Pai Jungle Enduro + Mae Hong Son Loop 1864 Curves

Five nights from Chiang Mai, guided, combining the Mae Hong Son loop with a full day of jungle enduro at Pai.

The enduro day is the distinction. The Mae Hong Son loop is entirely sealed and the 1,864 curves are its reputation; the Pai day takes the group off the tarmac into the jungle trails behind the town, which is a different discipline altogether.

Pai comes first by way of Mae Taeng, a riverside town with a night market and a long-standing travellers’ population, and the second day is given over to the off-road riding there. Mae Hong Son follows on the famous curves, then Mae Sariang on the border road, and the final day climbs Doi Inthanon, the highest mountain in Thailand at just over 2,500 metres, with a sealed road to the summit, before the run back into Chiang Mai.

The choice of motorcycle with three base models included and upgrades available, and a complimentary hotel night in Chiang Mai, are included; the full inclusions are not itemised on the operator’s page and are worth confirming at booking. The price shown is for one rider. The cool dry season from November to February is the window, since the wet turns the Pai trails to mud and the burning season in March and April fills the valleys with smoke. Six days with a day of dirt in the middle is a good way to find out whether off-road riding appeals without committing to a whole enduro tour, and it costs very little more than the standard loop for what amounts to an extra discipline.