For many months I had heard rumors of an awesome-sounding waterfall near Chiang Mai that people described as ‘sticky’: you could actually walk up the waterfall because the rocks had traction! Unfortunately, the spreaders of these rumors couldn’t tell me where it was, and my Thai friends didn’t recognize it from the description. However, one day as I was perusing my friend’s status updates on … [Read more...] about Bua Tong Forest National Park
Cycling Safety in Thailand
"The experience of being unexpected yourself might make you better able to notice similar unexpected events." ~ The Invisible Gorilla by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons. I can’t count how many times I have been chatting with a foreigner in Thailand and, when they find out my primary mode of transportation is my bicycle, they express surprise that I feel safe traversing the traffic in what … [Read more...] about Cycling Safety in Thailand
Huay Tung Thao
If you are looking for a short, relaxing ride near Chiang Mai, Huay Tung Thao Lake is the place for you. The ride from the old city is about 15km and is on well-maintained roads. The traffic getting to the lake is a bit busy near the old city, but as you get out of town the highway calms down and allows for socializing while cycling. When you turn off of the Canal Rd (Hwy 121) there is a temple … [Read more...] about Huay Tung Thao
San Kampaeng Hot Springs
One of my favorite places to cycle in Chiang Mai is the San Kampaeng Hot Springs. Not only is it a beautiful 68km round trip ride, but it is also a relaxing destination. The Hot Springs have been built up in such a way as to make it easy to enjoy wading into the stream that runs through the park, picnicking, and bathing or swimming in the mineral waters. You can also rent a cottage to enjoy an … [Read more...] about San Kampaeng Hot Springs
Chiang Mai Critical Mass Ride Report
What could be better than riding your bike at night in traffic? Riding your bike with a group of people who are interested in raising cycling awareness! Which is exactly what Critical Mass is designed to do, and the group in Chiang Mai is no exception. The last Friday of every month, some of the people who ride bicycles regularly in Chiang Mai get together to slowly meander through the … [Read more...] about Chiang Mai Critical Mass Ride Report
Opkhan National Park
In between working and studying, it isn’t very often that I have a free morning to enjoy cycling for cycling’s sake these days. I was idly chatting with a friend about possibly enjoying one of my favorite day rides around Chiang Mai when he mentioned a park to the south of town I had never heard of. It caught my imagination and so I decided to go find it. Opkhan National Park is built … [Read more...] about Opkhan National Park
Bike Commuting 101
Half of the fun in life comes from overcoming the obstacles that keep us from doing what we want to do. This is true about cycling to and from work every day. There are at least two things that come to most people’s minds when they think about the difficulties of using their bike as their main mode of transportation: 1) How do I clean up after cycling in Thailand’s beautiful, but also hot and … [Read more...] about Bike Commuting 101