I embarked on a 9-day motorcycle tour of Northern Thailand, riding a BMW 850 GS from BIG BIKE Touring Company. I picked up the bike on December 9th, 2024, and completed my tour on December 17th, 2024. The cost for the tour was 1,470 Euros, plus an additional 40 USD per day for insurance.
The main route I followed was:
Chiang Mai → Chiang Kham → Nan → Chiang Khong → Chiang Rai → Pai → Mae Sariang → Chiang Mai. I stayed in Nan and Chiang Rai for two days each, while spending one night in the other stops.
To adjust to the local time zone, I flew from Istanbul to Chiang Mai (via Bangkok) on Turkish Airlines on December 6th, 2024. The flight was comfortable, and I arrived in Chiang Mai around 19:30. I spent the weekend there before picking up my bike on Monday. (Thailand is 4 hours ahead of Turkey.)
Chiang Mai, the largest city in Northern Thailand, offered many attractions over the weekend. I visited the Night Market, Long Neck Karen Village, Tiger Kingdom, Hill Tribe Village (Hmong Village), and the Temple of Doi Suthep.
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| Day-1 : Chiang Mai to Chiang Kham via Mae Kampong |
After spending the third night at the SUNNY V Hotel in Chiang Mai, a private taxi took me to the BIG BIKE TOURING shop. Andy Grimwade, the owner of the company (and Big Bike Diner), is a really nice guy. A couple of months ago, he expanded his business by opening a café/restaurant next door to the Bike Rental Shop. We sat in the café and had some great conversations with Andy. After changing and getting ready for the 9-day tour, I departed from the Rental Shop at 10:20 AM.
I mounted my phone on the bike stand and began my journey. I reached Mae Kam Pong around 11:30 AM. Mae Kam Pong is a small, somewhat hidden village that’s popular with local tourists. The main road through the village ascends about 400-500 meters. The street is narrow, and traffic can be heavy. There are many food stalls and café shops where you can buy fruit, grilled seafood, meat, and fish. Unfortunately, I was unable to get coffee because of a power outage in the area, and technicians were working on the electric poles to fix it.
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| Mae Kam Pong-Main Road |
Continuing on, I reached the junction with the main road and took Route 118 northeast toward Chiang Kham. After 40-50 km, I stopped at a hot spring on the left. There was also an abandoned temple called Pong Namron, which had a slightly eerie atmosphere. Nearby, there was a large resting area where people were selling boiled eggs in tiny baskets, which had been cooked in the hot spring fountains.
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| Hot Spring |
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| Pong Namron : Abondoned Temple |
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| Eggs boiled in the natural Hot Spring |
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| People enjoying Hot Spring at the Resting Area |
I then followed Route 1021 through Phayao to Chiang Kham. Just before reaching my hotel, I stopped to fill up my tank. I arrived at the Chiang Kham Grand Villa Hotel at 16:30. The hotel is located about 500 meters from the centre of town. I asked the receptionist for a restaurant recommendation, and she pointed me to a nearby spot about 400 meters away.
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| Day-2 & 3 : Route Chiang Kham - Nan and around Nan |
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| Wat Phumin Temple |
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| Cat lover monk |
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| Fried fishes ready for table |
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| Fish Sellers |
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| Street food is everywhere in Thailand |
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| Nan River |
I left the Richmond Hotel at 08:20. As I rode out of Nan on road 1169, the fog lingered for the first 10-12 kilometers. I passed through several small villages, and road 1081 continues toward Ban Sapan.
The route took me through green hills and valleys, with smooth pavement that was great for riding. I made a few stops at scenic spots with beautiful views. About 15 kilometers before Ban Sapan, there’s a scenic point (Bo Kluea) along the road. I stopped to take some pictures of the winding road.
I arrived in Ban Sapan at 10:30. Ban Sapan, which means 'village' in Thai, is a charming village by the river, known for its lovely cafés and guesthouses.
Ban Sapan is a peaceful place where one can stay for a few days to enjoy the clean air and do some trekking around the area. I parked my bike in front of a guesthouse where the bungalows overlooked a small rice field within the property. I sat at the café of the guesthouse, Ban Sapan Retreat, and ordered an Americano.
