KTMphil
Senior member
Mae Rim to Chiang Dao off-road dirt tracks.
In November 2010, a group of us did a off-road dirt track trip from Mae Rim ( 13km north of Chiang Mai city) to Chiang Dao (65km north of Chiang Mai city).
The rainy season had come late this year to north Thailand & didn't really start raining until the middle of August, which meant it also didnt stop until late as well.
Have a look at how slick the clay still is, often already hard in November, you can still see the new ruts from the rain
There are a number of tracks through to Chiang Dao from the SSW, so you can pick how difficult you want to make it. For instance this "log" river crossing, is not easy with a 3m drop off the bridge. It was pretty steep going down, the camera doesn't give the inclination justice.
The problem was, once you'd reached the bottom of the hill to the bridge, the tires were loaded with clay and you had no traction the log bridge
Quick lunch and drink stop and then onwards to Chiang Dao
As you approach Chiang Dao from the WSW, there is some windy concrete that brings you down from the mountains, it's tricky to find the right turn out of the mountain but once down the view looking east is spectacular
Being planned for a thursday, so that the Chiang Dao nest evening buffet would be on, we got there just in time, here we are all parked in Chiang Dao, all ready for the buffet.
The Chiang Dao Nest high season is about 1,200-1,500 bht a night (low season before December 700 Bht ish), rooms are immaculate. Night time temperature for sleeping is perfect without aircon.
In November 2010, a group of us did a off-road dirt track trip from Mae Rim ( 13km north of Chiang Mai city) to Chiang Dao (65km north of Chiang Mai city).
The rainy season had come late this year to north Thailand & didn't really start raining until the middle of August, which meant it also didnt stop until late as well.
Have a look at how slick the clay still is, often already hard in November, you can still see the new ruts from the rain
There are a number of tracks through to Chiang Dao from the SSW, so you can pick how difficult you want to make it. For instance this "log" river crossing, is not easy with a 3m drop off the bridge. It was pretty steep going down, the camera doesn't give the inclination justice.
The problem was, once you'd reached the bottom of the hill to the bridge, the tires were loaded with clay and you had no traction the log bridge
Quick lunch and drink stop and then onwards to Chiang Dao
As you approach Chiang Dao from the WSW, there is some windy concrete that brings you down from the mountains, it's tricky to find the right turn out of the mountain but once down the view looking east is spectacular
Being planned for a thursday, so that the Chiang Dao nest evening buffet would be on, we got there just in time, here we are all parked in Chiang Dao, all ready for the buffet.
The Chiang Dao Nest high season is about 1,200-1,500 bht a night (low season before December 700 Bht ish), rooms are immaculate. Night time temperature for sleeping is perfect without aircon.
