16-Day Diary of The Road – Deluxe Tour

Cycling is one of the best ways to explore this beautiful country and really connect with the people and nature. On this journey we will experience the Lanna Kingdom (Northern Thailand) and travel through cities, national parks, ancient towns and village settlements and meet a variety of the local people and wildlife. We’re here to show you the wonders of this Kingdom and not to dictate your enjoyment so we’ll cycle until we’re tired and eat when we’re hungry and you can leave the rest up to us! So from the contrasting culture of Bangkok to the stunning serenity of Pha Daeng National Park and everything from a day in peaceful Pai, a trek on an elephant and a taste of Laos and Burma thrown in, there is something for everyone who is keen to get active and really get to know this fraction of South East Asia.

Trip Summary:

Area: Bangkok, Sukhothai, Lampang, Chiang Mai, Pai, Doi Inthanon National Park | Fitness level *

Day 1: Bangkok
Arrive in Bangkok and transfer to hotel to settle in and meet your leader for your trip introduction in the evening.

Day 2: Bangkok

After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll travel by canal boat and local bus to the Grand Palace where we can appreciate the beautiful Emerald Buddha, followed by Wat Pho nearby, home of the impressive gold plated 46m reclining Buddha. Afterwards, we’ll take a river boat trip and a ride on the sky train back to hotel and then the afternoon is yours to enjoy a few more sights or perhaps a full afternoon of shopping!

Day 3: Sukhothai

An early start to the day to catch a train to Phitsanulok (approx 5 hours) and then a local bus to Sukhothai (literally means Dawn of Happiness). This was the first truly independent Thai Kingdom, which enjoyed a golden age under the rule of King Ramkhamhaeng, who was credited with creating the Thai alphabet. In recent years, the magnificent temples and monuments have been restored in the, honouring this city as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a must-see for all travellers.

Day 4: Thoen / Lampang

Today is the start of our cycling adventure with the beautiful Sukhothai Historical Park as the perfect place to begin. We will explore some of the temples in the park, which exhibit Northern Thai and Cambodian style, then continue outside to visit the fascinating Ramkhamhaeng National Museum to learn about the region’s history and see some ancient artifacts. Afterwards we’ll pass through local villages, farmland and paddy fields and eventually settle in to stay the night in a Thoen district guesthouse.

Day 5: Lampang / Elephant Conservation Centre

After breakfast, we cycle to Ko Kah district for to visit Wat Pratatlampangluang, a significant temple and an early home of The Emerald Buddha (as seen in Bangkok). This is another must see for any visitor to the region and demonstrates the unique Lanna or Northern Thai style of architecture. According to the local legend Buddha visited the province in his lifetime and the god Indra worried that the people would not rise by themselves to show respect to Buddha, therefore woke them by transforming himself into a white rooster – hence the white rooster image inside the entrance! From here we’ll continue to the Elephant Conservation Centre and experience an overnight with the Mahout family (also known as the elephant men).

Day 6: Lampang / Jaeson

National Park Another early start to walk with the Mahout and collect the elephants from their overnight grazing – we’ll then get to help bathe them in the river before they give us a show at their daily training school. Later in the morning we’ll learn to make cooking gas and paper from dung at the Elephant Dung Project and visit the world’s first elephant hospital. That afternoon we’ll continue on to Jaeson National Park and set up camp at the natural hot springs.

Day 7: Maekajan

This morning we have the option of trekking to a nearby waterfall or taking a sauna and a dip in the hot springs before cycling through the local corn and pineapple farms – hopefully with a chance to sample the produce! From here we’ll travel to the Wangnua District, an area famous for its locally brewed whisky, known as ‘Moonshine’ (possibly derived from the fact that moonshine producers and smugglers would often work at night!). Afterwards we’ll move to the next town where we’ll spend the night in a friendly guesthouse – Maekajan is a district of Chiang Rai and relatively free of tourists so we can experience true local food, bars and even karaoke.

Day 8: Chiang Rai

A day off the bikes to give our bodies some well deserved rest! So today we’ll travel by bus to Chiang Rai and visit Wat Rong Khun – a distinctive white temple, symbolic of Buddha’s purity, which sparkles with reflective glass, symbolic of his shining wisdom. Although still under construction, renowned artist and devout Buddhist, Chalermchai Kositpipat has designed one of the most stunning temples and reveals an unpredictable and contemporary architectural style not normally expected from religious buildings. This work of art will have something to capture everyone – from the pleading hands of hell as you enter to the appearance of Neo from the Matrix on an internal story wall.

