Day 1: Chiang Mai - Mae Chaem.
After visiting our favourite local eatery for breakfast, Chris rode, with me and his rucksack balanced on the back, down to 'Tony's Big Bikes'. Since there would already be two of us on the Honda CRF250, there was not much space left over for luggage. So we had managed to squeeze as many clothes and necessities into my smaller backpack and day bag to take with us on our adventure, and we would therefore be storing Chris' bigger bag at Tony's. We also needed to try on and choose a biker jacket and gloves each (safety first!), and collect some bungee cords.
Back at 'Gap's House', Chris managed to fix both backpacks to the luggage rack, and with our jackets, gloves, and full faced helmets on, (yes we were sweltering!), we set off south of Chiang Mai, towards Mae Chaem.
The first hour of our journey was pretty boring, along a straight main road. But it allowed me time to get comfortable, and trust that my back rest (the bags) was safely strapped down. Eventually the turn off approached and we pulled over for a much needed iced coffee and iced tea. Not surprisingly it was a very hot day, and even with the wind from riding the bike, we were super sweaty under the jackets and helmets. It was a relief to take them off for an airing!
About half an hour later we reached the entry to 'Doi Inthanon National Park'. It was quite a pricey entry at nearly £12 for the two of us, plus a bike, but it was part of our route so we didn't hesitate to pay. Not much further up the road, I spotted some bamboo decking with cushions and small tables over a river. I tapped on Chris' shoulder and said we should turnaround and check it out as a potential lunch stop. It looked perfect, with BBQ chicken on offer, sticky rice, and in a remote, peaceful location, with just locals around. Despite the elderly couple at the eatery not speaking a word of English, with our minimal Thai, we managed to order half a chicken, two portions of sticky rice, and a bottle of water. We took our seats on some colourful mats down by the flowing river, and tucked in, using our hands. Simple but delicious.
Back on the road, we stopped off at 'Wachirathan waterfall'. An impressive and heavily flowing waterfall. One of the most powerful we have seen yet. Then onto 'Sirithan waterfall', which was quite pathetic compared to Wachirathan. As we wound our way up the mountains, we began to feel the temperature change. We did our jackets up, but soon enough this was not enough. We were in the clouds, and it was cold! Having been at above 30°C at our lunch stop, we were now at just 15°C. This was not something we were expecting at all when we set off on our trip earlier today, so of course we were dressed for hot weather, wearing shorts and t-shirts. Hence, we kept our jackets on as we jumped off the bike at the car park, and walked along a small pathway to the highest spot in Thailand, at 2,565metres above mean sea level. The pathway carried on to an overgrown, mysterious shrine, through the luscious green trees, and along a slippery moss covered walkway. We followed signs to a nature trail, leading us to view different types of tree and enjoy the serenity of the nature park. As the dampness in the air turned to rain, and I started to get goose bumps, we decided it was time to head back down the mountain to warm Thailand! Winding our way back down the mountain the rain fell heavier and heavier, but the temperature did start to pick up.
About 45 minutes later, and now soaked from head to toe, we rocked up at a hotel we had read about in the Lonely Planet's article on the Mae Hong Son loop. Put off by the cheapest room having an Asian style toilet, i.e hole in the floor, we opted for the next price bracket to have a western toilet. The room at 'Mae Cheam Hotel and Resort' was very average, but with the rain hammering it down, and no sign of it stopping, we settled for it since it would just be one night.
We waited, and waited, and eventually the rain eased off enough for us to pop out in search of some much needed ponchos and dinner. No luck with the ponchos, but we stumbled across a nice lady selling Chinese style pork with rice, who taught us Thai for poncho, 'seux kan fn'. This would help us at the market in the morning. We finished off our evening tucking into mangosteen and mango, our two favourites!

Day two: Mae Chaem - Khun Yuam - Mae Hong Son.
First on our agenda was to hunt down some ponchos. We double checked in 7/11 and to our luck they did have some. We just bought one as the quality seemed pretty rubbish, but was worth giving it a go for £0.60! Then even more luck, we found some at the market. We chose the striking silver poncho, thinking we had bought a twin pack, but later on finding out it was actually a rain coat and trouser combo. We learnt our lesson to always check what you are buying properly, not half heartedly.
