Final reflections on our N Thailand adventure - 3 to 13 Feb

Certificate you can be proud off!

Cycling along the banks of the Mekong, Laos in the background.

Christophe and I having fun with the Carry Mes!

Reflecting back on our 1500km road trip around the Mae Hong Son loop, and thereafter to Mae Salong, the Golden Triangle and to Chiang Kong/Lao, then Chiang Rai and back to Chiang Mai, I would say it was a bit of a whirwind schedule. Except for staying in Pai for 2 days, we were on the move everyday. It took me 3 whole days to recover but if we were to do it again, I would recommend a bit more time to complete these 2 loops around Northern Thailand.

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Doing the sums, we spent a total of S$400 each (US$270) for hotel, fuel, car rental, food and tourist admissions for 10 days which is unbeatable! I have never spent so little for such a long trip. This area is best explored by car, motorcycle and of course, bicycle if you have the time and the fitness. The hills are totally challenging and if you can do the loop, the Thai authorities once offered a certificate of completion!

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As usual, bringing along my 2 Carry Me bicycles added so much fun to the trip. We did not need to depend on public transport to pick up the rental car and could handle any errands with ease within a village or town. It also gave me the much needed morning exercise before breakfast and it was pretty fun exploring new towns and sights at a slower pace. People are also very fascinated with these micro-bikes and they were conversational starters. Because of its unusually compact folded package, being able to put 2 in the boot with 5 people's luggage and the continuing load of more shopping was absolutely brilliant.

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Foldies with rental cars are indeed the way to go!