{"id":26744,"date":"2026-06-04T16:09:55","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T14:09:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyclingdestination.cc\/?p=26744"},"modified":"2026-10-05T07:45:04","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T07:45:04","slug":"chiang-mai-is-the-cycling-destination-in-thailand-that-nobody-thinks-about","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cyclingdestination.cc\/en\/verhalen\/thailand\/chiang-mai-de-fietsbestemming-in-thailand-waar-niemand-aan-denkt","title":{"rendered":"Chiang Mai: the cycling destination in Thailand that no one thinks of"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thailand and cycling. Two words you wouldn\u2019t expect to be used in the same context. At least not me. My image of Thailand consisted of heat, humidity, Full Moon Parties and ladyboys. Plus very good food. But cycling? No. Until a few weeks ago, we were in Chiang Mai <\/strong>We spent a few days there and had to conclude that this is one of the best places we have ever discovered on a bike. Chiang Mai is rightfully Thailand\u2019s best cycling destination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Text and photos: Gijs Louter<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asphalt you don\u2019t expect to see<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first thing that catches your eye: the roads are good. Not \u201cgood for Southeast Asia,\u201d just good. In many places, they\u2019re better than what you\u2019ll find in Europe. Smooth, wide, well-maintained. Yes, there are stretches where you need to pay extra attention, but that\u2019s true of every destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The diversity of routes makes it really interesting. From Chiang Mai, you can go in all directions. Long mountain trails with serious elevation changes to the north and west. Relaxed tours through the interior, passing by villages, temples, and rice fields. Or the Doi Inthanon, the highest mountain in Thailand: climbing more than 30 kilometers, sections of 17%, and at the top you stand at 2,565 meters with empty legs and a smile that won\u2019t leave you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Chiang<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Chiang
Cycling in Chiang Mai on wonderfully smooth asphalt (c) Gijs Louter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Chiang
There is always someone to ride with in Chiang Mai(c) Gijs Louter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Flat whites with views of the rice fields<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The coffee and cake in Thailand are better than in Italy. That sounds like a ridiculous claim, but it\u2019s just so. In the most remote places, somewhere halfway up a climb, there\u2019s a cafe with a perfect flat white and a cheesecake that makes you forget that you just climbed up for an hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Flat<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Flat
Flat White, anyone?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Flat<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Thailand is a country where you\u2019re spoiled as a cyclist. Pad Thai for free, smoothies you order several times a day, and a massage after every ride for a few euros. It sounds like a clich\u00e9, but you get so used to it that coming back to the Netherlands hurts a little bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cyclists from six in the morning<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Thailand has a cycling culture<\/strong> That has grown considerably in recent years. Between seven and eight in the morning, it\u2019s already busy around Chiang Mai: groups of cyclists head out into the mountains, escaping the heat. It\u2019s an open, relaxed scene where you can easily join in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ultimate route in the region is the Mae Hong Son Loop<\/strong>. More than 600 kilometers through the most remote part of northern Thailand, with about 14,000 meters of elevation gain. Few traffic, spectacular nature, villages where tourists are a rarity. The kind of route that makes you stop in silence as a cyclist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n