On the motorbike for a short trip to Ban Manipruek

Following is a motorbike trip report from September 2020, riding from Pua (Nan province) to Manipruek, and back of course as I am living in Pua. For more motorbike trip reports see Motorbike Trip Reports. For more information about Nan province see Destination Travel Guide Nan.

Last week I made a early morning motorbike trip in Nan province, North Thailand from Pua to Manipruek high in the mountains of Doi Phu Kha. I did wake-up at the bell of the nearby temple and that is at 5:15am. At 5:45am I was riding my motorbike on route 101 from Pua to Chiang Klang. Near Chiang Klang I took a right to route 4017 that is going to Manipruek. Be aware that this is a dead-end route (at least if you are riding a normal road motorbike). I made this trip for the first time about 3 or 4 years ago and in those days the road was like Swiss Emertaler cheese. But now the all road is for 90% in good condition. Half-way I was passing a road to Ban Kok so I made a short side-trip but I will have to explore that area another time. So I continued to follow route 4017 into the mountains to what is called Manipruek. Actually there are multiple villages that together are called Manipruek, they are a forced resettlements from Hmong & Tai Lue villages nearby. Ban Manipruek is at a valley high in the mountains where now a lot of vegetables are been grown. But in the good old days those were all poppy-fields. Following route 4017 you come at a Y-junction at the botanical garden. Going to the left you go to the main village Manipruek, going to the right you are going to another part of Manipruek. Actually this two parts are connected via a "road" on the ridge of the mountains. So you could make a small loop. I did go to the right with the idea to try to make the loop and visit the Pa Deang View Point. But well the cement road ended and changed into very muddy dirt road. Yes the raining season is not a good time for trips like this. So I made a U-turn and had a hot Choco and breakfast at Phu Vae View Home. Here you are at about 1.300m above sea-level or about 1.100m above the level where route 4017 begins. What a great place to have a bikers-breakfast with stunning view and a cool breeze of wind. After my breakfast I had a look at the road to the Hmong memorial site but also that was one big mud-pool. So I did ride back to the Y-junction and did ride to the main Manipruek village. After a short visit here I did return back the same way I did come and at 10:30am I was home again. Following are some photos I made during my trip. And at the end a map of the route.