, its best to choose one or the other).

Max Coffee: For some great views of the valley, Max Coffee wins. A good one if you fancy a wine or a cold one too (and the better choice, imo, if you decide to do the loop counter-clockwise).

The Doi:
If you want to watch the traffic go by, and catch an opportunity to see elephants go past, The Doi is a pretty resort stop. (I'm personally not a fan of elephant riding/shows/etc (that's why i haven't mentioned Mae Sa Valley Elephant camp), but i do enjoy watching them.)



View Point / Samoeng Forest: 
About halfway through the loop you will come to a junction. Straight on takes you to Samoeng Village, to the left is the Samoeng Police box, and to the right is the road to the viewpoint and the continuation of the loop. Head to the right. The viewpoint is a classic photo-op, with the Samoeng Forest sign. (This is a viewpoint only, no shops etc here)

Queen Sirikit Botanical Gardens / Mae Sa Waterfall:
Both these places are only worth visiting if you have given yourself enough time to enjoy them. Probably best if you choose either one rather than both, but if you have a ton of energy then go for it! 

Queen Sirikit Botanical Gardens:
Stunning gardens on a HUGE compound. Lots to see for lovers of all things flora.
Open daily 8:30am – 5pm.
Entrance Fee is 100 Baht/50 Baht for children (40 Baht/10 Baht if Thai)

Mae Sa Waterfalls:
Pretty 8-tiered waterfall. You can buy food here from vendors.
Entrance Fee is 200 Baht/50 Baht for Children (20 Baht if Thai). Parking Fee is 20 Baht for motorcycle, 30 Baht for car.  

The X-Center
Throwing in this fun one. The X-Center has a variety of adventure activities on offer such as Bungee Jumping and Paint Ball etc. They also have a restaurant and coffee shop and bar. So, even if you have no time or energy on this day, you can still grab a cool drink or something to eat. A good one for a stop before heading back into Chiang Mai city.

The last leg
Carry along the 1096 until you hit the 107 intersection. Turn right and head back to the city. This last leg of the clockwise trip isn't so nice really. It's approximately 18km of main road and often heavy traffic. So just a plod homeward on a dusty busy road.

Lastly.. i recommend the GT.Rider Mae Sa Valley Map


..and there you go. Have fun.
Dont forget to wear a helmet ;)

*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 TRIP* Samoeng > Wat Chan > Pai> Chiang Mai

Feb 2016 - Tail end of cool season. no rain.

Route: Samoeng, route 1349  towards Yang Ha, continue onto Ban Wat Chan.Turn right on to 1265 to head to Pai. 

The Rough Stuff: Resurfaced sections with intermittent rocky patchy stretches. Approx 60km between Yang Ha and Wat Chan the road gets progressively worse, with around 30km of bumpy dirt ridges. (see video )

Note:
Im nervous on dirt and gravel. Particularly as i had a terrible accident on gravel. So this was pretty much nerve-wrecking for me in sections. I enjoyed the route, but the rough stuff took it out of me, mainly because of my nerves. My body was stiff and i was sweating, so it felt like a mammoth trip, when it really wasnt. It was good for me to work on building up my experience and confidence on dirt and gravel.

The route to Pai:

Stunning scenery and wonderfully quiet from when you get out of Samoeng and head to Pai. At the time of this trip the main Pai route (the 1095) was a mess of construction, so this route seemed like an interesting alternative. I just wish i had done the trip with blogging in mind, because i would have been more accurate on the details etc.

Battery says no...
Unlike me, I hope you don't find yourself with a dead battery on this route. As if i wasn't nervous enough already! To cut a long story short, getting to Pai involved clutch starting the bike and then going without stopping until the battery gave up  (which was thankfully not too far from Pai). By then I was low on fuel as I had decided to wing it..because if I stopped to fuel up, I may not have got the bike going again.

When i reached the outskirts of Pai i was towed into town by rope..lol! Ho Ho.
Strangely I had no indication prior that the battery was about to pop it's clogs.

In Pai the mechanic shop then tried to put in a really small battery, and after a bit of explaining, they went and found the correct sized one.
Anyway...thankfully the situation didnt turn out as bad as it could have. Phew ^^ 

At Pai I was unable to stay at my usual place; Pairadise, as I had not booked in advance. So I went to a resort just down from them called Pailanna, which was ok. No big complaints and the food was really good in the restaurant there.

Had a really quiet night in Pai, had a coffee in the morning and a small ride around, then headed back on the main 1095 route back to Chiang Mai. At this point the construction was maybe around 80% complete, so the ride was pretty nice. Just a few sticky tarmac areas, but overall great..and looking forward to riding it when completely finished.

*TRIP REPORT* *DAY TRIP*: The Wiang Haeng Loop

Having heard that the Wiang Haeng loop was supposed to be a great loop and scenic, i thought it was worth a check-out.
Turned out to be, for me, more challenging than i had hoped, and not in a good way.

