China Border Ride, Day 5 : Mae Hong Son - Pai

Ride Itinerary:

Day 1 : KL - Surat Thani

Day 2 : Surat Thani – River Kwai, Kanchanaburi
Day 3 : Kanchanaburi – Mae Sot
Day 4 : Mae Sot – Mae Hong Son

Day 5 : Mae Hong Son - Pai
Day 6 : Pai
Day 7 : Pai – Chiang Rai
Day 8 : Chiang Rai – Huay Xai, Laos
Day 9 : Huay Xai – China Border, Boten
Day 10 : Huay Xai – Chai Nat
Day 11 : Chai Nat – Hua Hin
Day 12 : Hua Hin – Hatyai
Day 13 : Hatyai – KL

Day 5 : Mae Hong Son - Pai

The journey from Mae Hong Son to Pai is very short, only 160 km on Route 1095.. We had a big hearty breakfast at Imperial Mae Hong Son Hotel and it is facing the beautiful Mae Hong Son hill.

We checked out of the hotel and refuelled our Harley Davidson bikes at the nearest PTT petrol station. Soon, we left Mae Hong Son at 10.00 am and headed to Pai..

The Route 1095 leads from Mae Hong Son to Chiang Mai.. We stayed 2 nights in Pai because there are many things to do in the quiet and chilly small town..

The distance from Mae Hong Son to Pai takes only 160 km.. Yes, it is a short ride and I always love the road from Mae Hong Son to Pai… it has blind corners, sharp steep hilly corners, where u even need to pull the clutch lever on 1^st gear when taking the sharp steep corners… I always make a stop at one of the hilly corners for a photo session…

As we left early in the morning, the road was still empty on Route 1095.. it was hardly to meet any road users at this time of the day.. hence we had great time enjoying the corners.. there were many areas in mist and visibility was only 50 meters especially on top of mountains... The ride on the mountains was great as we were riding higher than clouds..

It got colder as we reached the Kiew Lom View Point, approximately 25 km from Pai. If the weather is fine, you can see few mountain peaks of Northern Thailand such as Doi Pleu, Doi Sammuen, Doi Chiang Daw and Doi Maeya from the Kiew Lom View Point.

 

Pai

Pai is a small town in Northern Thailand's Mae Hong Son Province, near Myanmar border and it lies on Pai River.. Set in a particularly picturesque valley north of Chiang Mai, Pai is a predominantly tourism-oriented town, offering a relaxed atmosphere with a broad tourist and pretty serious backpacker scene.

The town's permanent residents are a seemingly harmonious mix of Western hippies and Thai rastas which gives the place a unique vibe which may be appealing to some, even if it isn't traditional.

Then we reached Pai town and checked in at Yoma Hotel, which is located very near to Street Market and Pai Airport..

Yoma Hotel is cozily located in the heart of Pai, which lies adjacent to River Pai, and embraced by the Mount Mae Yen.

Blessed with tranquil natural surroundings, the superb hotel is easily accessible and located in close proximity to the town’s facilities and attractions like Wat Phra That Mae Yen, Pai Hot Springs, and Nam Hu Temple.

The hotel is stylishly designed and well equipped with ample amenities and private balcony overlooking mesmerizing panoramic view of the mountain range.

I booked the room via Agoda.com for RM 160.00 per night including breakfast..

Yoma Hotel room is lovely and the view is facing mountains and paddy field.. The hotel staff were very friendly and we really love their open concept

restaurant.

The view of its infinity swimming pool, facing the paddy field, is really relaxing and makes me wanna come to stay again at Yoma Hotel in Pai..

After the swim, we had a free and easy to walk around the town.. We had Khao Soi Gai for lunch. Khao Soi Gai is a Burmese-influenced dish served widely in Northern Thailand. The curry gravy is similar to massaman curry in Southern Thailand but it has a thinner consistency.

After lunch we headed to Pai In Love Café for coffee and cakes. The first time I came to Pai In Love Café back in 2010 and it was not as crowded and famous as it is now..

We went for a tour in Pai Town visiting the memorial "Nawarat Bridge", which was built in 1912.

