Driving Thailand's western loop

By JOHN HUTTON

There are times when you have to be brave and grab the bull by the horns, or as they possibly say in Thailand, the elephant by the tusks.

Actually, it was the steering wheel of a 4WD Suzuki that I grabbed, but this still required some courage. Driving in another country can be a bold move, especially when it appears there are few coherent road rules.

Don't let appearances fool you. If you can drive in Auckland, you'll be fine in Thailand. So long as you adopt an attitude of polite aggression, a keen eye for the gap and a sense of humour, you'll enjoy the fun. And, a bonus for Kiwis, Thais drive on the left.

We set out from Chiang Mai on our four-day adventure around Northern Thailand's "western loop" with cautious confidence, high hopes and a vague itinerary. This 600km winding roller-coaster road has recently been completely sealed, so the region has a good infrastructure without being overly commercialised - definitely a recipe for a feast of memorable experiences.

Two hours southwest of Chiang Mai is Doi Inthanon National Park. The park is crammed full of nature, featuring Thailand's highest peak (the summit side-trip is not worth the effort), delightful jungle walks to spectacular waterfalls (definitely worth the effort, though some footbridges are of dubious construction) and apparently some caves (unfortunately we lost the trail, but enjoyed the off-roading practice).

We drove on through the park to enjoy the stunning views and be surprised by native conifer forests at higher altitudes. After this dose of Canadian surrealism, it was reassuring to descend back into Thai countryside and a little one-elephant town, Mae Chem, in time for a late lunch.

Food is never a problem in Thailand. With everything from formal restaurants to roadside stalls, eating places are abundant and excellent value for money. The big question is, what are we eating?

We set about finding somewhere displaying some English signs, generally indicating there would be an English menu and some English spoken. This reduces the chances of ordering something like fried frog curry, an important detail for travellers on winding roads.

Another important detail for travellers is toilets, and I have two key hints on this topic.

First, toilet paper is BYO in Thailand. I recommend including a pack of scented facial tissues, which can double as a foul-air filter in the more pongy loos.

Second, when you have the opportunity to go, then go, even if you don't need to. You never know what is, or more to the point, isn't ahead.

Back to the food. We settled down to a tasty lunch, while the restaurant staff and assorted locals settled down to the popular national pastime of watching TV soaps. We soon found ourselves drawn into the plots ... we may not understand Thai, but the language of soap opera is universal.

Back on the road, we paid the Obluang Gorge its obligatory visit. Described with splendid hyperbole as Thailand's "Grand Canyon, but smaller", it is nevertheless an attractive spot with an interesting walk.

More impressive were the Thai stuffed omelettes at the nearby Hot resort, where we enjoyed a good night's rest before continuing our winding westward quest over the hills that crumple across North Thailand.

The jungle crowded up to the edge of the road. Thick vines hung from towering trees, brightly plumed birds flashed against the sky, kaleidoscopic butterflies flitted among bright flowers, and the smell of rich growth pervaded the sultry air.

Small communities of teak homes nestled in the valleys, their vegetable crops clinging to the steep slopes and lush green rice paddies carpeting patches of flat ground. We regularly stopped, or detoured, to explore further.

The advantage of a self-drive holiday is freedom. However, you can easily fall into the trap of just following the main route, doing nothing more than you would on a organised tour. So we made a point of exploring some side-roads.

We enjoyed seeing ordinary Thai people going about their routines in their ordinary towns and villages, and found it all quite extraordinary. Clearly, few "farang" (westerners) visit these communities - we, and they, all enjoyed observing each other.

Most of these detours happened on a whim ("Hey, that looks interesting over there"), while others were planned. North of Mae Sariang we diverted 25km along an unsealed, often muddy (it being the rainy season) road to Ban LaUp, a Lawa hill-tribe settlement high in the hills. It was another world.

Pigs wandered among weathered teak homes, students chanted their lessons in the temple school, and adults went about chores while their children played happily.

Smiles and mutual curiosity surmounted the language barriers between us. Another world, but a welcoming one.

By nightfall we were back in civilisation and Mae Hong Son, the halfway point in our journey.

Mae Hong Son, in Thailand's northwest corner, is somewhat of an outpost. Until recently, a job transfer to Mae Hong Son was probably a punishment rather than a promotion. But with the completion of the loop road and the airport, it is now a bustling town. Nevertheless, it retains a charming "wild west" character, along with a unique mix of Thai and Burmese influences.

