yellowbird
Junior Member
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2011
- Bikes
- BMW 1200GS
Continued...
Day 15 – Vang Vieng to Vientiane (156km, 3 hrs)
The distance is only 156km to Vientiane, but it took me close to 4 hours to get there as the road condition is pretty bad. Many stretches of potholes and dusty trails and heavy truck traffic force me to slow down to a crawl, s I managed to average 30-40km an hour !
Stopped at Syri 1 guest house, then saw a big ‘We are full’ sign just at the entrance, so got on my bike and rode around the area to look for other options. Passed by this interesting villa-turned-hotel called Laos Heritage hotel, and when I saw that they have a private parking, I iwent in to check availability and pricing. Quoted a single room without window for 13USD. Comes with air-con, fridge, wifi and hot showers…. wow great deal ! I took up the offer straightaway ! (Laos Heritage Hotel - 17.967936, 102.606436)
Spent the afternoon walking around the central of Vientiene and visited the landmarks Patuxai (which looks like Arc de Triomphe of Paris) and Pha That Luang.
Had a great time feasting on the street side food along Vientiene, and a nice night market to help digest all the food!
After 2 weeks in Laos and countless bottles of BeerLao, I have become a big fan of this very drinkable beer!
Spent the next morning at the Xieng Khoun Buddha Park which is 20km away from Vientiene.
Managed to get into the park at 7:30am and had the whole park all to myself
The busloads of tourists started arriving at 9am, so do try to go there early for some great photo opportunities. (Xieng Khuan Buddha Park - 17.912736, 102.764354)
Gosh ! I looked tiny in front of the gigantic sleeping buddha statue !
Day 16 – Vientiene to Khon Kaen (280km, 5 hrs)
I checked out of Laos Heritage hotel at 6am, and headed for the friendship bridge at Nong Khai. Reached the bridge at 6:45am, and there is no queue at all at the immigration. Done with all the formalities within 10 minutes. On the Thai side, I spent half an hour to get my temporary import documents processed and passport stamped.
Once past the border, my first stop was 7-Eleven for a quick breakfast. Ordered my favorite chicken steak burger. Took the highway and before 10am, I reached D’Ma hotel in Khon Kaen.
The room in D'Ma hotel looks a bit kinky with its inappropriate pink curtains, but it's clean, spacious and most customers are local Thai working professionals on business trips. Only 350 Baht a night, and comes with the usual comforts of private hot shower, cable TV, wifi. They have a nice sheltered carpark for vehicles too! (D’Ma hotel - 16.426914, 102.840837)
Wanted to learn how to cook some Isaan dishes, so called up a Thai friend who agreed to get her mother to teach me some tricks. Within a couple of hours, I was at her house cooking away !
Day 17 – Khon Kaen to Battambang (505km, 8 hrs)
Waking up feeling great, I decided to try my luck with the reception first thing in the morning to get a 2-day refund for early check-out. (Previous night, the receptionist was not able to get in touch with the manager, so she couldn’t do much) The receptionist on duty offered an upgrade after I came up with an excuse that I didn’t sleep well and the mattress spring was horrible. I politely declined the offer and insisted to leave. After a few calls with the manager, I got my refund, and by 10am I loaded up my luggage on my bike and headed out of Khon Kaen for Aranyaprathet.
The road to Aranyaprathet was very good, and I reached the border town at 2:30pm, much earlier than expected. So I made a decision on the spot to push on and crossed the border rather than spending one night in a boring town.
My experience at the poipet border experience wasn’t very pleasant. The signages are confusing and too many touts offering their services to arrange your visas and fill up your forms. The Thai side was pretty straightforward, except for the border gate officer who insisted I needed to surrender the conveyance form before I can cross. I threw away that form earlier in the hotel thinking I didn’t need that, so I tried to pull a fast one. I told him I already handed in at the immigration office, and he requested me to re-submit a photocopy of my vehicle log card and passport.
After immigration formalities at the Cambodian side, it took a few attempts before I can find a local to give me the correct directions to the Cambodian customs office. The customs officer demanded a photocopy of everything including the form that he is going to give me, and he expects me to go find someone who can do the photocopying ! So I spent the next hour asking around for help just to do this. Super inefficient use of time.
