N4TI*N ADVLux 2012/2013.
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23Nov Day 1 Kuala Lumpur - Hatyai.
All eleven bikes and riders gathered at the Sg Buloh RnR at 0630. We also had 5 other bikes as a send-off party joiniing in.
Assir and his son on a GSA, Sebastian on a K1600GT, Dato' Sheikh on his RT, Amir on his Explorer and Cee Kay on his 1200GS.
Having had light breakfast we rolled Northwards to cover 180kms to the next rest stop at Simpang Pulai RnR. Weather was great,
with light overcast bringing the morning temperature down a tad.
RnR Sg Buloh
Hitting the road
Sean
SP Lee
Amir on his Explorer
We cleared the Border formalities within 30 minutes and headed straight to the loading yard,
just 10kms south of Thailand's biggest Southern city, Hatyai.
Seb and Assir played a big role loading our bikes onto the trailer.
Bikes loaded with the lorry driver looking out.
Mel with Ampan, our Thai Agent going through the necessary documents.
Loading complete we rode in two prearranged vans to a hotel to wash up before heading to the train station.
Tallying up the cost.
Hatyai Train Station was just 5 minutes from our short time hotel.
We were not terribly impressed with the train initially
But it turned out to be a very cosy and comfortable place to spend the next 12 hours when the beds were made up.
Everyone had a good night's sleep. When i awoke the next morning, I had a shock when i thought Gandhi decided to join us,
but was quickly disappointed to realise that it was just Mel
Another part of the train
Come morning as we passed Hua Hin, we 'took over' the buffet coach. Simple but pretty good breakfast.
Coffee tasted good as we rolled through the scenery
Bruce and Margaret Conrad, married 46 years still found time to whisper sweet nothings.
They were like children in a toyshop.
We reached Ban Pong, a small town just outside Bangkok at 0800, right on schedule.
Our two vans were waiting to ferry us to Kanchanaburi, 70kms away.
Our first stop was for brunch at a floating restaurant just outside Kanchanaburi.
Interesting sign - Ladies Toilet.
After checking in the River Kwai Hotel, we rested, then in the evening we went for dinner at a fancy restaurant.
Then we headed to a roadside pub where Dean gave an impromptu performance.
Dean on stage
The ride back to the hotel was a fun one. We had a small race ; Tuk Tuk VS Tuk Tuk.
Riding the train and using the lorry to transport our bikes means avoiding 1,100km of straight roads that passes
through more of the same scenery of populated areas, and also saves us an unnecessary stopover which is better
spent in Kanchanaburi.
All eleven bikes and riders gathered at the Sg Buloh RnR at 0630. We also had 5 other bikes as a send-off party joiniing in.
Assir and his son on a GSA, Sebastian on a K1600GT, Dato' Sheikh on his RT, Amir on his Explorer and Cee Kay on his 1200GS.
Having had light breakfast we rolled Northwards to cover 180kms to the next rest stop at Simpang Pulai RnR. Weather was great,
with light overcast bringing the morning temperature down a tad.
RnR Sg Buloh
Hitting the road
Sean
SP Lee
Amir on his Explorer
We cleared the Border formalities within 30 minutes and headed straight to the loading yard,
just 10kms south of Thailand's biggest Southern city, Hatyai.
Seb and Assir played a big role loading our bikes onto the trailer.
Bikes loaded with the lorry driver looking out.
Mel with Ampan, our Thai Agent going through the necessary documents.
Loading complete we rode in two prearranged vans to a hotel to wash up before heading to the train station.
Tallying up the cost.
Hatyai Train Station was just 5 minutes from our short time hotel.
We were not terribly impressed with the train initially
But it turned out to be a very cosy and comfortable place to spend the next 12 hours when the beds were made up.
Everyone had a good night's sleep. When i awoke the next morning, I had a shock when i thought Gandhi decided to join us,
but was quickly disappointed to realise that it was just Mel
Another part of the train
Come morning as we passed Hua Hin, we 'took over' the buffet coach. Simple but pretty good breakfast.
Coffee tasted good as we rolled through the scenery
Bruce and Margaret Conrad, married 46 years still found time to whisper sweet nothings.
They were like children in a toyshop.
We reached Ban Pong, a small town just outside Bangkok at 0800, right on schedule.
Our two vans were waiting to ferry us to Kanchanaburi, 70kms away.
Our first stop was for brunch at a floating restaurant just outside Kanchanaburi.
Interesting sign - Ladies Toilet.
After checking in the River Kwai Hotel, we rested, then in the evening we went for dinner at a fancy restaurant.
Then we headed to a roadside pub where Dean gave an impromptu performance.
Dean on stage
The ride back to the hotel was a fun one. We had a small race ; Tuk Tuk VS Tuk Tuk.
Riding the train and using the lorry to transport our bikes means avoiding 1,100km of straight roads that passes
through more of the same scenery of populated areas, and also saves us an unnecessary stopover which is better
spent in Kanchanaburi.
