Ride on local roads that have little traffic through the spectacular limestone mountains of Chiang Dao and to the scenic village of Mae Salak, straddling the Mae Kok River.
Start cycling from Bua Thong waterfall through the forest on a trail cut by elephants. The next day visit the Chiang Dao caves before riding among soaring limestone cliffs on a mixture of dirt paths cut by local hill tribes.
The third morning we ride from a temple retreat and later follow the Mae Kok river to the town of Mae Salak. The last day we change vehicles to a boat as we hitch a ride on a long-tail boat.
After the pickup from hotel in the morning, we transfer to start off at Buathong waterfall. A walk up the waterfalls will get your legs warmed up and ready to ride. We start by cycling through a teak tree farm with the various ages of the trees listed. From there we ride along country roads, along a canal and through rice paddies. We’ll stop for a break at Mae Ngad reservoir and enjoy the lake side view from the dam. The hotel has a great pool and a swim is a fine way to finish off a great riding day.
We take a transfer from our resort to the Chiang Dao Caves and the start of our ride. After a visit to the cave we’ll ride through rice fields set among soaring limestone cliffs. We may meet some local tribe peoples – Akha, Lisu, and Palaung – from the area. The colourful Palaungs are recent migrants and you will see their women adorned with heavy brass waist-bands working the fields.
After breakfast we transfer to Fang and the start of our ride. From here we ride through many small villages. The ride to Mae Salak follows the Mae Kok river and is one of the most scenic on the trip. The lush green hills in the distant is Thailand’s natural border with neighbouring Myanmar. We end the day along the banks of Mae Kok river where your resort with a pool awaits.
This morning we take a quick transfer to a Lahu village where we then hitch a ride on a long-tail boat (with our bikes) on the Mae Kok River. Once back on solid ground we cycle along some natural hot springs and then back track a short bit to head to Chiang Rai. We visit one of the most important temples of Chiang Rai, Wat Phrakaew, which once housed the Emerald Buddha before its present day location at the Grand Palace in Bangkok. After our break we ride on to Wat Rong Khun, also known as the White Temple. Here we’ll end our tour and transfer you to your Chiang Rai city hotel or to the airport.