Checked into Royal Hotel in Battambang, and paid 15USD a night for a twin room on the second floor. (Royal Hotel - 13.102395, 103.197085)
Ordered beer at a local coffee shop, and it came with a straw ! something new
Next day, went for yet another cooking class to learn how to make Cambodian dishes
Paid a ridiculously cheap fee of 10USD for a half-day session and get to eat all the food I cooked too ! (Nary’s kitchen - 13.103330, 103.197058)
My first attempt at cooking beef lok lak, a very popular Khmer dish all over Cambodia.
Next morning, I went to see the sunrise at the lotus farms outside Battambang, and a few rural villages including a school. (Kamping Puoy Lotus Farm - 13.073626, 102.982578)
here are some of the highlights :
(Banan temple - 12.951196, 103.145142)
Do you know there is actually a vineyard in Cambodia, and it is in Battambang !
This vineyard produces red wine and brandy, and for a small fee of 6USD, you get to taste them all ! (Phnom Banon winery - 13.005896, 103.158059)
The popular bamboo train is still in operation when I visited, and visitors love the fun ride !
(Bamboo Train - 13.068953, 103.217457)
Day 18 – Battambang to Siem Reap (173km, 3 hrs)
While waiting for my coffee, I had a nice chat with the owner. Owner shared his plans of building a new high-rise hotel just across the road, and his challenges getting approval from the money-sucking authorities.
After leaving the hotel, I headed to the petrol kiosk in the city centre and decided to give yellow bird a rare treat premium RON97 fuel ! Not a single traffic light in the entire 173km journey from Battambang to Siem Reap, no wonder everyone drives like crazy ! Traffic junctions are especially challenging when there are trucks, cars, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians all trying to cross the road ! Trying to anticipate who will give way becomes an art ?
Siem Reap city centre has changed a lot since 2001. Traffic lights, nice wide roads and posh hotels, and lots of cars on the road. I checked into Happy Guest House for 10USD a night.
(Happy Guest House - 13.359629, 103.862123)
The nightlife in Siem Reap has improved so much. Lots of vibes and interesting new restaurants, boutique hotels and pubs, especially close to Pub Street.
I spent the next 2 days visiting Angkor Wat, and managed to sneak my bike into the temple compounds.
Was fortunate to catch the sunrise on the first day, as it was very cloudy the following day.
Day 19 – Siem Reap to Kompong Cham (via Kompong Thom) (257km, 4 hrs)
Nyta has kindly introduced me to her friend from Kompong Thom and suggested I visit their hotel for lunch. I decided to show up for breakfast instead so I could make it to Kompong Cham before noon as planned.
Morning traffic out of Siem Reap was chaotic as usual, but once out of town, the roads were good, and I was able to cruise at 90-100km/h. Other than light showers for the last stretch into Kompong Thom, the ride was smooth.
The Soung brothers run Arunras hotel, which is the biggest hotel in Kompong Thom and right smack in the city centre, so I had no difficulty finding the hotel. The brothers warmly greeted me, and invited me to their VIP room for a nice private chat and breakfast. I had a plate of nice chicken rice and 2 big cups of local Cambodian coffee, and spent the next 2 hours in a very interesting chat with the brothers. (Arunras hotel - 12.711312, 104.888816)
I told them their hotel has been getting bad reviews on Tripadvisor, and they were open to share their challenges in running the hotel and restaurant. I could see they are very hungry to learn and improve themselves. We also talked about their last trip to Singapore, and some of my mutual friends. It’s really nice to be able to make new friends in a foreign country and exchange views and opinions about life, talk about our dreams.
I then left them and headed to Kompong Cham, and found a run-down guesthouse to stay over.
Paid 5USD for a night...the room was functional, but the TV did not work and the fan had some issues too. The only good thing is they allow me to park my bike inside the lobby !
(Bopear Guest House - 11.988696, 105.465861)
Some snapshots of how Kompong Cham looks like. Basically a very laid-back river town.
Day 20 - – Kompong Cham to Phnom Penh (200km, 3 hrs)
Highlights : Meeting up with Pove @ Flying Bikes
checked into Circuit Hotel which is right in the centre of downtown Phnom Penh.
