KTMphil
Senior member
I've never stayed in that place in Pakbeng - looks great. The road from the Thai/ Laos border, north to Pakbeng must have felt good on those bikes?
Jobless Wanderers Thailand, Laos & Cambodia 2011
- Thread starter nikhuzlan
- Start date
Pak Beng has many rest houses and we saw a number of backpackers there. The road from Pak Beng to Oudom is very good, smooth enough for a Harley. And there are fuel stations along the way so range is no issue.KTMphil said:
Hey, would you have a full map (or several small maps) of your full trip?
I am really keen to chat by email about your trip coz I am planning roughly the same one in November...
It would be great
See ya
the.pib@gmail.com
I am really keen to chat by email about your trip coz I am planning roughly the same one in November...
It would be great
See ya
the.pib@gmail.com
I am at nikhuzlan@yahoo.com.
Day 17, Friday, 22april2011
A City of 140,000 including the surrounding area, Luang Prabang is about 440kms from Vientiane. This ancient capital of Laos was founded more than 1,500 years ago. When Laos achieved independence, the king of Luang Prabang, Sisavang Vong, became the head of state for the Kingdom of Laos. Luang Prabang has, throughout history , seen various forces passing through, from Regional Warlords to Vichy French in recent times. Even the Khmers got a slice of the action in the 16th century.
Amongst the first cities to be given a UN Heritage status, Luang Prabang is untypically Laos, with clean well maintained streets. The buildings and rest houses have an air of rustic calmness that does not seem contrived. The kind of tourist in Luang Prabang is also a little different, the 'softer' non-backpacker types with money can be seen toting DSLRs taking street pictures. This is probably due to the better infrastructure which includes a proper airport that can even accomodate regional jets and turboprops.
Food is equal in price as upmarket Kuala Lumpur, which is expensive compared to what Laos has to offer. A street sandwich goes for USD3.50 from a street vendor. Restaurant food is as pricey as Bangkok downtown rates. I find Chiangmai cheaper than Luang Prabang. They prefer US Dollars here, pushing prices even higher.
We stayed here for two nights, and I took the chance to walk around town on the free day.
Breakfast at our guesthouse. Good wifi so we hung around here for a bit,
Market scene no different from the rest of Indo China.
Street vendor selling what looks like 'apam balik'
USD5 per shot. Cures all. Make man stronger. Make woman hungrier. Probably can stop a war.
Signs that amuse
The Blue House that's actually white.
Lunch by the Mekong
Pictures of guestshouses in Luang Prabang.
The obligatory Mekong sunset shot.....
As night falls the street market wakes up.
Food looks good, freshly cooked ready to eat.....
Adventurous 'farangs' street dining
We wanted to have supper here
Eventually we decided to have it here
Tomorrow its a short 200km ride to Vang Vieng,set amidst the Karst scenery, praying for good visibility....
end, Day 17, Friday, 22april2011
A City of 140,000 including the surrounding area, Luang Prabang is about 440kms from Vientiane. This ancient capital of Laos was founded more than 1,500 years ago. When Laos achieved independence, the king of Luang Prabang, Sisavang Vong, became the head of state for the Kingdom of Laos. Luang Prabang has, throughout history , seen various forces passing through, from Regional Warlords to Vichy French in recent times. Even the Khmers got a slice of the action in the 16th century.
Amongst the first cities to be given a UN Heritage status, Luang Prabang is untypically Laos, with clean well maintained streets. The buildings and rest houses have an air of rustic calmness that does not seem contrived. The kind of tourist in Luang Prabang is also a little different, the 'softer' non-backpacker types with money can be seen toting DSLRs taking street pictures. This is probably due to the better infrastructure which includes a proper airport that can even accomodate regional jets and turboprops.
Food is equal in price as upmarket Kuala Lumpur, which is expensive compared to what Laos has to offer. A street sandwich goes for USD3.50 from a street vendor. Restaurant food is as pricey as Bangkok downtown rates. I find Chiangmai cheaper than Luang Prabang. They prefer US Dollars here, pushing prices even higher.
We stayed here for two nights, and I took the chance to walk around town on the free day.
Breakfast at our guesthouse. Good wifi so we hung around here for a bit,
Market scene no different from the rest of Indo China.
Street vendor selling what looks like 'apam balik'
USD5 per shot. Cures all. Make man stronger. Make woman hungrier. Probably can stop a war.
Signs that amuse
The Blue House that's actually white.
Lunch by the Mekong
Pictures of guestshouses in Luang Prabang.
The obligatory Mekong sunset shot.....
As night falls the street market wakes up.
Food looks good, freshly cooked ready to eat.....
Adventurous 'farangs' street dining
We wanted to have supper here
Eventually we decided to have it here
Tomorrow its a short 200km ride to Vang Vieng,set amidst the Karst scenery, praying for good visibility....
end, Day 17, Friday, 22april2011
KTMphil
Senior member
More great photo's Nick & we're not even in south Laos or Cambodia yet!
Day 18, Saturday, 23april2011
Today we ride to Vang Vieng, reputed to be a backpackers' haven. We anticipate the road to be similar
to the stretch from Pak Mong to Luang Prabang, which is the best in Laos so far.
Leaving Luang Prabang the motel staff gathers for a picture with us.
GPS has got us everywhere but nothing can replace a hand drawn route note.
Beauty before safety
The initially nice roads became dusty after 20 kms. This stretch is probably being resurfaced so it will eventually be smooth.
This bus makes a 28 hour journey from Kunming to Vientiane regularly, carrying Chinese gamblers to the casinos in the capital city.
The road improves as it winds up a mountain range. The view would have been spectacular if the air was less hazy.
Humbly designed, these local panniers has equal volume as our hi-tech Touratech ones.