We succeeded in finding an eatery for pork noodle soup, before wrapping up the bags in the rain trousers (making use of our mistake!), and strapping them onto the back of the bike tightly.
Chris was keen for me to have a little go on the bike. Beginners luck, I pulled away nicely, travelled about 20metres up the car park, turned around in a big circle, then stopped. Chris saying to carry on, I tried again, and failed. I stalled twice. That was enough for one day!
On the road again, we rode some quiet, windy mountainous roads, with absolutely beautiful views and landscape. After an hour or so we just so happened to reach a viewpoint, before the road would wind all the way back down the mountains. Inevitably, we took a quick coffee break.
Having wound our way down the mountains, we found ourselves in a small remote town called Khun Yuam. Chris' nose led us to a roadside eatery where two ladies were cooking up some chicken satay on the BBQ. No question about it, we pulled over, peeled off our jackets and helmets, and willingly sat down. Neither of them spoke a word of English, but we managed to order enough satay sticks for the two of us, some sticky rice, and a papaya salad. Absolutely delicious!
Reluctantly we dressed up and off we went - the thought of even putting on a biker jacket in 35°C makes you feel faint!
The road from Khun Yuam to Mae Hong Son was one of Chris' favourite roads to ride, with nice large curves to weave his way along. I could tell he was relaxing more into the bike as each curve was smooth and flowing. We made a brief stop to peel and devour a juicy mango, before being forced to make another stop just a few 100 metres down the road to participate in an emergency poncho execution. Lucky for Chris, his dashing silver rain coat went straight on like a jacket. However, with my garish blue 7/11 poncho, it involved having to remove first my sunglasses, so that I could remove my helmet, then slip on the poncho over my bulky biker jacket, and then put back on the helmet and sunglasses. By the time I succeeded the rain was pouring down hard. Luckily, it wasn't too much further to the town of Mae Hong Son, however, with no accommodation booked, it meant searching around as the rain hammered it down.
Thankfully, the second guesthouse we stopped at was cheap, had a nice, clean, bright room, ticking all the right boxes. Relieved to be able to change out of our wet clothes - unsurprisingly the cheap ponchos weren't so waterproof (splash proof maybe), we waited out the rain in our cozy room at 'Kiang Doi guesthouse'.
Eventually the rain did settle, so we took a stroll around 'Nong Jong Kham lake', admiring the luscious green mountains peak above the dark grey clouds. We also spied a monk feeding the fish from a small pavilion, who was very friendly, speaking really good English, and even posed for a picture for Chris.
It had been a long day of riding and we both fancied a sit down with a beer. 'Salween River restaurant' was ranked very highly on Tripadvisor, located right near the lake and just around the corner from where we were staying. It had some cozy looking cubby holes, with cushions to sit on, and a low down table, making it a perfect setting for a nice cold beer. Comfortable and content we ended up ordering some spring rolls, followed by popadoms with homemade salsa, more beers, then for our main dinner I opted for a stir fried chicken red curry, and Chris went for a beef and cashew nut dish. All the food was delightful, and a really lovely setting and atmosphere.

Day three: Mae Hong Son - Ban Rak Thai.
Chris had read about a breakfast dish popular to eat near the border of Myanmar (Burma) called 'Tooa oon'. It's a Burmese noodle dish with thick chickpea porridge. So we went on the hunt to the town's morning market, searching for a thick chickpea porridge. Chris managed to spot a man sat on a bench in front of a lady with huge metal cooking pots, and eating what looked like the tooa oon. With our best pronunciation, we asked if he was eating the tooa oon, which he was, so we joined him at the bench and asked for a bowl each. It was filling to say the least - not light and refreshing like noodle soup, but quite stodgy and heavy. But it was nice to try something different for breakfast.
We walked back around the lake and over to the two temples - Chong Klang and Chong Kham. We quickly walked around them as they were pretty run down and small, then headed up a hill to where Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu sits. Two large white stupas stand at the hill top with spectacular views over the entire valley in which Mae Hong Son is nestled. It was then back to the guesthouse to check out and pack up the bike to hit the road...
