Chiang Mai Travel Information

Offroad Quads at Chiang Mai

Off-road quad biking takes place in the Mae Sa Valley, which is also the home of waterfalls with bathing pools, elephant training camps, heaps of mountain bungalow resorts and the highly-rated king cobra show, among other things.

Quad bikes are what some people call beach buggies, basically a motorbike with four very rugged looking wheels. While being far from dangerous, hitting the trails on a quad bike is not recommended for the faint-hearted. Know your own limitations.

The original quad bike tour company is the IMAC ATV Quad Bike Tour. (There are probably more since it doesn't take long for a good idea to be copied in Thailand.)

Your first ten kilometers from the departure point are spent motoring along a paved road toward the Mae Sa valley; this is designed to get you acquainted with the vehicle and its machinations - not that they're all that difficult to handle.

The route gets progressively challenging once you branch off onto a dirt trail and venture deeper into the valley.

This is where the fun starts. You'll ride past hill tribe villages and farms and enjoy panoramic views until you eventually hit the dense jungle. From here on the trail is merely a cleared bush path.

You'll find yourself clinging to mountain sides, racing through brush, jumping over bumps and hacking along at a fair old bounce. It really is great fun.

A highlight of the trip, which makes for great photo opportunities, is when you reach the crest of a hill and catch the sunset over distant forested mountains.

Your ride is three hours and 50 kilometers from start to finish. At the time of writing the all-inclusive fee is Bt 2,400 per bike. That means two people can go for the same price and share a bike, taking turns to steer. Although sharing does tend to slow the bike down a little.

This is a fun and little-known activity for anyone with a sense of adventure.

Note: For people who like doing things on their own it is feasible to hire a quad bike for a whole day or even a couple of days and hit the mountains yourself.

The excellent Mae Hong Song Loop map is a must for anyone not wanting to get lost.

Chiang Mai