We stopped for a breather after 45 minutes, enjoying the greenery.
Picture time ; Ivan
Me
At about 1000 meters in height the air is cooler here, even in summer.
We passed by a few villages.
We rode on the road below moments ago.
School's out
Candies for the kids.....such friendly children.....
Huts and homes of very happy people.
Not quite a holiday home.....
For this little village, all form of asssistance helps make a better life.
Back on the road, we head for Phou Khoun, our planned lunch stop.
The 'town' is also the at the crossroads to Phonsavan, the Plain of Jars.
Just bikin' beautiful. In 10 years a Harley Ultra will be able to do ths on an even better road surface.
Phou Khoun
We eat here.
We met Paulo, an Italian on a DR400. He shipped his bike to Thailand and will do Russia after this.
After an hour dining on Cup Noodles, we moved on towards Vang Vieng.
We passed the view point where thare was a restaurant but we did not stop there as the hazy skies made
the stop meaningless. The barely discernible outline of the Twin Peaks of Kasi blended with the hazy skies.....
These people do not know how privileged they are waking up to such view everyday.
We eventually stopped here for photos.
We got down to the valley, and can see that agriculture plays a big part in the locals' lives.
The " I am an adventurer " picture....
Vang Vieng lies in a valley surrounded by Karst Limestone outcrops.
Too large to be toilets, too small to be a hut, we wonder what these were for
Farang on rented scooter can only mean we are getting close to Vang Vieng.
At Vang Vieng we found this nice motel
Night scene at Vang Vieng.
Dinner was at this halal Indian setup, a chain I guess as I saw the same in Luang Prabang
We saw Laos properly today. The ride from Luang Prabang was not a lengthy, under 300kms.
We took our time, soaked in the scenery, took plenty of pictures. I must come back here soon.
Tomorrow we will ride to Vientiane.
Today our route looks like this:
End Day 18, Saturday, 23april2011
Today we ride to Vang Vieng, reputed to be a backpackers' haven. We anticipate the road to be similar
to the stretch from Pak Mong to Luang Prabang, which is the best in Laos so far.
Leaving Luang Prabang the motel staff gathers for a picture with us.
GPS has got us everywhere but nothing can replace a hand drawn route note.
Beauty before safety
The initially nice roads became dusty after 20 kms. This stretch is probably being resurfaced so it will eventually be smooth.
This bus makes a 28 hour journey from Kunming to Vientiane regularly, carrying Chinese gamblers to the casinos in the capital city.
The road improves as it winds up a mountain range. The view would have been spectacular if the air was less hazy.
Humbly designed, these local panniers has equal volume as our hi-tech Touratech ones.
We stopped for a breather after 45 minutes, enjoying the greenery.
Picture time ; Ivan
Me
At about 1000 meters in height the air is cooler here, even in summer.
We passed by a few villages.
We rode on the road below moments ago.
School's out
Candies for the kids.....such friendly children.....
Huts and homes of very happy people.
Not quite a holiday home.....
For this little village, all form of asssistance helps make a better life.
Back on the road, we head for Phou Khoun, our planned lunch stop.
The 'town' is also the at the crossroads to Phonsavan, the Plain of Jars.
Just bikin' beautiful. In 10 years a Harley Ultra will be able to do ths on an even better road surface.
Phou Khoun
We eat here.
We met Paulo, an Italian on a DR400. He shipped his bike to Thailand and will do Russia after this.
After an hour dining on Cup Noodles, we moved on towards Vang Vieng.
We passed the view point where thare was a restaurant but we did not stop there as the hazy skies made
the stop meaningless. The barely discernible outline of the Twin Peaks of Kasi blended with the hazy skies.....
These people do not know how privileged they are waking up to such view everyday.
We eventually stopped here for photos.
We got down to the valley, and can see that agriculture plays a big part in the locals' lives.
The " I am an adventurer " picture....
Vang Vieng lies in a valley surrounded by Karst Limestone outcrops.
Too large to be toilets, too small to be a hut, we wonder what these were for
Farang on rented scooter can only mean we are getting close to Vang Vieng.
At Vang Vieng we found this nice motel
Night scene at Vang Vieng.
Dinner was at this halal Indian setup, a chain I guess as I saw the same in Luang Prabang
We saw Laos properly today. The ride from Luang Prabang was not a lengthy, under 300kms.
We took our time, soaked in the scenery, took plenty of pictures. I must come back here soon.
Tomorrow we will ride to Vientiane.
Today our route looks like this:
End Day 18, Saturday, 23april2011
KTMphil
Senior member
Great pictures Nick. Funny thing about Vang Vieng is it's almost impossible to find somewhere with decent food.
We had good Lao cuisine when we stayed at LuangSay resort at Pak Beng. We had so-so food at Oudom Xai. The food at Nasim's is not bad in Vang Vieng. We did however enjoyed delicious noodles at the Mekong Promenade in Vientiane, at a stall by the roadside.
I find the food very pricey given the economy of the country. Luang Prabang is more expensive than even Kuala Lumpur where food is concerned. A street peddlar sandwich, at USD4, is the same price of a 6inch Subway with a large coke thrown in. In the middle of Kuala Lumpur.
In this region, nothing beats the food in Malaysia, great variety, very cheap, and safe to eat. Even in modern Penang you can still get a good meal for USD1.50.
I find the food very pricey given the economy of the country. Luang Prabang is more expensive than even Kuala Lumpur where food is concerned. A street peddlar sandwich, at USD4, is the same price of a 6inch Subway with a large coke thrown in. In the middle of Kuala Lumpur.
In this region, nothing beats the food in Malaysia, great variety, very cheap, and safe to eat. Even in modern Penang you can still get a good meal for USD1.50.
