Hi Doug. Thanks for this video. I enjoyed the way you described your trip. I'm sure your appreciated getting there and seeing the sun. It was sooo good to "hear" from you again!
I really liked Chiang Dao. The town itself doesn't come across as anything special. The main road sees a lot of traffic and just feels like a regular and quite busy and commercial town in Thailand. But the countryside around the town is very nice. The whole region offers a lot of natural scenery. Unfortunately, the weather turned sour on this visit, and I wasn't able to do very much while I was there. I essentially had to turn around and go back to Mae Sot almost as soon as I arrived. However, I did return to Chiang Dao for a second visit. And I'll be able to show more of the town when I edit the videos from that second visit.
Doug, from my experience, the problem with setting of on your bike, later in the day is that the roads are busier and the weather is hotter. Also you arrive later and nearer to the evening. But each to there own.
Hi! Doug! Seem to be well rested and fresh. Nice haircut and all. You may be back to Maw Sot by now! Hope everything is goin ok for you. Great video by the way...... Started to worry that you may have gotten lost or something.. Haha. Cheers mate
Must be so nice to have a proper dialogue with the Dutch owner. His life story of how he came about to be in Thailand and owning that place must be fascinating, I am sure. Did you eventually visit the Canadian restaurant during your trip?
It was definitely nice to have a chat in English. He made me feel very welcome. I wasn't able to track down the Canadian restaurant on that trip. It was hard to spot, I guess. But I've since returned to Chiang Dao for a second visit, and I stayed in this same bungalow. The Dutch owner wasn't there this last time. I guess during the low season, he heads south to a beach for a couple of months. But I made a more determined effort to find the Canadian restaurant, and I found it this time. I had a good meal and a drink there and had a nice chat with the owner. He just happened to be sitting at a table at his own restaurant when I showed up, and we had a good talk. We talked mainly about Chiang Dao and the things that visitors can do in the area.
Ello Doug ! Yer another amazing vlog . It's always feel good to watch your much improved vlog . Bty , that acoustic guitar was indeed looking awesome . Those mountains and mist reminded me of Himachal in India . Cheers ! Happy trip ....
Bonjour Doug, nice to hear from you again. Yes you can skip Chiangmai if you want to avoid larger cities. Highwsy 107 is always busy and I suspect some trading with Myanmar. Also a lot of hilltripe village around Chiangdao. It may be interesting to hear what you will discover.
Thanks. Unfortunately, my time in Chiang Dao didn't quite go according to plan. Weather and timing issues meant that I wasn't able to do much while there. On the positive side, I returned to Chiang Dao for a second visit afterwards. By then, the haze had settled in, and the views of the nice scenery were gone. So I didn't do the long scooter rides through the region that I thought I might do, and I never did explore the countryside with the hill tribe villages. I focused instead on the Chiang Dao Cave, and I enjoyed that very much. I was glad I went back to Chiang Dao just for that experience.
Helmet's visor is very important to protect your eyes from flying debris and insects especially when you biking more than 100 km. If no visor, I suggest you wear sunglasses. For better protection, I recommended full face helmet.
I think connected to that idea would be to buy a high-quality helmet. The helmets I've been using here in Thailand tended to be fairly inexpensive, and then the visor itself isn't very clear. The plastic gets foggy or scratched or warped. And then you can't see it through it, and then you become reluctant to use it. You can't see anything. On a previous trip, I actually bought a pair of clear plastic safety glasses from a hardware store. They were much clearer and better than the helmet visor. But then when I wore a mask (the covid mask), the glasses would instantly fog up. So it was annoying to wear the safety glasses. Same thing with sunglasses. The best option is probably a high-quality visor. Luckily, on a scooter, I never get anywhere close to 100 km/hr. I'm lucky to break 50 km/hr. And even that feels pretty past on a scooter like this on these roads. And I always want to go slow so that I can look around at the scenery as much as possible. I'm often riding at 30-40 km/hr.
