How Long are Your Tours?
Nothing is set in stone!
Please don't hesitate to contact us and ask: We pride ourselves on flexibility and will work around your holiday dates with pleasure, even able to shuffle our Special Interest / Local Festival Loops around to a certain degree.
Please Check our Tour Dates but most are based on 8days-7nights; starting & finishing on Saturday, or multiples thereof
As Follows:
Saturday: Arrival Day and Welcome Dinner
Sunday "Day Ride", acclimatisation & getting used to bikes & riding styles,
Monday - Friday: out on one of the Loops,
Saturday: Departure Day, or if you're with us for longer, a leisurely day pleasing yourself
Obviously Bespoke tours (for parties of five (riders) or more can be of any duration.
How Far do we Ride Daily?
With masses to see and do in Northern Thailand that doesn't only involve riding along some of the world's most scenic roads (though that IS certainly a great reason for booking your trip!), we usually ride about 150 to 200 kilometres daily. We leave our hotel around 8-ish after a fantastic breakfast, everything you're used to. Stops for attractions, photos, activities such as feeding the elephants or visiting a mountain-top village or temple are scheduled before and after lunch depending on the group's preference. We break to stretch our legs and have either a coffee or cool drink about every hour or so. Our goal is enjoy the ride and take in as much of the local Thai culture as possible.
It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience – we don't want you to miss anything! Over 70% of our guests return another 3-4 times, we must be doing something right?!
I'm Worried Your Standard Bikes aren't Big Enough?
Yes. They Are. Absolutely. In fact I rather miss the old CB400's we used to scream around on! Lol!!
We do have bigger bikes available for varying fees, but in all honesty they're less well suited to the terrain, especially on the likes of The Mae Hong Son Loop, where there are over 4,000 bends. I used to lug my 1000cc FZ1R around there, it's hard work (on average a bend every 100metres) and...you're on holiday! Less is more, believe me. Of course, riders with pillions will be glad to have a little extra 'leg' on the Versys (saddles more 'lady' friendly, for your better half!) we offer as a free upgrade to two-up guests. Oodles of low-end grunt from the in-line twin engine pulling from as little as 2,000 Rpm, all the way up to 11,000 redline, 12,000Rpm rev-limiter, and 210Km/h. Fast enough, light, agile, manageable & most importantly - no quirks or foibles taking up the first half of your holiday getting used to them.
What About Legalities; License, Insurance etc?
You'll need a valid International Driving Permit (IDP) & valid full motorcycle license – are all that is required by law for our freely provided Third Party insurance. You're expected to provide your own holiday insurance (personal accident cover) for the make/model/cc machines provided.
Please check your holiday insurance fine-print, you'll usually find IDP a requirement, and often age/cc restrictions for riding in SE Asia. For those of you from Australia/New Zealand, OnePath comes highly recommended, with a policy that insures you for anything your license covers at home.
Should we be taking the bikes out of the country, customs require collection of your credit card details; we keep half (encrypted) & they the other half, in case we sell the bikes while abroad and evade Thai taxation?! Laughable, I know
Finally, our own entirely optional Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) available at just 5,000β/bike/week provides indemnity for any possible shortfall in the previous two and covers any damage to our bikes - over & above normal wear & tear. The policy 'excess' means the first 25,000b (covered by your Bike Deposit) of any individual claim is payable by the Rider, the policy paying all over that, right up to replacement. E.g. for a 100,000b repair bill; Rider pays 25,000b and no more.
Can you Book Our Flights?
That's the one thing we don't take care of. Flights must be booked from, and paid in Country of Departure. Using it's currency. Afraid we neither wipe nor kiss your arses either? Lol! We WILL look after you to an unbelievable degree though, you honestly won't want for anything - within reason!
We'd rather concentrate on fabulous roads, great food, exciting attractions, and breathtaking scenery. For flight information, we recommend visiting: TrailFinders, Expedia, Orbitz, SaveFlights to mention but a few... Oh, stay away from KIWI.com, I've been burned as have tens of thousands of others!!
Legal Minefield too, which is why all Travel Agencies are ABTA / IATA "Bonded", and necessarily qualified too. We'll be looking after you from the moment you walk into Arrivals at Chiang Mai International Airport, until we return you there a week or three later.
Do I Need a Special Visa for Thailand?
No - for the most part, not if you don't intend to stay longer than 30 days. You will complete the form for your 30 day Tourist VOA (Visa on Arrival) during the flight over and immigration will simply stamp your 30 day Visa into your passport. If you wish to stay longer you can either obtain a Visa in your home country or just hop over the border (as we do on The Golden Triangle Tour) and automatically get another 15 days on the way back in.
There ARE odd exceptions though; Papua New Guinea, Philippines to mention a couple.
How do we get to Chiang Mai from Bangkok?
