Almost a week in Singapore visiting a friend and waiting for my Indonesian visa gives me time to make my next video. The trip from Bangkok to Singapore was beautiful – cycling in tropical paradise. I hope you like the video! 🙂
Posts Tagged ‘Thailand’
Video: Bangkok to Singapore by bike on the way to Australia
Posted: February 9, 2016 in Cycling, Malaysia, Singapore, ThailandTags: Cycling, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand
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Day 294. 121km. Thung Wa – Kuala Perlis
Posted: January 19, 2016 in Cycling, Malaysia, ThailandTags: Cycling, Kuala Perlis, Malaysia, Thailand, Thung Wa
The motorbike guy opened the sack and pulled out a glass jar. Some white fabric was stuffed in the top, and at the bottom a black shiny object. ‘A cobra’, he said. ‘I found it just over there.’ I could see the cobra breathing inside the jar – it’s abdomen expanding and contracting. Maybe I shouldn’t camp here..
Danger
In Malaysia the monkeys are walking across the power lines crossing the road, the giant lizards are scurrying off into the bushes as I pass, and the cobras are being caught in glass jars. I saw a big brown shiny snake slithering across the road – I almost ran it over. Although the landscape is more open with wider fields, it is seething with life. I am really in the tropics.
The border with Thailand is a ridge of mountains that pops up out of nothing – and it is steep. In the muggy heat of the middle of the day, the sweat was pouring off me as I inched up the pass. At the top, behind the tall grass and the trees, I caught glimpses of a beautiful plain with kaarst peaks rising vertically out of the flatness.
View over the plains
A rest day yesterday with a cyclist friend from Facebook – Terje, saw us paddle into the dark in Chet Cod Cave. It was dark. Shining the light to the cavern ceiling, we say the rows of bats hanging upside-down. It seemed to be raining – something from the bats maybe. 🙂
Day 293. 112km. Kantang – Thung Wa
Posted: January 17, 2016 in Cycling, ThailandTags: Cycling, Kantang, Thailand, Thung Wa
Today it rained – and it was refreshing. I met a cyclist heading north and it seems I’m entering a new weather region – one of short, torrential downpours – like the ones I know from Kuala Lumpur.
Downpour
I met up with Terje – a guy from various cycling Facebook groups. He has had an amazing life travelling the world, and has a lot of stories to tell – from everywhere on the planet. Tomorrow will be a day of kayaking and caving before crossing over the border to Malaysia the following day.
Bone voyage
Day 292. 31km. Koh Lanta – Kantang
Posted: January 16, 2016 in Cycling, ThailandTags: Cycling, Kantang, Koh Lanta, Thailand
I breathed a sigh of relief when I stepped off the boat and onto my bike. Peace. Away from the masses on the tourist drag. Just the empty road, locals, people waving and the countryside. I didn’t get too far though, the boat was late and slow, only leaving a few hours for cycling. It’s good to be back on the road again.
Clean air technology
I’m meeting up with a fellow cyclist from Facebook tomorrow for a bit of cave kayaking before plunging over the border into Malaysia.
View from the boat
Tsunami signs
Day 291. 118km. Ban Chongplee – Koh Lanta
Posted: January 13, 2016 in Cycling, Thailand, UncategorizedTags: Ban Chongplee, Cycling, Koh Lanta, Thailand
Another sprint, Metallica blaring in my ears, and then all I could hear was the call to prayer. The local mosque was calling out to its followers. Slowly the religious landscape has been changing as I travel south. I am approaching the second large muslim region of the planet – Malaysia and Indonesia – my home for the next months.
Ao Nang beach
I have seen more women with hijabs, many fluttering in the wind as they pass me on their motorbikes. I have seen more halal restaurants, and I have seen more mosques. The variation in the world seen slowly from the eyes of a cyclist.
I left my warmshower host, Andrey, early and did a little detour to Ao Nang beach. It seems there littering is allowed for 21 hours each day.
Littering allowed
The rest of the morning was spent in Krabi replacing my broken bike computer. I couldn’t find one with an altimeter, but, I guess I’ve already done most of the mountains.. ☺ Getting to Koh Lanta – my planned destination – became another race as I only left Krabi at 13.00. Head down, music on, on the freeway, I couldn’t enter the zone today. The headwind saw to that.
Tomorrow I’m off on a snorkelling trip to Koh Rok where I will spend the night in my tent on the beach by my little self. An evening snorkel in the clear blue waters as I watch the sunset is rather appealing to me at this moment. No blog entry tomorrow.
Day 290. 46km. Koh Yao Noi – Ban Chongplee
Posted: January 12, 2016 in Cycling, ThailandTags: Ban Chongplee, Cycling, Koh Yao Noi, Paradise Resort, Paradise Resort Koh Yao Noi, Thailand
I almost cried for the beauty today. Turquoise, still water studded with rock pinnacles on the horizon. Then security guards with batons, broken bike computer cables, missing pannier screws and broken helmet buckles added to my low blood-sugar levels, putting a dampener on a day which unfolded in a glorious paradise backdrop.
Koh Yao Noi
Many people I have spoken with said I must make the detour to Koh Yao Noi. I am glad I did. The views are absolutely amazing.
Koh Yao Noi
Koh Yao Noi
Koh Yao Noi
I had a few hours, so I decided to visit one of the beaches at the end of a dirt road. I chose the one leading to Paradise Resort. This is a very very steep and dusty road through the jungle. Quite pleasant, but I was looking forward to sipping a smoothie on the beach at the end. Not to be.