Paid 18USD a night a very cosy room with all the creative comforts.
(Circuit Hotel - 11.567715, 104.923237)
Day 21 – Phnom Penh to Ha Tien (154km, 4 hrs)
Left Phnom Penh for the border crossing at Ha Tien. The stretch of road before reaching Ha Tien was extremely dusty with trailers going at crazy speeds and churning up dust all the time.
It was a real pain crossing Ha Tien border with a big bike. Went to and fro the 2 immigration checkpoints SIX times, and had to pay 20USD bribe + 10,000riels tips to get the ok for the bike.
(Ha Tien border crossing - 10.426914, 104.453480)
Finally I got my bike into Vietnam after all the haggling at the border checkpoint !
Checked into Dong Tam hotel along the main road in downtown Ha Tien.
The hotel is very bike-friendly and allowed me to park my bike inside their lobby!
For 13USD a night, I got myself a very spacious double room.
After a quick shower, I headed out for lunch, and bumped into 2 more bikers who just arrived outside the hotel. There's Nils from Sweden and Heiko from Germany, both riding dirt bikes.
Made friends with them both, and they took up my recommendation to stay in the same hotel. We then exchanged our border experiences dealing with the corrupt officials.
Ha Tien is a small laid-back border town, so we finished walking the entire area in one afternoon.
Day 22 – Ha Tien to HCMC (368km, 7 hrs)
Nils and Heiko decided to go to Phu Quoc island, while I wanted to go to Ho Chi Minh City instead. So, we parted ways, and I hit the road alone yet again. But we promised to keep in touch and maybe link up again back in Cambodia. So, I started my long journey up to Saigon.
Checked into Saigon Pink 2 hotel, which is just next to the popular Ben Thanh market. Paid 20USD a night which is good value for the excellent location. However, it was a big hassle finding safe parking for the bike. Most hotels have either no carparks or really tiny ones. I managed to park the bike in another hotel nearby. (Saigon Pink 2 Hotel - 10.771794, 106.696858)
After washing up, i made my way to my favorite Pho24 shop near Ben Thanh market for lunch.
Some highlights of my walking tour around downtown Ho Chi Minh City....
I had a really good time eating at Ben Thanh market. Cheap and good !
The Vietnamese filter coffee is best experienced at Trung Nguyen cafes.
Day 23 – HCMC to Can Tho (165km, 3 hrs)
Checked into a cheap local hotel Nhu Ha Hotel for 12.50USD a night
The impressive Can Tho bridge
(Can Tho market - 10.035647, 105.788389)
[url=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/19/2012022440.jpg/]
Fake Apple store in Can Tho
Day 24 – Can Tho to Kampot (260km, 7 hrs)
Checked into Borey Bokor hotel for 15USD a night.
As I arrived the hotel, coincidentally the two dirt bikers Nils and Heiko also just arrived.
What perfect timing ! We quickly checked in, then headed out for an ice cold beer at an English pub nearby.
Day 25 – Kampot to Koh Kong (260km, 8 hrs)
Heiko and I headed up to the summit of Bokor Hill hoping to catch the sunrise, unfortunately the morning mist up was very thick and it was impossible to see anything up there !
We met up with Nils at the petrol station at foot of Bokor Hill, then we left together for Kampot.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
We stopped by a waterfall on the way into Kampot.
Some parts of the road proved too challenging for the heavy GS !
Checked into Asean Hotel for 15USD a night
(Asean Hotel -11.615126, 102.979386)
Day 26 – Koh Kong to Pattaya (380km, 7 hrs)
The new toll bridge at Koh Kong. Only 11 Baht per bike !
Above : paying 100Baht for fast-track check-out service at Cambodian border. discovering a new untouched beach 30km from Ban Hat Lek … with only a handful of tourists and 2 beach resorts
Checked into Sutus Court for 700 Baht per night. Spent the evening roaming around the town and met up with Nils and Heiko for drinks later the next evening.
(Sutus Court - 12.928472, 100.882001)
Day 27 – Pattaya to Bangkok (120km, 2.5hrs)
Checked into Somerset serviced apartment in Bangkok. They have a huge multi-storey carpark with security guard at the entrance, so I felt relieved. (Somerset Lake Point - 13.731021, 100.561058)
Headed out to Siam Paragon for my favorite Thai food, pomelo salad and grilled pork.
