Adventure of a Lifetime: The Total North Thailand Tour

This is the operator's long trip, and it is long in the sense that matters: eleven days, around 2,400 kilometres, and enough ground covered that the north of Thailand stops feeling like a single region. It runs all year round from the Chiang Mai base. The first half is the Mae Hong Son loop taken at a generous pace. Hotel check-in opens at two on the arrival day, then the group rides backroads to Pai, carries on to Mae Hong Son by way of a lunch break at Rak Thai, and drops down to Mae Sariang, calling at a Karen long neck village en route. Instead of turning back toward Chiang Mai, the route pushes south to Sukhothai on a long leg the operator bills, honestly enough, as big but enjoyable. Sukhothai brings the rest day. There is no riding; the suggestion is to explore the Historical Park by bicycle instead, which is a sensible way to spend a day off in the middle of a fortnight of motorcycling. From there the tour turns north again through Khao Kho, the area Thais call Little Switzerland, and on to Nan for a day on some of the most remote roads in the country. The last stretch covers the same ground as the Golden Triangle tour: Nan to Chiang Khong through the Phu Chi Fah area, then the Mekong and the Golden Triangle itself, and finally Chiang Rai back to Chiang Mai by way of the White Temple and Doi Chang. Bikes are the standard TBB fleet, a Suzuki V-Strom 650 or one of the two Honda 500s, all with crash bars and top boxes. Groups of five riders or more travel with a support vehicle and driver. Tour leaders work in English, French and Dutch, mandatory Tourism Authority of Thailand insurance is included, and a TAT-licensed guide accompanies the group. Riders still need their own international policy covering motorcycles of 500cc and above.

Eleven days and ten nights, roughly 2,400 kilometres, and effectively the operator's two shorter tours joined end to end with Sukhothai in the middle. The route runs Chiang Mai to Pai and Mae Hong Son, down the western border to Mae Sariang, across to the ruins at Sukhothai for a rest day, then north again through Khao Kho, Nan, Phu Chi Fah and the Golden Triangle before closing the circle at Chiang Rai and Doi Chang. Thai Bespoke Bike Tours pitches it at riders who already have solid large-capacity mileage and are comfortable averaging 80 to 120 kph, and prices it at 95,000 baht per rider with pillions at 32,000 baht. Ten nights of private accommodation, the motorcycle, fuel, riding gear, breakfast and lunch each riding day and a TAT-licensed guide are all covered.