We were headed for 'Rak Thai', a small town right near the border of Burma, famous for its tea, and mainly popular with Chinese tourists. However, just as we turned off the main road, Chris spotted a sign for the 'long neck Karen tribe'. We have been wanting to meet the long neck tribe, but without having to go on an organised day trip where the villagers are treated like animals in a zoo. So we thought this would be a prime opportunity.
We took the narrow, windy, forest road, which went on and on. Then came the rain! Luckily we were prepared with our ponchos, but this was not just a little bit of rain. It absolutely hammered it down, and with no signs of calming down, we were reluctant to keep going. All of a sudden we spotted another signpost, so at least we knew we were still on the right track. But the road kept going on forever, and it felt like we had just jumped in a swimming pool! There was no going back, not even when the road ended and turned into a muddy off-road track. This was why we hired the CRF250, and Chris was in his element. I held on tightly as Chris took the bike up steep rocky hills, through huge muddy puddles, over thick gloopy mud, and back down a slippery hill into the long neck village. Perfectly timed, the rain had stopped as we pulled over and clambered off the wet muddy bike. It was a ghost town. Not exactly what we had expected to find. Just two ladies in sight; one selling souvenirs, the other laying on a wicker platform with a head scarf on. As she caught sight of us squelching over towards them, she composed herself, allowing us to catch a glimpse of her bruised long neck, without the brass coils on. Despite us being disappointed to not see any women with the brass coils on, I think we were lucky and believe it's a rarity to see a woman without the coils on. She did however show us the brass coils which were ridiculously heavy. Girls first start to wear the rings when they are around five years old. Over the years the coil is replaced by a longer one and more turns are added. The weight of the brass pushes the collar bone down and compresses the rib cage. The neck itself is not lengthened; the appearance of a stretched neck is created by the deformation of the clavicle.
We left a donation to the village and purchased a brass ring for my finger to wear as a souvenir. With mixed emotions, a little disappointed but pleased we met the one lady, we made the journey back. Chris trying to be sneaky and avoid some thick mud, took the track banks, but only to realise all of a sudden there was a huge hole and we would not make it across. Trying to manoeuvre the bike back, it slipped away and over we went! All captured on camera too. No injuries, just a lot of mud, we climbed back on the bike and made it in one piece back to the road.
Another 10km down the road we made a quick stop for some spring rolls and sticky rice to tie us over until we reached Rak Thai. Since the sun was back out, we packed the ponchos away. Stupid mistake, as no more than 20km further we had to cover up again.
Keeping with the theme, we arrived to our next destination in the rain again, soaked through, and needing a room for the night. Rak Thai is a beautiful charismatic village, located around a reservoir. The rain did not spoil its grace, but it did keep everyone in hiding. Or so we thought.
Riding around, it became clear that we had just two options for accommodation, as nothing else was even open. A cheap mud hut with an Asian toilet, or twin beds at an expensive resort. Managing to whittle the price down to 400 baht, we opted for the latter.
It was a real ghost town. We saw just two other tourists, who were Chinese, and could find only the restaurant associated with our resort 'LeeWine', or a lady selling street food. Inevitably we tried her noodle soup, which had a delicious tomato addition, and tried some dew drop Chinese tea at our resorts restaurant. It's prepared by pouring boiling water over the china cups, then a longer thin cup contains the tea, and is placed upside down in the drinking cup. It is then for the taster to lift the thinner cup to reveal the tea in the drinking cup, and then we were told to place the thinner cup to our eyes!
We assume this was to soothe the eyes, but it could have been a wind up! Either way it felt nice.
The rain had finally stopped so we took the bike off-road and up to a peak overlooking Burma and where Chinese soldiers were killed and buried during the civil war. Going up was fine, a little muddy, but riding down became challenging. The wheels were clogged up with thick gloopy mud, so with no grip, the front wheel suddenly slipped away and off we went. We took a small fall, but luckily it was on softer muddy ground so nothing was broken, just a couple of scrapes. A little shaken, we both took some time to ensure each other were ok, and check the bike over, before slowly and extra cautiously making our way back to the room to clean off.
It was only 7pm and the whole village had shut down. So we had to approach our resort to ask about food, to which two ladies very kindly ran over the road in the rain (yes it had started raining again!) and cooked us up omelettes, rice, and a green tea salad. The owner looked and laughed at our meal as though we were very strange, but it actually worked well.