Did you switch to the G8(?) for the low light opening? As I recall, you mentioned in one of your vlogs, published _eons ago_ the date when you had to be back in Mae Sot and this vlog it's from about a week before that... Wow! That means, if you got an extension, it has already ended and there is a good chance you've overstayed your welcome🤗 In her live chat, Itchy Boots gives some insight into how she does it all herself, _except for the thumbnail_ which someone does for her..
In more recent videos (from my second trip around the Mae Hong Son Loop), I switched almost entirely to the Panasonic G85. I just got fed up with GoPro problems. And I enjoyed the reliability and low-light capability of the G85, and I just kept using it. But in these videos, I was still using the GoPro the entire time. I didn't even have the G85 with me on this trip. But when I returned by scooter for my second trip, I brought the G85 with me. The G85 presented OTHER problems, but I used it inside the caves and at all other times, and it worked out well. At least it seemed to work out well from the point of view of using the camera. I haven't had a chance to edit the actual video yet, so it remains to be seen how it actually looks. I'm sure I found new mistakes that I can make with the G85. The G85 is known for being very bad at autofocusing. And I struggled with that. But I think I got better at it as the days went by. Thanks for the tip about the Itchy Boots live chat. I usually don't watch live streams. But I'll make sure to watch this one. I'd love to hear more about her process and how she shoots, edits, and uploads videos.
Yes, this took place a while ago. I had plans to finish up all these videos from this trip, but when I returned to Mae Sot to renew my visa, I ended up being quite busy, and then I decided to just get back on the scooter and return to the north. And that put me even farther behind in terms of editing and posting these videos. I still haven't quite mastered the art of editing quickly.
Yes, and no. It's a bit complicated because after this trip, I made the snap decision to get back on my scooter and return to Chiang Dao. On my first visit, I didn't manage to track down the Canadian restaurant. I guess I rode past it multiple times, but I never saw the signs. They were kind of faded and set back from the road or something. But on my second visit to Chiang Dao, I made more of an effort. I looked more carefully, and I found the place. The Canadian owner happened to be there sitting at a table, and we had a good talk. The menu was great. They served all the usual Western dishes you might expect when the owner is a foreigner. But his wife was from Thailand, and so they had all the standard Thai food available as well. The restaurant was quite popular with Thai people driving by on the highway. It was a popular lunch spot.
google maps shows Chiang Dao to Mae Sot going thru Lampang which is one of the neatest towns in the north and well worth a visit, hot pools and waterfall to ease those aches away
That was the route I intended to follow. An official journey around the full Mae Hong Son Loop would take me to Chiang Mai. And then to go back to Mae Sot, you'd naturally go through Lampang and then down to Tak and west to Mae Sot from there. That was what I planned to do. But I ended up doing something completely different. I don't actually know anything about Lampang. I wasn't aware that it had a reputation for being an interesting place to visit. I'll have to look into the place now.
Good to hear from you, as always. Yes, I think it was the right call for me to stay away from Chiang Mai on this trip. I wasn't in the mood for the big city experience, I guess. And my decision to go back to Mae Sot through Pai and do the whole Mae Hong Son Loop road a second time worked out really well. It was great to see everything a second time and to view it all from a different perspective (going east to west instead of west to east). It felt brand new.
@@PlanetDoug Another trip for you is Doi Chaang outside of ChiangRai. It's as windy as Pai with killer views. And the real Doi Chaang coffee is made there.
Hi Doug. Thanks for this video. I enjoyed the way you described your trip. I'm sure your appreciated getting there and seeing the sun.
