a solo 7000-mile Indochina ride [ SG-MY-TH-LA-KH-VN ]

tabernacle · April 24, 2012

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Fellow bikers,

I would like to share with all my recent motorcycle adventure across Indochina from January to March 2012. This report takes the form of a photo diary, as I believe this will best bring out the beauty and mood of the places and people I have visited during this trip. Hope you all will enjoy the read !

So why did I do this trip alone ?

First, it was really challenging to find a riding partner among my friends who can take a long leave from work. More importantly, a solo ride across Indochina have always been on my bucket list since I had a bad motorcycle accident in Thailand six years ago. Deep inside me, I knew that if I don't act on this opportunity now (while I am still young and physically fit), I will one day look back and regret.

I am deeply grateful to other riders in this forum biking community for your useful sharing of trip reports as it made the trip preparation so much easier. Hope my photos bring back some fond memories. Live to ride !

Here are some interesting statistics of my Indochina ride before I jump into my trip report ....

Countries covered : Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam

No. of cities visited : 30

No. of overland border crossings : 11

Total distance covered : 11,200 km (7,000 miles)

Total trip duration : 67 days

Total riding days : 31 days

Total riding time : 185 hours

Motorcycle : BMW 1200 GS [2005 model]

Total petrol consumed : 615 litres

No. of traffic accidents : 0

No. of times bike dropped : 8

No. of vehicle breakdowns : 0

Here's a map to give you all an idea of the route I took.

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Riding Day 1 â€“ SG to Hatyai (946km, 11hrs)

Went to bed early at 8pm the previous night, but kept tossing around in bed. Guess I was too excited about the trip to sleep well. Felt relieved when the alarm clock finally rang at 3:30am. After a simple breakfast at a coffeeshop downstairs, I got on my bike at 4:30am and started making my way towards the checkpoint at Second Link Tuas. Topped up petrol at GP Esso station and began the boring ascent up north along North-South highway. Other than making a few petrol stops, the journey was smooth except for a couple of traffic police roadblocks near Ipoh.

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Reached my preferred Padang Besar checkpoint at around 1pm. Cleared the immigration and got my temporary import forms sorted out within 30minutes.

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Stopped by my favorite Cafe Amazon at the PTT petrol station to have a much-needed caffeine fix while I dry my t-shirts.

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Arrived Hatyai town and checked into my favorite Hat Yai Rama hotel. I love the secured carpark just behind the hotel, which have a direct access to the rooms without having to leave the building. Got the usual walk-in rate of 690 Baht. After a quick dinner, I went for a much needed 3-hr foot + body massage nearby the hotel, before heading back for an early night rest.

(Hat Yai Rama Hotel - 6.998105, 100.471615)

Day 2 â€“ Hatyai to Phuket (430km, 7hrs)

Woke up early at 4am, cleaned up and checked out of hotel, hit the road at 5am. Visited my friend at his medical manufacturing plant in central Phuket and then followed him to his nice 3-storey house inside Loch Palm golf course. My friendâ€™s maid then whipped out a nice home-cooked meal while I chilled out at his pool.

Day 3 â€“ Phuket to Hua Hin (628km, 10hrs)

Itâ€™s now become a routine for me to wake up at 4am ! I enjoy the peace and cool weather at this time of the day to pack my personal belongings and load them on the motorcycle.

Stopped by a local vineyard on a mountain which is 20km from Hua Hin town. Managed to have a complimentary wine tasting session and took a quick tour of the vineyard before I head to the town to check in. (Hua Hin Hills Vineyard - 12.527376, 99.705048)

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Stayed at Baan Manthana hotel for only 900 Baht a night. Excellent location near to Chatchai night market with sheltered carpark.(Baan Manthana hotel - 12.570046, 99.955705 )

Had my usual dinner at Chatchai night market. Went for my usual favorite dishesâ€¦.braised glass noodles and stir-fried morning glory for 210Baht !

Day 4 â€“ Hua Hin to Bangkok (200km, 4 hrs)

Decided to make an early start with the hope of getting into downtown Bangkok before the morning rush traffic, so I woke up at 4am, and checked out of Baan Manthana hotel at 4:30am. Traffic was smooth until I hit the traffic lights at Rama 3 around 6:30am. Took me 30 minutes just to crawl slowly across one traffic light as locals pack the roads with cars and motorcycles to send their kids to school.

This short 200km journey took me close to 4 hours ! Arrived in Bangkok at around 8:15am. Checked into my friendâ€™s condo and parked my bike at the underground carpark. After a quick shower, I made my way for a 2-hr body massage at my favorite Health Land joint at Ekkamai.