I had based myself for a few days in the beautiful area of Chiang Dao with the intention of exploring the area, then got the notion to do the Wiang Haeng Loop.


For me the 1178 /1322 from Chiang Dao to Wiang Haeng, wasn't in the same league as the Chiang Dao zone in terms of scenic value.
Initially the road itself was ok, if you want just road for riding sake. 
It was just ok, not great, but ok.   

I confess I'm spoiled when it comes to beautiful and scenic roads in Thailand, so it's not one i thought was particularly special in terms of scenery.Wiang Haeng itself was just a simple rural town, with not a lot there.

After Wiang Haeng, continuing on the 1322, the road took a turn for the worse.
Basically no road. Just rocks. Lots and lots of rocks. Big chunky rocks.
Thinking that it probably wont last for long, i pushed ahead, but alas the broken up road lasted the whole of the rest of the trip, until i neared the end of the loop and into Chiang Dao. Just rocks, big rocks, gravelly rocks, ditches and ravines, and red mud.
Im not so confident on this kind of road (due to my accident) and i initially tested my mettle by standing up and letting the bike take the bounce. But after a while i grew weary, not just physically, by mentally from the concentration.
Don't mind challenging myself, but not for such a lengthy period in one go.

Pretty knackered by the time i got back into Chiang Dao, and a little frustrated by the additional time the trip took..especially as it wasnt particularly scenic or special..well, in comparison to the areas around Chiang Dao.

Wont be looping around Wiang Haeng again any time soon i recon...

*MOTO TRIP* - Mae Hong Son Loop (through route 1263) Chiang Mai > Mae Hong Son > Mae Chaem> Mae Wang> Chiang Mai.

A trip in which i retrace the route of my accident I had four year ago.

Setting off early to make good time, I headed for the 1095 to Pai. The 1095 is a well-loved moto route, both for scooters and bigger bikes. If you love your twisties, this road is for you!

At the time of this trip however, the road was still undergoing reconstruction. So, unfortunately it was a far more cautious and slower beginning to the trip that I have enjoyed in the past. Usually I will stay in Pai for a night and chill out, but this time I just stopped off for lunch and short relax then continued on towards MHS instead. I missed out Fish Cave, which is actually a really great place to visit, and also Lod Cave.

Just before MHS you reach a town called Soppong. I had been told that Soppong River Inn was a lovely place to stay. So I headed there. I arranged to stay in a bungalow on the river, which had a nice peaceful feel to it. Until, that is, a large group of riders checked into the bungalow next to me. The noise was really quite bad and a lot of people were getting drunk and rowdy. It required being brought up about to the owner. Thankfully she was understanding and offered another room. However, what happened instead (which was really very nice of them) was that the group of riders who were told about the noise disturbance, decided to move to a different bungalow instead. I did feel a little guilty but at the same time I got a much needed quiet time and a good nights sleep. The bungalows at River Inn are close to each other so noise reverberates, sadly. It was a very scenic place though and would stay again.

In the morning I allowed myself a long lie in before check-out then set off for Mae Hong Son for lunch. Had a quick look around MHS and grabbed a bite to eat at Salween River Restaurant. Enjoyed the food and the prices, and the owner was lovely.
They also had a GT.Rider map up on the wall. Nice one! Cant recommend this map enough!
Get yourself one if you plan on exploring the Northern regions and Laos.



I ended up taking far longer in the restaurant than I should of and realised I wasn't making good time if i wanted to get to Mae Chaem. There were dark clouds looming also, and it seemed a spot of rain was heading my way. I absolutely didn't want to stay in Khun Yuam, that's for sure, as too many bad memories from years before (I'm referring to my accident, which is what this trip was actually all about..). So I headed off for the 1263, only stopping in Khun Yuam to fill up. As I mentioned previously, this trip was a cathartic one for me, because it was all about retracing my steps when I had a serious accident 4 years previously on the same day. I recall nothing of the route due to the concussion I sustained and I wondered if riding along the same route would bring back any memories. But nothing was coming back to me.

I found the road fun to ride on, as it was now completely resurfaced making it an easy ride.
About half an hour into the ride a small thunderstorm hit and it was really refreshing. It didn't last long and at the end I was rewarded by a beautiful rainbow (a double rainbow in fact!). I felt good. I felt happy. I was finally going to finish the trip I never finished those years ago.



About another half hour or so on 1263 route I was losing myself in enjoying the ride and had to remind myself to keep a look out for any possible reminders. I had been going along happily, I felt good, really good, when suddenly a weird thing happened. You can read about that and watch the video i took here.