At 11:45, I departed for Pha Mi, another National Park I planned to visit. It lies to the west, about 88 km from Ban Sapan. The road takes you through Doi Phu Ka National Park, passing small villages and offering fantastic views. My fuel was running low, so I started searching for a gas station. To save fuel on long downhill rides, I used neutral gear. Eventually, I spotted a small station in the valley. The lady showed me the price per liter, which was 38.90 THB, higher than usual. I filled up my tank for 520 THB—no more worries about fuel! 😊
The road 1256 ended at the main road 101, and after a few kilometers, I turned left onto road 1097 toward Pha Mi. The road was quiet, with good pavement and beautiful surroundings. I reached the village of Ban Pha Mi, which sits on top of a hill. The village looked poor, with simple houses, and I got close to the villagers in the center of town before continuing my ride.
Road 1097 led me to another main road, 1148, heading toward Nan. As I got closer to Nan, road 1148 merged with road 101. The distance from Pha Mi to my hotel was about 98 km, and I arrived at 14:40. After half an hour of rest, I went out to explore the city on foot.
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| Wat Changkham Worawihan Temple |
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| Wat Huckuang Temple |
I checked the entrance to the Nan National Museum. But was closing at 16:00 so no chance to get in. There are a lot of street food in the city. The people buy street food including soups, rice, chicken, sea food, fish and many others ready to eat.
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| Ready to eat : Salads |
The lady at the hotel prepared a lovely breakfast plate for me. I was in the lobby by 07:20 and enjoyed my meal before getting ready for departure.
I left the hotel at 08:05. The weather was sunny, with clear skies and a temperature of around 21°C. I took the main road 101 heading north, which was the same road I had used the day before when returning to Nan from Pha Mi. About an hour into the ride, I turned onto road 1148. After 10-15 kilometers, the road started to curve, making for a very enjoyable ride. I stopped at a café called 'Nan River Resort' and ordered an Americano. While sipping my coffee, I took in the beautiful mountain views.
There was also a very friendly guy at the café who was a guest there. He’s a civil engineer, and we had a great chat. He used to live in Chiang Mai, but now he’s based in Nan for business. After our conversation, I departed from the café.
About 40-50 kilometers later, the road became absolutely beautiful. I reached Chiang Kham and found the shop where I had bought memory cards two days ago. I explained the issue with the mismatched GB, and the girl took one of the SD cards back and refunded me 180 THB.
A few kilometers outside of Chiang Kham, I stopped at an STT gas station to fuel up. There, I grabbed four meatball skewers and a bakery item for a quick lunch.
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| Meat balls:-Very popular in the North of Thailand |
All of that cost me 40 THB. After about 20 kilometers, I took road 1020 toward Chiang Khong. The road lost its scenic charm, and the views weren’t as special. I arrived at my hotel, Day Water Front Hotel, located right on the Mekong River. The hotel sits about 20 meters above the water level on the riverbank, with a lovely view of the opposite shore, which is Laos. The river here is approximately 400-450 meters wide.
I arranged with the hotel owner (who is also the lady managing the place) to take a boat ride to see the settlements along that part of the river. We set the departure time for 16:00. Afterward, I took my bike to the viewpoints near the Friendship Bridge, which connects Thailand and Laos. The bridge is modern, and about 4-5 kilometers south of it, there’s a spot with a great view of the bridge, along with a massive Buddha sculpture.
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| Friendship Bridge between Thailand (left) and Laos (right) |
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| Transportation on the Mekong River-Upstream (background Laos) |
I spent about half an hour there before heading back. I rode through villages and fields until I reached the customs checkpoint on the Thai side, which is at the western end of the bridge. From there, travelers would continue on to Laos. After that, I made a U-turn and rode back to my hotel.
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| Neighbored to my Hotel in Chiang Khong there was a Budhist installation |
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| A monk, the artist, was painting the sculpture. |
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| Boat Tour on Mekong River:- Laos |
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| Laos :- bank of the Mekong River |
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| Laos bank of the Mekong River Mekong River Boat Tour : https://youtu.be/azNQ6zpx3To?si=TxB0cLuVic9THfTS |
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| Laos Bank of the Mekong River |
The light on the Laos side of the river was beautiful. We first went upstream, then sailed back downstream. The whole tour lasted about an hour, and I paid 700 THB through the hotel lady. I also discovered that there’s a barge restaurant, Restaurant Raft, right on the riverbank.
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| Restaurant Raft (on the barge) |
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| From Chiang Khong to Chiang Rai via Golden Triangle |
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| Sun Rise from the sky of Laos |
The sunrise comes from the Laos side and it completely fills my room early in the morning. I went downstairs to the lobby, where there were some toast, butter, and jam. I had two pieces of toast with berry jam and a filter coffee. The lady and her husband were also there in the lobby. I then prepared for the ride to the Golden Triangle and left the Day Water Front Hotel at 08:40.
