Tim & Gerri's Wild Ride
Email & Facebook Gerri:
  • Home
  • Worldwide Travel
    • Eastern Europe 2022 >
      • Eastern Europe 2022 Blog Summary
      • Eastern Europe 2022 Packing List
    • Narrowboat Holiday 2022 >
      • Narrowboat 2022 Blog
      • Narrowboat 2022 Packing List
    • Ireland & UK 2019 >
      • Ireland & UK Itineray
      • Ireland & UK Blog
      • Ireland & UK Blog Summary
      • Ireland & UK Packing List
    • France 2018 >
      • France Itinerary
      • France 2018 Blog
      • Blog Summary
    • European Tour 2017 >
      • European Vacation Blog
      • Blog Summary
    • Southeast Asia 2014-15 >
      • Southeast Asia Blog
      • Packing List
      • Blog Summary
    • Afghanistan 2011-12
  • United States Travel
    • Great Lakes Sail 2020 >
      • Great Lakes Sail 2020 Blog
      • Blog Summary
    • Trans-America Bicycle Ride >
      • Trans-America Bicycle Ride Blog
      • Blog Summary
      • Our Team
      • Equipment
      • Breweries Along Route
    • Pacific Crest Trail >
      • Pacific Crest Trail 2016 >
        • What is the PCT? - 2016
        • Why Hike the PCT? - 2016
        • Gear - 2016
        • Itinerary - 2016
        • Blog - 2016
        • PCT Blog Summary - 2016
        • Where are we now? - 2016
      • Pacific Crest Trail 2014 >
        • What is the PCT?
        • Why Hike the PCT?
        • Gear
        • Food
        • Itinerary
        • PCT Blog
        • Blog Summary
        • Where are we now?
    • Motorcycle Ride 2014 >
      • Motorcycle Blog
  • Brewery Visits
    • 2022 Breweries
    • 2021 Breweries
    • 2020 Breweries
    • 2019 Breweries
    • 2018 Breweries
    • 2017 Breweries
    • 2016 Breweries
    • 2015 Breweries
    • 2014 Breweries
    • 2013 Breweries
    • 2012 Breweries
    • 2011 Breweries
    • 2010 Breweries
    • 2009 Breweries
    • 2008 Breweries
    • 2007 Breweries
    • 2006 Breweries
    • 2005 Breweries
    • 2004 Breweries
    • 2003 Breweries
    • 2002 Breweries

3 Days, 2 Night Motorbike Tour

12/4/2014

3 Comments

 
28 - 30 November 2014
These next 3 days promises to be one of, if not the, highlight of visiting Thailand.  We signed up for a 3 day, 2 night motorbike tour into the mountains around Chiang Mai.  Included in the trip is pretty much everything you could ever want to see/do in this area...riding enduro-style scooters on curvy mountain roads and aggressive/treacherous dirt roads, visiting multiple waterfalls, riding up the highest peak in Thailand, eating great thai food, homestaying with a local family, homestaying in a hill tribe village, drinking local moonshine (rice whiskey), riding elephants, and riding bamboo raft down a river.  This all inclusive trip cost a whopping 10,000 Bahts ($300 USD) for both of us.  Keep in mind this includes everything including the bikes, gas (for 200 miles), food, 2 tour guides, two nights accommodations, entry fee for the national parks...pretty much everything except for beer (which was available both nights for purchase).