Soft-adventure tourism is thriving as Mae Hong Son is a good base for hill trekking, rafting (bamboo and inflatable), elephant rides, and caving.

No-adventure and no-money tourists are also well catered for, with a varied collection of temples, the compact downtown area and the bustling markets all providing ample free entertainment.

Caves feature strongly in this part of the world, and they dominated our third day. Near Mae Hong Son is the touristy Fish Cave - a grotty grotto full of fat fish, packed in like ... er ... sardines. I suspect that were it not for tourists buying food pellets to throw into the grotto, the fish would not have swum there in the first place. Definitely an over-rated vicious circle worth missing.

In stark contrast are the occasional roadside shrine caves. Smiling Buddhas wait in the shady serenity of these limestone cavities for locals to bring traditional offerings of incense and flowers, or to toot a contemporary blessing as they motor by.

The huge Lod Cave (Tham Lod) near Soppong is a definite must-do. For a nominal fee, a lamp-carrying guide will lead you for a couple of hours through this 600m long, three-chamber cave and river system. In addition to the spectacular limestone formations, the bamboo raft trip into the second chamber and the ancient coffins in the third chamber all combine to make this an impressive excursion.

A word of advice however: have scented tissues with you in the third chamber as it really pongs. The reason for the atrocious smell is, as our otherwise demure guide bluntly put it, "bird shit".

It's certainly worth staying on until dusk for the hour-long spectacle of countless chirruping swifts flying into the third chamber for the night's roosting. It makes Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds look like a budgie convention. What's more, it has happened for thousands of years. All those birds in the cave every night. All those droppings. Pheww!

We, on the other hand, spent the night in the fresh jungle air at nearby Cave Lodge. Owned by a local Shan woman and her Australian husband John, this rambling low-key hideaway offers basic but comfortable accommodation in a setting with so much ambience you could swing through the trees on it.

The jungle dominates all aspects of life in North Thailand, including the Lodge dinner menu. Western and Thai fare are both available, but the adventurous can supplement their meals with genuine (and distinctive tasting) jungle delicacies.

Cave Lodge also offers the adventurous specialised trekking tours, caving expeditions, kayaking through Lod Cave, and detailed maps for self-styled explorers.

We took to some back roads in our 4WD, eventually reaching a Karen tribal village to enjoy a leisurely hour of wandering around. Many villagers wore traditional tribal dress as they went about their daily routines. Young people, however, tended to wear casual western dress, and were keen to practise their English on us.

Genuine smiles welcomed us everywhere. I wondered if I would be so receptive to people nosing around my neighbourhood.

That night, snuggled up in our jungle chalet with its bamboo walls and leaf roof, we drifted off to sleep to the sounds of ... sirens, squealing tyres and gunshots?

We may have been in the jungle, but the neighbours had a penchant for American cop videos. Civilisation sometimes has a lot to answer for.

Our final day in north Thailand contained perhaps the most tortuous scenery of the whole trip. Yet, by mid-morning even nature seemed to need to calm down for a while, and we drove into the picturesque, broad Pai Valley. Pai is a delightful town with a relaxed, alternative lifestyle about it. It immediately appeals.

Pai is a place for moseying, relaxing with a cool drink at a roadside bar or restaurant and watching the world amble by.

Nevertheless, there is plenty to do in this laid-back area, including more elephants, rafts and treks along with hot springs, waterfalls, arts and crafts, a variety of walks and the ubiquitous temples to visit.

And, just to let you know you haven't quite got Thailand all figured out yet, there is a surprisingly strong Islamic presence in the town.

Pai charmed us into staying longer than intended, so it was late when we finally reached Chiang Mai with mud all over the 4WD, rolls of film to develop and a satisfying sense of achievement.

CASENOTES:


Rent an air-conditioned, 4WD Suzuki in Chiang Mai for $40 a day, unlimited km, from North Wheels (visit their website or fax 0066 5 3 221709). Many small firms around Chiang Mai rent motorbikes (100cc) for less than $10 for each 24-hour period.

Have your New Zealand or an International Driver's Licence with you, as a passport is often required as security. Mercifully, Thai traffic is left-hand drive.

A road map and a copy of Lonely Planet's Thailand or Rough Guide to Thailand are essential. They provide excellent maps and background information.

The budget-conscious can eat well and sleep comfortably on less than $50 a day a couple.

Links:


Northwheels