Once we left the city, the route became beautiful, offering stunning views over the river. At one point, on top of a hill, I stopped to take a picture. This spot is called Rim Khong. There were also some local tourists there, and we took pictures together. They even asked me to join them in their photos.
Roughly 50 km later, I saw a colourful temple on the left-hand side. At first, I passed the entrance, but then I made a U-turn and returned to the entrance of the Wat Phrathat Pha Ngao Temple. I parked my bike there and discovered that the most panoramic part of the temple is located at the top of the hill. There are shuttles available to take people up to the top.
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| Sky walk at the top:- Temple Wat Phrathat Pha Ngao |
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| Mekong River from the top of Temple Wat Phrathat Pha Ngao:-Far away Golden Triangle |
I bought a ticket (30 THB) and hopped into one of the shuttles, which took us to the temple at the top in about 5 minutes. Since the road is narrow, they don’t allow visitors to drive their own cars. At the top, I paid an entrance fee (40 THB) for both the temple and the skywalk. The view from the top is expansive, and despite a bit of fog, you can still see the town of Chiang Saen about 8 km away. They’ve constructed a beautiful steel platform with a glass floor, which is very unique and a highlight of this trip. After taking plenty of photos, I took another shuttle back down to where I had parked my bike.
At the base, there are also some religious buildings associated with the temple. I walked around them before continuing my journey to Chiang Saen and then on to the Golden Triangle. The weather is lovely, with the sky sunny and the temperature around 30°C. The route is scenic, and the traffic is light. I headed toward the Golden Triangle with the Mekong River flowing on my right. The opposite bank of the river is Laos. Upon arriving at the Golden Triangle, I saw the impressive, large Golden Buddha sitting at the centre.
I parked my bike and began walking around. Along the way, I came across a boat office where I rented a speedboat. For 500 THB, the boatman took me upstream on the Mekong. As we returned downstream, on the right, I could see Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), and on the left was Laos. The Golden Triangle refers to the point where the borders of three countries—Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand—meet.
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| Golden Triangle:- Boats are on the Thailand side, the other coast is Myanmar |
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| Golden Triangle:- Heading to Thailand Coast |
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| A lot of construction on the Laos side. |
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| Casino and tall buildings in Laos |
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| Artificial Poppy Flowers in the Museum |
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| Best position to enjoy the opium |
The museum tells the story of opium production, consumption, and the related devices and tools. It’s definitely a good place to visit. After that, I rode to Chiang Rai. It was a short ride today. The hotel in Chiang Rai is an old wooden house, decorated with some vintage furniture and other old-time items. There’s a nice parking space for bikes in the garden, so I parked mine there. A young lady showed me to my room and briefed me about the facilities. My private bathroom is outside the room, and I need to walk through a hall for about 10 steps to get there. There are two other rooms on my floor, but it wasn’t a big deal. I had known this when I booked the room on Booking.com.
When I went to take a shower, the showerhead wasn’t in place, and water came out of the pipe. I asked the young lady to fix it, and she took care of it. She also mentioned that she would be gone for the next two days and would provide me with a breakfast bag for those days. I agreed. The balcony on the first floor is a nice spot to have drinks or breakfast. After my shower, I went out and walked to the center of town, passing a street lined with fruit sellers on both sides.
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| Chiang Rai Clock Tower |
People are making good money from the White Temple. While there’s no entrance fee to the yard, there are plenty of opportunities to spend money. On the other hand, it’s not easy to maintain such a temple without a source of income. The yard and facilities are very clean and well-maintained. The weather was nice, and I spent about an hour in the temple grounds. I didn’t enter the temple itself, as the entrance fee is 100 THB. Instead, I bought a luck foil for 30 THB.
The luck foil is a metal sheet in the shape of a flower, and you can hang it somewhere while making a wish to Buddha. I left the White Temple around 09:40 and took the route south, then west. This is the road to Chiang Mai and further to Pai. After about half an hour, I arrived at Mae Suai Dam.
The weather was cloudy but dry. I had a coffee and sat on the terrace, enjoying the view of the dam. The coffee cost 45 THB and was very tasty. At 11:20, I left Mae Suai Dam and took the route toward Tha Tun. A few minutes later, at the top of a hill, I came across a beautiful spot with a wide view of the valley. I took some pictures, and three ladies asked to take a photo together.
