North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013

[helbob]

North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013, Part 1

This tour lasted 3 weeks from december to january.
I took the VIP bus from pattaya to Chiang Mai, it costs 785 baht.
The Honda CRF 250 is from POP and costs 650 baht/day.
WARNING: The happy new year time can be a big problem to find a room. Many time expensive, but most time fully booked.

The first tours every year in Chiang Mai goes to:

-Doi Suthep/Doi Pui/ Coffee Farm and over a dirt road down to Huay Ting Tao for lunch
-Rock Tower (Khun Loung Viewpoint), sealevel 1450m
-Mon Cham Garden, sealvel 1310m
-Wat Luang Khun Win, the nice woodtemple in the jungle
-Samoeng Loop

Here is a map with some places.

This is the viewpoint near samoeng on the curvy mountainstreet

Down at Huay Ting Tao Lake, cheap and good thaifood. Fried Rice Chicken and a Coke was 50 baht.

Mon Cham Garden, sealvel 1310m. A nice garden with restaurant and great view

Not far from Mon Cham Garden is the Rock Tower (Khun Loung Viewpoint), sealevel 1450m. A good dirt road goes from Mon Cham to this viewpoint. A great placee for picknick or relax.

Be careful with your motorbike, step face

The picknick pavillion

The next viewpoint is also not to far and a nice tour. Now many camping places and restaurants grow up.

More will follow
helbob

 

[helbob]

North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013, Part 2

This year (last year december) was a very good weather to make good pics because nothing burn and not dusty . When a been at Pha Tang i could see the mekong and the mountains behind.

In the night i saw a longtime friend from swizerland, his name is rolli. We met about 15 years ago in chiang mai, when he came to Chiang Mai without speaking english and without planning. Me and friends picked him up at a motorbike shop and then did many tours…..
Rolli know some locals because some years ago he been every year 3-6 months in north thailand, now only a few weeks. So the next day we want look the Chaeson Nationalpark in the east of Chiang Mai.

A short stop at gasoline station.

We drive a little bite wrong and came to the Mae Kachan Hotsprings, the highest ones of thailand. Short stop for coffee.

Then some kilomters back and the high mountainroad loop of Chaeson Nationalpark.

Here the wunderfull Kew Fin Viewpoint on 1517m.

Other side of the viewpoint

The most tourist who come to the park look the waterfalls (foreigner 200 baht), but when you want only pass the park (the waterfallplace) then you must tell on the counter and you must not pay. Notice: If you not pay then not stop at the waterfallplace because the counter call to another counter and when you come to late to this one maybe you must pay.....

On the way back this funny restaurant

After a few weeks i go again to the Chaeson Park because a want mapping some roads and dirt roads. Icame to a small village where i saw this famous tree house (sorry for the quality but all tree house pics where made with my phone because akku of camera empty)

When the housemaid see me she came to talk with me, but only thai. My thai is very poor but i understand that she want to show me the house Lets go in. Everything inside is something special

The bathtube on the balcony

Sleeping room. Many nice things inside but difficult to make pictures with the phone because to dark or hard light from the sun. The housemaid told me the the constructiontime was 2 month and costs 2 million baht.

In this village are some nice bungalows

More will follow
helbob

 

[helbob]

North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013, Part 3

The next trip goes to Wat Phrathat Doi Kham in the south of Chiang Mai

Then to a new one, near the other one

A short stop and trek in Ob Khan Park (no fee)

A newer temple with 4 buddhas (behind this 2 buddhas are two more)

When i looked up a saw something strange and zoom in...

Rolli showed me a good old style restaurant in the old town (neighbor of Johns Place), named Bierstube (german name). This restaurant is one of them who make the real good original pancakes, a pinepple pancake with coffee is 80 baht.

More will follow
helbob

 

[2wheels]

I'm enjoying this Helbob, as usual.
Ahhh, those clear blue skies; 'miss you so much'!

Thanks Auke.

