[Discussion] Trips Related

[Pauche]

Originally posted by comics00@Feb 10 2006, 02:50 PM

i having leave on 1-16 April 2006. 16 days leave like this really hard to come by so am thinking of riding through thailand to other countries. with 16 days in hand i am thinking of including cambodia, vietmam & even cross over into china

16 days if u want to cover msia, thai, cambodia, laos, vietnam, china, thailand, msia, i bet you wont enjoy cos basically you will be doing a stop and go at every destination, its like pushing for time daily.....

 

dun have much time to enjoy the scenery or visit places of interest.....

 

have you already have a rough plan of your itinerary?

[comics00]

Originally posted by Pauche@Feb 10 2006, 02:58 PM

16 days if u want to cover msia, thai, cambodia, laos, vietnam, china, thailand, msia, i bet you wont enjoy cos basically you will be doing a stop and go at every destination, its like pushing for time daily.....

 

dun have much time to enjoy the scenery or visit places of interest.....

 

have you already have a rough plan of your itinerary?

only rough idea lah will need to first find interested party that can atleast join me for 10days then we can slowly planning. no neccesary must cover all the countries i mentioned but i would love to atlest cover Malaysia, Thailand & 2 other countries

[Pauche]

Originally posted by comics00@Feb 10 2006, 03:10 PM

only rough idea lah will need to first find interested party that can atleast join me for 10days then we can slowly planning. no neccesary must cover all the countries i mentioned but i would love to atlest cover Malaysia, Thailand & 2 other countries

dun mind i ask, what's your ride?

[Alvin.Y]

and let me throw in another 2 cents

I have been to cambodia on a backpack trip only last dec

 

If assuming and that most probably you are doing a border crossing at aryanphatet/poipet to reach siem reap in cambodia. Good luck, the roads are horrible. Imagine crater-filled 'highway' and 1 way bridges. All 140km full of them

 

 

dreams are good. if properly planned

[comics00]

alamak see the date for the "6D/5N Phuket Bike Week + Songkran Festival '06" wrongly like that mayb i can join u guys in Phuket on the 12April then can ride back to Sg with u

in this case... on the night of 31 Mar i may want to heard right for Cambodia stay ther on 4th & 5th Apr, then on 6th will leave for Myammar stay over on the 9th & 10th, then i will ride to Phuket on the 10th/11th. then we can meet up & enjoin the Songkran Festival

[Pauche]

Originally posted by comics00@Feb 10 2006, 03:24 PM

alamak see the date for the "6D/5N Phuket Bike Week + Songkran Festival '06" wrongly like that mayb i can join u guys in Phuket on the 12April then can ride back to Sg with u

in this case i may want to heard right for Cambodia & leave for Myammar on the 6th, then ride to Phuket on the 10th/11th. then we can meet up & enjoin the Songkran Festival

Heard that there are certain restrictions entering Myanmar, Vietnam and China with your own bike.... do find out more before you start your journey.

 

Your best bet would be Msia, Thai, Cambodia & Laos.

[comics00]

Originally posted by Pauche@Feb 10 2006, 03:19 PM

dun mind i ask, what's your ride?

should be FJR1300 & if i don'tget my delevery by late Mar i will go back to TDM900.

[comics00]

Originally posted by Al-demon@Feb 10 2006, 03:23 PM

and let me throw in another 2 cents

I have been to cambodia on a backpack trip only last dec

 

If assuming and that most probably you are doing a border crossing at aryanphatet/poipet to reach siem reap in cambodia. Good luck, the roads are horrible. Imagine crater-filled 'highway' and 1 way bridges. All 140km full of them

 

 

dreams are good. if properly planned

that's y i need interested party to join in detail planning. i knwn ppl who have ride into Cambodia, will go get advise from them

[Pauche]

Originally posted by comics00@Feb 10 2006, 03:24 PM

then we can meet up & enjoin the Songkran Festival

I have a Thai colleague who told me that its more fun to enjoy songkran in chiangmai... they play water for one whole month!

 

i wonder if they scoop out the water from the river that surrounds the perimeter of the town....

[comics00]

Originally posted by Pauche@Feb 10 2006, 03:30 PM

Heard that there are certain restrictions entering Myanmar, Vietnam and China with your own bike.... do find out more before you start your journey.

 

Your best bet would be Msia, Thai, Cambodia & Laos.

u know of any rider that has ride into Cambodia & Laos? can intro pls? heard that they have a bridge crossing direct into Myammar then there should be ways for us to cross over. there was restriction before but now think no have liao. use to need visa to get into China (communist) but now no need liao & i guess myammar & viet maybe easier now. i will go find out from the authorities. thanks.