After that stop, I continued on the winding roads, averaging a speed of 45-50 km/h. In a place called Huai Chomphu, I stopped at 12:40 to enjoy the view. The vibrant red flowers were one of the reasons I stopped, but the wide, deep valley was also a major attraction along this road.
I reached Tha Ton, which I had marked on the GPS, but there wasn’t much of interest there, so I continued on to Mae Salong. My GPS led me down narrow, deserted roads through the woods. The beautiful curves and quaint villages along the way were very enjoyable on the bike. At 14:15, I arrived at the top of a mountain, where I could see views on both sides. The vistas to the south and north gave a feeling of endlessness. I was starting to get hungry, but I decided to visit a nearby tea plantation first. I descended the hill and rode for about 30 minutes to reach the Choui Fong Tea Plantation.
The tea plantation is very well-operated, surrounded by vast tea orchards. It’s a clean, well-organized facility with friendly staff and a very professional setup. I had shrimp rolls, a balsamic salad, and a cheesecake with tea aroma (420 THB). It was great value and definitely worth a visit!
At 15:50, I departed for my return trip to Chiang Rai. The ride took about 45-50 minutes, and the road was quite crowded with cars and vehicles. At times, I had to use the left shoulder of the road, so you have to be cautious when doing that! Close to my hotel, I filled up my tank (37 THB/liter). Once back at the hotel, I took a shower, and then at 18:20, I went out for a walk as it was getting dark.
There’s a park near my hotel, and right in the centre of the park stands the King Mangrai Monument.
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| King Mangrai Monument |
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| King Mangrai Monument |
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| Offered animals' sculptures |
There are many colorful sculptures of elephants, horses, roosters, and more, all around the monument. After that, I walked along the main road in the darkness, heading north. After about 2 km, I reached the "Blue Temple," officially named Wat Rong Suea Ten, at 19:30. Even in the dark, the temple looked incredibly vibrant and shiny.
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| Night Market in Chiang Rai |
I woke up at 07:00 to the sound of rain tapping on the roof. It looked like it would be a ride in the rain today. I took two small packs of milk and two small cakes from my breakfast package, which the lady at the hotel had left for me. It was better than nothing. I prepared my bike and put on my rain gear.
Meanwhile, the elderly man (probably the father of the young lady) came to check my room. Without saying a word in English, he tried to indicate that I needed to pay 60 THB. I understood he was implying that I had taken one of their beers from the room fridge, but that wasn’t true—I hadn’t even opened the fridge. I declined, but the old man continued to be a bit of a nuisance.
At 08:20, I departed from the hotel. I took the same road south, then headed toward Mae Suai Dam, which I had seen the day before. There was road construction, and for about 10-15 km, the road was unpaved. Fortunately, the road wasn’t muddy or slippery—just a compressed red-orange gravel and sand mix. There were many puddles on the road that caused splashes.
After riding 55 km, I stopped at a PTT fuel station for a coffee break. The coffee culture in Thailand is impressive. They offer a wide variety of coffees with different flavors and styles of serving. I had coffee from one of the popular coffee shops (Amazon) in the PTT fuel station. Even though the rain had lightened compared to the morning, I kept my rain gear on.
I continued my ride, and just after Phu Tawan Village, I took Route 1150 west toward Phrao. The road twisted through curves and hills, and the views were spectacular. At an altitude of about 1300 meters, the rain finally stopped, so I took off my rain gear at a bus station by the roadside. A few kilometers before Phrao, I stopped again to admire the view of the rice fields and took some pictures.
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| Rice fields in Phrao |
It was a café with witch figures. I stopped for 10 minutes but didn’t buy anything, as the road was too amazing and the weather was perfect—21.5°C with no rain. When I arrived in Pai, I went to get gas, but there was a queue at the fuel station. After waiting 15 minutes, I finally managed to fill up my tank. Then, I rode to my hotel, “Pai Homey.”
The small town of Pai is crowded with young people, mostly from Europe. People between the ages of 25 and 40 are living like 1960s hippies. My hotel is just a few hundred meters from the town centre, and there are 8-10 wooden bungalows scattered around a grass-covered yard.
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| My Hotel Pai Homey |
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| Bamboo bridge :- Shortcut to the town |
After putting my stuff in my bungalow, I went out to explore the town. There are two main streets crossing through Pai, filled with shops, scooters, and pedestrians. I stopped at a street food vendor and ordered two sticks of okra, two sticks of green beans, two sticks of chicken, some mushrooms, and squids (all for 70 THB). The girl grilled everything for me, and I took the food in a pack to eat by the side of the street.