Day 28 – Bangkok to Samui (780km, 12 hrs)
Reached Don Sak at 1pm, the ferry just left, so had to wait an hour for the next one. Went for a quick lunch at the café in the terminal, and freshened up.
Paid 250 Baht for the one-way ferry ticket. Wanted to buy round-trip, but the ticket office said I have to buy the return portion at Ko Samui. (Don Sak Ferry - 9.317339, 99.737406)
Ferry journey took 1.5 hours, so I took a nap. Arriving in Ko Samui, I took another 20mins to reach my hotel, Tongtip Mansion in Chaweng. I was happy that there are lots of parking space right in front of the hotel. Paid only 750Baht for a nice room with air-con, balcony, fridge and hot shower.
(Tongtip mansion - 9.534236, 100.062393)
It was a religious holiday, meaning no alcohol ? So, I visited my friend who runs a nice boutique hotel along Bo Phut beach and chilled out at his beachside restaurant.
The same evening, I booked the speedboat for the full moon party the next day. Round-trip ticket to Koh Phangan including transfer costs 800 Baht.I took the early 5pm ferry hoping to catch the sunset. Unfortunately the weather got quite cloudy so didn’t manage to see much of the sun.
Paid 100 Baht for entrance ticket (in the form of a cute yellow wrist band) to the full moon party.
It’s really amazing how the entire beach is lit up by the moon ! It almost looks like late afternoon ! Impressed with the huge scale of the full moon party, stretching over 1.5km of beachline.
All kinds of cocktails are sold in buckets for 250-400 Baht, with this cheap prices, it’s really difficult not to get drunk ! By 11pm, the whole beach was packed with mostly Western backpackers and some locals all dancing away to the thumping music.
There are lots of local flame throwers and performers to entertain the party goers.
Day 29 – Samui to Hatyai (315km, 5 hrs)
Left Ko Samui, managed to catch the early 6am ferry, and by noon I reached Hatyai.
Journey was pretty smooth, and I checked into the bike-friendly Hat Yai Rama hotel for the usual walk-in rate of 690 Baht a night.
(Hat Yai Rama Hotel - 6.998105, 100.471615)
Time to reward myself to a big feast of local Thai food in Hatyai !
Day 30 – Hatyai to Penang (200km, 4 hrs)
Penang is indeed a food paradise ! I must have put on at least 3kg in 4 days !
Day 31 – Penang to Singapore (720km, 8 hrs)
Finally, it's come to say goodbye to my friend in Penang, and head back home. The last leg of this journey is a smooth 8-hour ride along the North-South highway.
So, after 67 days on the road, I am finally back in my hometown Singapore.
As I looked back, here are some of the most memorable moments of my trip.
Most enjoyable ride : sweeping bends up and down the mountains in Mae Salong and Doi Tung
Most stressful ride : Tackling the rush-hour traffic in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, and crossing those roundabouts with the endless stream of local motorcycles streaming through.
Most helpless moment : Dropping the bike on a really remote hill near Phonsavan, trying in vain to lift the bike over the mud, and having to wait more than an hour for help from a passing car.
Most difficult border crossing : Getting stuck in Ha Tien border crossing, back and forth for 6 times and having to negotiate a bribe to get across
Most enjoyable local experience : Khmer cooking class in Battambang
Most painful ride : Banging through the countless potholes from Udomxai to Pak Mong, and from Phonsavan to Vang Vieng
Most amazing sunrise : The dramatic view on the summit of Pu Chi Fa national park
Most amazing sunset : the fascinating limestone caves along the river of Vang Vieng
Most memorable breakfast : chicken rice breakfast & 3 cups of illy coffee with the Suong twin brothers in Kompong Thom
Most memorable evening : A wet full-moon party at Koh Phangan
Favorite beverage : BeerLao !
Favorite local dish : Beef Lok Lak
I hope you have enjoyed this photo diary. I like to leave you all with my favorite quote, and I hope this quote will inspire you to make your dreams come alive, just like mine.
“Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming – “WOW – What a Ride ! "
If I can be of help in your trip planning across Indochina, feel free to drop me a note.
