Table of contents
Jo Deleker
36 pictures
Deleker
1/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
2/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
3/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
4/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
5/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
6/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
7/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
8/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
9/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
10/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
11/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
12/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
13/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
14/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
15/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
16/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
17/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
18/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
19/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
20/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
21/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
22/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
23/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
24/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
25/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
26/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
27/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
28/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
29/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
30/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
31/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
32/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
33/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
34/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
35/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
Deleker
36/36
Traveling by motorcycle in Northern Thailand.
to travel
Motorcycle tour in Northern Thailand
Motorcycle tour in Northern Thailand
Escape the winter
Thailand? Isn’t that a tropical swimming paradise? Yes, but Thailand is also a dream spot for the little winter escape. Especially in the wild mountains of the far north, fantastic roads, the mighty Mekong, exotic places with Buddhist culture, strange markets and always smiling people beckon.
Joachim Deleker
11/22/2012
“Sawasdee Ka ”, the driver of the tuktuks greets us at the airport in Chiang Mai, stows us and our luggage in the neat interior of his colorful tricycle, lets the two-stroke and on-board disco howl and heads for the city. The crash course in traffic is intense and confusing, too much for our senses, fogged by the long flight. Pick-ups, tuktuks and the omnipresent scooters jostle into every little gap from all sides. An extremely turbulent current in which our driver swims skillfully. Just don’t let it tear off. In the open tuktuk we are right in the middle of it instead of just being there. And here we want to ride a motorcycle? Oha.
Buy complete article
Motorcycle tour in Northern Thailand
Escape the winter
10 pages) as PDF
€ 2.00
Buy now
After eleven hours of deep sleep, we feel strong enough for the city, feel our way to the lively mix on foot and slowly arrive mentally in this strange world. The many temples with their large gardens are real oases, oases of calm in the noise of the big city. Moments to recharge your own battery and to be amazed at the Buddha statues artfully decorated with gold leaf.
Enough about the city, we want to go out into the country, see the mountains and places of the north. Joe Sauerborn, German emigrant and best motorcycle mechanic from Chiang Mai, rents us two Honda XR 250s, visually worn, technically flawless. Perfect for engraving your profile in the sand even on the small paths in the jungle. Strap on the Ortlieb reel, take a deep breath, think about left-hand traffic, concentrate and get into the crowd. Hey, we survived Lima, Naples and Buenos Aires, so Chiang Mai should be an easy exercise. It is, because the hustle and bustle only looks chaotic from the outside, we quickly register that the peaceful Buddhist upbringing of the Thais is effective even in traffic. No aggressiveness, no honking, no know-it-all, everything flows, even if in barely transparent channels. Naples is worse. Much worse.
Deleker
The peace and quiet away – the Buddhist upbringing also seems to have an effect on road traffic.
We are bobbing out of the city, soon turning off the main road straight into an exotic paradise. Hardly any traffic, palm trees, bananas, sunflowers, green fields and high mountains that are blurred in the midday haze. A softly drawn landscape. The little Hondas purr contentedly, at least as long as things don’t go uphill. Then a few more horsepower would not be bad to keep the scooters at bay, which regularly fail us. How do they do it? Thai tuning?
Our heads switch to “slow mode””, we listen to the blaring little motors that bravely screw themselves up in second gear. On and on, on and on, to Mount Everest in Thailand, the almost 2,600-meter-high Doi Inthanon. Engines off and be amazed. Over the meter-thick, stone-old giants of the jungle, the chasing wisps of fog, the wide view over the mountains and the pitiful ten degrees. Clearly too little for our summer jackets. Nothing like going down into the valley to Mae Chaem, where we find the Navasoung Resort, which is run by a Finn.
At 25 degrees and a chilled Chang beer on the terrace, we listen to the weather report, which warns of the winter cold, tomorrow it should only be 27 degrees. A joke? Not at all, because it rarely gets that cold in Thailand. Cool, such a winter day in the tropics. SMS from home: “Sleet, slippery road, completely stupid, best regards.” Immediately it feels even cooler to chug through Mae Chaem with the visor open and look for the 1263 side street.
Deleker
Signpost? There is not any. GPS? We dont have. And still a lot of fun on dusty slopes near the Burmese border.
The signposts are not always understandable, the closer to the road, the more often “hieroglyphs” are the signs exclusively in Thai. Only your own nose helps as a scout. The 1263 is exactly the stuff that winter-tired biker’s dreams are made of. A single roller coaster, through fields and forests, now and then a small village with wooden houses on stilts and waving children who are amazed at our fat bums. Anything bigger than a scooter is considered a big bike in this country.
