Northern Thailand On Road Tour

This is the road going half of the Thailand Moto Tours programme, and its selling point is simple: five consecutive riding days on the mountain tarmac of northwestern Thailand, with a different bed every night and no repeated roads. The company describes it as its own version of the famous Mae Hong Son Loop and puts the curve count at well over 2,000. The week is built around five towns. Chiang Mai is the start and finish. Mae Sariang, reached on a deliberately long first riding day that takes in waterfalls and the highest point in Thailand, sits on a river with the hotel overlooking the water. Mae Hong Son, a stone's throw from the Myanmar border, is a street food town with an optional sunrise climb to the temple above it. Pai is reached by the leg the operator counts at 762 turns and is the bohemian stop of the trip. Mae Win, described by the company as less a town than a sprawling village in the valleys just outside Chiang Mai, is where the group visits an elephant sanctuary and eats family style. The fleet is small capacity and street focused rather than big adventure bikes. The Honda CB500X is the machine for anyone carrying a passenger or wanting more power, the CB300R is the nimble option for the twisties, and the Rebel 300 suits smaller riders or anyone who prefers a relaxed cruiser. The company's FAQ also offers a supermoto style CRF300L on this tour. Groups run between ten and twenty riders and an intermediate level of riding experience is required. A chase van follows the group, carrying day bags and meeting everyone at each destination, while larger luggage stays in storage in Chiang Mai. Guides are Thai licensed and first aid trained, and accommodation is single occupancy ensuite throughout, from hotel rooms to hillside bungalows, all with wifi. Thailand Moto Tours is licensed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand and runs Sunday to Saturday departures. It publishes no itemised inclusions list and no public price, so both are confirmed by enquiry.

Thailand Moto Tours runs its own version of the Mae Hong Son Loop, a week of sealed mountain road out of Chiang Mai that the company counts at over 2,000 curves. Riders check in on the Saturday night, spend Sunday settling into Chiang Mai, then move to a new town every night for five days of riding. The route heads first to Mae Sariang on a long opening leg past waterfalls and the highest point in Thailand, then north to Mae Hong Son within sight of the Myanmar border, before the celebrated run into Pai that the operator measures at 762 turns. Mae Win, a village spread through the valleys west of Chiang Mai, comes next, with an elephant sanctuary visit and a family style meal, and the group returns to Chiang Mai on the Friday for a final group dinner.