[Simon Soh]

Last month's trip we didnt aware of some interesting places like Mae Kam Pong, a very village town just miles away from Chiang Mai.

[nkan0]

Originally posted by Simon Soh@Feb 19 2006, 11:08 PM

Last month's trip we didnt aware of some interesting places like Mae Kam Pong, a very village town just miles away from Chiang Mai.

so what's soo interesting abt Mae Kam Pong???

 

CAre to elaborate Simon???

 

[Simon Soh]

Originally posted by n@kan0@Feb 20 2006, 01:16 AM

so what's soo interesting abt Mae Kam Pong???

 

CAre to elaborate Simon???

 

n@kan0,

 

the route to this village provide great curves for riding, sun rise & sun set scenery, an undisturb village of her own from civilisation.

 

there r several other fascinating places their touring agent knew & dont cover in their package tour, those r places we will feel nature of it's own & plants bloomed during their winter season much as I was told.

 

guess we missed these all...

[Pauche]

Originally posted by Simon Soh@Feb 20 2006, 01:51 AM

n@kan0,

 

the route to this village provide great curves for riding, sun rise & sun set scenery, an undisturb village of her own from civilisation.

 

there r several other fascinating places their touring agent knew & dont cover in their package tour, those r places we will feel nature of it's own & plants bloomed during their winter season much as I was told.

 

guess we missed these all...

can do it this year end mah....

[Simon Soh]

Originally posted by Pauche@Feb 20 2006, 08:50 AM

can do it this year end mah....

Pauche,

 

we'll see how it goes.... if this trip is confirmed, our itinerary will include few days of hilltribe stay.

 

bit difference from just biking up & down, we'll get to experience nature.

[Pauche]

Originally posted by Simon Soh@Feb 21 2006, 12:27 AM

Pauche,

 

we'll see how it goes.... if this trip is confirmed, our itinerary will include few days of hilltribe stay.

 

bit difference from just biking up & down, we'll get to experience nature.

we'll have to sit down and plan in depth for some of the destinations....

[Simon Soh]

Originally posted by Pauche@Feb 21 2006, 12:44 AM

we'll have to sit down and plan in depth for some of the destinations....

Pauche,

 

we'll discuss it after I got more info.

 

once it's finalised it will be totally different experience..

[Pauche]

Originally posted by Simon Soh@Feb 21 2006, 01:26 AM

Pauche,

 

we'll discuss it after I got more info.

 

once it's finalised it will be totally different experience..

looking at 23 Dec 2006 to 07 Jan 2007......16 Day. (only need to take 7 days annual leave)

[Simon Soh]

Originally posted by Pauche@Feb 21 2006, 02:18 AM

looking at 23 Dec 2006 to 07 Jan 2007......16 Day. (only need to take 7 days annual leave)

 

Pauche,

 

this time u organise it ok since u have the dates written, I'll follow if I think I can make it.

[Pauche]

Originally posted by Simon Soh@Feb 21 2006, 01:08 PM

Pauche,

 

this time u organise it ok since u have the dates written, I'll follow if I think I can make it.

emptyvessel said he is organising mah....

 

http://www.singaporebikes.com/forum/index....howtopic=107025

 

[xiaowang]

Anybody knows of a trip to Cameron Highlands organised here on the 29th of APril?

 

Did a search but could not find it. Cheers.

[zod]

Organising 1 in mid may

12, 13, 14

12th is friday, vesak day

[Pauche]

Inner Mongolia Tour

[Pauche]

Hanoi to Paris - 2002

 

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/mathieu.bringer/Photos/PhotoPageGarde.jpg

 

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/mathieu.bringer/Itineraire/Images/Monde.jpg

[Pauche]

Taken off New Zealand to Japan in 78 Days

 

http://anton.architype.co.nz/albums/By-Motorcycle-to-Japan/Trip_Map.sized.jpg

 

Trip Stats

 

Total biked kilometers: ~13320 km

Petrol Cost: NZ$592.19 (approx 75 tanks, of the order of 600 litres)

Oil used: about 25 litres, including oil changes (better than 500km/litre! Oo-er)

Replacements and repairs: excluding my valve guide problems and related bent valves and broken timing sprocket, the list is minor – front and rear brakes (which weren't replaced on my pre-trip overhaul), one rear tyre (also wasn't new), speedo cable, a few fuses, battery water, battery (unnecessary, but it was cheap), toolbox brackets (broke twice), toolbox endcap (lost in Vietnam), bent kickstand straightened and strengthened, brake light, pannier brackets (twice), handbrake lever, a couple of new oil filters and a sparkplug clean and airfilter clean.

