Thailand is known as the ‘Land of Smiles’ because of its rich culture, colorful market and beautiful landscape that leaves you smiling. Assuredly, motorcycle tours in Thailand give you the chance to go where a normal tour will not take you. The locals are friendly and live happily even with the little they have.
Unlike other tourist countries, Thailand is filled with countless temples, green rice fields, fascinating culture, and amazing valleys. Chiang Mai is perfect for motorcycle tours in Thailand and has a lot of motorcycle routes. The Samoeng Loop offers spectacular views of Chiang Mai and is recommended for beginners.
Samoeng loop is a motorcycle tour in Thailand around Chiang Mai. It’s a 100 km ride and takes you through the town of Mae Rim, Mae Sa Valley, and Samoeng town. Typically, if you can stay on the bike and resist stopping to get a closer look at the beautiful landscape, you will complete this tour in 4-5 hours.
You can start the loop clockwise or counter-clockwise, but, its best to head counter-clockwise which is more interesting. After fastening your helmet, take road 107 to Mae Rim and ride carefully as the road is quite busy. Ride for 10 minutes and you should see a sign on the left pointing to Mae Sa Valley and Mae Sa Waterfall.
Admittedly, Chiang Mai has lots of waterfalls but, Mae Sa Waterfall – which you will reach in 5 minutes after Mae Rim – is a must-visit. If you plan to stay long, buy some snacks. Mae Sa waterfall is the biggest waterfall in Chiang Mai and has 10 levels and you should stay at level 5 if you must swim. The waterfall looks spectacular during the rainy season and level 5 is good for a picnic.
After leaving the waterfall, take a left and ride up the hill towards the Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden and stop by if you love flowers. Another site to see is the Samoeng forest where you will see an abundance of trees and the Mae Sap Cave covered in lush forest.
Useful tips
Before you embark on this motorcycle tours in Thailand, there are a few things you will want to take note of.
The route of this loop has a lot of places you can eat and drink so, there is no need to worry about packing food. Also, it is a one-day motorcycle tour in Thailand but, if you want to spend the night on the way, the best place would be at Samoeng Bungalows.
In addition, it’s best to fuel your scooter in Mae Rim or Chiang Mai. But, there are other points you can buy petrol in Mae Sa Valley – at small service stations near small grocery shops. Next, if you will tour Samoeng loop in the rainy season, make sure you take a waterproof poncho.
Take a sunscreen (needed all year round), water, jumper (mountains on this route have a lower temperature). Don’t forget to take some cash (there is an ATM machine in Samoeng) and a map – GoogleMaps or Maps.