No Trespassing! Paradise Resort at Koh Yao Noi.
No passing through here
The guard was armed with a script in English, insisting that due to security, all visitors had to register 48 hours in advance. A bomb going off was mimed to explain the security risk. The guard was also armed with a baton. (Don’t worry – he was only doing his job. When I backed off, he put the baton away.) I walked the steep public footpath to the nearby rock-climbing area, and to the other edge of the private resort.
Koh Yao Noi
A note to the owners of Paradise Resort on Koh Yao Noi. Please put a sign at the start of the dead-end road informing people of your policy of no unregistered visitors. This can reduce the frustration had by all.
Thanks to Andrey, my lovely warm showers host in Krabi. The night is still young, but I’m looking forward to exchanging stories!
But first, one more photo from beautiful Koh Yao Noi.
Koh Yao Noi
Day 289. 49km. Patong – Koh Yao Noi
Posted: January 11, 2016 in Cycling, ThailandTags: Cycling, Koh Yao Noi, Koh Yao Yai, Patong, Phuket, Thailand
The endpoint today was what I had planned. The path there was somewhat different. This morning I consumed a breakfast buffet in the hung-over Patong. This evening I dined with a view over the still turquoise waters studded with kaarst islands. Party vs serenity, and in between, an island I didn’t expect to visit.
Koh Yao Noi
Actually, there are no boats that go from Phuket town to Koh Yao Noi – only from the town I cycled past in a blur yesterday. I had no desire to cycle the same freeway with a headwind. The alternative was to take a boat to a different island – Koh Yao Yai, cycle across it, and catch a further boat to Koh Yao Noi. This made for an unexpected serene bike ride across the peaceful, beautiful tropical island of Koh Yao Yai.
Koh Yao Yai
Koh Yao Yai
Koh Yao Yai
Day 288. 185km. Phang Kan – Patong (Phuket)
Posted: January 10, 2016 in Cycling, ThailandTags: Cycling, Patong, Phang Kan, Phuket, Thailand
I didn’t think I would be in the party capital of SE Asia this time yesterday. Look where going with the flow brought me today. The lack of boats from Phangnga to Koh Yao Noi on Sunday, the big tailwind, and the endorphine rush of cycling long distances in ‘the zone’ brought me to Patong Beach.
Patong beach at sunset
The boat left from the 80km distant Phangnga at 13.00, so I left early to try to make it. It was cool and misty, I was bursting with energy, and there was a tailwind. By 11 I was in Phangnga, only to find there was no boat on Sunday. There was a boat to Koh Yao Noi, however, from the north of Phuket island (a further 70km away), so I set off for it. Cycling along the freeway with music blasting in my ears, I entered the ‘zone’. I had boundless energy and simply flew along, laughing all the way. This is cool! I realised: I didn’t need to catch the boat today. I can experience the absolute opposite of my lonely beach experience – at Patong Beach. I knew this is what I wanted to do.
The freeway to Phuket
Sunset at Patong Beach
This place is quite a sight. An evening of mayhem before returning to serenity. Walking down the tourist drag in the early evening, I saw bars – massive ones lined with stools stretching off to the horizon. Music was pumping out onto the street in preparation for the long night. Topless men and scantily clad women thrust menus for drinks, food or other services at me as I walked past. This must be heaving with people in the evening before the people heave themselves at the end of the night. I didn’t see any heaving. I did see empty, void expressions on many faces. Tourists and sex-workers alike, some people are not happy here, and everyone has the right to be happy.
Patong
Day 287. 105km. Phum Riang Beach – Phang Kan
Posted: January 9, 2016 in Cycling, ThailandTags: Cycling, Phang Kan, Phum Riang Beach, Thailand
I got up before dawn and walked out onto the beach, the waves lapping at my feet, and the panorama of stars laid bare above my head. And then I saw her. Majestically hanging in the sky. ‘Hello. It’s been a while. I’ve cycled from far-away climes to see you!’
The Southern Cross.
Sunrise at Phum Riang Beach
It is warm, but there is a light cool breeze. My eyes are adjusted to the dark. All I can see are stars and the silhouettes of trees. And the glimmering water. The water is calm, lapping over the damp sand before receding for the next wave. In the distance is a bright star – it is approaching. As it nears, I see a beam of light pointing forward from the star. At its side there is a red light, flashing every few seconds. Then I see a shooting star, falling from the heavens towards the water. I feel at peace here. By myself. The sand between my toes and the breeze ruffling my hair. And the Southern Cross on the horizon. The day will start soon, but now – right now – the world sleeps and time has lost its meaning.
The morning was beautiful, but, the small roads past lonely beaches was not on the agenda today. Instead were main roads with traffic extending in straight lines across the hot, dry landscape. I avoided the biggest of the roads but navigating my way along side roads with Google Maps. Tomorrow a dash down to Phanggna to catch the ferry.
Day 286. 134km. Sawi – Phum Riang Beach
Posted: January 8, 2016 in Cycling, ThailandTags: Cycling, Phum Riang Beach, Sawi, Thailand
The descent down the east coast continued along small, quiet roads. Far from the noise and traffic of the main road, I meandered through a palm-studded landscape with regular beaches. The wind picked up as I set up my tent on the beach. Empty coconuts aren’t heavy enough to keep the pegs from blowing away.. ☺
A beautiful beach. Shame about the rubbish.
Today I passed 25000km from when I started in Eindhoven.
25000km
Tomorrow I head across to the other side of the peninsula. The excitement mounts.
Bridge on the back road
arctic-cycler.com 