25Nov Day 3 Kanchanaburi
Right on schedule our bikes arrived at the Hotel Car park and Sean, Sam and the others wasted no time unloading our precious cargo
We met a group of 4 Malaysian riders who arrived last night as they were about to depart for Chiangmai on the same route
we will be riding on tomorrow.
Unlike us, they rode all the way from KL, Malaysia.We took photos with them before they departed.
Later we went to the War Memorial, followed by a visit to the excellent War Museum.The charming town of
Kanchanaburi has a dark history behind it.
Set where the Khwae Noi and Khwae Yai rivers converge into the Mae Klong river, its location at the edge of the
Tannesserim Hills keeps it much cooler than the other provinces of central Thailand.
In 1942 Kanchanaburi was under Japanese control. It was here that Asian forced labourers and Allied POWs,
building the infamous Burma Railway, constructed a bridge; a movie about this was made by Sir David Lean called
"Bridge on the River Kwai" won a few Oscars . About 160,000 soldiers and forced laboureres were involved,
and more than half died due malnourishment, ill treatment and diseases.
After the war a number of Japanese Officer Soldiers were tried for War Crimes, resulting in death and life imprisonment for many.
Little known fact is the although the Allies Soldiers are celebrated the highest death tolls were Malay and Tamil laborers.
About 55,000 died there compared to under 10,000 POWS. Conditions were so bad even the Japanese lost more than 3,000 to
disease and malnourishment.
The excellent War Museum
The Cemetery
After the War Museum we proceeded to the famous Bridge Over River Kwai, 4 kms away.
These two plaques was all there is that marks the involvement of the Malays and Tamils in the Death Railway, 55,000 deaths, and just two broken plaques.
The famous "Orient Express" makes a detour from its route to Bangkok, offering its passengers to ride the train
over the bridge before turning back to Bangkok.
From the bridge the group split, one van going to the Tiger Temple, Hellfire Pass and also the waterfalls. i opted to skip the drive,
preferring to just chill out in Kanchanaburi.
The Tiger Temple
Wild Boar, Tiger food perhaps....
Tigers
Eddy with the Tigers
Tomorrow the real riding starts with about 420kms of highway followed by 85km of meandering hilly roads,
marking the start of the reason why this route was chosen.
Right on schedule our bikes arrived at the Hotel Car park and Sean, Sam and the others wasted no time unloading our precious cargo
We met a group of 4 Malaysian riders who arrived last night as they were about to depart for Chiangmai on the same route
we will be riding on tomorrow.
Unlike us, they rode all the way from KL, Malaysia.We took photos with them before they departed.
Later we went to the War Memorial, followed by a visit to the excellent War Museum.The charming town of
Kanchanaburi has a dark history behind it.
Set where the Khwae Noi and Khwae Yai rivers converge into the Mae Klong river, its location at the edge of the
Tannesserim Hills keeps it much cooler than the other provinces of central Thailand.
In 1942 Kanchanaburi was under Japanese control. It was here that Asian forced labourers and Allied POWs,
building the infamous Burma Railway, constructed a bridge; a movie about this was made by Sir David Lean called
"Bridge on the River Kwai" won a few Oscars . About 160,000 soldiers and forced laboureres were involved,
and more than half died due malnourishment, ill treatment and diseases.
After the war a number of Japanese Officer Soldiers were tried for War Crimes, resulting in death and life imprisonment for many.
Little known fact is the although the Allies Soldiers are celebrated the highest death tolls were Malay and Tamil laborers.
About 55,000 died there compared to under 10,000 POWS. Conditions were so bad even the Japanese lost more than 3,000 to
disease and malnourishment.
The excellent War Museum
The Cemetery
After the War Museum we proceeded to the famous Bridge Over River Kwai, 4 kms away.
These two plaques was all there is that marks the involvement of the Malays and Tamils in the Death Railway, 55,000 deaths, and just two broken plaques.
The famous "Orient Express" makes a detour from its route to Bangkok, offering its passengers to ride the train
over the bridge before turning back to Bangkok.
From the bridge the group split, one van going to the Tiger Temple, Hellfire Pass and also the waterfalls. i opted to skip the drive,
preferring to just chill out in Kanchanaburi.
The Tiger Temple
Wild Boar, Tiger food perhaps....
Tigers
Eddy with the Tigers
Tomorrow the real riding starts with about 420kms of highway followed by 85km of meandering hilly roads,
marking the start of the reason why this route was chosen.
26Nov Day 4 Kanchanaburi - Mae Sot, 505km
We woke up to an untypically warm balmy morning. The sky was dull and overcast when it should be nicely
blue with temperatures cooler as the winter months should be. Ahead lies 400kms of highway before we reach the junction
that turns towards Mae Sot. The road will wind its way over the Tanasserim Hills, a 'low altitude' mountain range that begins in
the Himalayas and ends in Peninsula Malaysia. The plan was to leave the Hotel pretty early.
Kamarul and SP Lee looking at the map, great for orientation even when using GPS.
