Thailand and Malaysia ride

jibi

Following on from staying in a Wat (temple) the first night we stayed in a Wat the second night too. But inside this time with showeers and A/C .
But at 6 30 am we had to help the monks beg in the market, they get loads of food and we ahd bags to carry for them, don't know what the do when we are not there.
the last two nights we have slept on beaches. Fabulous beaches that go on forever.

Tzou has blog and pics
www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/longwayhome

The blog is well worth reading for his whole RTW
george

cycladelic

I'll be going to Thailand next January/Feb for a couple of weeks. Does anyone have any suggested routes?

I will be visting an old friend in NE Thailand - near the Friendship Bridge to Laos.

I've already ridden from Cambodia along the coast - up to Pattaya/Bangkok. It seemed pretty flat and uninteresting.

TIA

jibi

http://picasaweb.google.com/imjibi/SouthEastAsia
for pics of our ride



george

jibi

Down south of Bangkok it was main roads till south of Hua Hin and then we got onto smaller roads, quite a few hills, and some of the bridges over rivers were quite steep too. Hundreds of Kilometres of coconut groves. One lady macheted the tops off 2 coconuts foir us to have a drink, and one of the guys showed us how they use monkeys to harvest the nuts.

The Scarps are dramatic, straight up from the ground, huge cliffs and covered in jungle.

Everyone sems to know the word hello, and when we stop I get loads of stares, like tey had never seen a westerner ( long nose) before)
We slept in a Wat again last night, the monks give us food and drink!!!!!

Off along the coast from Surat Thani to Snklat now, we have heard it's all swamps so we will have to see and maybe have to turn inland

george

Tourist Tony

found the thread...

jibi

We have just spent 3 days riding from the border from thailand to Taiping in Malaysia where Tzuo lives.

We were accompanied by over 50 people who had paid to ride with him. It was both fun and excrutiating at the same time. From a 64 yr old guy to a 13 yr old girl there were all ages there, even a triathlete and Mr Meng who did the Bejiiing 2 Paris ride.

The reception at Tzuo's old school had MP's, business sponsors, speechs, bands everything, we were even on the TV last night news.

I cannot wait to get away touring alone again and am sat here inTzuo's dad's ofice checking maps etc. I will be heading north East to the coast then down the coast to Kuatan then across to Kualur Lumpur.

So Thailand is in the past and now I am in Malaysia.

george

photos and videos of trip
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/imjibi/SouthEastAsia

jibi

finally back on the road alone.
cycled up the centre to Gerik and on the way to Jeli and the coast.

found a great place to wild camp last night loads of food stalls everywhere, Great to be back touring again.

george

jibi

Been through the mountains from Gerik to Jeli. signs to beware of elephants crossing, and tigers and bears in the jungle , but people say they do not come close to the road, hard to believe when you are in a tent. Every noise made me nearly fill my pants.

Hornbills are huge, and birds of paradise are amazing. Little green squirrels are cute.

Just been through a fundamentalist Islamic region, Terregganu, very nervous but OK. More Chinese shops now so feel better. The beaches here are white and the South China Sea is blue and warm, but no beer alcohol or swim suits alowed so no tourism in most of the places.

Met 5 girls from Singapore going the other way, have arranged to meet for a meal in there.
George

Tourist Tony

Trengganu, George? I used to live down south, in Johor(e)

jibi

Slept on a beach in paradise, coconut palms waves lapping on beautiful sand, fish eagles feeding their young in a tall tree.

Till 4 am and the monsoon came, it is torrential. so not much sleep after that.

Rode down the caost to Kuantan where I am staying with a couchsurfing host Mr Yewkong. Went out for fantastic chinese food, perfect after an 85 mile day.

Today is a lazy day getting washing done ( by the maid)

off to Kuala Lumpur soon.

george

jibi

for the bit I rode with round the world cyclist Tzuo Han

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page ... 70759&v=1N

saves me typing it all in ( lazy ^%(*&^((6)

Also congrats to Tzuo for making 28,500km around the world!!!!!

