*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 GEAR* GT.Rider Maps

Ok..so, you will notice on a few of my blog posts that I've mentioned GT.Rider maps.
These maps are a staple of most riders exploring the northern territory of Thailand and Laos regions.

David Unkovich aka Mr GT Rider, has been exploring Thailand for decades and his maps are well-respected guides. Teamed with GPS, these maps have got me back on track, and offer insightful and interesting routes. They also include recommended places to visit and to stay etc.

So, they are definitely something i advocate as part of your riding "gear".

You can buy the maps online or via these outlets.

GT.Rider also has a forum, where you can read about other riders trip reports and gain advice and help on border crossings etc.

Big fan! Can you tell? :p

*MOTO TALE* : Jacket Lost / Jacket Found

Mini Adventure Drama...with a magical twist. 
 (...involving "homing pigeon" shoes, a beloved moto jacket, an orange shopping bag, and a dizzy female > me)

Day 1 (2 days ago):
Took a quick motorcycle trip around the Samoeng loop, only to stupidly lose a bag i had (obviously) tied badly onto my bike. In that bag was an awesome pair of beat up flip-flops and my prized motorcycle jacket that fits me like a dream (we women of various shapes and sizes don't find this easy to come by!). So..tracing back my route 3 times and finding nothing, i eventually gave up. Handed in my number to a local policebox and returned home despondent. 

Day 2 (yesterday): With a renewed resolve of at least ATTEMPTING to find my jacket, i made up some posters and flyers in English and Thai (thanks to help from my friend Tik). I went back over the area and painstakingly got on and off my bike on a hot day to hand people the posters and flyers and explain the situation. I figured that if i didn't at least try, i would end up kicking myself. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. If i didn't get the bag back, it wasn't meant to be. The nice part of the whole thing was that it forced me to interact with people (which I'm normally quite reserved about), who all turned out to be lovely and helpful. A bonus being some mahouts with baby elephants that i stopped to chat with.

Day 3 (today): Well officially last night really. I received a phone call around 7pm last night. My bag was found! I was to meet at the local police box at 9am. I arrived at the box before 9am, (and as is the way of Thailand in general haha), when I arrived, I was told that the lady who found it had gone to work and forgotten to bring the bag in. So, I had to ride back 80km or so home and wait to return later. Around 2pm i received a call to say the bag was handed in and to make my way back to the policebox.

I arrived to find all the contents intact! The policeman (although not smiling in the photo) was lovely. I left an envelope with a finders fee for the lady who found my bag, and a bag of home made treats for the policeman. Really amazed and happy about the outcome.
-----

The magical twist...
..ok. The flip-flops that were in the bag are really old beat up things that i have had for approx 8 years. In that time they have been washed down a fast flowing river and retrieved (which i actually have a comical video of) ..fallen off on a road... fallen down a mountainside... and well, a number of things. Yet, they somehow let themselves be found. Because of these magical homing-pigeon flip-flops, my bag and jacket came back to me. HAHAHA.
---
To end..
Most people do like to return things. I could have made it easier for them to do so if i had put a number in the pocket of the jacket or used a marker on it etc. Its a good heads-up to me to do this to my motorcycle gear and anything important to me. So...might be a good tip for you to do so too. ^.^

*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!