Anyway after I recovered myself I headed on towards Mae Chaem, happy that I the past was now behind me. Before I got to Mae Chaem the sky was getting dark. I had set off way too late in the afternoon and with the rainstorm stops (2 stops)  and the time resting near my accident point, I found myself beginning to ride in the dark (and around these areas it really is PITCH black at night). The headlight on my dtracker is poor and the GPS on my phone was out (because i had no signal), so as I wasn't sure how much further it was to get to Mae Chaem, I decided to rest up at the first town I came across. Found a small town and some ratty accommodation owned by a sweet old couple and rested up for the night, after eating at a local cheap eatery. In the morning, when I headed out for Mae Chaem, it turned out to be just about 15 mins away haha. But no regrets, I enjoyed the quiet cheap place. There was also one very lovely aspect and that was the brightness of the stars outside. There were very few streetlights and no road lights anywhere around the area, so the sky was stunning. It was a little spooky at times though...BOO!.

Anyway, headed into Mae Chaem, fueled up and then took the road to Mae Wang. Really great curves and enjoyed it a lot. Came out at Doi Inthanon, but didn't go up. I do have a Doi Inthanon trip report here though (link to be added). I also saw a monkey at Doi Inthanon checkpoint, which I really didn't expect. Apparently there are some monkeys living around there. Here is a video I got of it (he sprayed on that lady's red car. Cheeky bugger!)

I actually (embarrassingly) don't quite recall what i did after that. I think I was just on a high. A high from the trip and from it being such a significant trip for me. I do remember arriving home a bit later and thinking "I wish I was still out riding!".
I could have kept going. I felt exhilarated and happy to be alive.

Safe travels friends.

My bike got just a tad dirty on this trip..haha.

*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. 

*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*: Chiang Mai > NAN > Chiang Mai (road trip with The Grinder Boyz!)

This was a really fun trip, but the boys (who normally ride bikes with much more power ) found the trip a bit of a slog on 250cc bikes. It was great that they did this trip on bikes that matched mine, though. Very grateful for that! As an aside, the guys on the trip became affectionately known as "The Grinder Boyz", mainly because one of them decided to play a trick on another of the guys by uploading his pic on the Grinder app. (Grinder is the equivalent of Tinder, but for those interested in the same sex). Yes, childish I know, but pretty funny all the same.

The guys on this trip are experienced riders, really experienced. So for them the pace was a doddle, and thus the antics that came about were pretty fun. Had a giggle the whole trip.
The 1148 is known as one of the best roads for riding in the province, and although I enjoyed it, I found it not quite as twistie as I normally like. Or maybe my bike just doesn't have enough power for these kinds of sweeping curves. Would be a good one to try on a bike with more power.

We started from our usual meeting point before heading off. I had a small bag, the guys seemed to take kitchen sinks... ^^

The pace was around 120/130km and so we did ok. But of course, that's because we cant go any faster! We kept going till we hit Sabaai Dee Coffee shop for a break and a cool down. A couple of other riders had joined up with us at this point, and would head to Nan with us also.

Fab ride, fab weather (Jan is cool season and is really great for riding at this time), fab company.
 
We hung up our helmets at S.P. Guesthouse in Nan. A nice friendly inexpensive guesthouse. Seems to be a favorite with riders due to the secure parking.
Headed out for a bit to eat and went along to the HUGE night market. Was a bit too overwhelming for a few of us, including me, so half went around the market and the rest of us headed off for a quiet drink at a local biker bar. I pretty much called it a night fairly early and headed off back to the guesthouse with the only other girl on the trip, my good friend Tik. Boys will be boys, as they say, and the guys stayed up late drinking. As I was in bed at a more reasonable hour I was up very early (as planned), and had already packed up. 
The boys were no where in sight. Haha.

I posted this on my facebook that morning "Good morning from S.P.Guesthouse, Nan. I've been up since 7:30 am, bright-eyed and (not so) bushy-tailed (only because it's first thing in morning.). The guys were up late drinking. I suspect when they emerge from the rooms they will be red-eyed and groggy-tailed ^^^ Som nam na ^^" 

But actually, although they were up a little later than planned, they didn't seem worse for wear. I guess they are just used to it! Haha. So, after a little later start than planned we headed off for breakfast, packed and ready. P.S, I find the photo that was taken at the breakfast place pretty funny.. because the tallest man in the group on the right, was standing next to the shortest lady in our group. Haha.
So this time we headed back via a different route (at a later date I will update what this route was), which I was enjoying much more than the more famous 1148 route. It was much more twisty. We hit an area of roadworks with lots of gravel and sticky tarmac, but apart from that section the rest of the route was absolutely stunning with roads in great condition. At one point we were all low on fuel (spitting feathers!) and had a bit of a panic to find a fuel pump. I spied one on a roadside thankfully, and were saved.
 
We made a pit stop in Phayao and ended up meeting a group of friends who were just back from a lengthy tour. Had no idea they would be there, so was a nice coincidence. We had lunch together and shared some stories, and then headed off back to Chiang Mai. We arrived as dusk was setting and was really quite beautiful.

This trip will stick in my mind as one of the most fun I have ever had.

Thanks Grinder Boyz!