george

jibi

Just had a couple of days riding from Kuantan on the east coast across to Kuala Lumpur, on the west, in between is the Genting Highlands!!!!
I left my friend's house late and had a quiet afternoon. found a half finished house ( it had a roof), and as there was a lot of cloud and kightening I slept inside. it was quite flat and I had still managed 63 miles ( 100 km)
The second ( full ) day I started early, before daybreak to ge out of the house before the workers came. 10 mles to breakfast, nothing was open, had my usual, Roti Telur, fried unlevened bread with egg inside. Had a fun day being chased by dogs, including 4 together at one stage, pretty rare in Malaysia, too hot for the dogs to run, so it must have been the early morning coolness.
riding along a car waved me down, a chinese couple going to the casino in the Genting Highlands, very interested in the trailer etc, gave me loads of bottled water and a couple of cigarettes. a few Km down the road I went in to a chinese cafe for a meal and there they were again, so lunch was free as they paid. Hope he had good karma and won in the casino.
Leaving the town the climb started, and then my trailer wheel decided it was a good time to disintergrate, so I sat in a bus stop and replaced spokes, managed to get it quite true.. Not.
I had already done 60 miles and the climb went on for nearly 20 miles, the slope was not quite enough to slow down the lorries to a speed where I could grab on a hitch a lift, so it was grinding out tempo. After nearly 80 miles the slope changed to 7% and my legs were burning. It was getting late and there wasa "service area" so I stopped for food and put my tent up in the play area, unfortunately this was laso used for lovers to meet so it was quite busy. an 80 mile day, chuffed, as I pulled that trailer up the Genting Highlands, life in the old guy yet!!!!!!
But I managed to get some sleep, got up at 5 30 to get through the tunnel before the traffic built up, enjoyed a few km of downhill in pitch darkness.Had breakfast , watched the dawn and reached Kl at 7 30.
I hate cites!! I followed the Petronas towers and found the tourist office, after going through a cemetery, single track along a stream etc etc, I just headed straight for the towers LOL
Met a friend for coffee, then headed for another friend's house across town , where I am now.

george

jibi

After a few days enjoying Kuala Lumpur I set off again to see the Cameron Highlands.

The road out of KL climbs and I thought the whole way was going to be like that. But the road soon went down again, and down, and down, just a slight slope but 50 miles with a tailwind too, so I managed to do 80 miles and then found an empty house to sleep in. On the floor again.
Next morning and it's 10 miles to breakfast, two Roti Telurs and a couple of coffees later I am off up to the Highlands.
50 miles, 50 miles uphill, windy, narrow and japanese tourists. A few times lorries coming down were over on my side of the road, Nervous times.

Not many places for food which makes a change from the rest of S.E.A.. One place next to a great waterfall, and then the town of Ringlet where I had the worst rice and chicken I have ever had.

the slope upto Ringlet had not been too bad, but then it kicked up as I went past a tea plantation.
rolled into Tanah Rata after 8 hours of climbing phoned my couchsurfing hostess and went to eat, and eat, and eat.

Can't wait till Friday when I do the 60 miles Downhill to Ipoh

george

jibi

They LIED!!!!

Out of Tanah Rata the road goes UP for about 20km.

But then the descent is brilliant so I will let them all off.

I finally got my trailer tyre trued by a shop after I had to rebuild it in a bus stop some time ago , it started to wobble at speed
I stayed with a cyclist in Ipoh, a local girl who took me to some off the local sights and I met some others too.

Yesterday and this morning saw me getting back to Kl. 200 km fully loaded!!
I was going to go over to Indonesia but I have just read the FO warnings. So I may just go down to Singapore and buy loads of cheap stuff.

Lots of new photos uploaded.

george

Mthill

cycladelic wrote:

I'll be going to Thailand next January/Feb for a couple of weeks. Does anyone have any suggested routes?

www.bangkokbikehash.com Have alot of routes downloadable to be used with garmin gps around central Thailand. On and off road cycling.




from
www.mountainbiketoursthailand.com

Ericx25

Luxembourg May 12, 2008

I have cycled a lot in Thailand (different trips), a bit in Cambodia (dusty / dull / unfriendly drivers /...) , in Vietnam (different trips).
Last month (April 2008) I cycled in Laos. Waouuaaaaa ! That is the place to be !

Friendly people / VERY light traffic / wonderful mountanous scenery / places to swim everywhere / natural hot pools / a good place to meet other foreign cyclists ( between Vientane and Luang Prabang you will meet at least one or two every day , so you will always have someone to spend dinner with )

See a few pics : http://www.dramaix.com
I flew to BKK, had a connection flight to Udon Thani and then put my bike on a bus to Nong Khai. I started cycling in Nong Khai.
As soon I started cycling over the friendship bridge I started to love Laos.

Everyone I met totally agrees with me, Laos is the number one destination for cycling in SEA.
I want to go back again !!! Why did I waste so much time before discovering Laos ????

This guy made a very nice coverage of his cycling trip in Laos : http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page ... 72642&v=8q

Sorry I did not answer your question. But I did what I had to do....I told you....

Eric

Don't get me wrong, I like Thailand for the food, the beaches,...but as far as cycling is concerned it is not such a very good destination....
My piece of advice : only listen to people who have not cycled both countries.

You may also join the Tour de Thailand
http://www.tourdethailand.com/tour-de-t ... erary.html

goo_stewart

I've go to say that both countries are different. Thailand is great up north and east. Laos is great up north. I liked southern Laos, others think its boring.

Each to their own.

I have some ride information on both countries here http://www.silkwheels.com

jibi

Tioman island rocks!!

I was snorkelling with sharks swimming under me, and Turtles

awesome

george

for Tourist Tony



A pair of Hornbills