Doi Suthep - The Golden Palace

Doi Suthep is the most revered temple in Chiang Mai.  It's a 2000 ft climb from the city and is a great place to see the sun rise. I left my hotel ~5:30 and had hoped to make it to the top by sunrise.  I was late but was able to enjoy it along the way.   I wish I would have left about 30 minutes earlier.  Along the route I passed numerous monks collecting their morning alms.  Tourist buses passed me periodically as they also climb the hill.  This was the first time I saw bikers.  Three bikers passed me along the way.  It's a beautiful climb.

At the top, I locked my bike and walked the stairs to the temple. The morning light was amazing against the golden palace.  A must for any biker to Chiang Mai.

Lampang to Chiang Mai

Eager to see the Elephant Conservation Camp, I left Lampang early in the morning, planning to get to the camp by 8:00am.  I'd tried to lighten my load significantly knowing that I had some serious hills ahead of me. I'd be riding on a major highway that winded into the mountains.  The only road to Chiang Mai, the second largest city in Thailand, trucks and buses cruised passed me. There was a heavy fog as well, blanketing me as I climbed the mountains.  At one point, when I was in my lowest gear, panting up a hill, I heard a truck behind me. In the thick of the fog I could see it close behind on the far left so that other, faster buses could pass it.  Unfortunately, I was in the way. The shoulder was narrow so I had no choice to hop off my bike and lean into the shrubs so that the truck wouldn't hit me.  After 2 hours of climbing, I came to the Elephant Camp which had just opened.  Since I had my own transportation and no intention to see "the show" I was able to get in for free and ride around the camp.  I went straight to the rides where I climbed aboard an amazing beast, "Champoe".  A quick ride to see the roaming elephants and then I headed back towards Chiang Mai.

The panniers were a challenge as I continued to climb.  I'd wished I'd packed less. Eventually the ascent ended and I was able to enjoy a long descent into Lamphua.  A quick lunch on the side of the road and I climbed back on the bike for my final stretch into Chiang Mai.  Some how I missed the turnoff back onto the highway which took me on a small side road that ran parallel to the train.  It was a great ride, alongside fields of tall grass and small shops. The cooler temperature of the mountains was a relief.  I knew I would enjoy Chiang Mai and as I rode into the charming city - I knew I'd stay for as long as I could.

My Roughest Day

My best day was followed by my hardest day. Knowing I had a long ride ahead of me, I pulled out of Sukhothai around 4:30am. The first half of the trip was on a B road. The rare street light and far too frequent dog made for a challenging few hours. This is where the aforementioned dog incident occurred. In order to avoid the dogs sleeping on the side of the road and to give me a lead should they decide to chase me, I decided to ride my bike in the center of the road. This worked well except for the occasional car that passed me who must have been totally confused.

I had been really lucky so far with finding tiny convenience stores to buy water and take restroom breaks so I hadn't loaded up the day before. This stretch of road however was not as hospitable. Feeling my sugar dip and worried about bonking, I kicked myself for not having bought a few bananas the day before. I eventually found a small store that sold water, laundry detergent and a few other household supplies, but no food. I started to worry. Finally, thirty minutes later I cruised by a furniture store that sold cookies - yeah! I loaded up.

I don't know if the road was particularly boring or that I had tired of the scenery and long rides, but this one seemed to go forever. On top of the boredom, I was worried about making good time. My destination was Uttaradit - 70 miles away - which had received poor reviews. It's an industrial city with few hotels and nothing to entertain passing tourists. My plan was to catch the 2pm train in Uttaradit and take it to the next leg of my trip, Lampang. The road was long and hard and I finally pulled into the Uttaradit train station at 11:30am. Exhausted but relieved, I approached the ticket counter to buy a ticket. However, the 2pm train didn't allow bikes.

"What?" I cried, literally. "When is the next train that will take a bike?"

"Not until 11pm," I was told in very broken English.

"Where is the nearest hotel?" I asked, discouraged that I was going to have to spend the day in this armpit of a city.

The clerk didn't understand me.

"Hotel?" I said. Again, I was met with a look of confusion. I flipped open my guide book and pointed to hotel. He smiled, pointed and then went on to explain where it was, in Thai. I understood nothing.

At this point, I figured I would cruise around the city and find one myself. After 30 minutes of dodging traffic and battling my exhausted legs, I found nothing.

Passing by a bus station, I thought I might find a tourist who had come from a hotel but I saw no one that I suspected spoke English. Completely despondent at this point, I asked the bus clerk if they had a bus to Lampang. They did! And... it was leaving in 5 minutes. I couldn't believe my luck. I bought the ticket, found my bus, loaded my bike and entered an air-conditioned bus, sweaty but releaved.

