Testimonials - North Thailand

Ruth and Phil Dunnell, Surrey, England, UK

It was so good to be back in the saddle with Redspokes after a three year gap because of Covid. This trip delivered on expectations: the scenery, the food, the guides, the hills.

There are some tough climbs on this route, but the views are awesome and the road surfaces are fantastic. There was generally little traffic and other road users were very considerate to cyclists.

Preecha [Peter], Sert and William really looked after us - they just could not do enough to help. One surprise was the coffee culture in Thailand. We were not expecting that but we had many excellent coffee stops along the way. We are already looking forward to our next trip with Redspokes.

Alison Brett, Bamburgh, England

This was my first organised cycling tour and my first trip to Thailand. Fantastic guiding by the ever patient Sert, while Peter provided fantastic never-ending snacks from the back of his van when we stopped. The pineapple was the best I've ever tasted. I was grateful the support vehicle carried me (and my bike) up the worst of the hills. William the driver was always smiling and happy to help when the going got tough.

The weather in January was lovely, I never needed sleeves for cycling even on the nippier mornings. Once we got going I soon warmed up. A good fleece or down jacket is needed for the couple of nights we stayed higher up.

Overall the accommodation was much better than I'd dared to hope for. All rooms were en-suite. We enjoyed swimming at three of the hotels, that was an unexpected surprise. We had several Thai massages (painful, but restorative) and a very soothing salt scrub in Bo Kluea.

The food was delicious and plentiful. The scenery is breathtaking; we saw beautiful sunrises and sunsets. I'll be looking for a less challenging trip next time, but definitely recommend Red Spokes for their organisation and care taken of the whole group.

Nancy & Peter Foster, Colorado, USA

Really great trip all around. The country is beautiful, the guides were great and the people were very hospitable.

Debbie Vearnals, Salford, England

Northern Thailand was far more beautiful than I expected and the friendly welcome from the people in the villages. The food was also superb.Very tough cycle in parts with quite steep gradients which even the serious cyclists found tough. Sert was a fabulous guide as were Peter and William, nothing was a problem for them.

Stuart Bunt, Waterlooville, England

Overall I had an excellent trip, met some lovely people and were looked after by great guides. The scenery was stunning and gave me a great feel for the country and its people.

Helen Dillingham, London, UK

Overall we had an excellent trip. The routes at the beginning were a little busy but improved further into the trip. Our guide Preecha was excellent and fed us extremely well. It was great to get into the more remote parts of Thailand and we enjoyed the fact that there were very few western tourists. The scenery was absolutely stunning. I would definitely recommend the trip.

Kim Bowman, Toronto, Canada

I would like to say a word about our driver, Mr. Preecha. This man was a gem and I can't say enough about him. He was there every step of the way for us. Both morning and afternoon breaks were offered and he would always find the BEST places for lunch that we would have totally bypassed had we been cycle tourists without his help. He was very flexible and encouraging on the challenging days. He pointed out interesting features of the route and was very patient when we stopped frequently for picture taking. The tour would not have been the same without him. Thank you!

Michael Thomson, Toronto, Canada

My second, and hopefully not last RedSpokes trip. A fantastic, challenging, off the beaten path tour. The roads were surprising good, the traffic almost non-existent except in the cities, and friendly people everywhere. Smiles were common! The guide, Preecha, was fantastic, looking after us, making sure we never made a wrong turn, ordering fantastic meals at road side "diners" that would never been chosen without his insider knowledge. The food was fantastic, the scenery was wonderful, and the people were delightful! An excellent introduction to the real Thailand.

Ross Prielipp & Annette Meier, High Halstow, England, United Kingdom

This was our 4th tour with redspokes and having thoroughly enjoyed the previous 3, this trip did not disappoint. The cycling is stunning, well surfaced roads, very little traffic, beautiful scenery and plenty of challenging climbs followed, of course, by exhilarating descents. The small towns and villages through which you pass are fascinating. The rest day in Chiang Kham is a particular treat, we were absolutely spoilt by the resort owner Rico and would love to go back there sometime.

The real highlight of this trip however is the guide Preecha, he epitomizes the friendly open nature of the northern Thai people and is someone you will not forget. This was as much a gastronomic tour as it was a cycling tour. During the day we stopped at roadside cafes for delicious pad Thai or noodle soup and had snacks of sticky rice flavoured with coconut. In the evenings Preecha took us to restaurants, night markets and riverside stalls for amazing dishes of grilled fish, firery curries and even deep fried bamboo worms (absolutely yummy). Thanks to Preecha, Rico and the redspokes team for a memorable trip.

Adrian Sankey, Ambleside, England, UK

This was an excellent trip through the most beautiful countryside of Thailand. The cycling was great. A carefully chosen route with lots of interest and variety. Some of it was challenging, but the rewards were spectacular.

Our splendid guide Preecha looked after us admirably and found us imaginative places to eat both at lunchtime and in the evening and we stayed in some very comfortable hotels. I would happily do it again tomorrow!

Sten Thunberg, Gothenburg, Sweden

This was our first trip, both with redspokes and to Thailand, so we didn´t know what to expect when we arrived to Chiang Rai where we were met by our guide at the airport.

It was a pleasure to cycle as the roads turned out to be in excellent condition and with surprisingly little traffic. Also, the drivers were very considerate of us cyclists. The cycling route was beautiful and challenging, with  several mountain passes to cross. There were several days with long climbs of more than 1000m, partly on steeper roads than we were used to, but the reward came when reaching the top, with spectacular views of the surrounding landscape, and of course in the long downhill stretches. 

The temperature during our tour in January was agreeable, with a maximum of 26-28 degrees at mid-day and cooler at night, especially when we stayed over-night in high located villages, where a sweater was needed in evenings and mornings. Throughout the tour we got to try a lot of different delicious Thai food, introduced by our guide. All in all, we had a fantastic cycle tour and we will definitely consider travelling with redspokes again on a challenging tour.

Carol Pelham-Thorman, Victoria, Australia

.... if you want pristine luxury and clockwork conditions do not do this trip, however if you have a sense of adventure and want a unique exhilarating insight into a culture and place where the physical challenges will test your values and attitudes this tour is it.