Weather
Chiang Mai, , THNow
Mostly Cloudy
26°C
Windchill: 26°C
Wind: 11 kph N
Humidity: 83%
Sunrise: 6:10 am
Sunset: 6:32 pm
26°C
Windchill: 26°C
Wind: 11 kph N
Humidity: 83%
Sunrise: 6:10 am
Sunset: 6:32 pm
| Sukhothai Loop (Tour D) - Cruising Heaven |
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Day 1 - Chiang Mai to Mae Sariang, 270Km We begin in the lowlands south of Chiang Mai. Soon after leaving the motorway we begin to see the mountains. On the first days ride we manage to take in Chom Thong temple (where a piece of Buddha’s skull allegedly kept), and go across to Mae Chaem.  Day 2 - Mae Sariang to Umpang, 399Km Following the border with Myanmar you almost feeling as if you’re there! Different faces and tribal dress make you realise that this certainly is the-road-less-travelled. We stop for lunch at Mae Sot, ‘The Westernmost Point in Thailand’, before venturing on down the border road to ‘The Most Secluded Place in Thailand’, Umpang, right at the bottom of an 178Km dead-end! The road more than makes up for it though. Whether cutting through the mountains, wending our way along the riverbanks, or following fertile plains, today has it all, what a start to the tour!  Umpang has an almost legendary status among the backpacking fraternity due to its inaccessible location. It really is "Unseen Thailand". The usual way to get here is in the back of an infamous ‘baht bus’, at least we have the luxury of riding bikes along these delicious roads! Only 30km away are some fabulous waterfalls; perfect for cooling off after a hard days ride.  Day 3 - Umpang to Tak, 355KmAfter a good night’s rest, you get the chance to see it all over again from the opposite direction. 178Km all the way back along those fantastic roads before heading for Tak. Tak is an old town with incredible market by the riverside.  Day 4 - Tak to Sukhothai, 264KmThis is certainly the "long way round” to this most famous of Thai cities, but you'll be glad to have experienced roads and scenery most people will never get the chance to see. We then arrive in Sukhothai for the focal point of our tour. For a brief but brilliant period (1238–1376), the walled city of Sukhothai presided as the capital of Thailand, creating the legacy of a unified nation of Thai peoples and a phenomenal artistic heritage. Now an impressive assembly of elegant ruins, the Old City, has been preserved as Sukhothai Historical Park, one of Thailand's most popular attractions.  Day 5 - Sukhothai to Chiang Mai, 490KmOn the last day of our tour,would you like to take the 80Km short-cut back to Tak, then hammer up the motorway directly back to Chiang Mai? I didn’t fancy that either! There's a few mountains to start us off, before we wend our way through the vast central plains.  The roads skirt along the foothills of the mountains that separate Burma and Thailand and once again spectacular views afforded all the way. We have to be careful here though as it is incredibly busy with an inordinate amount of trucks on this road. Last time through we saw THREE on the whole trip!!
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