Day 04: The Longest Ride. Chiang Rai to Pai Thailand

Day Four was always going to be a big one. We were leaving Chiang Rai and heading southwest towards Pai, covering the longest distance of our road trip so far. Ahead lay the famous Mae Hong Son region, with its spectacular mountain scenery and seemingly endless twists and turns. After three days of riding, we knew we were in for a serious day on the road.

Except I wasn’t going to be riding.

For today, I swapped my Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 pillion seat for the backseat of the SUV

AB, our ride captain, had decided that the Mae Hong Son Loop might be a little too demanding to manoeuvre with a pillion on the back. I wasn’t going to argue. There is a certain wisdom in knowing when to enjoy the adventure from a slightly more comfortable seat. So, for today, I swapped my Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 pillion seat for the SUV and joined Asela and Nishantha, with Khairy coming along as well.

The motorbikes, meanwhile, were going to take on the mountains.

We left Chiang Rai at 7.30 a.m., the motorbikes pulling away ahead of us while the SUV followed behind. The morning was warm, the skies were looking a little unpredictable, and we knew we had a serious 338 kilometres ahead of us. I have to admit, I was more than a little bummed to be sitting in an SUV instead of being out in the open, riding pillion with AB. After three days of feeling the wind, the bends and the rhythm of the road from the back of the Himalayan, being inside four doors felt decidedly less adventurous.

And then came the rain.

Not everywhere, but in patches. One minute the road was dry and the bikes were cruising along, and the next we would see the riders pulled over, helmets coming off and rain jackets being dragged out of luggage. 

After about three hours of riding, with a couple of pitstops along the way, we arrived at Hinoki Land, a rather unexpected slice of Japan in the middle of northern Thailand.

Set on a large site in Chai Prakan, Hinoki Land was created as a Japanese-inspired cultural and architectural attraction and opened to visitors in 2018. The idea was to bring Japanese architecture, landscaping and cultural elements to Northern Thailand, and it certainly succeeds in making you feel as though you have temporarily crossed another border.

The entrance itself sets the tone, with a huge red torii-style gate leading into the complex. From there, a long line of torii gates creates a dramatic walkway towards the main attraction, the four-storey Hinoki Castle.

And yes, it is quite a sight.

The castle is built from hinoki cypress, a highly prized Japanese wood, and its design takes inspiration from Kyoto’s famous Kinkaku-ji, or Golden Pavilion. The surrounding gardens, traditional-style buildings and carefully created Japanese details make Hinoki Land feel wonderfully surreal.

After days of temples, mountain roads and Thai landscapes, suddenly finding ourselves surrounded by Japanese architecture was another reminder that road trips are rarely as predictable as the itinerary suggests.

By lunchtime, we were ready for food.

We stopped at Jerns Chiang Dao, a beautiful wayside restaurant surrounded by the sort of scenery that makes you want to linger.

The restaurant is known for its Western-style food and burgers, and the portions are generous. And the food was delicious. At least according to Tarique, who once again seemed to have somehow acquired more than his fair share of whatever was landing on the table.

Then it was back into the vehicles and onwards towards the Mae Hong Son Loop known as one of Thailand’s most famous road trips, especially for bikers.

The landscape began to change. The flatter roads gave way to mountains, the scenery turned greener and the road started curling and twisting through the Chiang Dao area. Forested slopes rose on either side, and every bend seemed to reveal another mountain, another stretch of road or another reason to wish I was back on the pillion seat. From the SUV, I could only imagine what it felt like on the bikes. The riders were disappearing around corners ahead of us, leaning into the bends and climbing deeper into the mountains. This was the kind of road motorbikers dream about: smooth tarmac, sweeping curves, steep mountain scenery and very little straight road to get bored on.

The road seems to have a mind of its own, winding around mountains, climbing, dropping and turning again just when you think you have reached a straight stretch. It was exhilarating even from the passenger seat of the SUV. For the riders, I suspect, this was when the real adventure had begun.

By late afternoon, we finally reached Pai. After the long journey, arriving at Yoma Pai, our hotel, felt like reaching an oasis. The resort was beautiful, peaceful and surrounded by greenery, exactly what we needed after a full day on the road. 

There was only one sensible thing to do. Get into the pool. And then, because we had apparently decided that one form of relaxation wasn’t enough, into the jacuzzi. After the heat, rain, mountain roads and hours of travelling, sitting in warm bubbles, sipping beers and more ‘spirits’ while looking around at the peaceful surroundings felt almost ridiculously luxurious. The riders had earned it.

That evening, after everyone had showered, changed and recovered sufficiently to be social again, we climbed into another Thai-style tuk for a short ride into town.

Our destination was Pai Walking Street.

Pai has long had a reputation as Northern Thailand’s laid-back, bohemian, backpacker town. Its transformation into a popular destination gathered pace as travellers began discovering its mountain setting, relaxed atmosphere, cafés, music and alternative traveller culture. As evening settles in, the central street of Pai turns into a lively pedestrian market filled with food stalls, handmade crafts, clothes, jewellery, souvenirs, music and an eclectic mix of travellers and locals. What began as a small local market has grown into one of Pai’s defining evening experiences.

It is exactly the kind of place where you intend to take a quick look and somehow end up spending hours.

And so Day Four came to an end. We had left Chiang Rai at 7.30 in the morning, travelled through rain and sunshine, passed through Hinoki Land, crossed the Chiang Dao mountain roads, survived the longest ride of our trip and finally arrived in Pai. By the time we reached Pai, the group had already covered 746 kilometres over the first three days of riding.

Tomorrow, however, there would be no early start. No long ride. No mountain bends. No rushing to get anywhere. Because that was going to be our well-earned day of rest. 

And after today, nobody was going to argue with that.