KTMphil
Senior member
I spent 2 months on my yacht in the marina in Penang & I agree the food there is fantastic, some of the best in the world. We found a superb cheap seafood restaurant almost opposite the marina run by a lady called "C".
The restaurant is unique as it has a tree in the front growing through its roof and fresh seafood displayed, one of the most memorable restaurants ive been to, map of where it is in Penang below:
Afternoon tea at the historic E & O hotel is a must too
http://www.eohotels.com/thehotel.php
We stayed at the E & O Hotel one time awesome place to stay i think rooms started at USD$ 120
The restaurant is unique as it has a tree in the front growing through its roof and fresh seafood displayed, one of the most memorable restaurants ive been to, map of where it is in Penang below:
Afternoon tea at the historic E & O hotel is a must too
http://www.eohotels.com/thehotel.php
We stayed at the E & O Hotel one time awesome place to stay i think rooms started at USD$ 120
nikhuzlan said:
Captain_Slash
Community Manager
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2011
- Bikes
- BMW 310GS Honda Wave 125 Honda MSX 125
nikhuzlan said:
I agree about Malaysian food being great, I certainly preferred the native food there to what Thailand has to offer
BOBBYMARLEY
Junior Member
- Joined
- May 24, 2012
I love all the pictures you guess took.I am planning on coming to Thailand in a few months and your photos have helped me see just how easy it is to get around and get an idea of what I should be paying to stay at places overnight. I will be getting my motorcycle license soon so your photos have inspired me to take a bike trip.
Thanks
Thanks
2wheels
Community Manager
" Tomorrow we will ride to Vientiane.
End Day 18, Saturday, 23april2011 "
What happened to the rest of your superb report Nik?
pm sent.
End Day 18, Saturday, 23april2011 "
What happened to the rest of your superb report Nik?
pm sent.
Had some issues with my photobucket account. Will follow up soon, and a few separate reports on riding the "B" and "C" roads of Malaysia.
Cheers.
VietHorse
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2012
- Location
- Ho Chi Minh City - Vietnam
- Bikes
- Hornet250, Shadow400, SuperFour400, Hornet919 x 2, VFR800 x 2
Awesome report with amazing photos and scenes.
This thread giving me some more points to help me choosing dualsport bike then.
This thread giving me some more points to help me choosing dualsport bike then.
KTMphil
Senior member
Really looking forward to some more of your escapades Nik, your photo's and story telling are very engaging to say the least.
Day 19, Sunday, 24april2011
Its going to be a short simple straightforward ride to Vientiane, the capital city of Laos. We anticipate the traffic to pick up,
the roads better, and the scenery to change from rural to a more crowded environment.
From the map and GPS the roads looks pretty straight after some twists and turns for about 40kms after leaving Vang Vieng.
Breakfast was part of the room charges, and we met our fellow travellers, also checking out but heading for Luang Prabang.
Gloomy start means a possible day spent riding in raincoats.
We passed a couple of cyclists a number of times. We saw none in the past few days in Laos,
and came to the conclusion the flat terrain from Vang Vieng to Vientiane encourages this sort of travel mode.
The rural roads were well surfaced, though the bike felt positively squirelly as gthe surface was slippery.
We stopped to put on our raincoats.
We rode in rain for the next hour.
The rain stopped and we stopped too, at this Friendship Bridge built by the Japanese.
The old bridge was about 500meters upriver, a rickety affair that allowed only light traffic.
We looked with envy when we saw a bunch of farangs being dropped off by a 4wd to kayak
their way down river to Vientiane, about 6 hours downstream.
Another Farang couple cycling along Highway13 to Vientiane.
Onwards to Vientiane.
Rain came again 50kms from Vientiane, all the way till we reached the capital city.
We stopped at the 'French Section' for a quick bite.
On our way to our hotel we passed this 600 year monument.
Our Hotel. USD30 per night. Not really good value.
After we checked in we took a walk along the Mekong Boulevard. Took some pictures.
Day 19 was not a great ride, and while Vientiane offered a city environment that we are more familiar with,
I preferred the ride we did the last few day, where the natural scenery was great, and the people more friendly.
Our Track today.
Tomorrow we exit Laos into Thailand, crossing yet another friendship bridge.
End Day 19, Sunday, 24april2011
Its going to be a short simple straightforward ride to Vientiane, the capital city of Laos. We anticipate the traffic to pick up,
the roads better, and the scenery to change from rural to a more crowded environment.
From the map and GPS the roads looks pretty straight after some twists and turns for about 40kms after leaving Vang Vieng.
Breakfast was part of the room charges, and we met our fellow travellers, also checking out but heading for Luang Prabang.
Gloomy start means a possible day spent riding in raincoats.
We passed a couple of cyclists a number of times. We saw none in the past few days in Laos,
and came to the conclusion the flat terrain from Vang Vieng to Vientiane encourages this sort of travel mode.
The rural roads were well surfaced, though the bike felt positively squirelly as gthe surface was slippery.
We stopped to put on our raincoats.
We rode in rain for the next hour.
The rain stopped and we stopped too, at this Friendship Bridge built by the Japanese.
The old bridge was about 500meters upriver, a rickety affair that allowed only light traffic.
We looked with envy when we saw a bunch of farangs being dropped off by a 4wd to kayak
their way down river to Vientiane, about 6 hours downstream.
Another Farang couple cycling along Highway13 to Vientiane.
Onwards to Vientiane.
Rain came again 50kms from Vientiane, all the way till we reached the capital city.
We stopped at the 'French Section' for a quick bite.
On our way to our hotel we passed this 600 year monument.
Our Hotel. USD30 per night. Not really good value.
After we checked in we took a walk along the Mekong Boulevard. Took some pictures.
Day 19 was not a great ride, and while Vientiane offered a city environment that we are more familiar with,
I preferred the ride we did the last few day, where the natural scenery was great, and the people more friendly.