Daniel Tan
Day 15 – Vang Vieng to Vientiane (156km, 3 hrs)
The distance is only 156km to Vientiane, but it took me close to 4 hours to get there as the road condition is pretty bad. Many stretches of potholes and dusty trails and heavy truck traffic force me to slow down to a crawl, s I managed to average 30-40km an hour !
Stopped at Syri 1 guest house, then saw a big ‘We are full’ sign just at the entrance, so got on my bike and rode around the area to look for other options. Passed by this interesting villa-turned-hotel called Laos Heritage hotel, and when I saw that they have a private parking, I iwent in to check availability and pricing. Quoted a single room without window for 13USD. Comes with air-con, fridge, wifi and hot showers…. wow great deal ! I took up the offer straightaway ! (Laos Heritage Hotel - 17.967936, 102.606436)
Spent the afternoon walking around the central of Vientiene and visited the landmarks Patuxai (which looks like Arc de Triomphe of Paris) and Pha That Luang.
Had a great time feasting on the street side food along Vientiene, and a nice night market to help digest all the food!
After 2 weeks in Laos and countless bottles of BeerLao, I have become a big fan of this very drinkable beer!
Spent the next morning at the Xieng Khoun Buddha Park which is 20km away from Vientiene.
Managed to get into the park at 7:30am and had the whole park all to myself
The busloads of tourists started arriving at 9am, so do try to go there early for some great photo opportunities. (Xieng Khuan Buddha Park - 17.912736, 102.764354)
Gosh ! I looked tiny in front of the gigantic sleeping buddha statue !
Day 16 – Vientiene to Khon Kaen (280km, 5 hrs)
I checked out of Laos Heritage hotel at 6am, and headed for the friendship bridge at Nong Khai. Reached the bridge at 6:45am, and there is no queue at all at the immigration. Done with all the formalities within 10 minutes. On the Thai side, I spent half an hour to get my temporary import documents processed and passport stamped.
Once past the border, my first stop was 7-Eleven for a quick breakfast. Ordered my favorite chicken steak burger. Took the highway and before 10am, I reached D’Ma hotel in Khon Kaen.
The room in D'Ma hotel looks a bit kinky with its inappropriate pink curtains, but it's clean, spacious and most customers are local Thai working professionals on business trips. Only 350 Baht a night, and comes with the usual comforts of private hot shower, cable TV, wifi. They have a nice sheltered carpark for vehicles too! (D’Ma hotel - 16.426914, 102.840837)
Wanted to learn how to cook some Isaan dishes, so called up a Thai friend who agreed to get her mother to teach me some tricks. Within a couple of hours, I was at her house cooking away !
Day 17 – Khon Kaen to Battambang (505km, 8 hrs)
Waking up feeling great, I decided to try my luck with the reception first thing in the morning to get a 2-day refund for early check-out. (Previous night, the receptionist was not able to get in touch with the manager, so she couldn’t do much) The receptionist on duty offered an upgrade after I came up with an excuse that I didn’t sleep well and the mattress spring was horrible. I politely declined the offer and insisted to leave. After a few calls with the manager, I got my refund, and by 10am I loaded up my luggage on my bike and headed out of Khon Kaen for Aranyaprathet.
The road to Aranyaprathet was very good, and I reached the border town at 2:30pm, much earlier than expected. So I made a decision on the spot to push on and crossed the border rather than spending one night in a boring town.
My experience at the poipet border experience wasn’t very pleasant. The signages are confusing and too many touts offering their services to arrange your visas and fill up your forms. The Thai side was pretty straightforward, except for the border gate officer who insisted I needed to surrender the conveyance form before I can cross. I threw away that form earlier in the hotel thinking I didn’t need that, so I tried to pull a fast one. I told him I already handed in at the immigration office, and he requested me to re-submit a photocopy of my vehicle log card and passport.
After immigration formalities at the Cambodian side, it took a few attempts before I can find a local to give me the correct directions to the Cambodian customs office. The customs officer demanded a photocopy of everything including the form that he is going to give me, and he expects me to go find someone who can do the photocopying ! So I spent the next hour asking around for help just to do this. Super inefficient use of time.