Fly. It's best if you book the entire journey as a single trip, unless of course you prefer to visit Bkk / Phuket etc for a few days after your time with us? Without wishing to scaremonger: There's a bus crash almost every month (literally) on the news, completely unregulated & well...two things I'll NEVER do in this country a) jump on a ride at a local funfair b) jump on a bus!
The train's freezing cold, costs almost as much as the 90-minute flight, takes 11hrs and although you're in a VIP (dormitory!) bunk you'll never manage to sleep, being thrown around by the uneven track. I know it sounds romantic, relaxing watching the countryside go by? Hmm...there's only one line...so on the day train you'll be stopping every hour or so outside stations to allow oncoming trains past. You'll be shattered / ragged by the time you get here, no fun at all.
Neither will we be able to collect you from the bus / train stations either as I'm sorry but we're less than 10 minutes from the airport but an hour or more away from the latter & simply don't have the freedom to be caught in a traffic jam with others to collect on the same day.
How Much Cash Should I Bring?
Not much! The cost of living in Thailand is fairly low. Most spend between 2,000-5,000b per person per week on their sundries bill with us. The difference is whether you choose to drink a) water/soft drinks, b)beer or c) wine/spirits after we stop riding for the day?
DON'T let your local bank talk you into exchanging your hard-earned there. without doubt the worst rates and making you the biggest mug out there. We'll all have plenty of fun at your expense too! Rofl !!
We recommend either bringing Your Home Currency (£, $, etc) & visiting a Bureaux De Change at CNX airport on arrival for pretty decent cash exchange rates. Most of our returning guests obtain the best possible exchange rate (I use a service called "Wise", they beat ALL Other currency movers by a mile, SO Cheap!!), adding their spending money to the final balance payment with us. Feel free to ask them at: https://www.facebook.com/ThaiMcTours
Your use of an ATM (Service-till/Credit card while you're travelling with us will mean you pay a comparatively expensive exchange rate plus most ATMs here charge a nominal fee (usually 250b) and allow you to withdraw up to 20,000 baht daily. We're not so far from civilization that we don't pass by ATMs every single day **Make SURE to notify your card issuer that; YOU WILL BE TRAVELLING TO THAILAND before you leave OR THEY WILL BLOCK SERVICE.**
Travellers Cheques are certainly recommended for any 'Emergency Funds' you might require. Needless to say we don't arrange credit! Many credit card issuers allow you to get cash advances from countless banks branches and ATMs around the globe – and there are plenty in Thailand. Please check with your card issuer before you arrive to verify any service fees or charges and to make sure you know the PIN number associated with each credit card should you need it. We recommend bringing your 25,000 baht "Bike Deposit" fund this way, easily cashed for a nominal fee once you return home, again, check your bank's small-print especially if they claim NO fee, there's always a charge whatever they name it!
What Should I Pack, Just in Case...?
You will be expected to bring your own helmets (open-faced/sunglasses are OK but a drop down visor is recommended) and ventilated summer riding gear/body mesh/armour. Leathers are inadvisable, even the perforated variety, you'll regret it. You may want a wind/waterproof layer under your armour for the cooler mornings in the mountains.
We have a service vehicle for luggage, so there's really no limit to the amount you may bring apart from that set by the airline. We certainly notice the difference between returning guests and those here for the first time; those returning bring less than half the amount of their first visit. So, don't over pack: You want room in your suitcase for the bargains you'll find here!
The above applies to medication too. Anything you might think of bringing "Just in case..." is available here (yes, they even have 'Boots The Chemist' stores, Watsons too), and at half (or less!) the price you pay at home. Plus the formulae are beefed up for this tropical climate where quite frankly; your creams, salves & sprays from home will struggle.
Don't worry, we've got you covered, along with a few local bits and bobs too, everything is taken of, this is where two decades of experience pays off. Afraid I can't say any more because the competition have no respect for copyright, some secrets I'm not prepared to divulge.
What if I want to explore on my own for a day or so?
Every day, we will offer advice on the best things to see and do, but you're under no pressure to follow the (small) crowd. You can strike out on your own at any time and simply meet back up with us when you're ready. We obviously have preferred routes – but anyway you choose to arrive at the booked hotel is up to you.
However. As mentioned in Terms & Conditions the CDW only covers you for group riding and putting the bike through normal, lawful conditions - within manufacturer's recommended guidelines. So if you're out on your own, you're on your own. Sorry!
What if I want a more detailed itinerary?
More detailed itineraries are provided upon receipt of deposits received & full itinerary (both subject to change at our discretion) after we receive balance payments
What kind of accommodation
Our hotels at absolute minimum are 3* with a swimming pool, each checked & used often, should standards slip we move on. This includes comfortable beds, which are far harder to find than you'd imagine! If our guests aren't able to have a good night's sleep (apart from becoming a safety issue) we won't have honoured our promise to give you the best damned tour money can buy. We bump into the BMW tours (triple our prices) fairly regularly out on the road for example, as we're using the self-same hotels.