Sean and Eddy Tan cross checking their GPS.
Pre Ride Briefing
We rode off right on schedule, first stop, the Bridge for some cam-whoring.
The Group Pix
The Americans with the Malaysian Flag with the Bridge Over River Kwai in the background.
Sam and Mel.
Dato' Kamarul
After 15 minutes there we got ready to move
Cristian on his RTW GSA heading towards Chainat.
It got bright but hotter in the late morning.
Dean flew this Ducati from Kuching, Borneo, where he comes from.
After two coffee stops at Cafe Amazon, and having covered 400kms, the Conrads found themselves at the junction that leads to Mae Sot.
Onwards towards Mae Sot.
Alex was the only one on a single, his Tenere left KL with just 1,000km on the clock and his plan is to ride the world in the next 3 years.
Just 35km from Mae Sot we saw this Coffee shop set at a nice viewpoint. We stopped there as we were early.
Mel and Cristian checking out the photos.
Simon, Cristian, SP Lee & Sean.
Alex with the Conrads
Chilling out.
We rode off after an hour onto the gently meandering road.
The sky was dark, threatening rain that never came.
We reached Mae Sot, checked into the Duang Kamon Hotel ( not so good but its only for one quick nightstop ) and promptly went out for dinner.
We found a nice muslim restaurant facing the biggest mosque in Mae Sot.
The route we rode today.
We slept early, eagerly looking forward to next day's riding on the R105 which leads to Mae Sariang and eventually Mae Hong Son.
We woke up to an untypically warm balmy morning. The sky was dull and overcast when it should be nicely
blue with temperatures cooler as the winter months should be. Ahead lies 400kms of highway before we reach the junction
that turns towards Mae Sot. The road will wind its way over the Tanasserim Hills, a 'low altitude' mountain range that begins in
the Himalayas and ends in Peninsula Malaysia. The plan was to leave the Hotel pretty early.
Kamarul and SP Lee looking at the map, great for orientation even when using GPS.
Sean and Eddy Tan cross checking their GPS.
Pre Ride Briefing
We rode off right on schedule, first stop, the Bridge for some cam-whoring.
The Group Pix
The Americans with the Malaysian Flag with the Bridge Over River Kwai in the background.
Sam and Mel.
Dato' Kamarul
After 15 minutes there we got ready to move
Cristian on his RTW GSA heading towards Chainat.
It got bright but hotter in the late morning.
Dean flew this Ducati from Kuching, Borneo, where he comes from.
After two coffee stops at Cafe Amazon, and having covered 400kms, the Conrads found themselves at the junction that leads to Mae Sot.
Onwards towards Mae Sot.
Alex was the only one on a single, his Tenere left KL with just 1,000km on the clock and his plan is to ride the world in the next 3 years.
Just 35km from Mae Sot we saw this Coffee shop set at a nice viewpoint. We stopped there as we were early.
Mel and Cristian checking out the photos.
Simon, Cristian, SP Lee & Sean.
Alex with the Conrads
Chilling out.
We rode off after an hour onto the gently meandering road.
The sky was dark, threatening rain that never came.
We reached Mae Sot, checked into the Duang Kamon Hotel ( not so good but its only for one quick nightstop ) and promptly went out for dinner.
We found a nice muslim restaurant facing the biggest mosque in Mae Sot.
The route we rode today.
We slept early, eagerly looking forward to next day's riding on the R105 which leads to Mae Sariang and eventually Mae Hong Son.
27Nov Day 5 Mae Sot - Mae Hong Son, 404km
Everyone was pretty excited knowing they will be riding the R105 which from Mae Sariang marks part of the 1864 Curves Loop.
I looked at the skies which started out overcast as I remember the R105 had about 35km of hard packed clay which would have a
pretty dramatic effect on my fully loaded half tonne GSA if the surface is wet. Rain would not be good.
Breakfast
First stop will be the Mae Sot Border. We leave on time.
the border post was just 5km from the Hotel.
Cristian promptly posed his trade mark pose.
Cam-whoring
Me n the wife.
the Mandatory Group Photo.
Back on the R105
And the blue skies returns with a vengeance
Before long we passed by this UNHCR run refugee camp. Up to 80,000 used to stay her. Minorities of Burma,
now Myanmar, they are placed here from many other small camps scattered along the Thai / Myanmar border.
This camp was established in the early 80s, and many who are born here have never stepped foot into the outside world.
We stopped here.
What fate await these kids?
We leave the Camp after 30 minutes, everyone riding at their own pace as many want to stop for photographs.
We agreed to RV at Mae Sariang, 160km ahead.
If the helmet was transparent, you'd see a wide grin on SP's face
The road hugs the border of Myanmar, which lies across the River. The Mae Nam Salween eventually turns West
and ends empties itself into the Bay of Bengal.
The R105 departs the border and ahead of us lies this heavenly meandering strip of smooth grippy tarmac, devoid of traffic,
potholes and bumps. Just awesome. I remember from my last trip this stretch ends abruptly into a gravel trap. Not this time.