It was sooo good to "hear" from you again!
bonjournice to meet you,Thaank you, you created superb sharing, take care-
Never heard and never been to Chiang Dao,
Nice of you to bring your subscribers with you
Stay safe and stay happy 🇲🇾😁
I really liked Chiang Dao. The town itself doesn't come across as anything special. The main road sees a lot of traffic and just feels like a regular and quite busy and commercial town in Thailand. But the countryside around the town is very nice. The whole region offers a lot of natural scenery. Unfortunately, the weather turned sour on this visit, and I wasn't able to do very much while I was there. I essentially had to turn around and go back to Mae Sot almost as soon as I arrived. However, I did return to Chiang Dao for a second visit. And I'll be able to show more of the town when I edit the videos from that second visit.
Doug, from my experience, the problem with setting of on your bike, later in the day is that the roads are busier and the weather is hotter. Also you arrive later and nearer to the evening. But each to there own.
Thanks for this video...
Hi! Doug!
Seem to be well rested and fresh. Nice haircut and all.
You may be back to Maw Sot by now! Hope everything is goin ok for you.
Great video by the way...... Started to worry that you may have gotten lost or something.. Haha.
Cheers mate
Cool video 👍
Must be so nice to have a proper dialogue with the Dutch owner. His life story of how he came about to be in Thailand and owning that place must be fascinating, I am sure. Did you eventually visit the Canadian restaurant during your trip?
It was definitely nice to have a chat in English. He made me feel very welcome. I wasn't able to track down the Canadian restaurant on that trip. It was hard to spot, I guess. But I've since returned to Chiang Dao for a second visit, and I stayed in this same bungalow. The Dutch owner wasn't there this last time. I guess during the low season, he heads south to a beach for a couple of months. But I made a more determined effort to find the Canadian restaurant, and I found it this time. I had a good meal and a drink there and had a nice chat with the owner. He just happened to be sitting at a table at his own restaurant when I showed up, and we had a good talk. We talked mainly about Chiang Dao and the things that visitors can do in the area.
@@PlanetDoug whoa cool, hope you will showcase the restaurant in future videos :)
Ello Doug ! Yer another amazing vlog . It's always feel good to watch your much improved vlog . Bty , that acoustic guitar was indeed looking awesome . Those mountains and mist reminded me of Himachal in India . Cheers ! Happy trip ....
Bonjour Doug, nice to hear from you again. Yes you can skip Chiangmai if you want to avoid larger cities. Highwsy 107 is always busy and I suspect some trading with Myanmar. Also a lot of hilltripe village around Chiangdao. It may be interesting to hear what you will discover.
Thanks. Unfortunately, my time in Chiang Dao didn't quite go according to plan. Weather and timing issues meant that I wasn't able to do much while there. On the positive side, I returned to Chiang Dao for a second visit afterwards. By then, the haze had settled in, and the views of the nice scenery were gone. So I didn't do the long scooter rides through the region that I thought I might do, and I never did explore the countryside with the hill tribe villages. I focused instead on the Chiang Dao Cave, and I enjoyed that very much. I was glad I went back to Chiang Dao just for that experience.
It is actually serving a few town further up north such as Phrao, Chaiprakan ,Fang ,Thaton, Mae Ai etc.
Helmet's visor is very important to protect your eyes from flying debris and insects especially when you biking more than 100 km. If no visor, I suggest you wear sunglasses. For better protection, I recommended full face helmet.
I think connected to that idea would be to buy a high-quality helmet. The helmets I've been using here in Thailand tended to be fairly inexpensive, and then the visor itself isn't very clear. The plastic gets foggy or scratched or warped. And then you can't see it through it, and then you become reluctant to use it. You can't see anything.
On a previous trip, I actually bought a pair of clear plastic safety glasses from a hardware store. They were much clearer and better than the helmet visor. But then when I wore a mask (the covid mask), the glasses would instantly fog up. So it was annoying to wear the safety glasses. Same thing with sunglasses.
The best option is probably a high-quality visor. Luckily, on a scooter, I never get anywhere close to 100 km/hr. I'm lucky to break 50 km/hr. And even that feels pretty past on a scooter like this on these roads. And I always want to go slow so that I can look around at the scenery as much as possible. I'm often riding at 30-40 km/hr.