Day four: Ban Rak Thai - Pai.
We arrived in the rain so it was only right to leave in the rain, the same road out as we came in on. A short ride along the road we stopped off at Pha Sua waterfall, which was very disappointing, and despite all the rainfall, was not very flowing. Then having read about a very picturesque, but difficult to find bamboo bridge along this road, we took the time to search for it. Knowing the bridge led over to a temple, I actually spotted the temple first and from that we managed to direct ourselves to the bridge. It made for some fantastic photos.
Full speed ahead, Chris enjoyed riding the long, quiet, and windy mountainous roads, as I sat back and soaked up the breathtaking scenery. Then to our surprise, as we creeped over a very steep hill we arrived at a viewpoint, (Phang Ma Pha viewpoint) where several minivans full of tourists had stopped. If tours stop here then it was worth us stopping too. There was a spectacular view across the tree hidden mountains and we took the time to wait out the rain under a shelter.
Half an hour further, we made a brief lunch stop in the town of Soppong, before the final 40-50km into Pai. We managed to pick up a Thai maths teacher who taught during the week in Soppong, then spent the weekends riding around on his motorbike and living in Pai. He let Chris lead the way, despite him riding this mountainous road every week so probably knowing every turn and incline like the back of his hand. When we pulled over half way for a breather he complemented Chris on his riding and to Chris' surprise said he was going fast! Having to pull over again, but this time for an emergency poncho change, the teacher zoomed on by, probably laughing at us.
Not realising the extent of accommodation in Pai, we decided it made sense for us to stop for a drink and to find some internet to have a look online before knocking on doors. After a refreshing ginger tea and armed with a list of accommodation, I navigated us around our options. Our top choice, 'Oasis Pai', was unattended when we first arrived, but after visiting our other choices, and not content, we decided to pop back one last time. Lucky we did, as Connor, the Brummy owner, warmly welcomed us to his guesthouse, and proudly showed us to one of four small colourful out-buildings. Each one had a small veranda overlooking a small lake, a fridge with stocked minibar, and was tastefully decorated. Having only been opened since last August, everything seemed new and well kept. It was perfect, and with no hesitation we dropped our bags and collapsed on the bed.
Connor fell in love with Pai two years ago and was very keen to ensure all his guests also love Pai. He gave us plenty of recommendations as to what attractions are best to visit, and where to eat - from home cooked Thai food to exotic burgers. All his recommendations soon made us realise that we would be spending a fair few days in Pai.
Thankfully we were within walking distance from the main 'walking street' in Pai, as my bottom had had enough of being sat on the back of a bike. Pai had such a pleasant ambiance, despite there being a lot of tourists, it was very calm and oozed a chilled vibe. Taking one of many food recommendations from Connor, we stopped by 'Tik's kitchen' for some Thai food. Due to having a tummy bug I was on a diet of boiled rice and bananas, so I sat enviously as Chris tucked into a stir fried chicken red curry, which didn't disappoint.

Day five: Pai.
With no agenda to move on, we treated ourselves to a lazy start to the day! Then it was off to see some of the sights out of town.
First stop was at 'Coffee in Love', unsurprisingly a coffee shop, but according to Connor it also sells some delicious cheesecake, and it had some incredible views over the countryside. Unfortunately, I had a tummy bug, so Chris being the considerate boyfriend he is, said we should come back when I am better to enjoy the coffee and cheesecake together. Therefore we jumped back on the bike to our next destination, 'Love Strawberry'. Again, what it says on the tin, Love Strawberry specialised in all things strawberry. From lip balm to smoothies. I encouraged Chris to try something whilst we were here, so he opted for the strawberry juice. I had a sneaky little sip and it was delicious, but very sweet. Similarly to Coffee in Love, the views and surroundings were sensational.
Our next stop was at the WWII memorial bridge, made of iron, and built in 1942 by the Japanese to transport weapons and provisions to Myanmar. We walked across and back, taking some arty pictures as we went.
Back on the bike, en route to our next stop we passed by some elephant camps. We had heard that one in particular had a sound reputation, however from what we saw, we could not agree. Three very large elephants were sanctioned to a very small area, not even big enough for them to turn around, and one in particular was nodding its head in frustration. A couple of tourists had just been for a bathe with one of the elephants and were now feeding him bananas. At the same time they were asking him to make noises. One thing we learnt at the Elephant Conservation Centre in Laos was that if an elephant knows any tricks then it is more often than not badly treated. Unanimously we moved swiftly on.