My Favorite Day - Sukhothai

My most memorable day was riding into and around Sukhothai. I rolled out of Phitsanulok early in the morning and straight to Sukhothai. A full moon accompanied me for the first hour. As it said it's good-byes and the sun began to rise, a deep mist settled over the surrounding rice fields. Around 6am, local life began to stir as monks began their morning pilgrimage for food, farmers tiptoed out into the fields and small buses cruised by, bloated with day workers. At 7:30am I passed school children walking to school while overburdened mopeds passed me often carrying 2-3 kids and an adult.

I pulled into Sukhothai around 9am into the beautiful Ruean Thai House. The hotel receptionist offered flawless service, offering me a place to shower and cup of coffee while I waited for my room. After unloading my panniers, I jumped back on my bike to ride to the historical park of Sukhothai about 10 miles out of town. Having a bike gave me a huge amount of freedom as I rolled down gravel roads, discovering breathtaking Wats hidden deep in the jungle scenery. I passed several tourists on foot, please with my chosen mode of transportation.
The park is huge and took me several hours to visit on bike.

Exhausted after all of the riding, I grabbed a late lunch for $4 and then hired a truck to take me and my bike back into town.

A Roads and B Roads

Thailand roads are really well cared for and which ever road you choose, it's unlikely you'll see many potholes or narrow shoulders. However, based on what you want to see and the type of riding experience, you may find yourself choosing between A roads and B roads. For much of my trip, I didn't have an option but when I did, I seriously considered the advantages and disadvantages of both.

A Roads - These are major freeways. While there are wide shoulders, you will share the road with truckers, buses, cars and the occasional moped. The roads are well marked, well lit and often the shortest distance between two cities. A Roads are great early in the mornings when traffic is light.

B Roads - These are side roads that wind through rice fields. They take you through small towns, by tiny family stores and lots of local scenery. However, they aren't well lit, well marked and homes are guarded by protective dogs that often sleep by the side of the road. During one leg of the trip, I started riding well before sunrise. I felt prepared with my bike light, head lamp and florescent yellow jacket. About an hour into the ride, I woke a dog who decided to chase me for the next 300 yards. I couldn't see him in the darkness but could hear him barking close behind.

Another challenge with the B roads is the lack of road signs. I didn't realize until Day 3 that there are small cement markers on the side of the road to track mileage. On several occasions I took a wrong turn and although the locals tried their best to help me, language was a huge barrier. What often resulted was a lot of funny and unsuccessful pantomimes.

Bangkok - Ayutthya

I decided to take a train to my first destination after hearing about the challenges in crossing the bridges on the outskirts of Bangkok. Thanks to jet lag I was wide awake at 5am. I loaded my panniers and cruised down the quiet streets of Bangkok to the train station accompanied by a few street vendors setting up for the day and prostitutes waiting in doorways to close up the night. The train station Hua Lamphang offers several services that I fortunately didn't need to use; showers, restrooms, luggage storage. I bought the ticket to Ayutthya for ~300bt and then had to go to a different booth to buy a ticket for my bike ~90bt. What a steal! Bikes are stored in the end cart and the porters are really helpful loading and unloading the bike. I left my panniers on the bike and felt totally comfortable in their security.

I rolled into Ayutthya around 8:30am which landed me at the Baan Lotus Guest House around 9am. The owner is a great resources, offering helpful tips on close restaurants, massage houses and sites and they had cold Birdy cans (yeah!). At $10 dollars a night, the place was perfect.

There are several historic sites within a quick 15 min ride and the ridiculous Elephant Kraal where elephants dance to techno music.


I had someone suggest riding out to Bang Sui to find authentic Thai handicraft. The signs showed an enticing 37 km distance, however, after getting lost and inaccurate markers, it turned out to be more like 60km one way. After taking a wrong turn, I found myself on an "A" road at rush hour competing with freight trucks, heavy traffic and horrible exhaust. I rolled back into Baan Lotus just as the sun was setting without my bike light or reflector jacket. Lesson learned!

Bangkok - Tuk-tuks, taxis and trucks

Biking in Bangkok is possible but I don't suggest it for the novice or faint of heart. Like most third world countries, the chaotic traffic just seems to work. There's a rhythm to it that you don't see in the self-centric driving in the US. As a result, you can careen through the buses, tuk-tuks and taxis and join the frenetic pulse. The drivers are courteous and the taxis are just the cutest little things (pink and orange), it's all quite fun.

However, there are a few things to think about before hitting the road.

