Chiang Mai E-bike tour with Buzzy Bee Bike
My parents came to visit me in Chiang Mai, and I was looking for a bicycle tour to show them more of the surroundings without going on a busy touristy trip. We spend some mornings and afternoons cycling by ourselves in the city and Ping river area but were struggling with traffic and pollution. After some research, I found Joost from Buzzy Bee Bikes offering a bicycle trip that is different than all the others. The bikes that he uses for the tour are fat-tire e-bikes. The fat tires and battery support mechanism make it possible to cover more distance and cycling on terrain that would usually be too tricky turns into a piece of cake..
We decided to choose the half-day hilly adventure on fully paved roads, which takes you to less- visited areas of Nam Phrae, near the Chiang Mai canyon and the foothills of Doi Suthep.
We got picked up on time, just before 8 am by guide Jos. The drive to the Buzzy Bee Bike office took about 30 minutes. Jos spoke English, so we spend the time chatting about the bikes, routes, and his life in Chiang Mai. When we arrived at the office, the Dutch owner, Joost, was waiting there to welcome us. He gave a short introduction and explained to us all the ins and outs of his e-bikes. Afterward, we tried on the helmets and gloves and started our trip.
From the office in Nam Phrae, we followed Jos, our Thai guide, in western direction, starting right away with a steep slope to test our legs. We made our first stop at a large tree surrounded by spirit houses, and Jos taught us about Thai spirituality and all that comes with it. We continued cycling through the glowing landscape, passing villages, rice paddies, and stunning views. We made a brief stop at Wat Ban Pong with its remarkable white chedi looking out over the area from the mountain top. A great place to take pictures and not a single tourist in sight. We got back on our bikes and turned into an off-road path, passing a stone quarry. We visited a small outdoor plaster factory that made plaster using an ancient technique. There was a large pile of rocks that got heated for 48 hours using an oven beneath. After the stones were cooled down, the workers ground the stones to a white powder used for plastering walls. It was fascinating to see such a long working process for such a simple product.
Back on the e-bikes, we now were heading for the most challenging part of the trip. We were going through the jungle and up to the mountain. Jos motivated us by telling us that there would be coffee waiting for us after the hill. He wasn’t lying. After a fun up and downhill ride (the e-bikes make it so easy!), we stopped at a cute coffee shop for a well-deserved cup.
After the coffee break, we continued our ride in the direction of Wat U-Mong, passing the agricultural faculty of Chiang Mai University and the impressive Wat Doi Kham statue. As we had seen enough temples already, we decided to skip Wat U-Mong and continue our ride, passing by the Royal Park Rajapreuk. This floral exhibition is worth a half-day trip on its own, so beautiful!
We now got closer and closer to the end of our trip, riding through cute alleys and villages in the suburbs of Chiang Mai. The colorful houses and lush green trees in this area never disappoint. We made one last stop at Wat Ton Kwen. As I mentioned above, we have seen loads of temples already, but this one was worth a stop. It’s a few hundred years old, a teak wooden temple, and the green, peaceful surroundings make it a great last stop. The guide told us that this location is often used in Thai soap series and very popular for the locals to visit. There was just a handful of Thai tourists taking pictures when we were there.
Now we just had one more kilometer to go, but the battery of my dad’s bike ran out. We all were laughing that he used the assist mode too much! Luckily the guide was carrying a spare battery in his backpack.
When we reached the Buzzy Bee Bike headquarters, we got treated on a cold drink and delicious fried rice with chicken and vegetables. After lunch, Jos brought us back to our hotel.
Are you looking for something different? An active bicycle tour that takes you further out to the less- visited locations of Chiang Mai? Don’t hesitate and contact us now to go cycling with Buzzy Bee Bike.