DAY 1

Here is the bike that I will be riding for the next 3 days (200 miles):
Picture
Notice the knobby tires and upgraded shocks. This bike is a 4 speed semi-automatic, so I shift gears but don't have to use a clutch.
Before leaving for the trip they told me to take the bike out for a test ride to get a feel for it.  I left the driveway, turned right, and had a scooter coming head-on into me.  I kept moving right and they kept moving left, both towards the shoulder of the road, until I hit the brakes hard and put the bike down.  Why?!?  Because i was driving on the right side...which is the wrong side...of the road.  Luckily I didn't damage the bike...nor myself...so all was fine, although not the best way to start off a tour.  After the crash we (me and the tour guides) wondered if I would have more trouble, but we made it to our first gas stop (35 miles) later in one piece:
Picture
After gas we went to our first location, Wachirathan Waterfall in the Doi Inthanon National Park:
Picture
On the way up to the waterfall.
Picture
Next was lunch after which we rode up to the highest point in Thailand, Mount Inthanon (Doi Inthanon) standing at 8,415 feet above sea level:
Picture
Riding up the mountain.
Picture
Picture
Cool bird shot at the top of Doi Inthanon
Next stop is the The Twin Royal Pagodas of Phra Mahathat Naphamethanidon set along the road up to the top of Thailand.  One pagoda was built for the king and one was built for the queen:
Picture
King's Pagoda
Picture
Pagoda built for the queen.
Picture
View from Pagoda.
Next stop...Huay Saai Leung Waterfall:
Picture
Finally we got off the pavement and hit the dirt.  The route took us past rice paddy fields with awesome views:
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
All day we both managed to keep the rubber on the road until 100 yards from the end when Tim bit it on a sandy turn.  Luckily it was just some road rash on ankle, knee, and elbow, but he wasn't a happy camper.  It was not so bad since it was around 5:30 PM we pulled into our accommodations for the night...a rubber tree farm.  
Picture
The homestead
Picture
Our hut for the night
Picture
Inside the hut.
This house was owned by the mother of the owner of the tour company and they welcomed us with opened arms.  They cooked dinner for us which was so good: 
Picture
Picture
Dinner of stir-fried vegetables and white eggplant curry.
Then we had a fire where they roasted some banana that was just picked off the tree and offered us some Thai moonshine...rice whiskey.  What a great way to end an awesome day!
Picture
Freshly grilled banana.

DAY 2

After an OK nights sleep due to roosters crowing all night long, we awoke to a breakfast of fresh papaya, scrambled eggs, and toast.  It was just enough to get us moving.  By the way...here are some pictures we took around the homestay house before we left:
Picture
Cute!
Picture
Very basic bathroom...that hose on the left wall is the shower.
Picture
Beautiful view from the house.
Picture
Rooster that kept us up all night.
Next we did a bunch of more off-road riding, had lunch, and stopped at a Wat:
Picture
Picture
Picture
Interesting gas station.
Picture
View from the Wat. We had lunch down there.
Picture
Picture
Picture
View from where we ate lunch.
Picture
After the Wat we headed to a local market to buy the ingredients for the Hill Tribe family, we are staying with tonight, to cook for dinner.
Picture
A typical rural market
Picture
This family stopped off at the market.
After a bit more off-roading we finally made it to our stopover for the night....a Hill Tribe family in the middle of nowhere with no electricity:
Picture
The Hill Tribe family we stayed with for a night.
Picture
Our sleeping quarters.
Picture
Learning how to weave a scarf
Picture
Twin brothers inside a basket used for a chicken coop.
Picture
Dressed in the local clothes.
Picture
Happy sisters.
Picture
Surrounded by kids.

DAY 3

After an awesome night we headed back out on the road for a day of motorbiking:
Picture
Picture
Visiting another Hill Tribe village:
Picture
Picture
Visiting another waterfall:
Picture
Picture
Visiting a rice whiskey distillery:
Picture
Picture
Elephant riding:
Picture
Just starting out on our ride.
Picture
Tim feeding her sugar cane.
Picture
Finishing the ride.
Picture
This is a large beast!
Picture
Great picture taken by elephant handler.
Bamboo rafting:
Picture
After all of that we rode the 40 miles back to Chiang Mai and arrived back at Something Different Tours and spent the night in a 300 Baht ($9 USD) room that provided a bed and a hot shower...which was all we needed after an incredible 3 day, 2 night motorbike tour.  Of course, before going to sleep, we headed to the Sunday Walking Market for some grilled squid...my new favorite food.
Picture
Chiang Mai Sunday Walking Market.
Picture
Grilled squid and spring rolls.
3 Comments
Mary Mack
12/5/2014 07:55:46 am

Looks like you had fun! Keep enjoying.

Reply
Pamela Vineyard Boucher
12/10/2014 07:28:34 am

Hey Gerri, you and Tim are the bravest people I know! Your adventure looks intriguing, but I'm not sure I'd be a happy camper with the lodging, bathroom facilities, and dining options. I might go for the elephant ride...might. I'm glad you're both safe and enjoying yourselves. I also want to say "thanks" for the SBUX card that you sent. Very sweet and thoughtful... much appreciated, but really not necessary! Continue to have fun and stop crashing, will ya!! Hugs!

Reply
Olivia
1/9/2015 09:27:55 am

Girl..you guys are my heros and biggest motivator! Awesome blog...i need to catchup on your blogging..this trip you guys are taking is soooo cool!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    background info
    Packing list

    Archives

    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.