We arrive in Mae Hong Son far too quickly. The small town not far from the Burmese border is love at first sight. Very different from Chiang Mai, calm, relaxed, peaceful and clear, with a large pond and the beautiful temple Wat Jong Kham right on the shore. White pagodas with towers adorned with gold, the monks’ melodious chanting flows from the temple. It couldn’t be more exotic. In the evening, hawkers roll their stalls onto the promenade, offering kitschy souvenirs, music CDs and popcorn. Chicken feet, grasshoppers and crispy maggots roast on mobile grills.
Watch, enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and admire the illuminated temple. Mae Hong Son relaxes. And is also the perfect starting point for exciting excursions into the mountains. The famous Mae Hong Son Loop, the road of the 1864 curves, meanders from here to the east, knows neither straight lines nor planes. A revelation in terms of driving pleasure. It’s just stupid that today is December 5th, King Bhumibol’s birthday, the highest public holiday in the country. The aged king has ruled since 1946, which is a world record. The Thais use the holiday to mess with each of the 1864 curves. We prefer to avoid it, dusting on red-yellow slopes through dense forests.
It is almost dark when we arrive in Pai, the legendary paradise for dropouts. That was yesterday, however, today Pai is turning this myth into money. Countless tourists are looking for the daring atmosphere of the wicked hippie stronghold, which has long been stifled by commerce. Most of the old hippies have established themselves, owning cafes, massage parlors or health food stores. Even public smoking weed is now banned, what else should be exciting? Let’s get out of here.
Deleker
Nowadays, elephants are mainly used as a tourist attraction,
For the next few days we avoid the big roads and climb small paths into the rugged mountains. And it has it all, does not remind for a moment of a tropical paradise. Fog and deep clouds whiz over the 2000-meter mountains that form the border with Burma. Now and then a picturesque village, often inhabited by Chinese refugees, otherwise just mountains and forest. Every now and then military checks stop us. The young soldiers are interested in our big bikes: “How fast?” “Well, they run around 80 easily.” Disappointed looks, mutual giggles, good trip.
At Chiang Saen we reach the Mekong, with 4500 kilometers the tenth longest river on earth. It flows broadly and calmly, on the other bank is Laos. Fishermen float on the river in long and narrow wooden boats, the longtails, hoping for big prey. Our visit to the legendary Golden Triangle is short. Thousands of tourists are drawn to the fabulous stories of the tons of opium that was produced here and is still used in Burma. What a rip-off. We’d rather let the Hondas walk on the scenic little road that nestles directly on the banks of the Mekong. The big river is still flowing freely, but megalomaniac dam projects in Laos threaten the ecological balance and the livelihood of fishermen on the big river.
South of Chiang Khong we leave the Mekong and take on the mountains again. The 1093 is one of the most exciting roads in the country. Curves to the point of dropping, green mountains to the horizon, and their most famous is the Phu Chi Fah, only 1653 meters high, but an absolute must for the Thais. When I gasp up the summit ridge at sunrise, I am not alone. At least 200 Thais are waiting for the red ball to rise from the sea of fog over Laos. Fast wisps of cloud chase over the summit, allowing only brief glimpses of the neighboring country, which is hidden under the white Wadden Sea. Despite the hustle and bustle, this is one of the most haunting moments of the tour, the atmosphere is magical, the view is first class. And already a new travel bug is nesting in my brain, cruising through Laos with small enduro bikes.
Deleker
In the quiet of the sunrise, the fishermen try their luck in their wooden longtail boats on the Mekong.
Two more days to Chiang Mai, two days of swinging curves that spur Hondas uphill to peak performance – no scooter has overtaken us for a long time – and are almost childishly happy about 28 degrees in December. And then the city again. Hustle and bustle, noise and smells that change rapidly, often interesting, very haunting, sometimes nasty, sometimes tasty, rarely definable, the full range from musty fish to burnt oil to lavender flowers. It’s a shame that you can’t fix smells on a memory card, you can only do that in your head. And it still has a little space, despite the infinite number of impressions that Thailand has given us.
Travel information
Deleker
At sunrise, the view from Puh Chi Fah over the sea of fog and the mountains of Laos is simply stunning.
The north of Thailand is perfect for the little winter escape. Subtropical climate, a very varied landscape, always smiling people, a good infrastructure and good rental motorcycles make the trip an easy exercise.
Capital: Bangkok
Area: 513 115 km2
Religion: 95% Buddhism
Currency: Bath
Population: 69 million
Getting there: The fastest flights with around 14 hours are offered by Thai Airways from Frankfurt via Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Tickets are available from 800 euros. Flights with Arab airlines are a little cheaper, but significantly longer due to intermediate stops.
