The first thing most new visitors to Chiang Mai do is going up Doi Suthep (Mount Suthep) and visit the Buddhist temple complex. It takes about half an hour to travel up there and Doi Suthep is an obvious goal for a day tour.

If you want to do a Doi Suthep tour you can just take a taxi or songthaew up there for the afternoon; there is no need to rent a scooter. If you want to go further, to Mae Rim and the Queen Sirikit Botanical garden the best option is to rent a scooter or motorcycle and go by yourself.

Start by going up north on the 107 highway for about 20 minutes; turn left on the 1095 and follow the signs to Samoeng. You are now driving on the famous twisty Samoeng Loop.

Motorcycle rides - the Busy and the Easy ones.

1. The busy road to Pai.
2. The Samoeng Loop - some road are better than others.
3. Scooter and motorcycle rentals in Chiang Mai.
4. Police Checkpoints and IDP drivers license.

Chiang Mai motorcycle routes to national parks.

1] The busy road to Pai.

The Samoeng loop on the other hand is a much better road which has much less traffic and many interesting things to see: there are for example great viewpoints, elephant parks, and a famous large botanical garden. And there are fewer potholes.

And keep in mind that the road to Pai is famous for all the wrong reasons. Twisty, potholed, and it is classified as one of the most dangerous roads in Thailand. Thailand, the country which is nr. 2 on the list of countries with most traffic accidents per inhabitant. A few years ago (2016) the road was widened in some places so you can now easily overtake that slow driver; who is trying fruitlessly to go uphill on an underpowered scooter with his girlfriend on the back. But the superelevation (road banking) of the curves is still not right on most curves. So the cornering needs to be done with foresight and care - and experience. Unfortunately, experience is what you get - just after you need it.

The superelevation (road banking) of a curve.

2] The Samoeng Loop - some road are better than others.

The Samoeng loop map, including Mae Rim.
The route is around Doi Suthep National Park
Touristenkarte/karte vom Samoeng route, Samoeng route map

Why not start your route in the morning and from Chiang Mai head north on the busy highway nr. 107? The Dara Pirom Palace Museum in Mae Rim is worth visiting, the museum is an old historic house which was home to the famous Lanna princess Dara Rasami, who was one of the consorts of Chulalongkorn, King Rama V of Siam. And you can have a cappuccino or cake in one of the coffee shops, like the artsy Wawee Coffee shop.

These hip coffee shops cater to wealthy tourists who are enjoying the posh hotels in Mae Rim and the Mae Sa valley.

In the Mae Sa valley there are a few elephant parks; once past these the road gets much quieter as it continues west towards Samoeng; you can drive through the beautiful valleys and mountains on a scenic twisty road dotted with villages, temples and forest.

Further on is the Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden (QSBG) which is a famous mountainside arboretum and garden. Within the park area are gardens, glasshouses, and trails through the rainforest. The large glasshouse complex on top of the mountain is a conservatory for a wide collection of tropical plants, cacti and orchids. Since 2017 there is also a treetop walkway through the rainforest. The Botanical Garden is very large and situated on a very steep mountainside, so you may want to enter by car of motorcycle; though walking up is also possible. There is a tram service/open air bus service that runs within the garden.

Entry fee prices for QSBG are: Adult: 100 baht; child: 50 baht; Adults with a Thai ID card: 40 baht, car (additional) 100 baht.

The Samoeng Forest viewpoint on the road to Samoeng village.

After the Samoeng Forest viewpoint you come to a T-crossing where you turn right for a 5 to 10-minute drive with just a few hairpins through the strawberry fields of the Samoeng valley; and stop at the small village of Samoeng. Here there is not much to see, but you can have a lunch break in Supanee's restaurant.

After lunch return to the T-crossing; keep on going straight and follow many twisty turns on the nr. 1269 road back to Chiang Mai. There are a few amazing downhill stretches here which are even better than the first half of the loop. And the best thing: there is very little traffic here. The full "Samoeng loop" around Doi Suthep is about 100 kilometers and takes about 3 hours on a motorcycle or scooter. The roads are in good order, the traffic is light and thus it is easy by scooter. Or motorcycle.

Other motorcycle tour possibilities.

• The Mae Tha fault loop, between 110km and 160km. Through Mae Takhrai National Park on different sections of the Mae Tha fault. (cmpark.htm National Parks)
• The Elephant Valley loop, 150km. Drive north to Mae Taeng river valley and have a look at the many elephant camps and parks there. A bit up north is Chiang Dao, the 3rd highest mountain in Thailand. (elephant parks)
• While you're up north visit the Sticky waterfall and Wat Ban Den (Wat Ban Den)
• The famous Mae Hong Son loop, 600km. From Chiang Mai to Pai, Mae Hong Son, Mae Sariang and back should take at least 4 days.
• And many more trips and loops are possible; to hot springs, ancient elephant trails, ancient cities (Wiang Kum Kam, Wiang Tha Kan) and botanic gardens.