Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son on scooters

Scootering the 270km from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son was one of the best days in SE Asia so far. Once you get off the terrifying highway leading out of Chiang Mai the roads are smooth and clear, with plenty of space on the left side for scooters to roam free.

After 30km on a marginally busy dual carriageway you turn off to far emptier and more scenic rural roads, in surprisingly great condition and a joy to ride. I love the freedom of having a scooter, and felt particularly snazzy on my bright pink and purple 'toy' machine, complete with bright green helmet. My mother will be pleased about the helmet part no doubt.

Pink Turbo Scooter 

The scooters were rented from Aya Service in Chiang Mai - a great travel office that offers cheap rates on scooter rental (£2.80 per day, including insurance!) and allows you to rent in Chiang Mai and return to the Pai office. Even better they take your luggage to Pai for you so you can ride without any extra burden. 

We packed a small bag with the bare minimum to survive a 4 day road trip and we were off!

After experiencing Indian road conditions and driving standards riding in Thailand is a dream. The roads are well paved and all the vehicles on it drive at a relatively acceptable speed and are far more likely to pass an MOT in England than any of the bone-rattling monstrosities trundling up and down mountain roads in India. And I was extremely relieved to see none of the death-defying overtaking on bends that was a constant heart-stopper while travelling in India. So basically, the drive to Pai was a breeze! With killer views of lush valleys and pine-studded woods as a bonus.

Lunch in Pai provided a well-needed breather, before hitting the road for a further 150km. Dozens of paddy fields and breath taking views later, we arrived in the small town of Mae Hong Son in time for sunset (just!). We definitely deserved a beer at this point so we watched the sunset over the lake and its reflection of the temple opposite while nursing a nice cool Leo.

Desperate to get off the tourist trail, the next day we went in search of some hill tribe villages right on the border with Myanmar. We were disappointed to find it almost as touristy as the rest of Thailand with tourist priced restaurants alongside the lake and a couple of tour buses parked on the curbside.

Pretty sure this guy is smoking opium

So we headed slightly out of town, towards an intriguingly high hill with flags billowing at the top. We dumped our bikes and headed upwards by foot. We had finally escaped from other people. So much so a monk had chosen this humble hillside with marvellous views as a meditation place. We stumbled upon him in his cave and I think he was as surprised as we were!

Further upwards we came across a lone hut, romantically nestled on the hilltop, housing 2 men with nothing but a radio for company.

Monk meditation spot

Lonesome living

Explorative juices fully flowing we hopped back on our bikes to investigate a lake we had heard we could camp alongside. It turned out to be a beautiful spot and a purely Thai affair. Not a single westerner in sight. And a tent complete with plenty of duvets and a fantastic lake view.

Reflections

Lakeside

Room with a view

The first morning we dragged ourselves out of bed in the hope of catching the mist rising over the lake, supposedly better a bit earlier in the year. Misjudging what time sunrise was we found ourselves shivering next to the lake playing around with long exposure.  But the results are pretty cool!

Messing around with long exposure

Nightlake

Eventually the sun rose and a glimmering of mist appeared before being scared off by the warming sunshine. 

Boating in the mist

Misty morning

We too scampered off back to bed for a few hours. The rest of the day was spent gathering firewood for a blazing campfire later and sharing tea and passionate conversation with Ben, a Burmese refugee with a hell of an opinion on pretty much any topic.

A large bottle of rum and a campfire later and we’d made friends with a group of feisty young Thais in the campsite. We finished the night singing raucously round the fire while banging what percussion we could muster from bottles, forks, candles and bamboo cups. Let’s just say not everyone wanted to be our friend after that…

Firewood gathering

Fire pit by the lake

The return to Pai with a stonking hangover was not as enjoyable as the drive there but the fresh air certainly helped to reduce the banging headaches!