Travel time: Thailand’s north has three seasons, the rather dry winter from November to February with maximum daily temperatures of around 30 degrees, the hot season from March to May with high humidity and temperatures above 35 degrees and the rainy season from June to October, in which the temperature is also clear can rise above 30 degrees.
Entry and traffic: The passport must be valid for at least six months. The tourist visa is valid for 30 days and is issued upon entry. Thais drive quickly, but rarely aggressively, but always on the “wrong” side (left-hand traffic). The traffic in the city is chaotic, and if you hesitate, you lose. Overland it is rather quiet thanks to the thin traffic density. If you can get by on Italy’s roads, you won’t have any problems in Thailand.
Werel / MairDumont
The duration of the trip is three weeks. The distance traveled: 2000 kilometers.
Money: The local currency is the Bath. One euro corresponds to 40 bath. The easiest way to raise money is to use a credit card at an ATM. Thailand is a cheap travel destination. For one euro you can eat your fill at street food stalls. In restaurants, dinner costs from two euros. Acceptable hotel rooms are available for less than ten euros.
Motorcycles: Joe Sauerborn (contact: joes.bike.team@gmail.com) offers the Honda XR 250 and Kawasaki ER-6n. The Hondas cost 25 euros per day, the Kawas 30 euros. There are rental scooters on almost every street corner for a few baths.
Health: In Thailand, you can cope with the caution that is usual for tropical countries: do not drink tap water, do not eat salad, ice cream, or eat unpeeled fruit (“Cook it, peel it, or forget it”). Even so, Montezuma’s revenge is sometimes inevitable, if only because of the unfamiliar cuisine. Vaccinations are not required. In winter there is no risk of malaria in the mountains of the north.
Info:
The information search works best on the Internet:
www.thailandtourismus.de
www.thaizeit.de
www.thailand-ticket.de
www.thailandsun.com
Very good information about motorcycling in the north of the country is available at:
www.gt-rider.com
www.rideasia.net
The following travel guides are a good companion on site: Reise Know-How for 24.90 euros, Stefan Loose for 27 euros and the English-language Lonely Planet for 27 euros.
The best maps are available on site in Chiang Mai, from GT-Rider the sheets “Golden Triangle” and “Mae Hong Son Loop”. The northern Thailand map by Berndtson and the pages “Chiang Mai” from Globetrotter Travel Map and Periplus Travel Maps can also be used.
MOTORCYCLE action team: There are still places available for the guided tour on the Kawasaki ER-6n on the almost identical route. Date: from February 25, 2013, www.actionteam.de
Related articles
-
Deleker 22nd pictures Deleker 1/22 The myth of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, ruled life in Cyprus for 2,700 years. Especially the mind of men. Deleker…
-
Out and about in Greece: motorcycle tour
Deleker 16 pictures Deleker 1/16 Dream beach: Porto Katsiki on the Ionian Sea. Deleker 2/16 At 600 years old, the Von Kipi Bridge is still young. Deleker…
-
Morocco motorcycle tour for Africa beginners
Iron ham to travel Morocco motorcycle tour for Africa beginners Morocco motorcycle tour for Africa beginners Allah’s wild rock garden Mysterious cities,…
-
Dentges 40 pictures Dentges 1/40 Failing on an 8000 is no shame. But not to pack Mount Fuji, which is barely half as high in Japan? That is weak. Dentges…
-
Motorcycle tour through Albania: it remains an adventure
Tummescheit to travel Motorcycle tour through Albania: it remains an adventure Motorcycle tour through Albania It remains an adventure Albania welcomes…
-
Motorcycle tour Baja California and California
Jo Deleker 35 pictures Jo Deleker 1/35 Jo Deleker 2/35 The man and the sea: the sun rises at seven in the morning from the Gulf of California near Bahia…
-
Motorcycle tour Peru – from south to north
Markus Biebricher 15th pictures Markus Biebricher 1/15 In Peru, one of the most diverse countries on earth, you can commute between the extremes. More…
-
Motorcycle tour Armenia – Ararat Caucasus
Jo Deleker 18th pictures Jo Deleker 1/18 Jo Deleker 2/18 The joy of the XT is infectious: the Yamahas provide fun in front of the Alaverdi prefabricated…
-
Breakable 22nd pictures Breakable 1/22 Island happiness: The slender streets of the Isle of Mull enchant especially around the highest mountain Ben More…
-
Motorcycle tour through Guatemala and Belize
Jo Deleker 30th pictures Jo Deleker 1/30 Impressions from Jo Deleker’s motorcycle tour through Guatemala and Belize. Jo Deleker 2/30 Healthy “Fast food”…