After the long boring highways from Bangkok. We reach Tak and the turn off to Mae Sot.
I like to try and get here before dark as there are so many trucks on the twisty mountainous road as well as road works that you need to be alert for.
After a night in Mae Sot. Time to head up the 105 to Sob Moei.
First stop and fill up the pickup and get fuel for the bikes.
Sob Moei
There are two places to stay now in the town. Nothing obvious to point them out.
The signage for the new resort is in Thai only. The turn off next to the 7/11.
Yes, Sob Moei even has a 7/11 now. Bit sad to see.
All the locals spending their money there now, while to local businesses suffer.
Arrival beers and snacks with local Karen friends.
The next day we are off on the trails.
Growing and harvesting rice in the mountainous valley. No way to get a 4X4 in here.
Must be carrying out the rice sack by sack on scooters.
Next.
This is an old prison right on the river.
Epic river trail riding through Salawin National Park
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Salawin National Park : River Trails
Mae Sam Laep
GPS Coordinates
17.980516120450563, 97.73892337073445
Camping tonight.
GPS Coordinates
17.863463761707603, 97.7165786069863
Food and drinks available too.
Local herbs in the soup.
Good morning.
Ban Sop Moi
GPS Coordinates
17.833014677945187, 97.69424371925838
The next morning ride down the mountain to Ban Sop Moi.
After a stop to enjoy the moment, follow the trails along the river first to Mae La Oon Camp.
Mae La Ma Luang Camp
After passing Mae La Oon camp we head to Mae la Ma Luang camp.
Lunch at Pom’s friends house.
They wanted to cook us a chicken, but had to go and find it and kill it.
We said veggie is fine as rather move on. It was taking some time to catch that marathon chicken.
Next cross the river. Why? To get to the other side.
Some really steep hair pin trails up the mountain on the other side.
This is a cool bridge.
The locals said it is too unsafe for bikes to use.
There goes Pom
We made it to the otherside.
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Crossing the river at Mae La Ma Luang Camp
Random road signs with directions in the forest
Out of the forest and decide to camp here as the sun is setting soon.
Hot food, beer and shower facilities too.
We didn’t get started until around 10 am as it was totally fogged in until the sun rose and burnt off some the cloud and cleared it up. The trails were slick in parts from the morning dew.
There was pretty heavy rainy end to the rainy season that caused flooding and landslides across the region.
Still a bit of a mess, the locals always find or make a way around.
This picture captures how steep it was. Loaded up and loose soil, hit a big rock and stuck here.
So out came the tow rope and pull the bike up. It looks wide, but it wasn’t.
You had to go on top of the hill side and hold the handlebars or risk falling in to the ravine with bike following.
Leave Sob Moei in the morning and arrive at Mae Tawo at mid day.
To for an Adventure over the river in to Karen State.
Karen State – Myanmar
Toong Jay Dee Jao Sa
Truly stunning monastery 50 plus KM in to Karen state.
See more in the link below.
Glue Thor Waterfall.
Located approx 30 KM from Mae Tawo
See more in the link below.
Now based in Mae Tawo for day trips.
Back on the trails and a long bit of tarmac to and through the national park before we are back on the dirt.
We took lunch with us and found a nice spot to stop.
One of the guys bought the kids a treat at the local village shop.
We arrive just as he felled a log across the track.
Didn’t take long the clear it.
Pretty stunning waterfall in the middle of nowhere.
น้ำตกตะกอคะ(น้ำตกงาช้าง)
GPS Coordinates
17.593272176560134, 98.22262590469583
This was a long and steep technical, rutted climb.
Glad I wasn’t on the 701 as a couple of times I needed to put my feet down or fall down.
We stop half way up and take 5 mins before slogging on the rest of the way.
It wouldn’t be a Pom ride with out 1000 metre high rutted hill climbs in the dark.
To be fair. It gets dark earlier this time of year and doesn’t take much to throw out the timing on a trip like this. We were on the 105 around 7.30 pm
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The last day is a rest day and a boat trip to Naw Ta Waterfall.
Naw Ta Waterfall.
The only way here is by boat.
More information in the link below.
Chilling with beer in hand at the Mae Tawo pier and Myanmar as the backdrop.
It really doesn’t get much better than this. Well, for me at least.
Time to say farewell
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Salawin National Park, in and around Mae La Oon and Mae La Luang Camps.
Truly epic 5 days riding plus two Adventure rest days in the ride report links above.
Next plan will be for another rainy season adventure.