The gravel stretch is now less than 10km. But the potholed washboard road surface is still there for quite a distance.
I remember this rock formation from my last trip. The road beside it then was gravel.
This turn that Sean had fun skimming his panniers was also gravel previously.
Now worthy of a Panigale knee scraping ride.
Eventually the gravel bits turns up.
I was talking to Bruce, saying its a good thing its dry otherwise things can get slippery. Just then this
water truck turns up spraying water onto the surface.
Gravel surface was a piece of cake.
The gravel track eventually turned into potholed tarmac whih gradually improved as we approach Mae Sariang.
By noon we stopped at this nice Riverside Restaurant/Motel for lunch. Good food that comes slow.
The skies once again threatens rain as we left the lunch stop.
And the rain did come.
We rode gingerly.....grip was a premium...
Thankfully it dried up way before Khun Yuam. This stretch I remember as very beautiful.
We stopped for coffee.
The sun was low as we rode the last 55km to Mae Hong Son.
Our last stop was just 18km from Mae Hong Son, at this viewpoint.
By the time we checked in at mae Hong Son, everyone had a huge grin on their faces. It was a great 404km from Mae Sod. There was everything we expected and anticipated and more. Tomorrow we will do a short ride to Pai. More twisties ahead. All 762 0f them. The boys can't wait.
Our Route today.
Video of the Excellent Khun Yuam Section.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rhTmir4BYoQ
Everyone was pretty excited knowing they will be riding the R105 which from Mae Sariang marks part of the 1864 Curves Loop.
I looked at the skies which started out overcast as I remember the R105 had about 35km of hard packed clay which would have a
pretty dramatic effect on my fully loaded half tonne GSA if the surface is wet. Rain would not be good.
Breakfast
First stop will be the Mae Sot Border. We leave on time.
the border post was just 5km from the Hotel.
Cristian promptly posed his trade mark pose.
Cam-whoring
Me n the wife.
the Mandatory Group Photo.
Back on the R105
And the blue skies returns with a vengeance
Before long we passed by this UNHCR run refugee camp. Up to 80,000 used to stay her. Minorities of Burma,
now Myanmar, they are placed here from many other small camps scattered along the Thai / Myanmar border.
This camp was established in the early 80s, and many who are born here have never stepped foot into the outside world.
We stopped here.
What fate await these kids?
We leave the Camp after 30 minutes, everyone riding at their own pace as many want to stop for photographs.
We agreed to RV at Mae Sariang, 160km ahead.
If the helmet was transparent, you'd see a wide grin on SP's face
The road hugs the border of Myanmar, which lies across the River. The Mae Nam Salween eventually turns West
and ends empties itself into the Bay of Bengal.
The R105 departs the border and ahead of us lies this heavenly meandering strip of smooth grippy tarmac, devoid of traffic,
potholes and bumps. Just awesome. I remember from my last trip this stretch ends abruptly into a gravel trap. Not this time.
The gravel stretch is now less than 10km. But the potholed washboard road surface is still there for quite a distance.
I remember this rock formation from my last trip. The road beside it then was gravel.
This turn that Sean had fun skimming his panniers was also gravel previously.
Now worthy of a Panigale knee scraping ride.
Eventually the gravel bits turns up.
I was talking to Bruce, saying its a good thing its dry otherwise things can get slippery. Just then this
water truck turns up spraying water onto the surface.
Gravel surface was a piece of cake.
The gravel track eventually turned into potholed tarmac whih gradually improved as we approach Mae Sariang.
By noon we stopped at this nice Riverside Restaurant/Motel for lunch. Good food that comes slow.
The skies once again threatens rain as we left the lunch stop.
And the rain did come.
We rode gingerly.....grip was a premium...
Thankfully it dried up way before Khun Yuam. This stretch I remember as very beautiful.
We stopped for coffee.
The sun was low as we rode the last 55km to Mae Hong Son.
Our last stop was just 18km from Mae Hong Son, at this viewpoint.
By the time we checked in at mae Hong Son, everyone had a huge grin on their faces. It was a great 404km from Mae Sod. There was everything we expected and anticipated and more. Tomorrow we will do a short ride to Pai. More twisties ahead. All 762 0f them. The boys can't wait.
Our Route today.
Video of the Excellent Khun Yuam Section.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rhTmir4BYoQ
28Nov Day 6 Mae Hong Son - Pai , 110km
Today will be a short ride covering just 110kms but traversing 762 corners. We will take our time.
The plan is to visit the Long Neck Village near Mae Hong Son. I am not really keen because i feel like we are going to a human zoo,
but when I found out the the settlement at Ban Mai Noi Sio is quite some way off the beaten path, I thought it may be worth our time. The detour will add 30kms to our trip, so that may be interesting.
Before we leave town, a customary visit to the local tourism office to get the 1864 certificate will be in order.
We left town at 0800, riding through a short cut that takes us through some rural village road.