Checked into Royal Hotel in Battambang, and paid 15USD a night for a twin room on the second floor. (Royal Hotel - 13.102395, 103.197085)
Ordered beer at a local coffee shop, and it came with a straw ! something new
Next day, went for yet another cooking class to learn how to make Cambodian dishes
Paid a ridiculously cheap fee of 10USD for a half-day session and get to eat all the food I cooked too ! (Nary’s kitchen - 13.103330, 103.197058)
My first attempt at cooking beef lok lak, a very popular Khmer dish all over Cambodia.
Next morning, I went to see the sunrise at the lotus farms outside Battambang, and a few rural villages including a school. (Kamping Puoy Lotus Farm - 13.073626, 102.982578)
here are some of the highlights :
(Banan temple - 12.951196, 103.145142)
Do you know there is actually a vineyard in Cambodia, and it is in Battambang !
This vineyard produces red wine and brandy, and for a small fee of 6USD, you get to taste them all ! (Phnom Banon winery - 13.005896, 103.158059)
The popular bamboo train is still in operation when I visited, and visitors love the fun ride !
(Bamboo Train - 13.068953, 103.217457)
Day 18 – Battambang to Siem Reap (173km, 3 hrs)
While waiting for my coffee, I had a nice chat with the owner. Owner shared his plans of building a new high-rise hotel just across the road, and his challenges getting approval from the money-sucking authorities.
After leaving the hotel, I headed to the petrol kiosk in the city centre and decided to give yellow bird a rare treat premium RON97 fuel ! Not a single traffic light in the entire 173km journey from Battambang to Siem Reap, no wonder everyone drives like crazy ! Traffic junctions are especially challenging when there are trucks, cars, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians all trying to cross the road ! Trying to anticipate who will give way becomes an art ?
Siem Reap city centre has changed a lot since 2001. Traffic lights, nice wide roads and posh hotels, and lots of cars on the road. I checked into Happy Guest House for 10USD a night.
(Happy Guest House - 13.359629, 103.862123)
The nightlife in Siem Reap has improved so much. Lots of vibes and interesting new restaurants, boutique hotels and pubs, especially close to Pub Street.
I spent the next 2 days visiting Angkor Wat, and managed to sneak my bike into the temple compounds.
Was fortunate to catch the sunrise on the first day, as it was very cloudy the following day.
Day 19 – Siem Reap to Kompong Cham (via Kompong Thom) (257km, 4 hrs)
Nyta has kindly introduced me to her friend from Kompong Thom and suggested I visit their hotel for lunch. I decided to show up for breakfast instead so I could make it to Kompong Cham before noon as planned.
Morning traffic out of Siem Reap was chaotic as usual, but once out of town, the roads were good, and I was able to cruise at 90-100km/h. Other than light showers for the last stretch into Kompong Thom, the ride was smooth.
The Soung brothers run Arunras hotel, which is the biggest hotel in Kompong Thom and right smack in the city centre, so I had no difficulty finding the hotel. The brothers warmly greeted me, and invited me to their VIP room for a nice private chat and breakfast. I had a plate of nice chicken rice and 2 big cups of local Cambodian coffee, and spent the next 2 hours in a very interesting chat with the brothers. (Arunras hotel - 12.711312, 104.888816)
I told them their hotel has been getting bad reviews on Tripadvisor, and they were open to share their challenges in running the hotel and restaurant. I could see they are very hungry to learn and improve themselves. We also talked about their last trip to Singapore, and some of my mutual friends. It’s really nice to be able to make new friends in a foreign country and exchange views and opinions about life, talk about our dreams.
I then left them and headed to Kompong Cham, and found a run-down guesthouse to stay over.
Paid 5USD for a night...the room was functional, but the TV did not work and the fan had some issues too. The only good thing is they allow me to park my bike inside the lobby !
(Bopear Guest House - 11.988696, 105.465861)
Some snapshots of how Kompong Cham looks like. Basically a very laid-back river town.
Day 20 - – Kompong Cham to Phnom Penh (200km, 3 hrs)
Highlights : Meeting up with Pove @ Flying Bikes
checked into Circuit Hotel which is right in the centre of downtown Phnom Penh.
Paid 18USD a night a very cosy room with all the creative comforts.