 

[Nightrider70]

Sweet pictures. What kind of camera is used?

Any coordinates for the hot spring and tree house restaurant?

 

[helbob]

North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013, Part 4

Thanks Lonerider and Ally, now i can post :-)

North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013, Part 4

One of my favorite place: The small bridge for look airplanes


A great trip is the dirt road to Wat Luang Khun Win, the nice woodtemple in the jungle. Not many people come here because the way is very bad for pick ups and impossible for cars.








After a few days i thought about the dirt road from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son via Wat Chan. Rolli told me the road there is under construction and maybe soon a big highway :-(. After Mae Rim:


Yes really at km 103 (from Chiang Mai) a big street construction. Next year we can drive this street with a Harley Davidson :-I




On the way to Mae Hong Son via Wat Chan (132km from Chiang Mai). The highest point of this road is 1670m at km158, about 26km after Wat Chan.


:arrow: Note: All tours described here are included in the Digital Map Thailand and the tracks from Phu Chee Fah/Pha Tang are just inserted

More will follow
helbob

 

[KTMphil]

Spectacular colors in your photo's hellbob, some of the best i've ever seen. How much computer touch up of the photo's? Great read, thank you.

 

[helbob]

Sweet pictures. What kind of camera is used?

Any coordinates for the hot spring and tree house restaurant?

I used a cheap Sony A33 and a older Panasonic G1 with original lenses.
All the treehouse pics are made with a old nokia phone.

The hot spring is Mae Kachan on the 118 north east of Chiang Mai, about 68 km from Chiang Mai. Here a map:

Here the gpx Track

 

[helbob]

Sweet pictures. What kind of camera is used?

Any coordinates for the hot spring and tree house restaurant?

I used a cheap Sony A33 and a older Panasonic G1 with original lenses.
All the treehouse pics are made with a old nokia phone. The treehouse is a private house of a businessman.
But if you mean this one:

It is near the end of Chaesonpark-Loop.

The hot spring is Mae Kachan on the 118 north east of Chiang Mai, about 68 km from Chiang Mai. Here a map:

Here the gpx Track

 

[helbob]

Sweet pictures. What kind of camera is used?

Any coordinates for the hot spring and tree house restaurant?

I used a cheap Sony A33 and a older Panasonic G1 with original lenses.
All the treehouse pics are made with a old nokia phone. The treehouse is a private house of a businessman.
But if you mean this one:
View attachment 16321
It is near the end of Chaesonpark-Loop.

The hot spring is Mae Kachan on the 118 north east of Chiang Mai, about 68 km from Chiang Mai. Here a map:

Here the gpx Track

 

[helbob]

Thanks :-) Some pics only a little bite work, some pics need a few minutes because hard shadows, wrong colors or disturbing elements in the pic

Sweet pictures. What kind of camera is used?


Any coordinates for the hot spring and tree house restaurant?

I used a cheap Sony A33 and a older Panasonic G1 with original lenses.
All the treehouse pics are made with a old nokia phone. The treehouse is a private house of a businessman.
But if you mean this one:

It is near the end of Chaesonpark-Loop.

The hot spring is Mae Kachan on the 118 north east of Chiang Mai, about 68 km from Chiang Mai. Here a map:

Here the gpx Track

 

[2wheels]

Very Good Helbob.
Sony is good and much under-rated.

 

[helbob]

The Sony A33 is a cheap DSLR with digitalview (not the mirrorview), same the Panasonic G1. I think this is much more better than a DSLR because you can see the real picture (with the white balance, brightness...) in the finder.
The Panasonic G... is a very good camera, but a little bite expensive. The Sony A33 is a cheap one but you can make a full HD movie, panoramic-pics or HDR-pics.
I had some problems with the A33 because after 1 year and 10months the shutter was broken and the the display scratched (poor surface coating). But everything repaired on warranty. The problem: The shutter of this camera is not made for many panoramic-pics or a low quality. When you are out of the warranty it is expensive!