Funny mask man!
Did you switch to the G8(?) for the low light opening? As I recall, you mentioned in one of your vlogs, published _eons ago_ the date when you had to be back in Mae Sot and this vlog it's from about a week before that... Wow! That means, if you got an extension, it has already ended and there is a good chance you've overstayed your welcome🤗
In her live chat, Itchy Boots gives some insight into how she does it all herself, _except for the thumbnail_ which someone does for her..
In more recent videos (from my second trip around the Mae Hong Son Loop), I switched almost entirely to the Panasonic G85. I just got fed up with GoPro problems. And I enjoyed the reliability and low-light capability of the G85, and I just kept using it.
But in these videos, I was still using the GoPro the entire time. I didn't even have the G85 with me on this trip. But when I returned by scooter for my second trip, I brought the G85 with me. The G85 presented OTHER problems, but I used it inside the caves and at all other times, and it worked out well. At least it seemed to work out well from the point of view of using the camera. I haven't had a chance to edit the actual video yet, so it remains to be seen how it actually looks. I'm sure I found new mistakes that I can make with the G85. The G85 is known for being very bad at autofocusing. And I struggled with that. But I think I got better at it as the days went by.
Thanks for the tip about the Itchy Boots live chat. I usually don't watch live streams. But I'll make sure to watch this one. I'd love to hear more about her process and how she shoots, edits, and uploads videos.
Still denuded hills? Long time ago it was like this.
Yes, this took place a while ago. I had plans to finish up all these videos from this trip, but when I returned to Mae Sot to renew my visa, I ended up being quite busy, and then I decided to just get back on the scooter and return to the north. And that put me even farther behind in terms of editing and posting these videos. I still haven't quite mastered the art of editing quickly.
Did you go to the Canadian restaurant ? just curious ?? Just love to watch your vlogs so interesting .
Yes, and no. It's a bit complicated because after this trip, I made the snap decision to get back on my scooter and return to Chiang Dao. On my first visit, I didn't manage to track down the Canadian restaurant. I guess I rode past it multiple times, but I never saw the signs. They were kind of faded and set back from the road or something.
But on my second visit to Chiang Dao, I made more of an effort. I looked more carefully, and I found the place. The Canadian owner happened to be there sitting at a table, and we had a good talk. The menu was great. They served all the usual Western dishes you might expect when the owner is a foreigner. But his wife was from Thailand, and so they had all the standard Thai food available as well. The restaurant was quite popular with Thai people driving by on the highway. It was a popular lunch spot.
google maps shows Chiang Dao to Mae Sot going thru Lampang which is one of the neatest towns in the north and well worth a visit, hot pools and waterfall to ease those aches away
That was the route I intended to follow. An official journey around the full Mae Hong Son Loop would take me to Chiang Mai. And then to go back to Mae Sot, you'd naturally go through Lampang and then down to Tak and west to Mae Sot from there. That was what I planned to do. But I ended up doing something completely different.
I don't actually know anything about Lampang. I wasn't aware that it had a reputation for being an interesting place to visit. I'll have to look into the place now.
@@PlanetDoug Lampang has a interesting weekend nignt market .
Lampang has 1 big temple but otherwise pretty crap
Greetings Doug, You are better off staying away from CM. It's too hot and traffic is bad. Stay up in the mountains where the air is much cooler.
Good to hear from you, as always. Yes, I think it was the right call for me to stay away from Chiang Mai on this trip. I wasn't in the mood for the big city experience, I guess. And my decision to go back to Mae Sot through Pai and do the whole Mae Hong Son Loop road a second time worked out really well. It was great to see everything a second time and to view it all from a different perspective (going east to west instead of west to east). It felt brand new.
@@PlanetDoug Another trip for you is Doi Chaang outside of ChiangRai. It's as windy as Pai with killer views. And the real Doi Chaang coffee is made there.
that TH-camr perhaps note & flora couple..