1864 Corners – Mae Hong Son Loop

This article is written based on the trip that I went on with my office mates and I’ll share as much information as I can about this Chiang Mai – Mae Hong Son Loop.

It takes a few days to do research for this trip as most of the information available online is rather not complete or not convincing.

There are various ways to get into Chiang Mai, you can either take a flight, a local bus or Thailand sleeping train.

Note: If you want to ride from Kuala Lumpur, scroll down the article for information.

Rent A Bike

Since we are based in Kuala Lumpur, we took a flight from KLIA to Chiang Mai, Thailand via Air Asia. Prior to our flight, we have booked our motorcycles through TBB Tours (formerly Tony’s Big Bikes) via email.

TBB Bike Shop Google Map: https://goo.gl/hQQzU3

TBB Bike Shop GPS Coordinates: 18.785078, 98.992233

I got myself a 650 CC Kawasaki ER6-F from TBB and the bike was in excellent condition and it comes with ABS which is really helpful.

If you are looking to rent a car, you can do so at Econ Car Rent, they are reliable and trustworthy.  That is TBB Tour’s recommendation.

Best Month To Visit Chiang Mai

The best month to do this loop or visit Chiang Mai would be on November. If you can’t go on November, please click here to check on Chiang Mai’s weather and when to go.

Mae Hong Son Loop Itinerary

The Mae Hong Son loop is all about it being one of the best motorcycling roads anywhere in the world. It consists of 1864 corners and you will never get bored! It was such a good experience. Check out the Loop Map from Google or see below.

Below was our plan for 4 days but you can do it in 3 days or less, but why the rush? You need some time to enjoy the scenery though!

Day 1 – Chiang Mai to Mae Sariang | Distance is approx 180km and journey time approx 4hrs.

Sightseeing: Tham Thong temple, Ob Luang Canyon

Day 2 – Mae Sariang to Mae Hong Son  | Distance is approx 166km and journey time approx 3.5hrs.

Sightseeing: Nong Haeng hot springs, Kun Yuam war museum

Day 3 – Mae Hong Son to Pai | Distance is approx 109 km and journey time approx 2hrs

Sightseeing: Visit one of the Long Neck villages in Mae Hong Son before leaving for the day’s ride, fish cave at Huai Pha, a couple of fantastic mountain viewpoints on the way.

Day 4 – Pai to Chiang Mai | Distance is approx 128 km and journey time approx 2hrs

Sightseeing: Nip into the Huai Nam Dang national park and then back to Chiang Mai

We did quite a few stops along the way to get some pictures and also to help one of my colleagues who has unfortunately dropped from his machine whilst overshooting a corner.

He was very lucky to get off with just minor injuries but we had to send his machine back to TBB’s shop via a pick-up truck as it was not in a good condition and he decided to not take any further part/replace his machine and hopped into the SUV.

Accommodation

These are the places we stayed but if you’re on a budget, you can always look up other cheap hotels. The choice is yours.

Day 1 – Mae Sariang | River House Resort – Very nice with a river view

Day 2 – Mae Hong Son | Imperial Mae Hong Son Resort

Day 3 – Pai | Pai Village Boutique Resort--  Right in the heart of the town, nice clean rooms and a great restaurant.

Day 4 – Chiang Mai | De Naga Hotel  – Excellent hotel and a very short walk to TBB’s bike shop

3G Data Connection

Since all of us are out of the office, we rely on Data connection to ensure our work is in check and all of our emails are being replied to whenever we are off the road. We purchased two telco sim cards, DTAC and AIS.  DTAC is better in the town and AIS gets much better coverage in rural areas.

Video Highlights

Below is the Chiang Mai – Mae Hong Son full loop video of ours. The video is about 6 hours! Sorry, I didn’t have the time to do the highlights for this trip.

Other Helpful Information

Wikitravel – Mae Hong Son Loop Travel

Chiang Mai – Mae Hong Son Loop Guide

GT Riders – A great informative site on South East Asia tours / roads

Northern Thailand roads – Video by TBB Tours.

Riding From Kuala Lumpur

If you want to ride from Kuala Lumpur to do this MHS loop, my recommendations are as per below:

• Day 1 – Kuala Lumpur – Hatyai (534KM)
• Day 2 – Hatyai- Surathani – Chumpon (480KM)
• Day 3 – Chumpon – Prachuap Kiri Khan – Kanchanaburi (472 KM)
• Day 4 – Kanchanaburi-Nakhon Sawan- Tak -Mae Sot (491 KM)
• Day 5 – Mae Sot- Mae Sariang – Mae Hong Son (396 KM)
• Day 6 – Mae Hong Son- Pai- Mae Sai (438 KM)
• Day 7 – Mae Sai -Golden Triangle – Chiang Mai (268KM)
• Day 8 – Chiang Mai – Phitsanulok – Nakhon Sawan Ayutthaya – Bangkok (750KM)
• Day 9 – Bangkok- Prachuap khiri khan – Chumpon – Surathani (650KM)
• Day 10 – Surathani – Sadao (Dannok) (372KM)
• Day 11 – Hatyai – Kuala Lumpur (534KM)

Some Interesting places along the way.

Kanchanaburi

• River Kwai Bridge
• LHM Motorcycle Musuem
• Tiger Temple
• Death Railway

Umphang (170 KM from Mae Sot)

• 1219 Corners of Umphang Death Highway.
• Thi Lo Su Waterfall Umphang
• 1219 Corners Certificate sold at a Clothes shop near Umphang Police Station.

Lopburi (On the way to Mae Hong Son)

•  The Sunflower Fields of Lopburi

There are many other places to go and it depends on individual preferences.

Photo Gallery

Some of the pictures along the Mae Hong Son Loop.

Conclusion

Riding in Northern Thailand is one the thing that I would recommend and if possible, spend more days and split up the KMs (ride short distance) so you can enjoy it more.