 

 

Later in the night, we went to search for "organic medicine" and ended up having a bonfire party at a resort next to Pai Waterfall.. 

The breakfast at Yoma Hotel was great and I just love to have breakfast in the outdoor restaurant with the early morning chilling breeze.

Today, we did a short ride from Mae Hong Son to Pai village. The riding distance was only 160 km and it took us almost 2 hours to reach Pai on Route 1095..

HooRahh!!

China Border Ride, Day 4 : Mae Sot – Mae Hong Son

Ride Itinerary:

Day 1 : KL - Surat Thani

Day 2 : Surat Thani – River Kwai, Kanchanaburi
Day 3 : Kanchanaburi – Mae Sot
Day 4 : Mae Sot – Mae Hong Son
Day 5 : Mae Hong Son - Pai
Day 6 : Pai
Day 7 : Pai – Chiang Rai
Day 8 : Chiang Rai – Huay Xai, Laos
Day 9 : Huay Xai – China Border, Boten
Day 10 : Huay Xai – Chai Nat
Day 11 : Chai Nat – Hua Hin
Day 12 : Hua Hin – Hatyai
Day 13 : Hatyai – KL

Day 4 : Mae Sot – Mae Hong Son

We left Mae Sod at 6.00 o'clock in the morning for Mae Hong Son's 1864 Corners, the day was still dark as we left the town.. As we were entering Route 105, that leads to Mae Sariang, the road was slippery and the condition was foggy..

The Mae Sod - Mae Sariang route is also known for Border Route as you'll be riding along the river which separates Myanmar and Thailand... Myanmar will always be in your sight when you ride along this route...




The distance between Mae Sod and Mae Sariang is only 230 km on Route 105.. it is just a short ride but it was an easy ride as it was hardly to meet any incoming vehicles... the road was empty for most of the time...

Upon reaching Mae Sariang, we stopped for breakfast at restaurant which sells great Khao Mun Gai and Iced Cafe Latte... Mae Sariang is a small town that located in between Mae Hong Son and Chiang Mai.. hence the road condition on Route 108 to Mae Hong Son from Mae Sariang is better and wider than the previous road (Mae Sod to Mae Sariang route)..

Starting from Mae Sariang to Mae Hong Son, the road corners were medium and long corners... we encountered lots of chicanes.. beautiful chicanes especially when riding the heavy tourer; Road Glide and Road King..

Finally, we reached Mae Hong Son.. we really enjoyed riding on Route 108 to Mae Hong Son and because the ride was so amazing, we even thought of making another run to Mae Sariang and back to Mae Hong Son again...

Grabbed lunch and not to forget, the Mae Hong Son's 1864 Corners Certificate at the Mae Hong Son Council Municipal which is located few meters of Baiyoke Chalet... I was so proud to receive my Fourth certificate.. What a great self-achievement!!!

We checked in at The Imperial Mae Hong Son Resort and we received a warm welcome by the hotel staff.. They insisted us to park our Harley Davidson bikes in front of the entrance stairways.. where we saw other bikes, such as BMW and Ducati, were parked at the motorcycle parking bay.. That’s the privilege of riding Harley Davidson in Thailand..

Our Harley Davidson bikes parked in front of the hotel entrance

Then i brought Otai to a Wat Phrathat Doi Kongmu temple at the peak of Mae Hong Son Doi Kongmu mountain. From this temple, you could see the view of Mae Hong Son town. Not many people know that this is the best view point of Mae Hong Son town from this temple. You could see the airport, lake and another temple next to the lake.

For Dinner, we had grilled Tilapia fish with sticky rice and thai salad, khao pad thalay (fried rice with seafood) and Kluai Buad Chi (Thai sweet banana in coconut milk dessert) at the night market next to the Lake Jong Kham and Wat Jong Kham Temple.

Before we went back to Imperial Hotel, we went to a bar to check out live music and had couple of drinks although the night was still early..

Total distance from Mae Sod to Mae Hong Son is almost 400 km and took us nearly 7 hours which includes coffee breaks, lunch and photo shoot stops.. That is one of the reasons why I always prefer to leave Mae Sot early in the morning..




HooRahh!!