Then I sat at a bar just off the street and ordered a pale ale (IPA). They charged 230 THB for a glass of IPA—quite pricey! An Australian guy, Garry, was sitting next to me. He’s a retired traveler who gets around a lot. We chatted and enjoyed our beers. After leaving the bar, I walked around in the darkness, taking some pictures. Then, I walked back to my hotel using the shortcut over the bamboo bridge. Pai is a charming and unique town, definitely worth visiting.
After breakfast, I packed my things and was ready to depart by 08:45. The roads were still wet, but there was no rain, so I didn’t need my rain gear.
My planned route for today was: Ban Jobo, Ban Huai Hia, and Ban Jabo—two small villages a bit off the main route (about 13-14 km from the main road), but definitely worth seeing. Then, I would continue on the main route to Mae Hong Son, visit Ban Nai Soi Long Neck Village, and head up to Mae Sariang.
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| At the top :- Mae Na Toeng |
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| Ban Huai Hia |
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Ban Huai Hia
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I stopped at a coffee shop in Ban Huai Hia and ordered a coffee. This area is also known as the "Sanpandan Wildlife Sanctuary." There, I met a couple with their Africa Twin 1100cc. They were very friendly, and we communicated with a few words of English. They were from Bangkok, touring northern Thailand. After the coffee break, I rode back to Ban Jabo.
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| Ban Jobo |
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| Ban Jobo |
After chatting with them, I continued my ride. About 2-3 km before Mae Hong Son, I took a right turn onto a road leading to the village of Ban Nai Soi. It’s only about 14-15 km from the main road, and there, I visited the Karen Long Neck Settlement (Kayan Taryar).
Afterward, I rode back to Mae Hong Son and continued south on Route 108. About 25 km later, I stopped at the "Pha Bong" viewpoint. I bought a cup of strawberries (20 THB) and sat at a coffee shop, enjoying the peaceful and expansive panorama over the valley.
I had an Americano with an almond biscuit (70 THB). After that viewpoint, I didn’t stop anywhere else. The road was winding beautifully, and the asphalt quality was fantastic. The last stretch of about 150 km of today’s ride was incredible.
I arrived at my hotel in Mae Sariang at 17:15. The hotel is called BK Hotel, a new place located on the west side of the Yuam River, with a large yard for parking. At 18:20, I went out to explore the town. After a brief walking tour of downtown, I sat down at a restaurant called “Coriander in Redwood.” It was a nice spot, and I ordered spring rolls, stir-fried fish, and a Chiang Beer (410 THB).After dinner, I returned to my hotel but heard joyful laughter coming from nearby. I found a local restaurant right next to the hotel, so I went in, ordered a Chiang Beer, and spent some time writing in my diary. Then, I headed back to the hotel to sleep.
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| Morning Market in Mae Sariang |
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| Shop in Mae Sariang |
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| Temple in Mae Sariang |
Afterward, I went downstairs for breakfast. Entering from the yard, I noticed a strange space between two blocks of the hotel compound. They had set up a simple breakfast spread. I sat down, had butter and jam with two toasts, and enjoyed an instant coffee. Once finished, I packed up my things and loaded them onto my bike. At 8:30 AM, I left the hotel and headed toward Chiang Mai. The road was beautiful, and since I was riding east, the sun made the pavement shimmer. After about 80-90 km, I turned north onto Road 1088, which leads to Doi Inthanon National Park. About 30 km later, I spotted a nice café on the left – Khunya Café – which offered a great view of the valley. I stopped there and had an Americano.
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| Khunya Café |
After about 15-20 minutes, I continued my ride toward Doi Inthanon. The weather was pleasant, and the sky was clear. Enjoying the ride, I eventually reached the top of Mount Inthanon, the highest point in Thailand.
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Doi Ithanan 'dan Doğu 'ya bakış
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| Vegetable soup with shrimps:- Special way of presentation |
Including a small bottle of water, I paid 200 THB. The portion was quite large—I'd say it could easily be shared by two people. After lunch, I headed toward Chiang Mai and arrived at the Big Biker Touring Shop around 2:30 PM. It had been a pleasant day with a short, enjoyable ride.
Conclusion of the North Thailand Motorcycle Tour:
- Total Days: 9
- Total Distance: 2,280 km
- Gas: 100 liters = 3,650 THB
- Bike Rental (9 days): 1,470 EUR
- Insurance (9 days): 360 USD
- Accommodation: 8,400 THB (= 260 EUR)