Our next stop was not much further, and was in fact a resort called 'Treehouse'. We decided to make this a stop as firstly Connor had mentioned it was a nice place to walk around, secondly, there was a chance you would see the elephants bathing in the river that runs along the bottom of the resort, and thirdly, I had seen it online and was keen to check out the treehouse room as an option for a nights stay.
It was a lovely place to stroll around, with quirky and cute bamboo huts camouflaged in the trees, and an impressive build of three tree houses up one large and sturdy tree. The treehouse room was very cozy, with a shared cupboard for the toilet/shower. Literally the shower was over the toilet - I couldn't work out where you would stand to even take a shower!
Typically the rain had arrived, so instead of dressing in our super cool ponchos, we settled at the resorts restaurant for some fried rice and noodles whilst the rain passed by.
Nearly an hour later, the rain didn't look like it was going to end, so we embraced the ponchos and set off back to our room.
It had also been recommended to watch the sun set at 'Wat Pra Tat Mae Yen', i.e. 'The Temple on the Hill'. We love a good sunset, so without hesitation, we rode up the hill to reach the temple. From here there was a lot of steps to reach the 'Big Buddha' at the very top, with views overlooking Pai and the surrounding mountains. It was an awesome spot to set the GoPro up for a time lapse of the sunset. The main downside, was the amount of tourists sat on the steps, but we were two of them I suppose. We were the last to leave as we kept hoping for more colours to appear in the sky, which sadly never happened. Due to the heavy rainfall from earlier, the sky was full of clouds so it was not the best sunset.
As we approached the town we were both ready to test out the exotic burgers Connor had raved about. I branched out and went for a venison burger with mushroom. Chris went for quantity, and chose the double beef burger with cheese. Just one young lady ran the whole show at 'IP Burger', and did a fantastic job. Both burgers were mouth watering. The venison burger had more taste, but to be expected. A great end to a busy day out.

Day six: Pai.
Our alarms were set for 5am so we could scoot off up to a viewpoint near Chinatown to watch the sunrise over Pai. We were the only people there at 5.30am, taking advantage by setting up the GoPro for a time lapse and snapping away on the SLR. You pay a small entrance fee to the viewpoint, but in return you are served Chinese green tea, which was delightful to sip away at as the sun began to rise. As time ticked on, a few more Asian tourists arrived, but this didn't disturb the tranquility. Waking up for sunrise is never easy, however it always turns out to be one of the most serene times of the day, and it's such a positive way to start a day. Enjoying the peacefulness we sat taking in the scenery until gone 7am. Our tummies helped us to move on and find some breakfast, which led us to a roadside eatery selling tasty pork with rice.
We took some time to enjoy our veranda at the room, sipping away at a caramel latte, and soaking up the sun whilst it wasn't too hot. But soon enough we were baking, so it was off to a waterfall to cool down.
We made a brief stop at Chinatown, as it had kept its authenticity and heritage. Besides eating however, there was not much else to do once we had looked around, and now even more sweaty we needed the waterfall (Mo Paeng waterfall) more than ever. It seemed that a lot of other people had the same idea, but we just about beat the rush. We managed to climb up the slippery, hot rocks to an area suited to place our towels. Then we made a dash for the water. Some local kids were showing the tourists how to slide down part of the waterfall and into the 'pool'. It was an extremely slippery waterfall and people were sliding and falling around all over the place. With too many people around, we played it safe and cooled off in one on the 'pools'. As we sat and munched upon a chicken and pesto baguette (homemade bread), followed by a juicy mango, we laughed and took enjoyment out of watching, as one by one people were sliding down the waterfall and being submerged in the pool. We both found it hard to switch off and relax, especially with the amount of people hurting themselves, so after a couple of hours we decided to leave.
Later on in the afternoon, with my tummy on the mend, we rode back out to Coffee in Love, and devoured a strawberry cheesecake and iced latte between us. It was worth the wait, and such a lovely place to sit and relax out of the sun.
