FIELD NOTES · ROUTE COMPARISON

Two loops, one choice.

We run two motorcycle routes out of Chiang Mai, and the most common question I get is which one to pick. Here's the honest comparison — including the fact that one of them hasn't run yet.

The loop we've already proven

The signature Chiang Mai loop rides the Mae Hong Son direction: the 762-curve road to Pai, single-lane roads to Ban Rak Thai — a Yunnan-settled tea village on the Myanmar border — cliffside glamping in the wildflower fields above Mae Hong Son, then down through gold-mining towns and coffee country to the elephant sanctuary at Mae Win. I led 15 bikes around this loop in November 2025 with zero incidents; it sold out for 2026 and runs a third year November 15–21, 2027. It's the most refined trip we run — pre-scouted, locally tested, real rider feedback baked in. If you want the famous northern Thailand riding, this is it.

Nan Province: the quiet alternative

The second route goes the other way — east from Chiang Mai through Phrae's pine and teak forest into Nan Province. Different Thailand entirely: mountain passes with almost no traffic, Tai Lue temples and traditional weaving villages, a climb into Doi Phu Kha National Park on what might be the quietest paved road in the country, and a final night on the mountain lake at Phayao. If you've ever wanted a Mae Hong Son loop alternative without the crowds, this is the corner of the country for it.

Full honesty, though: this route hasn't carried a group yet. We're piloting the exact route with a small friends-and-family crew in December 2026 — riding every mile before the full group does. The open trip runs November 28 – December 4, 2027. I won't claim a track record for a road I haven't taken a group down. What I can tell you is that it gets the same format as the loop that has one.

Side by side

  • Both: $1,999 USD, $500 deposit, Honda CB500X included, 10 riders, private rooms, 7 days starting and ending in Chiang Mai, ~3–5 hrs riding a day
  • Chiang Mai loop: about 100 mi (160 km) a day, 90% on-road / 10% gravel, ran in 2025, sold out for 2026 — now open for 2027
  • Nan Province: 100–140 mi (160–225 km) a day, 85% on-road / 15% gravel, longer days — you should be comfortable with that
  • Chiang Mai loop: Pai, Ban Rak Thai, wildflower glamping, Mae Win elephants — the headline stops
  • Nan Province: Phrae, Nan city, Doi Phu Kha, Phayao — remote roads, fewer crowds

Which one should you ride?

Pick the Chiang Mai loop if you want the proven week: the curves everyone talks about, the glamping night, the elephants, and a route three years of riders have shaped. Pick Nan if empty roads matter more to you than famous ones, you're comfortable with slightly longer days, and you like the idea of being in the first full group on a new SEAM route. Neither is the lesser trip — they're different answers to the same seven days.

Or don't choose

The loop ends November 21 and the Nan trip starts November 28 — they pair back-to-back with a week in between if you've got the time.

See the Thailand November 2027 trip — the signature Chiang Mai loop, year 3. See the Thailand East December 2027 trip — Nan Province.