Day 1: Arrival
Arriving at Chiang Rai international airport you will be met by a driver and transferred to our centrally located poolside hotel.
0kms.
Unsealed road time - NA
Meals:
Day 2: Leave Chiang Rai
We will leave Chiang Rai via a circuitous route of mixed surfaces with more than half of the time spent on the wonderful unsealed trails of the area. Tonight we stay in a roadside motel very typical of the places used by cyclists on long journeys here
75kms.
Unsealed road time - more than 50%
Meals: B, L, D, S
Day 3: To Phayao.
Again a day where more than half of our time will be spent exploring the network of unsealed roads, track and trails en-route to the pleasant town of Phayao which sits on the shore of a large lake, an ideal spot to relax with a post-ride beer and watch the sunset.
105kms.
Unsealed road time - more than 50%
Meals: B, L, D, S
Day 4: Phayao to Sa Lap.
Twenty minutes of main road lead us from Phayao lake to a splendid mixture of byways and gravel roads winding and undulating gently through ever hillier scenery. At around the halfway point, we join a well-surfaced main road, light of traffic, that leads us through a winding section of gentle hills and of a lovely twisty seven-kilometre descent to lunch. A backcountry gravel road, winding through open hills and woodland, leads us to the little town of Chiang Muan and the final sealed section to our lodging for the night in the village of Sa Lap.
100kms.
Unsealed road time - less than 50%
Meals: B, L, D, S
Day 5: Sa Lap to Phrae.
Our day starts on a well-sealed but quiet main road with a gentle 15 KM climb and a 10 KM descent through beautiful mountain scenery. We take to the dirt after our first break; and for the rest of the day follow a fairly flat cross-country route on dusty trails and deserted bitumen that winds towards our out-of-town resort.
95kms.
Unsealed road time - 50%
Meals: B, L, D, S
Day 6: Phrae to Na Ton Chan.
Another long day lay ahead of us with a couple of climbs likely to leave even the most seasoned climbers huffing and puffing with wobbly legs.
Although the majority of the day is on sealed roads we begin with some fast fun and dusty gravel. After 40 such kilometres, we come to an unavoidable section of busy highway where we gain 150 metres in altitude over a gentle ten kilometres of climbing. Fortunately, the road here has a wide shoulder making the riding a lot more pleasant than may otherwise have been the case.
Leaving the busiest road of the entire tour behind us the remainder of the day’s ride is through a beautiful rural landscape. Although we have several stretches of unsealed trails the majority of the ride is on quiet rural bitumen and concrete byways. It is here that we experience the most extreme Thai style gradients of the entire tour with one climb gaining 250 metres in just two kilometres, but what goes up must come down, and we finish with a beautiful 26 kilometres of predominantly downhill rural riding that leads us to the poolside guest house of Heinz, where we can relax with a well deserved chilled beer.
Cycling: 120kms.
Unsealed road time - less than 50%
Meals: B, L, D, S
Day 7: Na Ton Chan to Sukhothai.
We leave our poolside guesthouse on a quiet rural road, and within half a dozen kilometres we are on a fast sweeping red gravel road.
We have now left the hills behind us and our journey ahead is across flat agricultural land with fifty per cent of the ride on gravel roads and the lion’s share of the rest being quiet byways and concrete lanes which lead us riverside riding and through a historic park.
Our destination for the day is a luxury resort where we can cool off in the pool.
Cycling: 90kms.
Unsealed road time - less than 50%
Meals: B, L, D, S
Day 8: Sukhothai Old Town - Rest Day.
With 600 kilometres behind us, a rest day is now well deserved. Whilst far from the party hotspot your friends may rave about after a trip to Thailand’s beaches, Sukhothai Old Town does offer the little luxuries a gravel rider will by now perhaps be hoping for. Our resort offers a selection of relaxing massages at the spa, whilst the town has several simple tourist minded restaurants and cafes. For those keen to explore the major attraction there are the ancient ruins of this former capital of Siam, set amidst a tranquil park of shade trees. And of course, for those keen to relax in the time-honoured manner of the gravel rider, ice-cold beers by the hotel pool are always available.
Cycling: 0kms.
Unsealed road time - NA
Meals: B
Day 9: Sukhothai Old Town to Khlong Khulung.
Hopefully well-rested and refuelled following a day of relaxation you will by now be eager to stretch your legs. For well over 50% of our ride today we will be on unsealed tracks, mostly smooth and hard-packed but occasionally dusty with a few bumps to add to the fun. And once again even when the roads are sealed the surface is often concrete, where small motorcycles and tractors outnumber cars.
We overnight in a small town on the banks of the Ping River, in a simple but comfortable little motel with AC bungalows.
Cycling: 120kms.
Unsealed road time - more than 50%
Meals: B, L, D, S
Day 10: Khlong Khulung to Nakhon Sawan.
Red gravel, strada bianca, concrete lanes, a few dusty dirt roads, and a little blacktop make up today’s variety of surfaces. More than half of our time today will be on unsealed roads following rivers and streams and crossing rice fields where birds wade, buffalo wallow, and mango, banana, coconut, and cashew all grow wild. We end the day’s ride following the Ping River along quiet lanes winding through friendly riverside communities.
Cycling: 100kms.
Unsealed road time - more than 50%
Meals: B, L, D, S
Day 11: Nakhon Sawan to In Buri.
Today is an even split between sealed byways and unsealed gravel roads, with the sealed roads as always being very light of traffic. We are now crossing vast areas of agricultural land where rice and sugar cane are the major arable crops, whilst small farms raise the huge cattle common to the region.
As we approach our rustic accommodation for the night we pass through small freshwater fishing communities, where, surprised to encounter foreign cyclists, the friendly fishermen and their kin are quick with a cheery greeting.
Cycling: 110kms.
Unsealed road time - ~50%
Meals: B, L, D, S
Day 12: In Buri to Ayuthaya.
Our final day on the road is split quite equally between gravel and minor byways. The majority of the ride is blissfully bereft of traffic as we cross agricultural lands and follow canals, often on leafy lanes. Palaeontologists will no doubt be excited to see the large dinosaur-like lizards that often cross our paths and bathe in the sun next to the canals.
The final stretch into Ayuthaya takes us on roads little more than bicycle lanes as we pass through interesting small communities leading to the beautiful ancient architecture of the erstwhile capital of the kingdom of Siam.
Cycling: 110kms.
Unsealed road time - more than 50%
Meals: B, L, D, S
Day 13: Tour Ends.
The tour ends today after breakfast.
Ayuthaya is a pleasant little town with many ancient ruins spread amongst the trees and grass areas all within easy reach of our resort and for some may be worth a day or two of exploration.
For those wishing to spend a day or two here, we can arrange extra nights at our resort.
For those wishing to head to Bangkok, we will provide a group transfer taking you to either of the city’s airports or a hotel in town. We can also assist with where to stay in Bangkok.
For those staying on in Ayuthaya and making their own way to Bangkok later, there is a very convenient train station in Ayuthaya with regular trains that stop at Don Muang Airport en route to the central located Hua Lamphong, Bangkok’s main train station.
Don Muang airport home to such convenient and well-priced airlines such as Air Asia and Nok Air. These airlines offer quick, regular and well-priced flights to many great Asian destinations, including Thailand’s famed beach.
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