Updating the coordinates for the offroad bit.
Getting to the settlement involved 15kms of light offroading.
A small 'contribution' before entering the settlement.
The settlement. this is definitely not a popular. It was devoid of tourists which was good for us.
the school.
the locals
we left after an hour.
Tarmac again.
Before long we rejoined the excellent R1095. Very light traffic on this day. Yea.
Had GREAT FUN hustling my almost half tonne GSA chasing Alex on his Tenere on the R1095 till Fish Cave.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hgFW9JccIg
We stopped at Fish Cave Park for coffee.
The fun along R1095 continued
Steep hairpins, sometimes down to 1st gear
We stopped at this viewpoint.
Of course the obligatory self gratifying Group picture.
Alex wanted a picture. Just happened that my wife and I were in the frame "accidentally."
The ride on R1095 picks up again to the next viewpoint.
The last viewpoint before Pai.
Cam Whoring.
Onwards to Pai.
Pai.
First stop was the Riverside for late lunch.
We reluctantly left the Riverside and made our way to the Resort.
The road to the Hotel was so pretty. I called it "Field of Dreams."
The Cam-Whoring resumes earnestly.
Onwards to the hotel
Pai Tree House Resort
Cristian's trademark pose.
Celebrating our arrival.
Time to chill out.
Nice sunset this evening. Cam-Whoring carries on.
Aaaaah wifi.....
We retired after dinner.
Short ride indeed. But a really nice route. Plenty to see. Awesome roads. Chicken strips on the tyres all gone.
Pai is great. So we decided to stay an additional night here.
Our short 140km route today.
Today will be a short ride covering just 110kms but traversing 762 corners. We will take our time.
The plan is to visit the Long Neck Village near Mae Hong Son. I am not really keen because i feel like we are going to a human zoo,
but when I found out the the settlement at Ban Mai Noi Sio is quite some way off the beaten path, I thought it may be worth our time. The detour will add 30kms to our trip, so that may be interesting.
Before we leave town, a customary visit to the local tourism office to get the 1864 certificate will be in order.
We left town at 0800, riding through a short cut that takes us through some rural village road.
Updating the coordinates for the offroad bit.
Getting to the settlement involved 15kms of light offroading.
A small 'contribution' before entering the settlement.
The settlement. this is definitely not a popular. It was devoid of tourists which was good for us.
the school.
the locals
we left after an hour.
Tarmac again.
Before long we rejoined the excellent R1095. Very light traffic on this day. Yea.
Had GREAT FUN hustling my almost half tonne GSA chasing Alex on his Tenere on the R1095 till Fish Cave.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hgFW9JccIg
We stopped at Fish Cave Park for coffee.
The fun along R1095 continued
Steep hairpins, sometimes down to 1st gear
We stopped at this viewpoint.
Of course the obligatory self gratifying Group picture.
Alex wanted a picture. Just happened that my wife and I were in the frame "accidentally."
The ride on R1095 picks up again to the next viewpoint.
The last viewpoint before Pai.
Cam Whoring.
Onwards to Pai.
Pai.
First stop was the Riverside for late lunch.
We reluctantly left the Riverside and made our way to the Resort.
The road to the Hotel was so pretty. I called it "Field of Dreams."
The Cam-Whoring resumes earnestly.
Onwards to the hotel
Pai Tree House Resort
Cristian's trademark pose.
Celebrating our arrival.
Time to chill out.
Nice sunset this evening. Cam-Whoring carries on.
Aaaaah wifi.....
We retired after dinner.
Short ride indeed. But a really nice route. Plenty to see. Awesome roads. Chicken strips on the tyres all gone.
Pai is great. So we decided to stay an additional night here.
Our short 140km route today.
29Nov Day 7 Pai.
It was a very quick decision we made to stay another day in Pai rather than Chiangmai.
The people of Pai's main pre-occupation was generally agriculture before turning to Tourism sometime in mid 2005.
Surrounded by hills which separates both Chiangmai and Mae Hong Son, the roads leading to it consists of numerous
curves that winds up and down over the hills offering beautiful views and fun riding.
Pai lies in a picturesque valley almost midway between Mae Hong Son and Chiangmai.
The smallish population of just over 4,000 residents lives in a sprawling township, and mixes
with the everpresent tourists of the mainly backpacker variety well.
Resorts and guesthouses are reasonably priced offering good deals during out of season periods ( March - September ).
The sudden glut of rest houses of late has led to some overcapacity which again is good for touristsars that cater largely to the
now significant influx of tourists and package tours.
Pai has grown very rapidly in the past half decade, but the development has taken place in a very tasteful manner,
with no tall buildings and the town remains peaceful and serene even during the peak season. tasteful and the town
remains relatively serene during low season.
We woke up to the sounds of elephants walking along the Riverbank.
Eddy decided to give his bike a quick wash.
Breakfast was at the excellent Restaurant.
The Resort
Coffee anyone?
Our Bungalows.