Our Track today.
Tomorrow we exit Laos into Thailand, crossing yet another friendship bridge.
End Day 19, Sunday, 24april2011
KTMphil
Senior member
Glad the story is continuing Nik - Great shot here
Day 20, 25april2011.
We left our hotel at about 0800, and headed for Patuxay Park, a Paris Champs Elysees look-a-like with its own Arc De Triomphe,
decorated liberally with the kinnari figurines, a Laotion mythical bird-woman. After the past few days in rural Laos, Vientiane is so modern,
so far removed from the poverty that we saw when riding in areas barely three hours away from the capital city.
It is ironical that the Gate of Triumph, which celebrates the fight for independence from France, copies the French item......
We quickly but 'illegally' parked our bikes on the pedestrian boulevard to shoot this picture before being chased away by the guards
Ivan talking to a Japanese couple riding Laos on a small rented moped
After an hour there we left Patuxai for the border crossing, about 15 minutes from town centre.
We rode past Embassy Row
The gates to the Customs and Immigration complex. Lao side.
Immigration at the Lao side was a 10 minute affair.
The Lao side of the Friendship Bridge
Crossing the Bridge
The Thai side CIQ
We met a Thai, riding an immaculate GSA that looks like its never been touched by rain before,let alone mud.
Incredibly he chose knobbies although his route to Bangkok is on highway all the way.
We also met the Italian again, re-entering Thailand.
The bordertown on the Thailand side is Nong Kai.
Had a glance at my Trip Computer as we left Laos, and saw that we averaged less than 50km/h throughout our ride.
And for the first time in a couple of days I saw 140km/h......kinda cool to appreciate travelling speeds we normally take for granted......
Our next stop was Udon Thani, where we planned to look for a bike shop to fix the leaky shaft on both our bikes
We caught up with a group of Thai bikers riding a mix of machinery
We found this Custom bike shop after a short search. Dealing with Harleys, we were happy to see a cheerful mechanic.
A quick look shows that the leak has somewhat stabilised. We called KL to get some info on what to do,
and after some time decided that a top up would be a good idea. Having no spare seals, that was the only alternative as well.
The wheel needs to be taken off to access the filler orifice.
Done, we expressed our gratitude to the Harley mechanic
Before we left, the shop owner proudly showed me his immaculate toilet. It has a Harley fuel tank that acts as a toilet paper dispenser.
Back on the road, we headed South towards the Cambodian border. Our plan to hit the border direct was aborted
as we could not ride very far due to the heat, which made us stop many times.
We stopped at Khon Kean where we joined a group of bikers at an opening ceremony for the Silver Star Harley dealership.
The Silver Star Khon Kean bikers
We left Khon Kean as it got dark. Although we try hard to avoid riding at night, we decided its ok as it was a dual carriageway,
and it is a lot cooler at night.
We reached Nakhon Ratchasima just before midnight, and checked into a reasonably priced hotel for US25.
But not before some Latte.....
Our Route today.
We left our hotel at about 0800, and headed for Patuxay Park, a Paris Champs Elysees look-a-like with its own Arc De Triomphe,
decorated liberally with the kinnari figurines, a Laotion mythical bird-woman. After the past few days in rural Laos, Vientiane is so modern,
so far removed from the poverty that we saw when riding in areas barely three hours away from the capital city.
It is ironical that the Gate of Triumph, which celebrates the fight for independence from France, copies the French item......
We quickly but 'illegally' parked our bikes on the pedestrian boulevard to shoot this picture before being chased away by the guards
Ivan talking to a Japanese couple riding Laos on a small rented moped
After an hour there we left Patuxai for the border crossing, about 15 minutes from town centre.
We rode past Embassy Row
The gates to the Customs and Immigration complex. Lao side.
Immigration at the Lao side was a 10 minute affair.
The Lao side of the Friendship Bridge
Crossing the Bridge
The Thai side CIQ
We met a Thai, riding an immaculate GSA that looks like its never been touched by rain before,let alone mud.
Incredibly he chose knobbies although his route to Bangkok is on highway all the way.
We also met the Italian again, re-entering Thailand.
The bordertown on the Thailand side is Nong Kai.
Had a glance at my Trip Computer as we left Laos, and saw that we averaged less than 50km/h throughout our ride.
And for the first time in a couple of days I saw 140km/h......kinda cool to appreciate travelling speeds we normally take for granted......
Our next stop was Udon Thani, where we planned to look for a bike shop to fix the leaky shaft on both our bikes
We caught up with a group of Thai bikers riding a mix of machinery
We found this Custom bike shop after a short search. Dealing with Harleys, we were happy to see a cheerful mechanic.
A quick look shows that the leak has somewhat stabilised. We called KL to get some info on what to do,
and after some time decided that a top up would be a good idea. Having no spare seals, that was the only alternative as well.
The wheel needs to be taken off to access the filler orifice.
Done, we expressed our gratitude to the Harley mechanic
Before we left, the shop owner proudly showed me his immaculate toilet. It has a Harley fuel tank that acts as a toilet paper dispenser.
Back on the road, we headed South towards the Cambodian border. Our plan to hit the border direct was aborted
as we could not ride very far due to the heat, which made us stop many times.
We stopped at Khon Kean where we joined a group of bikers at an opening ceremony for the Silver Star Harley dealership.
The Silver Star Khon Kean bikers
We left Khon Kean as it got dark. Although we try hard to avoid riding at night, we decided its ok as it was a dual carriageway,
and it is a lot cooler at night.
We reached Nakhon Ratchasima just before midnight, and checked into a reasonably priced hotel for US25.
But not before some Latte.....
Our Route today.
Day 21, 26april2011.
