Biking to Pha Charoen Waterfall (Mae Sot)

First, I want to introduce my new love. I separated from my IRON LADY, even though she did a good job for me, I required something heavier and stronger than her. I bought myself a golden tiger girl, which is an Italian Thai co-operation.

The unknown “TIGER BOXER 250 Rs”. Many people look down on this bike, but I assure you that it is a very reliable. It is a back to the basics bike with no whistles and bells. But, oh so beautiful, its Italian exotic design makes this bike a real beauty. She’s far from lazy, the Italians have never made slow bikes – which results in a splendid road handling.

The Tiger engineers in Bangkok guaranteed me that the Tiger was comfortable to ride on and that short or long distances would be no longer a problem to cover. I should rather say the Tiger is a marathon bike, a sporty cruiser
Riding her for 2 weeks now, I can confirm what the engineers told me…The Tiger engineers offered me the opportunity to design my own color scheme, which was a fine surprise for me and so it’s the only bike in Thailand of this kind – a real head-turner. On the roads many locals greet me with their thumbs up.

The 250 cc engine has a high torque at low revs. It’s instantly noticeable at the moment you let out the clutch. Riding the swooping mountain roads to Mae Sot and Um Phang with my Golden Tiger Girl was a joyful ride. The 250 cc engine produced a pleasant roaring sound a few blips of the throttle and she started roaring instantly . It’s not the bee in a pickle pot sound, therefore she’s called a tiger of course.

My trip from Suphanburi, which is about 420 km, took me about 7 hrs including quite a few coffee stops along the way. Pha Charoen Waterfall and Um Phang in Tak province were on my menu. I’d been to Mea Sot Town several times previous but didn’t find too many interesting places to visit; except that is for Pha Charoen which is certainly worth a visit.

Pha Charoen Waterfall, also called “97-step Rom Klao”, is located close to the headquarters and highway 1090. The 50 meters high waterfall consists of 97 ladder-shape steps or tiers. You can stopover all year round, during dry season and rainy season. In winter time temperatures can drop to as low as 6 degrees which is very cold for Thailand

The second day I planned to visit Umphang about 130 Mea Sot. There is only one single mountain road to Umphang, about 33 km away from Mae Sot and it is an even nicer unknown waterfall to visit. There is no information or roads sign available. I had to ask the name of the waterfall to some locals. They told me it’s “ Nam Tok Huai Tapu Hor” but I’m not sure if I spell it right. The water falls down from the top of the mountain . The waterfall is really unseen, absolutely no tourists there! I reckon during the high season in Thailand, there’s no paths or whatsoever to go to the summit of the mountain or waterfall. I really enjoyed the beauty and virginity of this waterfall. The one hour I spent listening to her symphony was the most relaxing moment of my 2 days trip to Mae Sot.

Her beauty attracted me that much that I didn’t have times enough to go to Um Phang. The swooping mountain roads where a real enjoyment for my golden tiger girl. In this area you can spot the most exquisite teak Thai-Burmese style houses.

To conclude my article always be a responsible driver in Thailand, otherwise you may end up in serious trouble.

Memoirs of my latest biking holiday…. to be continued………