We rode out to town, 8kms away for lunch. Bruce was fascinated by the fuel dispensing machine.
There is a long story about this bucket. It started at Ko Phangan, an island 2,000km south of Pai.
The Ko Phangan Story.
http://www.rideasia.net/motorcycle-forum/thailand-ride-reports/2878-ko-phangan-full-moon-party-sept-2012-a.html
Back at the resort, Sean was doing an interview with Bruce Conrad. Guess the video will be out soon.
Our stay at Pai coincided with the Loy Krathong Festival where floating lanterns were released into the Pai River.
Hot air lanterns were also released into the skies. Loi Krathong takes place on the evening of the full moon of the
12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar which falls in November. The festival may originate from an ancient
ritual paying respect to the water spirits. In Pai and many Northern towns in Thailand Loy Krathong is often paired up with
Yi Peng, a festival of hot air lanterns.
Dinner was again at the Pai mainstreet.
Muslim presence was very visible.
Food was not a problem at all.
Before leaving for the Hotel, we passed by a float procession.
And a final reminder to be safe from the authorities.
Pai agrees with all of us. I did not ride around Pai, but a few others did. They rode up to the highest point in Pai,
and also around the surrounding area. Their stories will follow soon.
Tomorrow we will ride to Chiangmai but via a detour to Doi Inthinon, the highest point at over 8,400ft above sea level.
It was a very quick decision we made to stay another day in Pai rather than Chiangmai.
The people of Pai's main pre-occupation was generally agriculture before turning to Tourism sometime in mid 2005.
Surrounded by hills which separates both Chiangmai and Mae Hong Son, the roads leading to it consists of numerous
curves that winds up and down over the hills offering beautiful views and fun riding.
Pai lies in a picturesque valley almost midway between Mae Hong Son and Chiangmai.
The smallish population of just over 4,000 residents lives in a sprawling township, and mixes
with the everpresent tourists of the mainly backpacker variety well.
Resorts and guesthouses are reasonably priced offering good deals during out of season periods ( March - September ).
The sudden glut of rest houses of late has led to some overcapacity which again is good for touristsars that cater largely to the
now significant influx of tourists and package tours.
Pai has grown very rapidly in the past half decade, but the development has taken place in a very tasteful manner,
with no tall buildings and the town remains peaceful and serene even during the peak season. tasteful and the town
remains relatively serene during low season.
We woke up to the sounds of elephants walking along the Riverbank.
Eddy decided to give his bike a quick wash.
Breakfast was at the excellent Restaurant.
The Resort
Coffee anyone?
Our Bungalows.
We rode out to town, 8kms away for lunch. Bruce was fascinated by the fuel dispensing machine.
There is a long story about this bucket. It started at Ko Phangan, an island 2,000km south of Pai.
The Ko Phangan Story.
http://www.rideasia.net/motorcycle-forum/thailand-ride-reports/2878-ko-phangan-full-moon-party-sept-2012-a.html
Back at the resort, Sean was doing an interview with Bruce Conrad. Guess the video will be out soon.
Our stay at Pai coincided with the Loy Krathong Festival where floating lanterns were released into the Pai River.
Hot air lanterns were also released into the skies. Loi Krathong takes place on the evening of the full moon of the
12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar which falls in November. The festival may originate from an ancient
ritual paying respect to the water spirits. In Pai and many Northern towns in Thailand Loy Krathong is often paired up with
Yi Peng, a festival of hot air lanterns.
Dinner was again at the Pai mainstreet.
Muslim presence was very visible.
Food was not a problem at all.
Before leaving for the Hotel, we passed by a float procession.
And a final reminder to be safe from the authorities.
Pai agrees with all of us. I did not ride around Pai, but a few others did. They rode up to the highest point in Pai,
and also around the surrounding area. Their stories will follow soon.
Tomorrow we will ride to Chiangmai but via a detour to Doi Inthinon, the highest point at over 8,400ft above sea level.
30Nov Day 8 Pai - Doi Inthinon - Chiangmai. 335kms.
We leave Pai with a vow to return.
Today we start out early as we need to cover quite a distance on roads that were built with cornering in mind.
And the turns begins again.......
Coffee.
Back on the Road
We took a detour to avoid Chiangmai and passed through some really rural roads.
At Doi Chang we stopped for coffee again.
The road to Doi Inthinon was better than expected. We made good speed.
Near the peak.
Doi Inthinon marks the last significant point Segment 1 of this N4TION Ride. From Doi Inthinon we will ride the highway into Chiangmai
straight to Rider's Corner The traffic jam riding into Chiangmai was quite bad, but we all eventually made it to Phil's place safely, and just before nightfall.
After a drink Phil led us to our Hotel, the imterestingly named Pornping Tower. Good parking for our bikes.
After checking-in and washing up we all made our way back to Rider's Corner for the Halal BBQ Buffet that Phil has organised for all of us.
Phil has been amazing in assisting us in many ways when I was initially organising this ride. He is instrumental in arranging bike storage ( his place )
and also helping put together a list of contacts, not just for Thailand but also for Laos and Cambodia.