Korat was an impromptu stop and we saw nothing did nothing but just slept for the night. The next morning we left early in search of breakfast.
Breakfast. Noodles. We also called home as we decided we will again be returning to KL from Siem Reap. Got the wife to book me the necessary.
Nice to be back on Thai roads - never knew I'd say that, but at the same time missing the rural environment of Laos.
We stopped for some food about 120km from Aranyaprathiet.
Saw an interesting artifact, and noticed a number of ladies wearing smaller replicas as some form of amulet.
Surely it has something to do with fertility I assume.
We passed this row of monks walking along the highway
Filling up before entering Cambodia.
Paid them USD10 to hurry us through the border.
Immigration was a breezy affair
Stood in line at the Cambodian Immigration side when this American told us not to crowd him. We just ignored him.
I was told that there is no real need to declare our bikes but I did so anyway,
just for the experience. Met this pleasant Customs officer. Border crossing was only 45 minutes.
Dusty Poipet.
We saw this hotel and checked in. usd25.
Secure parking behind the hotel.
Room was clean but a thin film of dust formed even after a quick wipe of the surface.
We only rode 250km because its my first time crossing into Cambodia from Thailand.
Had I known that the crossing was so hassle free, and that the 145km road from the border to
Siem Reap was smooth tarmac, we would not have stopped at Poipet.
Just a border town with a Casino on the Cambodian side 50 metres from the Immigration turnstile. Mainly serving the Thais,
the Casino / Hotel initially started on one side of the road but was rebuilt over the road itself turning it into a larger complex.
Our Route Today
END Day 21, 26april2011.
Korat was an impromptu stop and we saw nothing did nothing but just slept for the night. The next morning we left early in search of breakfast.
Breakfast. Noodles. We also called home as we decided we will again be returning to KL from Siem Reap. Got the wife to book me the necessary.
Nice to be back on Thai roads - never knew I'd say that, but at the same time missing the rural environment of Laos.
We stopped for some food about 120km from Aranyaprathiet.
Saw an interesting artifact, and noticed a number of ladies wearing smaller replicas as some form of amulet.
Surely it has something to do with fertility I assume.
We passed this row of monks walking along the highway
Filling up before entering Cambodia.
Paid them USD10 to hurry us through the border.
Immigration was a breezy affair
Stood in line at the Cambodian Immigration side when this American told us not to crowd him. We just ignored him.
I was told that there is no real need to declare our bikes but I did so anyway,
just for the experience. Met this pleasant Customs officer. Border crossing was only 45 minutes.
Dusty Poipet.
We saw this hotel and checked in. usd25.
Secure parking behind the hotel.
Room was clean but a thin film of dust formed even after a quick wipe of the surface.
We only rode 250km because its my first time crossing into Cambodia from Thailand.
Had I known that the crossing was so hassle free, and that the 145km road from the border to
Siem Reap was smooth tarmac, we would not have stopped at Poipet.
Just a border town with a Casino on the Cambodian side 50 metres from the Immigration turnstile. Mainly serving the Thais,
the Casino / Hotel initially started on one side of the road but was rebuilt over the road itself turning it into a larger complex.
Our Route Today
END Day 21, 26april2011.
Day 22, 27april2011
Its gonna be just a short run to Siem Reap from Poipet, and we were pleasantly pleased by the quality of road.
The sun however was pretty hot this morning, and we were heading east, so we had the full brunt of the piercing morning heat.
The land is as flat as can be, the horizon can be seen in the distance.
Short break.
The road was so boring so we took a detour and rode on the gravel track that parallels the main road.
For some reason there will always be a solitary tree in the middle of the flat fields.
We rejoined the main road after 30km offroading
We stopped at a small roadside village and had a drink while passing sweets to the local kids.
With a candy in her mouth this girl look so happy
We continued on to Siem reap, passing local traffic.
I was surprised to see this, a baby on IV being transported by motorcycle.
More surprised because in the course of that 145km ride I saw this 4 times.
I later learnt that there is a shortage of hospital beds in certain areas of Cambodia.
Entering Siem Reap
We passed two hotels there, and chose the Brown one at USD40 per night.
The road to Angkor.
We headed straight to Angkor Wat as we were early and the hotel can only recieve us after 1300. We bought a 3 day pass here.
At first we were told we cannot ride our bike into the complex, but after some gentle persuasion and liberal compliments,
the good looking lady in charge allowed us in.
The road leading to the complex was really clean and nice.
The Angkor Complex
Camwhoring at Angkor
After camwhoring we headed back to the Hotel.
The Hotel
Cambodia was a surprise. We expected worse but border clearance was just 1 hour, and the road to Siem Reap was really good,
and i actually wish I was on my K16GT or Harley instead of the GS. We complied with the no lights rule for motorcycle by wrapping the
headlight protector with a cloth. Apparently the authorities there gets excited if they see a bike with running lights in the daytime.
Our Route Today
End Day 22, 27april2011
Its gonna be just a short run to Siem Reap from Poipet, and we were pleasantly pleased by the quality of road.
The sun however was pretty hot this morning, and we were heading east, so we had the full brunt of the piercing morning heat.
The land is as flat as can be, the horizon can be seen in the distance.
Short break.
The road was so boring so we took a detour and rode on the gravel track that parallels the main road.
For some reason there will always be a solitary tree in the middle of the flat fields.
We rejoined the main road after 30km offroading
We stopped at a small roadside village and had a drink while passing sweets to the local kids.
With a candy in her mouth this girl look so happy
We continued on to Siem reap, passing local traffic.
I was surprised to see this, a baby on IV being transported by motorcycle.
More surprised because in the course of that 145km ride I saw this 4 times.
I later learnt that there is a shortage of hospital beds in certain areas of Cambodia.
