Here is the second road of my ‘Roads of Thailand’ series. This time we travel highway 1081, starting a little south of Chaleom Phra Kiat in Nan province in northern Thailand. This highway has a whole variety of challenges and joys. If starting up north the road is quite beat up but the road condition progressively gets better as you go south to Bo Kluea and onwards to Nan. The scenery is very rural and you travel along a large valley through some little villages and lots of nothing in between. There are some elevation changes but nothing too dramatic. You regularly meet buffalo along the route so watch out (see 24:50 in video). For those wanting more off road adventure there are many tracks off the highway 1081 that I am sure would be interesting to check out.
Check back later for a further three videos all the way to Nan on highway 1081.
Google map links for exact locations on this video: start of video / finish of video
At the finish of the video is a small shop where you can grab an ice cream and a quick rest before pushing on. There are not many obvious choices for overnight stays along this part of 1081 (I wasn’t looking though) but options can be found in Bo Kluea I think and of course Nan has many choices for accommodation.
Lastly ride carefully and always within your ability. The video shows speed (it is not completely accurate and has some inconsistencies), elevation, heading, distance along the route and a squiggly line representing the road with a red dot showing the current location. This video was shot in April 2014 and roads in Thailand do change over the years, a once pristine section of tarmac can degrade and likewise a bad section can be resurfaced and become as smooth as silk! Leave a comment if you have an up to date report.
You can find excellent bike reports and information of northland Thailand over at Golden Triangle Riders
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