Day 9: Golden Triangle

After a night in Chiang Rai, we’ll drive to Chiang Saen, more famously known as the Golden Triangle and used by the Thai tourism industry to describe the junction of Thailand, Laos and Burma. It is well known to be one of the world’s most extensive opium-producing areas and actually covers an area of over ? million km?. When we arrive here we’ll visit the Opium Museum to find out about the area’s production history and the impoverished situation of the tribes people who grow the Opium poppy.

After the museum, it’s a speedboat over to Laos, South East Asia’s only landlocked country, for a quick visit and perhaps a cold beer Laos, before back to Thailand where we will cycle onto our next town. Maesai is in the top north of Thailand and from here we will have the chance to cross into Myanmar (Burma), a country suffering under a repressive military regime, before getting back on the bikes in Thailand and cycling to Doi Mae Salong mountain. This is a unique area with an intriguing yet short history regarding its people and is famous for the ideal conditions to grow High Mountain Oolong teas. After a packed day and a glimpse at 3 very different countries and a few extra stamps for those passports, this is where we will spend the night.

Day 10: Pha Daeng National Park / Chiang Dao

Today we’ll take the scenic mountainous drive through Thaton to Chiang Dao, where we will swap the car for the bikes and head towards the soon-to-be Burmese border, which is closest to Chiang Mai city. Here we will visit a village of the Chinese community and Hmong ethnic minority ahead of cycling to the Pha Daeng National Park for the limestone waterfall and hot springs. Here we will set up camp for the night.

Day 11: Pai

After preparing breakfast together, we’ll head to Maetang and stop at one of the local markets to try some bamboo worm or other delicacies… Then we drive to the peak of Huai Nam Dang National Park where we will enjoy the cycle downhill to Pai, a hippy’s paradise! Pai is a tiny town with four main roads and a rich bohemian atmosphere where every day is a Sunday – aside from the relaxation, there is also a wide range of activities here so there is never a dull moment. We’ll spend the night in a peaceful bamboo bungalow by the river from where, if we’re feeling up to it, we can explore the surprisingly active nightlife.

Day 12: Pai

A free day for you to enjoy the wonders of Pai – visit the hot springs, take a class in yoga, learn how to cook traditional food, bathe in the waterfalls, lie in a riverside hammock, drink in the beauty of the surroundings or simply enjoy the atmosphere of the cafes and bars in the town.

Day 13: Maehongson

After saying bye to Pai, we’ll get comfortable for a long drive to Maehongson with a few stops en route to see the amazing fish cave, a few of the hilltribe villages and a chance to cycle, if the steep terrain allows for it. Maehongson (The City of Three Mists) is one of the most remote provinces in Thailand with over half the population as non-Thai ethnic minority and many refugees due to its proximity to the Burmese border. As the region grows in fashion with the tourists, more and more people come here for the unique hilltribes, exotic wildlife, pristine forests and lush mountain ranges. We’ll arrive late afternoon and settle into our rooms to refresh and enjoy the town by night.

Day 14: Inthanon National Park

Early wake up call to offer food to the monks at sunrise, as is the daily life of the local Buddhist people. Then we’ll visit Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu, a hilltop temple which offers an exceptional view of the city and its beautiful location. It also reflects the strong influence of the Burmese and is enjoyed for the two extravagantly decorated pagodas. After we’re stopped for breakfast, we’ll cycle to Pa Dong village (longneck Karen woman), a tribe that has established itself only over the last 20 years for tourism and trading reasons. From here we’ll cycle through villages and countryside to Maejaem (my place of birth and still home to the majority of my family) – this city is the only place where the true natives lived before the invasion in 1296. We’ll drive uphill to the Inthanon National Park – the highest mountain in Thailand, an area with the second highest number of bird species of any national park in the Kingdom, often called the roof of Thailand. After this, we’ll continue to the Karen village nearby.

Day 15: Chiang Mai

We’ll get to wake up in the local village and have the opportunity to spend time at our ‘Share the Dream’ project – our mission to offer and provide education to the children of the Karen ethnic minority. Here you will get to meet the kids, see the world through their eyes and even try your hand at teaching English. A short drive to Maewang, where we will get to ride on Elephants and try bamboo rafting before returning to Chiang Mai where we can celebrate the trip with a night in the city.

Day 16: Chiang Mai

We will wrap things up after breakfast and you can obtain advice for the rest of your stay in Thailand or make the most of our transfer to the airport should you need it.