Entering Siem Reap
We passed two hotels there, and chose the Brown one at USD40 per night.
The road to Angkor.
We headed straight to Angkor Wat as we were early and the hotel can only recieve us after 1300. We bought a 3 day pass here.
At first we were told we cannot ride our bike into the complex, but after some gentle persuasion and liberal compliments,
the good looking lady in charge allowed us in.
The road leading to the complex was really clean and nice.
The Angkor Complex
Camwhoring at Angkor
After camwhoring we headed back to the Hotel.
The Hotel
Cambodia was a surprise. We expected worse but border clearance was just 1 hour, and the road to Siem Reap was really good,
and i actually wish I was on my K16GT or Harley instead of the GS. We complied with the no lights rule for motorcycle by wrapping the
headlight protector with a cloth. Apparently the authorities there gets excited if they see a bike with running lights in the daytime.
Our Route Today
End Day 22, 27april2011
Day 23, 28april2011
Two days free in Siem Reap before we leave for Kuala Lumpur for a week's rest at home. Also a chance to attend
to business and be with the family.
Decided to play tourist while Ivan chooses to chill out at the hotel. The plan was to visit an isolated Wat and also the "Waterworld" at Tonle Sap.
Angkor Wat is a must of course but equally important to me was the Wat at Phnom Krum, a solo hill just 500ft high about 20km out of town.
Its also on the way to the Tonle Sap Waterworld jetty, if the hidden detour can be found.
This is the boat station to Waterworld.
As i did not want to follow any schedule, I got one boat all to myself.
The canal that leads to Tonle Sap was a busy one, and the shallow waters meant the boats have only one
pathway in the canal. Pretty congested.
Refreshment can be purchased from the many little boats that will come close, at times, little kids will jump in to hawk their wares.
Waterworld coming into view
Waterworld is pretty self contained.
Church
Boatbuilding
The 'town' center
Mobile 7-11
just for tourists
Looking towards Siem Reap, the solitary hill where Wat Pnhom Krum is situated stands proudly
Heading back the canal looks busier than ever.
This chap is crossing the canal on foot.
The Boat terminal with Phnom Krum in the background.
Real poverty
the Koreans had a program where they financed the building of small boats for the local fishermen around the Tonle sap.
After leaving the Jetty, I rode for about 5 kms until a small dirt road appeared on the left.
It led to someone's house compound where another trail led to the entrance of the road that goes uphill.
It was a short climb on a gravel path up to Phnom Krum
Wat Entrance
Phnom Krum
After giving alms its time for a pix
The view was pretty good
Waterworld from Pnomh Krum
We fly back KL the day after, so tomorrow will be Angkor Wat day.
I will not post many photos of Wats as the pictures are commonly available everywhere.
Day 23, 28april2011
Two days free in Siem Reap before we leave for Kuala Lumpur for a week's rest at home. Also a chance to attend
to business and be with the family.
Decided to play tourist while Ivan chooses to chill out at the hotel. The plan was to visit an isolated Wat and also the "Waterworld" at Tonle Sap.
Angkor Wat is a must of course but equally important to me was the Wat at Phnom Krum, a solo hill just 500ft high about 20km out of town.
Its also on the way to the Tonle Sap Waterworld jetty, if the hidden detour can be found.
This is the boat station to Waterworld.
As i did not want to follow any schedule, I got one boat all to myself.
The canal that leads to Tonle Sap was a busy one, and the shallow waters meant the boats have only one
pathway in the canal. Pretty congested.
Refreshment can be purchased from the many little boats that will come close, at times, little kids will jump in to hawk their wares.
Waterworld coming into view
Waterworld is pretty self contained.
Church
Boatbuilding
The 'town' center
Mobile 7-11
just for tourists
Looking towards Siem Reap, the solitary hill where Wat Pnhom Krum is situated stands proudly
Heading back the canal looks busier than ever.
This chap is crossing the canal on foot.
The Boat terminal with Phnom Krum in the background.
Real poverty
the Koreans had a program where they financed the building of small boats for the local fishermen around the Tonle sap.
After leaving the Jetty, I rode for about 5 kms until a small dirt road appeared on the left.
It led to someone's house compound where another trail led to the entrance of the road that goes uphill.
It was a short climb on a gravel path up to Phnom Krum
Wat Entrance
Phnom Krum
After giving alms its time for a pix
The view was pretty good
Waterworld from Pnomh Krum
We fly back KL the day after, so tomorrow will be Angkor Wat day.
I will not post many photos of Wats as the pictures are commonly available everywhere.
Day 23, 28april2011
VietHorse
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2012
- Location
- Ho Chi Minh City - Vietnam
- Bikes
- Hornet250, Shadow400, SuperFour400, Hornet919 x 2, VFR800 x 2
All are great photos. How you shipped your bike back?
Day 24, 29april2011
Preferred mode of transport was a tuk tuk we hired to take us around. Weng is a Champa Muslim and at 49
he was in his teens during the Khmer Rouge Rule.
He lost both parents and a sister. He surviced as he was given refuge by an officer in the army, who was sympathetic to his plight.
We went straight to the Angkor Complex.
I was impressed by how articulate the street children were, full of wit and charm as they pursuaded us to be their trinkets.
The balloon will be a good way to see Angkot Wat.
Angkor Wat.
We stayed till the sun went down
We met a Singaporean and two Malaysians who rode their kapcais ( 150cc moped ) 2,200km to get here.
We also met Juan, a Spaniard riding RTW from Barcelona.
Day 24, 29april2011
Preferred mode of transport was a tuk tuk we hired to take us around. Weng is a Champa Muslim and at 49
he was in his teens during the Khmer Rouge Rule.
He lost both parents and a sister. He surviced as he was given refuge by an officer in the army, who was sympathetic to his plight.