(Circuit Hotel - 11.567715, 104.923237)
Day 21 – Phnom Penh to Ha Tien (154km, 4 hrs)
Left Phnom Penh for the border crossing at Ha Tien. The stretch of road before reaching Ha Tien was extremely dusty with trailers going at crazy speeds and churning up dust all the time.
It was a real pain crossing Ha Tien border with a big bike. Went to and fro the 2 immigration checkpoints SIX times, and had to pay 20USD bribe + 10,000riels tips to get the ok for the bike.
(Ha Tien border crossing - 10.426914, 104.453480)
Finally I got my bike into Vietnam after all the haggling at the border checkpoint !
Checked into Dong Tam hotel along the main road in downtown Ha Tien.
The hotel is very bike-friendly and allowed me to park my bike inside their lobby!
For 13USD a night, I got myself a very spacious double room.
After a quick shower, I headed out for lunch, and bumped into 2 more bikers who just arrived outside the hotel. There's Nils from Sweden and Heiko from Germany, both riding dirt bikes.
Made friends with them both, and they took up my recommendation to stay in the same hotel. We then exchanged our border experiences dealing with the corrupt officials.
Ha Tien is a small laid-back border town, so we finished walking the entire area in one afternoon.
Day 22 – Ha Tien to HCMC (368km, 7 hrs)
Nils and Heiko decided to go to Phu Quoc island, while I wanted to go to Ho Chi Minh City instead. So, we parted ways, and I hit the road alone yet again. But we promised to keep in touch and maybe link up again back in Cambodia. So, I started my long journey up to Saigon.
Checked into Saigon Pink 2 hotel, which is just next to the popular Ben Thanh market. Paid 20USD a night which is good value for the excellent location. However, it was a big hassle finding safe parking for the bike. Most hotels have either no carparks or really tiny ones. I managed to park the bike in another hotel nearby. (Saigon Pink 2 Hotel - 10.771794, 106.696858)
After washing up, i made my way to my favorite Pho24 shop near Ben Thanh market for lunch.
Some highlights of my walking tour around downtown Ho Chi Minh City....
I had a really good time eating at Ben Thanh market. Cheap and good !
The Vietnamese filter coffee is best experienced at Trung Nguyen cafes.
Day 23 – HCMC to Can Tho (165km, 3 hrs)
Checked into a cheap local hotel Nhu Ha Hotel for 12.50USD a night
The impressive Can Tho bridge
(Can Tho market - 10.035647, 105.788389)
[url=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/19/2012022440.jpg/]
Fake Apple store in Can Tho
Day 24 – Can Tho to Kampot (260km, 7 hrs)
Checked into Borey Bokor hotel for 15USD a night.
As I arrived the hotel, coincidentally the two dirt bikers Nils and Heiko also just arrived.
What perfect timing ! We quickly checked in, then headed out for an ice cold beer at an English pub nearby.
Day 25 – Kampot to Koh Kong (260km, 8 hrs)
Heiko and I headed up to the summit of Bokor Hill hoping to catch the sunrise, unfortunately the morning mist up was very thick and it was impossible to see anything up there !
We met up with Nils at the petrol station at foot of Bokor Hill, then we left together for Kampot.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
We stopped by a waterfall on the way into Kampot.
Some parts of the road proved too challenging for the heavy GS !
Checked into Asean Hotel for 15USD a night
(Asean Hotel -11.615126, 102.979386)
Day 26 – Koh Kong to Pattaya (380km, 7 hrs)
The new toll bridge at Koh Kong. Only 11 Baht per bike !
Above : paying 100Baht for fast-track check-out service at Cambodian border. discovering a new untouched beach 30km from Ban Hat Lek … with only a handful of tourists and 2 beach resorts
Checked into Sutus Court for 700 Baht per night. Spent the evening roaming around the town and met up with Nils and Heiko for drinks later the next evening.
(Sutus Court - 12.928472, 100.882001)
Day 27 – Pattaya to Bangkok (120km, 2.5hrs)
Checked into Somerset serviced apartment in Bangkok. They have a huge multi-storey carpark with security guard at the entrance, so I felt relieved. (Somerset Lake Point - 13.731021, 100.561058)
Headed out to Siam Paragon for my favorite Thai food, pomelo salad and grilled pork.
