Day 01: Two Wheels, One New Adventure. Chiang Mai Thailand

Every adventure begins with a plan, and this one had started with a very different destination. We had originally planned to ride through Kyrgyzstan, a country that had been high on my wish list for its spectacular mountains, remote landscapes and legendary riding roads. There was a lot of excitement surrounding that trip, and naturally, expectations had been building for some time. So when several members of our group failed to get our visas, for reasons completely unbeknownst to us, the disappointment was enormous. After all the planning and anticipation, having to abandon Kyrgyzstan was heartbreaking and, to be honest, deeply disappointing.

But motorbike trips, like life itself, rarely follow the route you have carefully mapped out.

With Kyrgyzstan no longer an option, we were left with a choice: cancel the adventure altogether or find somewhere else to ride. Fortunately for us, Ajith was not prepared to let the whole thing fall apart. Through a tremendous amount of hard work, organisation and persistence, together with Mike from Viktorianz.travel he managed to put together an alternative plan in just four days, and before long Thailand had emerged as our new destination.

Despite my initial disappointment, the more I learned about Northern Thailand, the more intriguing it became. There were mountains, winding roads, forests, temples, good food, motorbikes and, most importantly, the company of friends.   

And so, on the night of September 3rd, united by our love of travel, adventure and the spirit of RIDE ROAR REACH we boarded Thai Airways enroute to Bangkok. For Ajith and Krishni, Tarique and Khairy, Roshan, Adrian and his son Revatha, and me, this was another chapter in our shared annual riding adventures, having already conquered the spectacular roads of Ladakh and Bhutan together. This time we were joined by Shehan from Bangkok and Dilip, who had travelled all the way from San Antonio, Texas. Asela and Nishantha would accompany us in the backup vehicle, an essential part of any motorbike expedition of this nature. We also had our guide from Viktorianz, Vishnu, and our ride captain, Abu aka AB, who would lead us through the winding roads and mountain landscapes of Northern Thailand. 

By 8:45 a.m., we had arrived in Chiang Mai. 

We checked into Hotel Ninety Nine, our base in Chiang Mai, and had a chance to freshen up after the journey. Although the temptation after an overnight flight might normally be to find a bed and disappear for several hours, there was too much anticipation in the group to simply sleep the day away. We had arrived in Thailand, and there were things to be done.

That afternoon, several of us headed out for first of what would become many delicious Thai meals. We got Pad Thais. We got Mango Sticky Rice, We got massages. And we got our motorbikes. 

For most of the group, the choice was the Honda CB500X, a motorbike that seemed ideally suited to the sort of riding we had ahead of us. It was comfortable, manageable and had enough power for the highways while still being capable of handling the more interesting roads that would come later. Shehan had opted for a Suzuki V-Strom 650,while AB would be riding a Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, with me hopefully perched behind him as his pillion rider for the adventure ahead.

Standing among the motorbikes that afternoon, the reality of the trip finally began to sink in. The destination had changed completely, but the essential ingredients of the adventure were still there: a group of friends, motorbikes, unfamiliar roads and the promise of seeing somewhere new.

The next morning, we would finally put the motorbikes into motion and begin the journey north from Chiang Mai towards Chiang Rai. Six days of riding lay ahead of us, and none of us yet knew exactly what stories we would be bringing home.

One thing, however, was already certain: thanks to Ajith’s determination to find a way forward, the adventure had not ended in Colombo. It had simply changed direction.