Changnoi1
Senior Member
This is not really a trip report, just some comprehensive notes ...
1. I did ride from Khon Kaen to Dan Sai and stayed overnight there at a new place (at least for me new). The room was actually good as in clean room, good bed, private bathroom with hot-shower. The hotel itself has all the making of soon to be old. It is located along route 2013 just out of town on your left hand (when leaving town). There is private but not covered parking.
2. From Dan Sai I did ride via Na Heao, Ban Khok, Na Noi to Nan. The road are all fine.
3. I did stay in Nan at "Lanna Nan Hotel" nearby Tony's Place. A nice area with actually 4 hotels / guesthouses in the area. All have private parking. Where ever you stay in this area "Tony's place" and "Hot Bread" are in walking distance. I had my breakfast at "Nan Guesthouse", my lunch at "Hot Bread" and in the afternoon a drink & chat at "Tony's Place". Around the corner is a new bar called "Friends" (Puan Pa). It is a kind of bikers bar & restaurant. Nice (soft) life music, friendly host and his wife speaks good English. Food was good also. Some other places to go in Nan are "Nan Steakhouse" (for Italian food or steaks) or "Cowboy Bar" (for drinks and Thai food).
4. Near the "Shell gasoline station" (good place to check your tire pressure) is a new restaurants & coffee-shop ... good food and excellent hot chocolate.
5. The Saturday Evening Market at Wat Phumin is great (but a bit busy now). There is a guy selling the best spare-ribs of Northern Thailand!
6. I went one day to Thung Chang and stayed for night at "Siam Garden" .... I loved it there! Marco & his family are a great host, good Italian food, healthy breakfast and a great area for off-road riding, hiking and other forms of touring. Just ask Marco ... he knows everything of the area.
7. I made some day trips and saw that on route 1169 between Nan and Ban Hat Khet is still road work going on. If not finished before the raining season this aint going to be fun on a street motorbike.
8. I did ride back to Khon Kaen via Queen Sirikit Lake and took the ferry. It was the first time I took this route and going to the Isaan this is really a stupid route distance-wise. But it was nice riding. I made a stop-over at Nakhon Thai and stayed at "Plern Dow Resort" (only 15 km from the entrance to "Phu Hin Rong Khla" National Park"). They now have a restaurant, rooms are still good although wear & tear is starting to show.
9. I did ride back thru "Phu Hin Rong Khla" National Park (and in the very early morning ignored the gate & entrance fee). Just before the entrance of the National Park they are widening the road. I assume they will do it all over the 10 km to the entrance so I assume it will not be finished soon. In the National Park they are resurfacing the all road. Some parts are gravel, some parts are slippery, some parts are brand new (with tar on the surface).
10. Riding thru Nam Nou is still the best part of the all route back to Khon Kaen .... good road, no villages, no u-turns, no intersections! I loved it! Only at one place you should be careful for dogs who are reclaiming the road. It is the only place with a few houses along the road and there are always about 10 dogs sleeping on the road along that stretch.
It was a pleasant 1 week trip on the bike and my first long trip since my accident in April 2014. I am starting to be a bit more relaxed although on busy parts of the road I am slower as I was already. Of course at my travel-blog you can read a bit more about the trip.
1. I did ride from Khon Kaen to Dan Sai and stayed overnight there at a new place (at least for me new). The room was actually good as in clean room, good bed, private bathroom with hot-shower. The hotel itself has all the making of soon to be old. It is located along route 2013 just out of town on your left hand (when leaving town). There is private but not covered parking.
2. From Dan Sai I did ride via Na Heao, Ban Khok, Na Noi to Nan. The road are all fine.
3. I did stay in Nan at "Lanna Nan Hotel" nearby Tony's Place. A nice area with actually 4 hotels / guesthouses in the area. All have private parking. Where ever you stay in this area "Tony's place" and "Hot Bread" are in walking distance. I had my breakfast at "Nan Guesthouse", my lunch at "Hot Bread" and in the afternoon a drink & chat at "Tony's Place". Around the corner is a new bar called "Friends" (Puan Pa). It is a kind of bikers bar & restaurant. Nice (soft) life music, friendly host and his wife speaks good English. Food was good also. Some other places to go in Nan are "Nan Steakhouse" (for Italian food or steaks) or "Cowboy Bar" (for drinks and Thai food).
4. Near the "Shell gasoline station" (good place to check your tire pressure) is a new restaurants & coffee-shop ... good food and excellent hot chocolate.
5. The Saturday Evening Market at Wat Phumin is great (but a bit busy now). There is a guy selling the best spare-ribs of Northern Thailand!
6. I went one day to Thung Chang and stayed for night at "Siam Garden" .... I loved it there! Marco & his family are a great host, good Italian food, healthy breakfast and a great area for off-road riding, hiking and other forms of touring. Just ask Marco ... he knows everything of the area.
7. I made some day trips and saw that on route 1169 between Nan and Ban Hat Khet is still road work going on. If not finished before the raining season this aint going to be fun on a street motorbike.
8. I did ride back to Khon Kaen via Queen Sirikit Lake and took the ferry. It was the first time I took this route and going to the Isaan this is really a stupid route distance-wise. But it was nice riding. I made a stop-over at Nakhon Thai and stayed at "Plern Dow Resort" (only 15 km from the entrance to "Phu Hin Rong Khla" National Park"). They now have a restaurant, rooms are still good although wear & tear is starting to show.
9. I did ride back thru "Phu Hin Rong Khla" National Park (and in the very early morning ignored the gate & entrance fee). Just before the entrance of the National Park they are widening the road. I assume they will do it all over the 10 km to the entrance so I assume it will not be finished soon. In the National Park they are resurfacing the all road. Some parts are gravel, some parts are slippery, some parts are brand new (with tar on the surface).
10. Riding thru Nam Nou is still the best part of the all route back to Khon Kaen .... good road, no villages, no u-turns, no intersections! I loved it! Only at one place you should be careful for dogs who are reclaiming the road. It is the only place with a few houses along the road and there are always about 10 dogs sleeping on the road along that stretch.
It was a pleasant 1 week trip on the bike and my first long trip since my accident in April 2014. I am starting to be a bit more relaxed although on busy parts of the road I am slower as I was already. Of course at my travel-blog you can read a bit more about the trip.