Day 28 – Bangkok to Samui (780km, 12 hrs)
Reached Don Sak at 1pm, the ferry just left, so had to wait an hour for the next one. Went for a quick lunch at the café in the terminal, and freshened up.
Paid 250 Baht for the one-way ferry ticket. Wanted to buy round-trip, but the ticket office said I have to buy the return portion at Ko Samui. (Don Sak Ferry - 9.317339, 99.737406)
Ferry journey took 1.5 hours, so I took a nap. Arriving in Ko Samui, I took another 20mins to reach my hotel, Tongtip Mansion in Chaweng. I was happy that there are lots of parking space right in front of the hotel. Paid only 750Baht for a nice room with air-con, balcony, fridge and hot shower.
(Tongtip mansion - 9.534236, 100.062393)
It was a religious holiday, meaning no alcohol ? So, I visited my friend who runs a nice boutique hotel along Bo Phut beach and chilled out at his beachside restaurant.
The same evening, I booked the speedboat for the full moon party the next day. Round-trip ticket to Koh Phangan including transfer costs 800 Baht.I took the early 5pm ferry hoping to catch the sunset. Unfortunately the weather got quite cloudy so didn’t manage to see much of the sun.
Paid 100 Baht for entrance ticket (in the form of a cute yellow wrist band) to the full moon party.
It’s really amazing how the entire beach is lit up by the moon ! It almost looks like late afternoon ! Impressed with the huge scale of the full moon party, stretching over 1.5km of beachline.
All kinds of cocktails are sold in buckets for 250-400 Baht, with this cheap prices, it’s really difficult not to get drunk ! By 11pm, the whole beach was packed with mostly Western backpackers and some locals all dancing away to the thumping music.
There are lots of local flame throwers and performers to entertain the party goers.
Day 29 – Samui to Hatyai (315km, 5 hrs)
Left Ko Samui, managed to catch the early 6am ferry, and by noon I reached Hatyai.
Journey was pretty smooth, and I checked into the bike-friendly Hat Yai Rama hotel for the usual walk-in rate of 690 Baht a night.
(Hat Yai Rama Hotel - 6.998105, 100.471615)
Time to reward myself to a big feast of local Thai food in Hatyai !
Day 30 – Hatyai to Penang (200km, 4 hrs)
Penang is indeed a food paradise ! I must have put on at least 3kg in 4 days !
Day 31 – Penang to Singapore (720km, 8 hrs)
Finally, it's come to say goodbye to my friend in Penang, and head back home. The last leg of this journey is a smooth 8-hour ride along the North-South highway.
So, after 67 days on the road, I am finally back in my hometown Singapore.
As I looked back, here are some of the most memorable moments of my trip.
Most enjoyable ride : sweeping bends up and down the mountains in Mae Salong and Doi Tung
Most stressful ride : Tackling the rush-hour traffic in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, and crossing those roundabouts with the endless stream of local motorcycles streaming through.
Most helpless moment : Dropping the bike on a really remote hill near Phonsavan, trying in vain to lift the bike over the mud, and having to wait more than an hour for help from a passing car.
Most difficult border crossing : Getting stuck in Ha Tien border crossing, back and forth for 6 times and having to negotiate a bribe to get across
Most enjoyable local experience : Khmer cooking class in Battambang
Most painful ride : Banging through the countless potholes from Udomxai to Pak Mong, and from Phonsavan to Vang Vieng
Most amazing sunrise : The dramatic view on the summit of Pu Chi Fa national park
Most amazing sunset : the fascinating limestone caves along the river of Vang Vieng
Most memorable breakfast : chicken rice breakfast & 3 cups of illy coffee with the Suong twin brothers in Kompong Thom
Most memorable evening : A wet full-moon party at Koh Phangan
Favorite beverage : BeerLao !
Favorite local dish : Beef Lok Lak
I hope you have enjoyed this photo diary. I like to leave you all with my favorite quote, and I hope this quote will inspire you to make your dreams come alive, just like mine.
“Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming – “WOW – What a Ride ! "
If I can be of help in your trip planning across Indochina, feel free to drop me a note.
Daniel Tan
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