1) They drive on the left hand side of the road. I hadn't realized this and although it wouldn't seem too challenging an obstacle, it did take a lot more focus and concentration, particularly when turning right.
2) Mopeds are every where. Being on a bike allows you to weave through cars which is great during heavy traffic, however, mopeds are doing the same and if you are too slow, you'll be in their way.
3) Taxis are reluctant to take bikes. I picked up my bike on the other side of the city and crunched for time, tried to wave down a taxi. After 45 min and several pleasant "nos", a small truck pulled over to offer his services. He charged me 600bt ($20) to drive me back to the hotel. Next time I'd suggest a tuk-tuk. They can strap your bike on the back and while they are often crazy drivers, their prices are more reasonable.


That said, during our hour drive back to the hotel, I saw several bikers passing us while we were caught in traffic. At one point, the truck driver tried to coax me to get out of the truck and ride my bike the rest of the way so he could pick up another job. That's a whole other story that I'll write about later in my other blog.

Quick Trip Outline

Day 1: Bangkok

Lamphua Tree House

Picked up bike

Trip to Wat Po

Wat Po

Day 2: Bangkok to Ayutthya

Train ride outside of town to avoid the traffic.

Rode into Ayutthya

Stayed at Baan Lotus Guest House

Easy ride to Wat Thammikarat, Wat Kuti Thong, Wat Na Phra Meru, Elephant Krall

Long ride to Craft Center (~40m) not worth it.

Lotus Guest House, Ayutthya

Day 3: Train ride to Phitsanulok

Very few hotels

Grabbed a hotel along the highway

Not much to see there

Day 4: Ride to Sukhothai

Great ride

Stayed at Ruean Thai House - great hotel!

30 min ride to Wat Saphan Hin, Wat Si Chum, Wat Mahathat - Amazing!

Day 5: Ride to Uttaradit

No hotels

Restrictions on bikes on trains

Grabbed a bus

Rode to Riverside Guest House - Super cheap, great views!

Riverside Guest House, Lampang

Day 6: Lampang

Ride around town

Great mellow place to chill

Day 7: Day off

Day 8: Ride to Chiang Mai

Half way there visited Elephant Conservation Camp

Lots of hills - hard ride

Stayed at Sri Pat Guest House - request a deluxe room

Definitely stay in the Old City

Sri Pat Guest House, Chiang Mai

Day 9: Day off

Day 10: Day rides to Bo Sang and Hang Dong (not worth it)

Days 11 - 13: Village Hikes

Day 14: Day off

Day 15: Ride to Doi Suthep

Get up early to see the sunrise

Leave Chiang Mai by 5am

Day 16: Night Train back to Chiang Mai

Day 17/18: Bangkok

Packing List

My strategy was to pack the minimum with the plan of doing laundry every other day. I added a few personal extras not listed below (books, journals, swim suit).

Essential

• Bike light - great for the early morning rides!
• Head lamp - great for biking and village hikes!
• Pedals/shoes - brought my pedals from home
• Bug spray
• Nuun
• Converter
• 1 bike short
• 1 bike skort - great when sightseeing on the road
• 1 skirt
• 1 dress
• 2 t-shirts
• Tennis shoes
• Flip flops
• 2 panniers - These were the perfect size
• Pump
• Pocket knife - Great for cutting fruit from the markets
• Bike lock - a simple cable lock was fine.
• Florescent jacket (a life saver - literally - during the early morning rides)
• socks
• 1 light sweatshirt
• hat
• sunglasses
• 1 pant
• Bike bag
• Tools
• Digital camera

Buy/Rent in Bangkok

• Thailand Roadmap (bought 2 at the Emporium Shopping Center - bookstore). This was a life saver!!!!
• Inner tubes
• Helmet
• Water bottles (2)
• Bike rack
• Bottle rack

Not Needed

• Looxcie - I thought it would be fun to capture scenes on the road but with the wifi limitations, I ended up never using it.

Bugs Be Gone!

I left the doctor's office with 4 shots and 3 prescriptions. Malaria, tetanus, typhoid, antibiotic, antidiuretic...all set. No bug can penetrate my blood stream and ruin my trip. I requested the extra strength version of the antidiuretic since, well... biking and the runs just aren't a good combination. Thoughts of Morocco and diarrhea on the train...

My biceps however are killing me! The deep muscular pain and the limited motion isn't what I had anticipated. My temperature rose to 102 F today as I battled feverish chills and an aching body. It did pass after 48 hours.

Velo Vacations

Having returned from the most amazing vacation of my life, I'm now committed to future biking adventures in distant lands. This blog is intended to share highlights with my fellow cyclists. Please add your comments, experiences, advice so that others may benefit. Enjoy!