Chasin’ Waterfalls (Day 1)

“Don’t go chasin’ waterfalls
Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re used to
I know that you’re gonna have it your way or nothing at all
But I think you’re moving too fast”
TLC – Waterfalls

Actually, DO go chasing waterfalls! Especially if you’re in Northern Thailand. That’s exactly what we did and what an amazing five days we had! Since we are on a budget, had the urge to see some of Thailand’s backcountry and missed forested nature, it was easy to come up with a backcountry scooter idea. We wanted our freedom to explore, feel the positive ions from waterfalls, and swim in some beautiful spots. The plan was to camp in our tent the entire week and cook most, if not all, of our meals.

Day 0: Preparation

The day before we rented one scooter for one week at 1500 TBH at a shop in Chiang Mai. We had to leave a 3000 THB deposit and copy of our passports. We specifically looked for a scooter with the following:

• minimum 125cc
• maximum storage capacity under the seat (ie. Helmet-in models)
• storage between the legs or additional hooks for an extra bag
• good treads or new tires
• helmets with visors

Before taking the bike away, the shop owner checked the coolant (which was just water), checked the tire pressure, and filled the tank to half for us.

That evening we took the scooter for a few rides to make sure everything was working in order, especially the breaks. We picked up 1135 THB worth of groceries for a week and topped up the gas with another 80 THB of fuel. We initially planned to figure out a loop through Chiang Mai, Pai and Chiang Rai but after running into another couple from Canada who told us about the well known, four day, 600km Mae Hong Son Loop we changed our plans.

Our accommodations The VIP Room allowed us to store bags for 10 THB per bag per day while we were touring. So we packed everything we would need for one week in a 48L backpack and brought another small knapsack for a few extras. We left one bag behind which would be in a locked storage room awaiting our return.

Start Out Expenses: 2755 THB

Day 1: Chiang Mai – Chiang Dao Caves – Mok Fa Waterfall – Pong Dueat Hot Spring

We were excited to hit the road and took Hwy 107 from Chiang Mai to Chiang Dao based on a recommendation from another blog that the 80km detour from Pai was worth it. The caves (40 THB/person) were big and the first we’ve seen in Thailand but did not overly wow us. If we were to redo our first day we would have headed towards Pai to start with and not exhausted our time. Also it didn’t help that we started the trip with Will feeling ill and had to stop to get some medication for 105 THB.

Once Will was feeling better we started enroute to Pai via Hwy 1095; we didn’t have a plan of exactly where we were going each day or where we were sleeping at night but we kept our eyes open for anything intriguing. Mok Fa waterfall in Doi Suthep-Pui National Park (100/person, 20/motorbike) was the first waterfall we chased down and we were extremely happy that we could jump in and swim in the refreshing water. It was really clean and enjoyable.

After being out on the scooter for about 5hrs our bodies were already feeling the pains we would endure over the next few days. When we saw a sign off Hwy 1095 for Pong Dueat hot spring in Huai Nam Dang National Park we couldn’t resist checking it out. We were surprised to see no one at the park entrance thus we got to waive the 200 THB/person fee. The hot springs were like gold to our bodies but we were surprised no one else was there except a group of monks!

It was weird because the entire place seemed like an abandoned resort. We talked to the security guard who told us camping was not safe here at this time due to falling trees and offered we stay in the ranger station, but unbeknown to him we had already made up our mind that we were sleeping in one of the abandoned buildings. Since we were not going to be camping or having a campfire here, we took a small hike up to the first geysers and cooked our instant soup in the hot water. Our bellies were full and our bodies were tired so it was time to hit the sack, and what a great sleep it was … minus all the worrying.

Expenses: 535 THB = $20 CAD
Distance: 181.2 km

Click here for DAY 2 …