 

[helbob]

North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013, Part 5

Just test

 

[helbob]

North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013, Part 5

North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013, Part 5

Again the map. Again the map. For a better detail please klick and you will see the map in a high 2000 pixels resolution (different map)

On the way to Mae Hong Son via Wat Chan. About 30km after Wat Chan a dirt road with outlook

The dirt road was in a very good condition so i arrived after 224km and 6hr (only drive time) in Mae Hong Son.

In Mae Hong Son i prefer the Mae Hong Son Guethouse, a cheap one with a friendly woman. But this time she was in Chiang Mai. I took the Palm House near the lake, it costs 500 baht/night (little bite expensive).

Then relax on the lake of Mae Hong Son

Play with the young cats....

In the late afternoon i drove up to the temple

A fantastic outlook to Mae Hong Son

More will follow
helbob

 

[helbob]

North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013, Part 6

North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013, Part 6


Mae Hong Son, a real beautiful thai-town

Nightlife on the lake

Around the lake is market with food and non food

This cafe is near the lake, a cozy place

Young teens, but play good sound

Visit the temple in the nightime

Early morning, a must see

A daytrip from Mae Hong Son: Rak Thai and Pan Ung Lake. A good curvy street goes up the mountain to this villages

Pan Ung Lake, near Mae Hong Son: Now we have to pay 100 baht :-(

More will follow
helbob

 

[helbob]

North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013, Part 7

North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013, Part 7

Pan Ung, near Mae Hong Son, a wonderful lake

Only a few hundret meters from the lake this accommodation

Rak Thai (a few kilometers of Pan Ung) is chinese style: Everywhere teafarms, dryed fruits, chinese souvenirs. The border is only 2 minutes from the village.

The way back

A Coffee in „Meeting“ Cafe near the lake in Mae Hong Son

In the night on the mountain (Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu)

The next day i started my biggest daytrip to Chiang Rai. First i tried to get a room in Mae Salong, but full booked. Start at 7.15 a.m. up to the temple, foggy and cold (about 13C). Here the viewpoint near pai.

The trip from Mae Hong Son to Chiang Rai: Breakfast in Pai, the prices go up, not same 5 years ago.:?

More will follow
helbob

 

[helbob]

North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013, Part 8

North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013, Part 8

The trip from Mae Hong Son to Chiang Rai: From Pai i drove the dirt road to Wiang Haeng. This asphalt part of the way is funny, the big curvy street grips well and no traffic

Near Doi Angkhang, beautiful road with great views....

.....but i had not to much time.

Km 280 at 4.20 p.m. Nor Lae checkpoint. Nor Lae is a poor village on a mountain with exotic people on 1400m. The soldier sayed the way down is not allowed for foreigners. We talk a little bite and then i can pass :-).

After the way down is a bigger checkpoint where foreigners must show passport (or passport copy). I talk with some bird watchers from thailand, because they had very expensive cameras and lens.
The following way is a good asphalt road through the big fruit plantages to Mae Ae. From there to Thaton, Mae Chan, i arrived in Chiang Rai at 7.15p.m. after 415km, a hard way with many dirt roads.

More will follow
helbob

 

[bsacbob]

Some cracking pictures there mate, thanks for sharing Helbob....

 

[helbob]

North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013, Part 9

Thanks for comments . Now we looking to the famous Doi chang Area :RO

North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013, Part 9


In Chiang Rai i drove some dirt roads around the river to Thaton, to Wawi, to Khun Korn Waterfall, to My Dream Guesthouse for lunch and more.
This year the dirt road to Khun Korn waterfall was difficult and slippery but possible (only for motorbike).
One of the best ways is the Doi Chang Loop, a hard daytrip, not many tourist. Now Doi Chang grow up because a asphalt road is under construction. Most of the people here are Akha who work on coffee farms. Now are some accommodations on Doi Chang, most of them 1000-2000 baht.
The easy Loop (south loop) goes from Chiang Rai the 1211 south-west. In Huay San turn right, after a view kilometers a big watercrossing, but not deep. The next fork keep left, now is a new concret road for some kilometers. The last kilometers to the top are a good dirt road. Then down to Doi Chang Village and the asphalt road to Mae Suai, the 1211 back to Chiang Rai. This Loop is also possible with a Honda Dream.