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Day 5 â€“ Bangkok to Khao Yai (160km, 3hrs))

The journey to Khao Yai is only 3 hours, but I decided to leave Bangkok at 5am to beat the traffic and give myself plenty of time to visit all the vineyards and farms in Khao Yai before checking into the hotel.

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Made my first stop at PB Valley winery, and had a sumptuous american breakfast with an excellent view of the vineyard. (PB Winery - 14.569306, 101.235333)

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Checked into Eco Valley Lodge in Khao Yai. Got a nice bungalow for 1,200Baht comes with hot shower, wifi, The Danish owner Morten was very friendly and himself rides a BMW F650, and spent a while explaining to me the off-the-beaten-track routes I should try on my way up north.

(Eco Valley Lodge - 14.622787, 101.387168)

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There was still some daylight left, so I decided to check out the Khao Yai National Park. Nice winding roads and playful monkeys !

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:::: DanielTan.net ::::

website : http://www.danieltan.net

ride videos : http://www.youtube.com/user/danieltandotnet

tabernacle · April 24, 2012

Day 6 â€“ Khao Yai to Mae Sot (483km, 8 hrs)

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Reached Mae Sot and checked into Phannu House. (Phannu House - 16.714109, 98.561973)

Paid only 400 Baht for a nice cosy room (comes with wifi, air-con, tv, fridge and hot shower!) and rented a moped from the guesthouse for 150Baht(petrol included!) to go to the border 6km away to renew my Thai visa. Was told I can do some sightseeing at the Burmese side as long as I return to the immigration before 5pm.

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After leaving my passport at the Burmese immigration, I spent 2 hours roaming around the streets of the border town Irrawady and had lunch there before heading back to the border.

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tabernacle · April 24, 2012

Day 7 â€“ Mae Sot to Chiang Mai (360km, 7 hrs)

Woke up with a stomach upset and feeling pretty horrible. I suspect it was the fried Burmese chicken balls I ate at the border yesterday. The time is 5am in the morning and cold at 16 degrees outside. Took a couple of aspirins and headed to a nearby 7-Eleven store at the petrol station to get a cup of hot 3-in-1 coffee to warm myself up. The next 2 hours were really challenging as I had to brave the strong cold wind up in the mountains with a feverish weak body. After an hour of riding, I had to put on the rain coat which acted effectively as a windbreaker.

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Stopped by some gigantic road markers on the way to Chiang Mai !

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finally arrived at Rider's Corner cafe at 1pm on a very sunny hot day.

Parked my bike nicely inside the cafe and headed to my room for a much needed shower !

(Ridersâ€™ Corner - 18.794867, 98.993433)

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Next morning, I had a really delicious breakfast at Phil's cafe, and spent my time chatting with his adorable gal.

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Then I booked myself for an afternoon cooking class to brush up my rusty knowledge of Thai food.

The market tour and cooking lessons were relaxing and fun, a great way to spend a lazy afternoon in Chiang Mai.

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Had a few ice cold beer with fellow Singaporean biker Glenn who is riding a nice KTM Adventure.

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papabread79 · April 24, 2012

Excellent! Keep them coming!

tabernacle · April 24, 2012

Day 8 â€“ Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai (200km, 4 hrs)

Phil bid me an early morning farewell as I left Rider's Corner for Chiang Rai

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Arrived in Chiang Rai just before lunchtime, and checked into PS Guesthouse, which is really good value at only 400 Baht a night. (PS Guesthouse - 19.915529, 99.835789)

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My Thai friend owns a huge tea plantation in Mae Chan, so I went to visit her and had tea and dinner at her place.

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I also had the opportunity to ride up to Pu Chi Fa National Park, which is one of the seven wonders of Thailand !

From the dramatic cliff of Phu Chi Fa can be seen spectacular scenes, especially the sea of mist at sunrise. (Pu Chi Fah summit - 19.851089,100.447633)

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Unfortunately the strong wind at the cliff top caused my tripod to lose balance, and broke my expensive camera lens filter. I tried without success to remove the filter, even after going to a few upscale camera shops around Chiang Rai. Finally, I managed to find a run-down camera repair shop that did a superb job at salvaging my lens !

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tabernacle · April 24, 2012

Chiang Rai was celebrating their 750th anniversary, so there were plenty of festivities and celebrations all over the city.

Here are some of the highlights which caught my eye.