 

Number of photos taken: 2515 (so for all those who have complimented me on my selection – the answer is quantity!)

 

Cheapest petrol: Cambodia, Vietnam and China were all around NZ$0.85, but surprisingly, it was Malaysia where I never paid more than NZ$5 to fill my tank, which means it must have cost less than NZ$0.80 per litre.

Most expensive petrol: NZ$1.52 at Barkley Roadhouse, Northern Territory, Australia.

Longest stretch with no petrol station: about 264km, east of the Barkley Roadhouse, Northern Territory Australia.

 

Worst road: From Poi Pet (Thai-Cambodian border) to Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Most impressive road: Bangkok Ring Road Number 9 – where it existed, it was up to eight super-wide lanes across, with an immaculate surface. Expressways in Japan are faultless, but China's expressways are disqualified due to their anti-motorcycle discrimination.

Most enjoyable road: Ho Chi Minh Trail, Central Vietnam.

 

Slowest riding: 30kph or less. The Poi Pet – Siem Reap road in Cambodia, although traffic in the south of Vietnam made passage not much faster, although the road was better.

Fastest riding: Around 100-105kph. Most of Australia, but also the expressway in China and Japan.

Longest ride (most kilometers): 664km – straddling the petrol-less stretch in Northern Territory, Australia (there weren't more than a couple of places where it was worth stopping!) Honourable mention – 626km on the day I snuck onto the Chinese expressway.

 

Best traffic: Well, not much of it in the Northern Territory... 5-10 cars an hour tops.

Worst traffic (busiest): Probably south Vietnam.

Worst traffic (driver behaviour): Between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, Cambodia

 

Cheapest accommodation: NZ$4.50 per night - Thai Lee Hotel, Thailand – with clean sheets and en suite, plus a lobby to dismantle my bike in!

Most expensive accommodation (before Japan): NZ$24.13 per night – Burleigh Beach Tourist Park, Gold Coast, Australia. For a grassless patch of clay to erect my tent. To top it off, this was the only campsite I stayed in in the whole of Australia that had no pool, so these guys get the Hamilton2Japan Bad Value Award.

 

Cheapest Beer: Shanghai, China – 3 yuan (NZ 57c) for a 640ml bottle

Least favourite food: The meat in some Chinese and Vietnamese dishes, which, although the flavour was nice, had either 80% fat, or hundreds of little shards of chicken bone. Some of the Japanese pickled or fermented vegetables are up there too, although I find most Japanese food quite good.

Favourite food: The majority of Thai dishes, although preferably served in a slightly higher-budget setting, and with a foreigner-adjusted level of spiciness.

 

Least favourite country: I don't have any countries I didn't enjoy travelling through. I guess all I can put here is the wish that China “modernize” their regulations soon.

Favourite country: Thailand. For me it was the best blend between the first and third world. The people seem friendly and polite without being either overly familiar or too standoffish. Life is lived on the street enough that it is easy and cheap to accomplish most things, yet they have a very respectable infrastructure. And the food is great.

 

Special pre-trip thanks: Len Caley for much advice, encouragement, equipment and manufacturing expertise. And Jono Ross, for hosting my photograph collection.

Special on-the-trip thanks: The Glaum family, and Wendy's Aunt Helen, for places to stay while waiting for bike shipments in Brisbane and Darwin respectively.

 

Worst moment: Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand - After a day and a half of bike fixing, I start her up and she runs beautifully, for about 100m down the road when there is a sickening, grinding crunch... followed by despairing silence and dawning knowledge of the cause.

Most stressed moment: Trying to find the ferry company in Shanghai. Other things were frustrating or annoying, but that was the one time I was in a bit of a flap.

Second-best moment: Getting let into China, although at the time it felt very surreal and unemotional. At the time I wasn't sure if I'd be pulled over at any moment. But, as this was the weakest point in my trip plans, achieving this really symbolized being able to complete the trip.

Best moment: Of course, reaching my goal, Onohara, and seeing Wendy again.

 

 

Conclusion

This trip was by no means the biggest or most adventurous one that has been done (see http://horizonsunlimited.com/links/#Travellers), nor am I by any stretch a professional writer. Yet I have written this story to share what was a significant step for me, and I hope that you will be inspired to take your own “big step”. I'm definitely not going to start preaching here, but as a parting thought it often seems to me that too many people around me seem to be crippled by their fears (or even practicality :-) ), and end up living a bland existence that they aren't really happy with.