We went straight to the Angkor Complex.
I was impressed by how articulate the street children were, full of wit and charm as they pursuaded us to be their trinkets.
The balloon will be a good way to see Angkot Wat.
Angkor Wat.
We stayed till the sun went down
We met a Singaporean and two Malaysians who rode their kapcais ( 150cc moped ) 2,200km to get here.
We also met Juan, a Spaniard riding RTW from Barcelona.
Day 24, 29april2011
2wheels
Community Manager
Day 25, 30april2011
Back to Kuala Lumpur for a week.
We stored our bikes yesterday at the Hotel covered carpark. Great secure parking. Ly, the Concierge was ever helpful.
Our by now regular tuk tuk driver was waiting to take us to the airport.
On board the Air Asia A320 which does 8km a minute, reaching Kuala Lumpur in slightly over 90 minutes.
KL Break.
Went for a ride with the BMW MOTORRAD Club to my favorite haunt, Genting Highlands.
This time we had Morgan Parker joining us. He's on a charity mission, riding from Vietnam to Australia on a F800GS.
A TV crew follows him. A video of his ride is anticipated to be aired this year.
We all went to Batu Caves, a famous **** Temple in KL.
Then we rode through Ulu Yam for some rural shots
The twisties of Genting
On my way home, I dropped by my former colleague's wedding.
The couple of days passed very quickly and May 7th found me in Malaysia Airlines B737 Business Class flying back to Siem Reap.
Kuala Lumpur as the plane climbs out. S90 shot out of the cockpit left window.
The east coast of Malaysia passed underneath after 40 minutes, and at the current speed of 800km/h Siem Reap is about one hour away.
BizClass was empty, so the stewardess had nothing much to do.
Back in the cockpit, the pilots are busy preparing for descend and approach.
Tonle Sap from 16,000ft.
Arranged for Ivan to join me in the cockpit.
Landing at Siem Reap.
One more night in Siem Reap. Tomorrow we start our journey home.
Back to Kuala Lumpur for a week.
We stored our bikes yesterday at the Hotel covered carpark. Great secure parking. Ly, the Concierge was ever helpful.
Our by now regular tuk tuk driver was waiting to take us to the airport.
On board the Air Asia A320 which does 8km a minute, reaching Kuala Lumpur in slightly over 90 minutes.
KL Break.
Went for a ride with the BMW MOTORRAD Club to my favorite haunt, Genting Highlands.
This time we had Morgan Parker joining us. He's on a charity mission, riding from Vietnam to Australia on a F800GS.
A TV crew follows him. A video of his ride is anticipated to be aired this year.
We all went to Batu Caves, a famous **** Temple in KL.
Then we rode through Ulu Yam for some rural shots
The twisties of Genting
On my way home, I dropped by my former colleague's wedding.
The couple of days passed very quickly and May 7th found me in Malaysia Airlines B737 Business Class flying back to Siem Reap.
Kuala Lumpur as the plane climbs out. S90 shot out of the cockpit left window.
The east coast of Malaysia passed underneath after 40 minutes, and at the current speed of 800km/h Siem Reap is about one hour away.
BizClass was empty, so the stewardess had nothing much to do.
Back in the cockpit, the pilots are busy preparing for descend and approach.
Tonle Sap from 16,000ft.
Arranged for Ivan to join me in the cockpit.
Landing at Siem Reap.
One more night in Siem Reap. Tomorrow we start our journey home.
Day26, 8may2011
Our journey home begins this morning.
The same parched landscape greeted us as we made our way to the border.
We headed for Bangkok to meet Simon and Lisa. We also met with 'tiny', whom we know from ADV website.
We all stayed at the nice cosy motel about 10km from Svarnabumi.
Our Route
Our journey home begins this morning.
The same parched landscape greeted us as we made our way to the border.
We headed for Bangkok to meet Simon and Lisa. We also met with 'tiny', whom we know from ADV website.
We all stayed at the nice cosy motel about 10km from Svarnabumi.
Our Route
2wheels
Community Manager
They don't allow anyone there, but I was allowed because I was the Chief Pilot Regional Operations in Malaysia Airlines.
VietHorse
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2012
- Location
- Ho Chi Minh City - Vietnam
- Bikes
- Hornet250, Shadow400, SuperFour400, Hornet919 x 2, VFR800 x 2
I was closely attached to your trip report. Great every post. Just telling my wife that I wish to have time and energy to do such wonderful trip.
Your photos make me miss my trip to Genting. Been there some times but never on a two-wheel.
Your photos make me miss my trip to Genting. Been there some times but never on a two-wheel.
The twisties of Genting
Just Bob
Senior Member
Great story, beautiful shots, epic trip. Thank you very much. Took me back to a lot of places I visited many years back.
Ally
Well-known member
Hey Bob, welcome to RideAsia & good of you to post here
Anytime you fancy writing / sharing your memories with us at RideAsia, you would be very welcomed to do so, even if "many years back..." pre-dates digital records
Look forward to seeing you on line here more.
Regards
Ally
Day 27, 9may2012
We left Simon and Lisa and headed for Hua Hin, 325km away. We took the barge at Samut Prakhan.
This route takes us well south of Bangkok, within sight of the magnificent Mongkut Bridge that crosses the Menam Chao Praya.
We got to Hua Hin by 1700.
Aras and Terry arrived from Kanchanaburi and will be riding homeward together.
Dinner
Hua Hin
Day 28, 10may2011
Bfast
Hua Hin
Day29, 11may2011
We ride to Surat Thani.
It started raining just before Chumphon
We stopped for lunch at this 'offroad' restaurant.
We stopped at Surat Thani for the night, staying at the same hotel we stayed in on our way up one month ago.