The adventure Loop goes from Chiang Rai the 1211 south-west. In Huay San turn right, after a view kilometers a big watercrossing, but not deep. The next fork keep left, now is a new concret road for some kilometers. The last kilometers to the top are a good dirt road. Then down to Doi Chang Village. 9 km after Doi Chang Village turn right on the 3037 to Wawi (Wawee). A nice website about Wawee tea: Doi Wawee .Wawi ist a city with a few hundret people, supermarket, gasoline station and a little bite outside the Lao Lee (Laulee) Hill Resort ??????????????? Laulee Hill Resort (only thai) english http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lao-Lee-hill-Resort/243468745720282 . After Wawi still a good dirt road and then a fork where you can choose the way to Huay Khum resort or the way to My Dream Guesthouse (no sign). The road to Huay Khum is easy but from Huay Khum to My Dream Gh on the river is now with a difficult part because there some parts only possible with motorbike. The direct way to My Dream Gh is a little bite difficult but after easy.


Here is a map of the great Doi Chang north loop, 157km


A house in the highlands of Chiang Rai River

Viewpoint on Doi Chang (1650m), the clouds are down

Pano

The other side of the viewpoint, on the way to Doi Chang village

Doi Chang village (1100m)

„Doi Chang Coffee Farm“ Cafe and Farm

It is hard and much work to make coffee. Drying coffee beans

Coffee beans

More will follow
helbob

 

[bsacbob]

Great local tracks you've found there Helbob plus it looks like had almost the perfect views for some more great pictures

 

[Just Bob]

Love that area. I've put it on my dance card.

 

[helbob]

North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013, Part 10

North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013, Part 10

Doi Chang Landscape

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The panoramic mountain road on the top of the mountain

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At the end of the panoramic mountain road, a view back to Doi Chang

Accomodation on Doi Chang, Baan Suan Doi Chaang.

„Use Low Gear" is recommendable for trucks on Doi Chang

View to Doi Chang Mountain: The panoramic road under construction.

The shortcut from Doi Chang to Wawi, a nice curvy asphalt road

More will follow
helbob

 

[helbob]

North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013, Part 11

North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013, Part 11

Flower Festival Chiang Rai near the airport, no fee, a very big festival. The old place was on Chiang Rai Beach and smaller

At 6.30 p.m. Wat Rong Khun (White Temple), very nice in the evening. When you want photographing in the evening: About 7.30 they closed the light!

Good idea :-). I would stole one but to big for my bag :-)

This picture was a fake pic. I did it for my friend because he want a nice one with the Wat Rong Khun in the backround. This 2 pictures i use:

View from Wat Santikhiri to Mae Salong. The best way to come there ist the road on the river to My Dream Guesthouse and straight on. A few kilomters after My Dream the dirt road goes right and up in the mountains to the 1089, then follow the signs.

Wat Santikhiri over Mae Salong

Happy New Year Market and Celebration at Mae Salong

More will follow helbob

 

[helbob]

North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013, Part 12

North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013, Part 12


Happy New Year Market and Celebration at Mae Salong. Sing and dance.

Happy New Year Market and Celebration at Mae Salong. Most of the people here are Yunan, a chinese ancestry. This also explains why there are so many tea plantations around the city.

The big marker near the market

A coffee in the „Sweet Mae Salong" Cafe. Expensive, but good cakes.

Mae Salong

Back in Chiang Rai and going up steep steps to Doi Kong Khao…

... with a good view. This is one of my favorite places near Chiang Rai. I never saw other people on this place, but it is a very nice viewpoint in the evening, daytime or in morning. Sometimes a bought a cake and coffee from 7 eleven an went up to this small mountain.

