Day 205 - From Doi Angkhang to Mae Salong

I woke up early to go and take some photos of the sunset from around the small villages near Doi Angkhang. There as a dedicated sunset spot on the map but after stopping there briefly, I felt it did  not provide nice enough views and was full of Thai tourists.

In order to try and get a better view I headed to Ban Nor Lae, this came as a recommendation and indeed it was well worth and a much better choice.

On my way back to Doi Angkhang to pick up my bag and a passenger for Fang, I did make a quick loop around the Royal Angkhang Research Station (kind of an arboretum). This is well worth seeing and probably spending a lot more time there.

The road to Fang was fantastic and offered some great views while going down a very steep road full of sharp corners, turning the engine off and just rolling down made it even more enjoyable.

Just before getting to the main road to Fang, we came upon a sign for 'The First Royal Factory at Fang The Museum' and decided to go and have a quick look. It turned out to be a very good idea, not only was the museum very nice but the guide there was very enthusiastic and also very happy to see foreigners and made our visit a real pleasure. I can fully recommend you go and visit this museum if you're in the area, it's a very interesting and nice place.

After parting ways in Fang, I continued on alone to Thaton to visit Wat Thaton and get lunch.
Wat Thaton is on a hill overlooking the city and has different levels, all with a different statue or stupa. The top has the main temple and great views of the surrounding landscape.

From Thaton it was another nice ride along the mountains and across rice fields till I arrived in Mae Salong. Mae Salong is a relatively small town in the mountains surrounded by tea plantations and full of Chinese restaurants and tea shops. In a way it feels almost like a town in China so it's quite an interesting visit.

Tomorrow, I'll set off along the long road over the mountains and close to the Myanmar border to get to Mae Sai and from there to Chian Rain via the Golden Triangle. It will be a long journey but should provide some great views and be fun to ride on the bike there.