Day30, 12may2011
The road from Hua Hin to Hatyai is a real chore. Its a dual carriageway that passes through populated areas with even traffic lights.
1,000km of boredom.
We were on the road by 9am.
Lunch at Lan Tarn Chu, highway4. This is about 10km north of Phattalung.
We bypassed Hatyai and headed straight to Dannok, the bordertown to Malaysia.
Stayed atHollywood Hotel, UDS30 a night.
Dinner by the roadside
Day31, 13may2011
The next bed I will sleep on will be the one at home. Crossed the border.
Malaysian bikers heading North.
Home.....500km away. Cheap fuel. Superb roads. Great variety of food.
By strange coincidence I met Miguel, the Spaniard we met by chance at Angkor, riding into Malaysia.
We stopped for petrol, and we were joined by a big group of bikers from Penang, heading for a ride somewhere.
We rode together for about 100km before they exited the highway.
The highway cuts through some impressive karst scenery as we pass Ipoh, 170km north of KL. Laos one day may look like this....
Uneventful ride home.
I reached home at 1700hrs, and as soon as i got comfortable in bed, I know I will want to retrace the route again, this time in the winter months of December. Isaan certainly deserves another look.
I learnt plenty on this trip. Off the top of my head, in no order of importance, I remember DUST. Especially in Laos and Cambodia. Dust from the topsoil on the road is everywhere.
FOOD. Despite my appetite for Thai food, the lack of variety as compared to what we can get in Malaysia is very obvious, and there's only so much tom yum goong and fried rice i can take after a week. Prices are also a surprise for me as it is not as cheap as I expected. In fact, well prepared fusion food, the type of which is widely available in Kuala Lumpur is equal to or more than what we normally pay for. Lao food had little impact on me.
ROADS. Whilst the scenery is great and people friendly, the Thai style of 'mai pen rai' when overtaking scares me silly. Also the inconsistency of the road, Great can turn to crap in 1 km. The Highways of Thailand cuts through densely populated area and any speed above 140km/h will be hazardous potential. All sorts of vehicles will be crisscrossing, and in the Southern area there are also cows and the occasional horse grazing on the grass divider in the middle of the highway.
HEAT. We chose to go during the hottest months. Riding in 40 degree is no fun.
PEOPLE. Everybody we met were friendly. Laotians are particularly cheerful, especially in the rural areas.
Will I do it again? YES. In fact we leave KL on November 23rd 2012, the start of another 36day ride.
We left Simon and Lisa and headed for Hua Hin, 325km away. We took the barge at Samut Prakhan.
This route takes us well south of Bangkok, within sight of the magnificent Mongkut Bridge that crosses the Menam Chao Praya.
We got to Hua Hin by 1700.
Aras and Terry arrived from Kanchanaburi and will be riding homeward together.
Dinner
Hua Hin
Day 28, 10may2011
Bfast
Hua Hin
Day29, 11may2011
We ride to Surat Thani.
It started raining just before Chumphon
We stopped for lunch at this 'offroad' restaurant.
We stopped at Surat Thani for the night, staying at the same hotel we stayed in on our way up one month ago.
Day30, 12may2011
The road from Hua Hin to Hatyai is a real chore. Its a dual carriageway that passes through populated areas with even traffic lights.
1,000km of boredom.
We were on the road by 9am.
Lunch at Lan Tarn Chu, highway4. This is about 10km north of Phattalung.
We bypassed Hatyai and headed straight to Dannok, the bordertown to Malaysia.
Stayed atHollywood Hotel, UDS30 a night.
Dinner by the roadside
Day31, 13may2011
The next bed I will sleep on will be the one at home. Crossed the border.
Malaysian bikers heading North.
Home.....500km away. Cheap fuel. Superb roads. Great variety of food.
By strange coincidence I met Miguel, the Spaniard we met by chance at Angkor, riding into Malaysia.
We stopped for petrol, and we were joined by a big group of bikers from Penang, heading for a ride somewhere.
We rode together for about 100km before they exited the highway.
The highway cuts through some impressive karst scenery as we pass Ipoh, 170km north of KL. Laos one day may look like this....
Uneventful ride home.
I reached home at 1700hrs, and as soon as i got comfortable in bed, I know I will want to retrace the route again, this time in the winter months of December. Isaan certainly deserves another look.
I learnt plenty on this trip. Off the top of my head, in no order of importance, I remember DUST. Especially in Laos and Cambodia. Dust from the topsoil on the road is everywhere.
FOOD. Despite my appetite for Thai food, the lack of variety as compared to what we can get in Malaysia is very obvious, and there's only so much tom yum goong and fried rice i can take after a week. Prices are also a surprise for me as it is not as cheap as I expected. In fact, well prepared fusion food, the type of which is widely available in Kuala Lumpur is equal to or more than what we normally pay for. Lao food had little impact on me.
ROADS. Whilst the scenery is great and people friendly, the Thai style of 'mai pen rai' when overtaking scares me silly. Also the inconsistency of the road, Great can turn to crap in 1 km. The Highways of Thailand cuts through densely populated area and any speed above 140km/h will be hazardous potential. All sorts of vehicles will be crisscrossing, and in the Southern area there are also cows and the occasional horse grazing on the grass divider in the middle of the highway.
HEAT. We chose to go during the hottest months. Riding in 40 degree is no fun.
PEOPLE. Everybody we met were friendly. Laotians are particularly cheerful, especially in the rural areas.
Will I do it again? YES. In fact we leave KL on November 23rd 2012, the start of another 36day ride.
KTMphil
Senior member
Marvelous last chapter there Nick - Thanks for finishing on of the best ride stories i've read.
Just Bob
Senior Member
Thanks Nick. Good times. KL is one of my favorite cities on the planet. Lots of trees, cool people, great shops. Doesn't hurt having the Sepang circuit either!