Chris had seen some pictures of a land split in the area so we were keen to check it out. Apparently a soy bean farmer and owner of this land had woken up one morning to find a huge land split across his farm. No earthquake, rain or flooding, it just appeared, destroying his crop and income. Scientists believe it occurred from water pressure under the ground. The first split happened in 2008, reaching 2 metres wide and 11 metres deep. As the years went by the land split extended and widened. With an entrepreneurial mind, the farmer took a bad situation and turned it into a something positive....
As we arrived he ushered us to sit down and relax. He bought over a sweet, pink hibiscus juice with ice, along with a spread of small and sweet bananas, potatoes with salt rocks, fresh papaya, dried banana chips with hibiscus jam, tart tamarinds and hibiscus wine.
Pretty full from the cheesecake and iced coffee we had just eaten, we politely picked away at the snacks. The juice and wine went down extremely well! He attracts in the tourists en route to and from a main waterfall attraction, but with his hospitality he has gained a good reputation online. You are asked to sign his guestbook and make a donation, with only yourselves to decide how much to donate.
Just as we left the land split, and with no sign or warnings, the heavens opened. Luckily we had our ponchos with us, and having had much practice, we pulled over for a quick change. Unfortunately, my poncho doesn't cover my legs, and I happened to be wearing some NEW purple temple trousers. The significance of the new is that the dye from the trousers had not been rinsed properly, and with the amount of rainfall, it managed to make the dye run and stain Chris' nice genuine Levi's beige shorts! Woops!
Showered and changed, we walked into town to the 'Pai Pub' to watch the Monaco F1 race, with a pint and beef lasagne served with chips and salad. Of course we had to order a glass of red wine to go with an absolutely delicious lasagne - a taste from home, we could have eaten another portion.

Day seven: Pai.
We took advantage of the relaxed, peaceful environment we were staying at and enjoyed a coffee and more juicy mangos on our veranda. Deciding we would stay one more night in Pai meant we had one final day of relaxation before hitting the road again. What better way to spend it than laying by the side of an inviting and refreshing swimming pool. The atmosphere was extremely chilled, with decent music playing in the background. Not having the space in our backpack to bring our books, we were 'forced' to completely chill, resting our eyes, catching some rays, and cooling off in the pool. Only being able to stand the heat for a couple of hours, we popped out for a bite to eat, wanting to try a highly recommended but well hidden Mexican restaurant. It was out of the way from the main area, but we had stumbled across it in search of a new cheese and wine restaurant. Unfortunately the cheese and wine restaurant was so new that it had not even opened, however a guy eating at 'Cafecito' ensured we knew how f***ing amazing the torta was, so he was the reason for our return. Unsuccessfully, the torta was unavailable. A little disappointed we took the recommendation from the waitress and chose the breakfast burrito. It was a great recommendation but at a price, so we just shared the one dish.
Not fully satisfied, we stopped by 'Tik Tak's deli' for another takeaway baguette. This time opting for Connor's recommendation of chicken with honey and mustard. We devoured the baguette back at pool side. It was hugely flavoursome and made with fresh homemade bread, making it even more palatable.
After enjoying a few more hours at the swimming pool we had one last site to visit around Pai; the Pai Canyon. Not realising the extent of the canyon, in hindsight we wished we had arrived earlier. Instead we had arrived to watch the sunset. But it seemed as though you could spend a couple of hours exploring the canyon. It looked great fun as you were free to venture as far afield into the canyon as you dare - slightly dangerous, with a 30metre drop either side and nothing in the way of safety bars, but manageable I'm sure!
After climbing down some precarious rock cliffs and being covered in dust, we found a perfect spot to sit, crack open a beer, and watch as the sunset behind the majestically beautiful hills. With a 360° panoramic view it was sensational.
We were the last ones to leave, leaving a little too late, as we struggled to see the steep rocky cliffs to climb back. Then we returned to 'Tik's kitchen' for dinner so that I had the chance to try her Thai cooking. Being avid fans of Thai curries, and confident we know when we eat a good one, it was a test to see how good her food was when we ordered a red and a green curry to share. If I am honest, we were not blown away. They were nice, with good flavour, but nothing special, and nothing to write on Tripadvisor about!
With our time in Pai coming to an end, we had packing to do and sleep to get before our next venture began...