North Thailand: Hill tribe village rides
North Thailand has begun to develop in the last decade but it’s still possible to find villages where nothing has changed in centuries.
To get to them one must first negotiate single and jeep track routes through a spectacular jungle setting.
There’s not much that beats this in mountain bike travel.
How to get there.
Take a bus from the northern bus terminal in Bangkok, or direct from Ko San Road the tourist ghetto street, up to the northern cities.
You can choose from Chang Mai, Nan, Chang Rai, Mae Hong Song.
1. Chang Mai is the biggest city in the north and makes a good starting point as there are plenty of bike shops and hotels.
Tom Matty runs Top Gear bicycles 35/7 Tung Hotel Rd. Soi Sa Ha Hang Moo Baan Sri Suk Amphor Muang CM Tel Fax 66 53 243 660
Also in Chang Mai the Song Bicycles shop is ok tel 213404 3/4 Sripoom rd. Muang district
2. Nan is for the adventurous, only recently cleared of bandits there is little here to help the unprepared so make sure you have what you need before you go.
3. Chang Rai is like a smaller Chang Mai. The city Mayor is a keen biker so you’ll be well received by the locals and the surrounding tracks are amongst the best in the country. On Sunday mornings at 6am the city gathers at the city hall for a bike ride sometimes the mayor joins in.
4. Mae Hong Song; almost all of the hill tribe peoples are represented in this area including the famous long neck Karen. Pai is a major tourist resort nearby and is a great starting point for a ride in the surrounding hills.
Maps
Your most important guide is a map the best overview of the region is the Berndtson Berndtson B&B Thailand North Map available at all book stores in Thailand. For a more detailed map it is possible to get 1:50000 topographical maps from the Suriwong book centre, Sri Dornchai road, Chang Mai. These are almost too detailed to follow.
Once you have a map just get on a bus to the beginning of a track and go.
Accommodation.
This is tourist land and there are hotels everywhere, most of them marked on the B&B map. If you get stuck out in the jungle every village is desperate for your cash and will treat you like kings and queens. They will feed you and let you stay in their huts, they’ll even feed you opium if that’s your thing, although the Thai government is cracking down so it’s better not to ask. This is much better than joining an organized trek from Chang Mai as your money goes directly into the village and not to a city tour operator.
Equipment for an off road village tour
Bike: a mountain bike with front suspension. Camping gear: None Map: B&B North Thailand and Shine sane guesthouse hand drawn map of region. Bags: Day pack small back pack and a bike bag. Tools: Spare inner tubes, allen key set, pump, puncture repair kit, chain tool, sparespokes, rear cassette tool, wet and dry lube. Other: Thai phrase book.
Routes.
North Thailand is full of fabulous off road routes most marked on the map, the small single tracks not. Get a Thai phrase book and ask the way, even in the deepest jungle on a tiny path someone eventually will turn up to ask.
Here is an example of a six day tour in the Chang Rai region.
Day 1 Mae Suae to Doi Wawi (technical rating refers to distance, climbs and difficulty in controlling the bike)
Distance: 40km
Road surface: smooth dirt.
Topography: steep hills up and down.
Technical rating 1-10: 4
How to get to trail head:
Take a bus from Chang Mai to Mae Suae 20km before Chang Rai.
Description of route:
Ride on the road to Chang Rai out of town. 3km down the road is a sign for Karen guesthouse take this road towards Doi Chang.
Go up the hill 3km then take the small track off the road towards Doi Chang. This is a Lisu village, one woman here speaks good English and serves good tea.
Continue along the track to Doi Wawi a Chinese town (The KMT escaping the Communists in China settled in Thailand).
There are some very cheap hotels here or along the road a bit is a tourist resort with more beautiful surroundings.
Day 2 Doi Wawi - Mae Salong
Distance: 50km
Road surface: Smooth dirt 50% tarmac 50%.
Topography: Steep hills up and down
Technical rating 1-10: 5
How to get to the trail head:
cycle out of Doi wawi towards Mae Salak
Description of the route:
From Doi wawi there is a well surfaced dirt track down to Mae Salak a village on the river 15km. There is a foot bridge across the river and a track linking to the main road to Mae Salong. Ride 20km along a very hilly tarmac road to Mae salong. Go to the Shin Shane guesthouse where you’ll find a cheap bed for the night and an excellent hand drawn map of the surrounding area.
Day 3 Mae Salong - Huima
Distance: 20km
Road surface: rough dirt / mud
Topography: very steep hills up and down
Technical rating 1-10: 6
How to get to the trail head:
Head out from Mae Salong up towards the big Buddha on the hill,
Description of the route:
Take the first big dirt track turnoff before you reach the Buddha statue.
The track climbs for 10km heading towards Huima village. There are several turnoffs but generally stay on the main track, there are two big forks in the track go right at these.
After 10km the track gets very steep and with huge potholes, uphill and downhill for two kilometres at a time controlling the bike can be very difficult at times even four wheel drives get stuck on this track. Along here about 20km from Mae Salong you’ll find Huima village where the locals are of Chinese decent.
The local school has Chinese and English speaking teachers and will put you up for the night, or if you prefer, the local village elder also offered his hut but they speak only Thai and a southern Chinese dialect.
Day 4 Huima - Prayapri
Distance: 25km
Road surface: rough dirt
Topography: steep hills up and down
Technical rating 1-10: 5
How to get to the trail head:
continue along the road out of the village.
Description of the route:
The track continues in it’s rough state for the next ten kilometers and passes another big village with Akka tribes people.The local school again is the place to head for and as I rode towards it the entire village came out to welcome me lining the village street with the kids chorusing "Salwadi kha" " Salwadi krap" (Good Day in Thai).
From here Head towards Prayapri on the border with Burma. You will come to a paved road, turn left here and climb the hill until the track going towards Praya pri on your right the trail starts just after a hut serving tea. If you go along the road to the right you’ll reach Prayapri too but it is all paved.
Praya pri is about 20km along this track which is pretty rough. It’s a bigger village and has a mixture of Akka, Lisu and Chinese population. There is a shop here and they will help you find a place to stay.
Day 5 Prayapri to Mae Salong
Distance: 55km
Road surface: Tarmac 30% Concrete road 20% Rough dirt 50%
Topography: Very Steep hills up and down
Technical rating 1-10: 6
How to get to the trail head:
Cycle out of Prayapri out along the border towards Mae Sai.
Description of the route:
From Praya Pri there is a dirt track that passes a couple of villages, then turn onto the paved road to Thoed Thai (Hintek). This is a medium sized town, along the road just after the town is a concrete track heading steeply up hill towards Mae Salong. It does go there although the locals will tell you to take the road. Climb to the top of the hill, just before the big Chinese village with metal roofed houses take the small track to your left. This is a single track route the only other traffic here are horses and people. It winds steeply up for 3km then down to Mae Salong 20km away. You’ll eventually join the Mae salong- Hui Ma track.
Day 6 Mae Salong- Chang Rai.
Distance: 60km
Road surface: Tarmac
Topography: downhill
Technical rating: 2
How to get to the trail head:
cycle out of Mae Salomg on the main Mae Chan road
Description of the route:
The road heads out of Mae Salong is very hilly some up buit overall down. It gets to the main road and is gently downhill to Mae Chan From here the road is flat but very busy. It is also possible to take a bus the 30km into Chang Rai from Mae Chan.
It is also possible to go from Mae Salong to Chang Rai by track through villages.