For the BBQ he sourced Halal meats, new cutlery and cooking utensils, going out of hs way to help.
Another great riding day, topped off literally by reaching the summit of Thailand.
Tomorrow we will return to Malaysia, our AK Flight tickets confirmed for the 2 1/2 hour flight home after storing our bikes at Rider's Corner.
Today's Ride Route.
We leave Pai with a vow to return.
Today we start out early as we need to cover quite a distance on roads that were built with cornering in mind.
And the turns begins again.......
Coffee.
Back on the Road
We took a detour to avoid Chiangmai and passed through some really rural roads.
At Doi Chang we stopped for coffee again.
The road to Doi Inthinon was better than expected. We made good speed.
Near the peak.
Doi Inthinon marks the last significant point Segment 1 of this N4TION Ride. From Doi Inthinon we will ride the highway into Chiangmai
straight to Rider's Corner The traffic jam riding into Chiangmai was quite bad, but we all eventually made it to Phil's place safely, and just before nightfall.
After a drink Phil led us to our Hotel, the imterestingly named Pornping Tower. Good parking for our bikes.
After checking-in and washing up we all made our way back to Rider's Corner for the Halal BBQ Buffet that Phil has organised for all of us.
Phil has been amazing in assisting us in many ways when I was initially organising this ride. He is instrumental in arranging bike storage ( his place )
and also helping put together a list of contacts, not just for Thailand but also for Laos and Cambodia.
For the BBQ he sourced Halal meats, new cutlery and cooking utensils, going out of hs way to help.
Another great riding day, topped off literally by reaching the summit of Thailand.
Tomorrow we will return to Malaysia, our AK Flight tickets confirmed for the 2 1/2 hour flight home after storing our bikes at Rider's Corner.
Today's Ride Route.
1Dec, Day 9. Chiangmai - Kuala Lumpur . 2005kms. By Airbus A320.
For 6 of us; Kamarul, Sam, Mel, Eddy, Alex, Me and Gerry, my wife, Segment 1 ends with our return flight back to KL.
SP Lee, Simon & YY, Sean, Bruce & Margaret Conrad, Cristian & Dean will continue on Segment 1.5.
They will be joined by Terry Teh who flew in and will ride Alex's Tenere. For them their Adventure continues onwards to Northern Thailand.
Equipped with maps and GPS Routes they bought from Rider's Corner, they will ride up to Mae Salong, Doi Tung, Mae Sai, Chiang Khong then
turn South to Nan, Phitsanulok, Ayuttahaya and Hua Hin. Cristian will park his GSA at the Bangkok BMW Dealership and fly home to Chile.
The rest will ride all the way home to reach Kuala Lumpur 8Dec.
Bruce and Margaret Conrad will be flying away from KL to Los Angeles 10dec.
By the time they're done, they have more or less completed their Thailand Adventure.
Segment 1.5 Group Leaving Pornping Hotel.
SP Lee will be the Ride Leader for this group. Known to get lost even driving home from office, the Segment 1.5 group
will be in for a fun time as SP Lee will be assisted by Sean Nunis, another 'great' explorer whose claim to fame is finding his
way to the nearby supermarket via the long way round.
Terry Teh on the Tenere.
The Segment 1.5 Group leaves for Mae Salong.
Before noon we rode our bike to Rider's Corner where our machines will be spending the next 10 days in storage.
Phil looking on.
We said our goodbyes to Cristian who will spend another night in Chiangmai before heading of to Nan to RV with the Segment 1.5 Riders.
It was kinda sad saying goodbye to Cristian not knowing if we will ever meet again.
We boarded the plane for our 2 1/2 hour flight back home to KL.
On the 8th of december the rest of the Riders doing Segment 1.5 returned to KL and we had a big dinner.
Dean elected to hang around Thailand longer, following Simon and YY to Bangkok so they were not yet in Malaysia.
They eventually returned last night, 9th December.
The Dinner.
On their last full day in Malaysia Sean took the Conrads for a drive up Genting Highlands showing them the Malaysian foremost Motorhead gathering point.
The adventurous couple had a go eating local fruits, the Durian, Rambutans ( Margaret calls it 'hairy Strawberry " and also the Mangosteen.
This was a good ride, in fact, a damn good ride. Everyone had great fun, and everything went on as planned.
Now we look forward to Segment 2. As i write this, there are already 6 bikes on the road, making their way to Chiangmai. In Chiangmai there are 6 bikes waiting at Rider's Corner. On wednesday morning, 12dec, another 8 bikes will make their way to Hatyai. They will load their bikes at Hatyai, then fly to Chiangmai on the 13th.
Come 14th December everyone will be at Rider's Corner for the pre departure dinner before leaving Chiangmai the next morning.
It will be another great ride.
In the meantime, this is the video I put together of Segment ONE of the N4TION ADVLux 2012.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp6orDDXhi8
More to come as Segment 2 starts.