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Day 9 â€“ Chiang Rai to Mae Salong and Doi Tung (200km, 5 hrs)

I spent the whole day riding the bike up to the mountains of Mae Salong and Doi Tung.

The nice winding roads up the mountains to Mae Salong are indeed breathtaking and legendary !

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Day 10 - Chiang Rai to Golden Triangle (70km, 1.5hrs)

I left Chiang Rai to visit the infamous Golden Triangle, and on the way made a visit to the very impressive Hall of Opium museum. A classmate happens to own a casino on the Myanmar side of Golden Triangle, so he invited me over for a free night stay at his casino resort. Why not ? I parked my bike at the resort carpark on the Thai side, and there was a boat to ferry me across to the other side. I paid 500 Baht at the Burmese immigration checkpoint and left my passport with immigration officials. (House of Opium - 20.351427, 100.081887)

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tabernacle · April 24, 2012

Day 11 â€“ Golden Triangle to Luang Namtha (via Chiang Khong) (278km, 6.5 hrs))

Reached Chiang Khong border crossing at 9am. It was Sunday and was told by some bikers that the river crossing and ferry does not operate on Sundays. So I just tried my luck and boy must be my lucky day. There was a ferry leaving at 10am, and there were already a lot of cars waiting to board the car ferry. So I quickly got my exit stamp, and bought myself a ferry ticket for 500 Baht.

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Once I reached Huay Sai, I bought a 2-week Laos insurance for the bike for only 200 Baht

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Glad I made it into Laos on a Sunday without any hiccups. Now, I have to start getting used to riding on the right side of the road. Watch out for those animals that love to hog the roads

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I checked into Zuela guesthouse in Luang Namtha, for only 10USD a night, i get a nice cosy twin room with a clean and spacious private shower with hot water ! (Zuela Guesthouse 21.002429, 101.409621)

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After a really long day, it's time for an ice cold BeerLao !

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tabernacle · April 24, 2012

Day 12 â€“ Luang Namtha to Boten, Boten to Udomxai, Udomxai to Luang Prabang (355km, 10hrs)

It was a very misty morning to Boten, and I accidentally dropped my bike when it rolled forward on a down slope while I stopped for a break. Fortunately I was able to get it upright by myself. Was a real good morning workout though !

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Reached the immigration customs checkpoint at Boten around 8am, and there was little traffic.

Stopped by a Chinese restaurant to have some hot spicy noodles. It was so good I had 2 bowls !

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After Boten, I went through some very rough roads with lots of potholes from Udomxai to Pak Mong !

But the reward was some nice landscape after Pak Mong

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Checked into Rattana guesthouse. They have a gated parking area for motorcycles, so I was really happy.

I paid 15USD a night for a double room with a private shower. (Rattana - 19.888695, 102.131792)

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Headed to the local market for some tasty street food, bbq chicken and fish.

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Edited April 24, 2012 by tabernacle

tabernacle · April 24, 2012

Spent the evening walking around the lovely night market in Luang Prabang.

As I was travelling light, I had to resist the temptation for buying anything bulky !

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The restaurants in Luang Prabang are mostly very quaint and relaxing, excellent for chilling out !

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Next morning, I woke up early at 5:30am to catch the monks collecting alms.

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After a nice breakfast at the famous Joma bakery cafe, I decided to cross the Mekong river to walk around a local village to get a better feel of the people living in Luang Prabang.

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tabernacle · April 24, 2012

Spent the next morning at the impressive Kuang Si waterfall, which is half an hour car ride from downtown Luang Prabang. Nice place to cool down and enjoy nature at its best !

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Huge coconuts !

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Some random snapshots of downtown Luang Prabang in the day

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tabernacle · April 24, 2012

Day 13 â€“ Luang Prabang to Phonsavan (270km, 6 hrs)

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Road blocks like these are getting increasingly common !

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Checked into Nice guesthouse for only 10USD a night. Clean functional room and you can park your bike just outside your room literally ! Receptionist was very friendly and provided good guide on where to eat in town. (Nice guesthouse - 19.450214, 103.218902â€Ž )

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The MAG museum provides a great level of detail on the problems of unexploded ordnance that still remains in Laos today, and how MAG is helping to remove them. You can also donate to their cause by buying their T-shirts.

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I spent the whole of next day visiting the Plain of Jars, covering all the 3 sites.

Plenty of off-road riding to get to these sites. Admission fees to these sites are very cheap.

(Plain of Jars Site 1 19.430698, 103.154744

Plain of Jars Site 2 19.321592, 103.152952

Plain of Jars Site 3 19.29620, 103.14694)

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Animals are kings on dirt roads in Laos !