Chiang Rai: A boat house, good idea. I like the fantasy of the thaipeople when thy built some funny, crazy fantastic homes like a tree-house, floading raft house or a fantasy house with small towers.

This big Golden Lion is a few kilomters in the south of Chiang Rai. A popular place for thais and some big bus stop here for photos.

Near the Golden Lion i tryed a dirt road. This is A STREET to a village. All the dirt roads behind the golden lion are dead end streets.

More will follow
helbob

 

[helbob]

North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013, Part 13

North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013, Part 13


A very nice style but in germany impossible to make this style. The german local authority district department said every house must look same style. The last crazy thing was all roofs must have red roofing......

On the way from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai, the dirt road Mae Kachan to Mae Ngat Dam. This dirt road has a difficult part about 500m (the 400m upt to the pass and the 100m down, in rain season impossible)! Here near the end of the dirt road: You can choose - Watercrossing or the small steel brigde

Mae Ngat Dam, nothing special for me. When you know the Chieo Lan Lake between Khao Lak and Surathani then you know why this one is boring

Back in Chiang Mai a little bite sightseeing, inside of the elegant wood temple „Wat Pan Tao“. This temple is always good for a visit because near Tapae Gate and not far from my guesthouse . Around there some more great temples.

Light a candle at Wat Pan Tao

The elegant wood temple „Wat Pan Tao“ a must see and a wonderful place in the evening.

More will follow
helbob

 

[helbob]

North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013, Part 14

North Thailand, 4000km Motorbike Round Trip 2013, Part 14

Chiang Mai: Lots of stone, the Wat Chedi Luang

Behind the temple some nice buildings, best scene in the night.

WARNING Internet cafes Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai:Many Internet Cafes are infected with malware, virus
and more. The problem was in chiang rai that the 2 computers of BEN Gh not work (long time nobody repairing ). Then i tried
a good looking internet cafe on the main street, but this one nearly killed all my pictures on the sd card and overwriting some
files on my gps. It was much work to repair all files. In chiang mai the same. I tried about 5 cafes until i found a very good small
one. This small one is in the Loi Kroh (the Bar street) backstreet. When you come from Tapae Gate an walk the Loi Kroh then
you will see this signs on the right side:

Turn right and after a short walk you see the small cafe on the right side

At this day i feld very sad and tired because most of the internet cafes are big shit. But the friendly service of the small one
makes me happy and after saving some files i walk around the streets and came up to this hotel with a nice view. Down there
you can see the Loi Kroh Road and behind the Meridien Hotel is the Doi Suthep Mountain. The Hotel left side with the
swimmingpool is the Duangtawan Hotel. A swimmingpool with gym, for outsiders 400 baht, a good choice after long and hard
motorbike trip.


A information about me, because someone ask: Yes, i had many motorbikes in germany. Most of them were streetbikes like a
CBR 900 RR, Suzuki GSX-R 1100, Kawasaki ZXR 750 or a Yamaha Exup 1000 with 130 horsepower and more. The last one
was a KTM 620 LC 4. I drove only 20 000 km in the past 10 years but pay much money for repairing. For example: The
generator, the clutch, frontwheel, headlight, leaking fork, broken chain and more....
I drove many thousand kilometers with Honda or Kawasaki in Thailand but never a big problem. I don't know why the KTM make
so many problems but i think the japanese motorbikes are a better quality.

Sometimes the bikes had a very hard work when i drove the trails around Chiang Mai (same like the hard tour to Wat Luang
Khun Win: Tour 2011: Reggae Festival, Hardcore Tour and more..) but not break.

This was the bike, it looks good but everytime many problems

END, i hope you've enjoyed it

The next post will be in the Phu Chee Fah Thread with some pics of the famous landscape there.

helbob

 

[Ally]

Thanks very much for the update - Love those night shots. Nice!

Ally

 

[KTMphil]

Your Photo's are mesmerizing Hellbob, love the story too.