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| Chiang Dao in the clouds |
As it was low season, Bern & I were the only riders with Marcus as our personal guide and a well stocked a/c support van trailing behind.
Marcus specialiss in 'road bike tours' so has a small kitty of Trek bikes to hire. As we travelled straight from the boat, we hired ours from Marcus but apparently most customers bring their own bikes,which is a good option if you love your bike so much and want to take it on an exotic holiday!
Chiang Mai itself is a relatively flat city, situated in a valley bound by mountain ranges either side. So the choice of rides is vast. Most of the riding we did was out of town on well-sealed roads in surprisingly, excellent condition. As it was just the two of us the rides were customised to suit us but involved a mixture of flat, undulating and a couple of challenging climbs. We averaged 100kms each day starting out at 7.30 each morning and with stops for cool drinks and fresh or dried fruit mid-morning and finishing by early afternoon for lunch. This was good timing, as by midday it really starts to warm up. And for hill climbers there is so much on offer around this area. Marcus is as fit as a mountain goat and keen on hills! The scenery is beautiful- green and lush with rice paddies in abundance and dense jungle growth through the mountains and eye-catching temples everywhere!
P.S.I've just re-read what I've written and I know I sound like a tourist brochure, but the description is how it really is!!!
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