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Mid-day sun can be really scorching and dehydrating .... do drink plenty of water !

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tabernacle · April 24, 2012

Day 14 â€“ Phonsavan to Vang Vieng (280km, 6 hrs)

Was a very foggy morning on the day I left Phonsavan, with very low visibility even in the main town.

Took around 2 hours for the fog to clear, so I had to ride slowly.

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I dropped my bike again on a very muddy slope up the mountains, and this time round, it was impossible to recover the bike on a very awkward position. As it was in a remote part of the province, I waited almost an hour before a vehicle passed by. This is one of those moments that I wished I had a riding partner by my side. Fortunately the helpful driver and his passengers stopped to help me push the bike.

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Absolutely loved the local kids in Laos. They are so adorable and friendly !

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Finally arrived in Vang Vieng after surviving the worst potholes so far.

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Found a cheap guesthouse called Dok Khoun 1 which is right in the heart of all the action.

For only 8USD a night, I get a clean room with private hot shower, cable TV and wifi, not a bad deal ! (Dok Khoun 1 - 18.926037, 102.448188)

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I quickly made friends with the friendly staff at the guesthouse, and soon we were drinking away bottles of BeerLao !

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Time for some local Laos food for dinner. Laab beef, sticky rice and spring rolls ! Yummy !

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tabernacle · April 24, 2012

Here's a glimpse of life in Vang Vieng. Slow pace of life, fascinating landscape and river views !

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egg sandwich to die for ! along the streets of Vang Vieng

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tabernacle · April 24, 2012

Day 15 â€“ 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 !

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Stopped at Syri 1 guest house, then saw a big â€˜We are fullâ€™ 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 showersâ€¦. wow great deal ! I took up the offer straightaway ! (Laos Heritage Hotel - 17.967936, 102.606436)

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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.

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Had a great time feasting on the street side food along Vientiene, and a nice night market to help digest all the food!

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After 2 weeks in Laos and countless bottles of BeerLao, I have become a big fan of this very drinkable beer!

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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)

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Gosh ! I looked tiny in front of the gigantic sleeping buddha statue !

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tabernacle · April 24, 2012

Day 16 â€“ 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.

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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 Dâ€™Ma hotel in Khon Kaen.

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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! (Dâ€™Ma hotel - 16.426914, 102.840837)

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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 !

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Day 17 â€“ 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 couldnâ€™t do much) The receptionist on duty offered an upgrade after I came up with an excuse that I didnâ€™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.

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My experience at the poipet border experience wasnâ€™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 didnâ€™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.

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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.

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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)

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tabernacle · April 24, 2012

Ordered beer at a local coffee shop, and it came with a straw ! something new

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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 ! (Naryâ€™s kitchen - 13.103330, 103.197058)

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My first attempt at cooking beef lok lak, a very popular Khmer dish all over Cambodia.

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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 :

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tabernacle · April 24, 2012

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(Banan temple - 12.951196, 103.145142)

Do you know there is actually a vineyard in Cambodia, and it is in Battambang !

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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)

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The popular bamboo train is still in operation when I visited, and visitors love the fun ride !

(Bamboo Train - 13.068953, 103.217457)

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Day 18 â€“ 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.

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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 â˜º

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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)

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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.

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tabernacle · April 24, 2012

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.

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tabernacle · April 24, 2012

Day 19 â€“ 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)

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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. Itâ€™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)

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Some snapshots of how Kompong Cham looks like. Basically a very laid-back river town.

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Day 20 - â€“ Kompong Cham to Phnom Penh (200km, 3 hrs)

Highlights : Meeting up with Pove @ Flying Bikes

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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)

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tabernacle · April 24, 2012

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Day 21 â€“ 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.

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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)

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Finally I got my bike into Vietnam after all the haggling at the border checkpoint !

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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.

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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.

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tabernacle · April 24, 2012

Ha Tien is a small laid-back border town, so we finished walking the entire area in one afternoon.

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Day 22 â€“ 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.

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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)

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After washing up, i made my way to my favorite Pho24 shop near Ben Thanh market for lunch.

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tabernacle · April 24, 2012

Some highlights of my walking tour around downtown Ho Chi Minh City....

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tabernacle · April 24, 2012

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.

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Day 23 â€“ 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

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(Can Tho market - 10.035647, 105.788389)

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tabernacle · April 24, 2012

Day 24 â€“ Can Tho to Kampot (260km, 7 hrs)

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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.

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Day 25 â€“ 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 !

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