After breakfast we will start our adventure, riding in a South West direction out of Chiang Mai via the road 108 which soon turns from bustling city road to winding road alongside the Mae Chaem River. Our first stop for a coffee break at the beautiful Bo Kaeo Pine Tree Garden with its towering pine tree forest. From that stop we turn off to head directly South and in around 50 kms we pass through the Omkoi district on route to our lunch stop, further along the same road to Mae Tuen. Not long ago the paved road ended here. Recently the local authorities have build a concrete road over the mountain to Mae Ramat. It’s a beautiful 80 km stretch, used by locals passing through farm land and remote villages. Once in Mae Ramat we ride the last stretch on the main road to Mae Sot which is the end destination of the day. Overnight at Mae Sot.

From Mae Sot we continue our adventure on the road to Umphang. The road with its 1,219 curves snakes its way over the mountains along the Thai – Myanmar border for some 180 km. Since Umphang is the end of the road and the only way is to go back the same way, there is mostly very little traffic on this road. Along the road we pass many hill tribe villages, Karen, Hmong, Lisu, Mien and Lahu. Umphang is predominantly Karen. There is also a refugee camp along the way.

Outside Upmhang is the biggest virgin rainforest in Thailand. The wildlife sanctuary is a home to animals such as elephants, leopards, langurs, bears, tigers, tapirs, deer and others. Many species of butterflies and birds!

Thi Lor Su Waterfall, the largest in Thailand, some 200 meters high and 40 km from Umphang, is waiting for us tomorrow for a visit. Overnight in Umphang.

Note:

Today there are some 100,000 ethnic minorities from Myanmar, mainly Karen and Karenni, who live in nine refugee camps in four provinces along the Thai-Myanmar border.

Leave Umphang and make our way through the hinterland. Today’s highlight is the Thi Lo Su Waterfall. The Thi Lo Su Waterfall was discovered by a Karen hunter and is claimed to be the largest and highest waterfall in Thailand. It stands 250 meters high and nearly 450 meters wide on the Mae Klong River flowing towards Srinakarin Dam in Kanchanaburi. We are not allowed to ride the gravel road to the waterfall but must take a songthaew. We will park our motorcycles at the entry point to the national park.

Once back at our motorcycles we ride the 90 km along the Thai – Myanmar border to Perkler, a Karen village just at the Myanmar border. This is a place very few people make it to. It’s the end of the road, ahead Thailand’s biggest virgin forest, the whole way south to Songklaburi and the Three Pagoda pass. After the visit we ride back to Umphang.

For the early birds or for the ones with still energy left towards sunset there is a possibility to go to Doi Hua Mod View Point. Overnight once again in Umphang.

Today we have a lovely motorcycle ride in front of us, initially on the road back from where we came south. We will leave Umphang around 8 AM and make our way back over the mountains towards Mae Sot. 

From Mae Sot we head east and cross over the mountain on the brand new four lane road to Tak. Since this is the main transit point into Myanmar there can be quite some traffic, including trucks

Overnight in Tak.

Today, the final riding day of the journey, we leave Tak on more provincial roads, with low traffic density, enjoying the rural life as villages and rice field’s pass by.

We take the back roads to an interesting stop at Bhumibol Dam. It is the highest dam in Thailand at 154 m (505 ft) tall. After the dam we continue North, staying on the more interesting rural roads, running parallel to Hwy 1, before eventually turning North East onto the road 106 where we will take our  lunch stop. After lunch the road between Li and Lamphun is full of fruit plantations and villages. Cruising on hilly roads in a northern direction back to Chiang Mai and Bike Tour Asia service center where we end this motorcycle ride. Transfer you back to the Chiang Mai hotel and get ready for our farewell dinner where we can exchange photos and great memories of the adventure done.

This amazing trip ends with the transfer to the airport or your holiday extension. 

Enjoy the memories !