For 6 of us; Kamarul, Sam, Mel, Eddy, Alex, Me and Gerry, my wife, Segment 1 ends with our return flight back to KL.
SP Lee, Simon & YY, Sean, Bruce & Margaret Conrad, Cristian & Dean will continue on Segment 1.5.
They will be joined by Terry Teh who flew in and will ride Alex's Tenere. For them their Adventure continues onwards to Northern Thailand.
Equipped with maps and GPS Routes they bought from Rider's Corner, they will ride up to Mae Salong, Doi Tung, Mae Sai, Chiang Khong then
turn South to Nan, Phitsanulok, Ayuttahaya and Hua Hin. Cristian will park his GSA at the Bangkok BMW Dealership and fly home to Chile.
The rest will ride all the way home to reach Kuala Lumpur 8Dec.
Bruce and Margaret Conrad will be flying away from KL to Los Angeles 10dec.
By the time they're done, they have more or less completed their Thailand Adventure.
Segment 1.5 Group Leaving Pornping Hotel.
SP Lee will be the Ride Leader for this group. Known to get lost even driving home from office, the Segment 1.5 group
will be in for a fun time as SP Lee will be assisted by Sean Nunis, another 'great' explorer whose claim to fame is finding his
way to the nearby supermarket via the long way round.
Terry Teh on the Tenere.
The Segment 1.5 Group leaves for Mae Salong.
Before noon we rode our bike to Rider's Corner where our machines will be spending the next 10 days in storage.
Phil looking on.
We said our goodbyes to Cristian who will spend another night in Chiangmai before heading of to Nan to RV with the Segment 1.5 Riders.
It was kinda sad saying goodbye to Cristian not knowing if we will ever meet again.
We boarded the plane for our 2 1/2 hour flight back home to KL.
On the 8th of december the rest of the Riders doing Segment 1.5 returned to KL and we had a big dinner.
Dean elected to hang around Thailand longer, following Simon and YY to Bangkok so they were not yet in Malaysia.
They eventually returned last night, 9th December.
The Dinner.
On their last full day in Malaysia Sean took the Conrads for a drive up Genting Highlands showing them the Malaysian foremost Motorhead gathering point.
The adventurous couple had a go eating local fruits, the Durian, Rambutans ( Margaret calls it 'hairy Strawberry " and also the Mangosteen.
This was a good ride, in fact, a damn good ride. Everyone had great fun, and everything went on as planned.
Now we look forward to Segment 2. As i write this, there are already 6 bikes on the road, making their way to Chiangmai. In Chiangmai there are 6 bikes waiting at Rider's Corner. On wednesday morning, 12dec, another 8 bikes will make their way to Hatyai. They will load their bikes at Hatyai, then fly to Chiangmai on the 13th.
Come 14th December everyone will be at Rider's Corner for the pre departure dinner before leaving Chiangmai the next morning.
It will be another great ride.
In the meantime, this is the video I put together of Segment ONE of the N4TION ADVLux 2012.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp6orDDXhi8
More to come as Segment 2 starts.
N4TION ADVLux 2012/2013.
Day 1, Thursday 13Dec2012. Segment 2.
My wife and I flew in from KL Malaysia arriving Chiangmai at 0900 13December 2012. We are early as the ride begins on the 15th. But we had time and did not want to rush.
My wife, Gerry, wanted to learn Thai Cooking and she made arrangements for an airport pick-up and headed to the cooking school while I took a taxi to Riders Corner.
Our bikes roosting in Phil's place.
Yesterday another group of 10 bikes left KL for Hatyai, where they loaded their bikes onto a lorry for transportation to Chiangmai. The whole lot of them will fly to Chiangmai from Hatyai.
Another 4 more riders left days ago and will arrive Chiangmai to join this group. They will be arriving tomorrow. The last of the group to arrive Chiangmai is Dato' Kamarul and Sam. Following them will be Ivy, Goh's wife and Crystal, Daniel's partner.
Mel coordinating the rooms for the Hatyai group.
The Hatyai Group arrived at noon.
Gerry wasted no time; straight to this Massage Boutique.
Dinner was at the surprisingly inexpensive River Market Restaurant.
Achin, Shaharin and Asri enjoying open air massage.
Day 1, Thursday 13Dec2012. Segment 2.
My wife and I flew in from KL Malaysia arriving Chiangmai at 0900 13December 2012. We are early as the ride begins on the 15th. But we had time and did not want to rush.
My wife, Gerry, wanted to learn Thai Cooking and she made arrangements for an airport pick-up and headed to the cooking school while I took a taxi to Riders Corner.
Our bikes roosting in Phil's place.
Yesterday another group of 10 bikes left KL for Hatyai, where they loaded their bikes onto a lorry for transportation to Chiangmai. The whole lot of them will fly to Chiangmai from Hatyai.
Another 4 more riders left days ago and will arrive Chiangmai to join this group. They will be arriving tomorrow. The last of the group to arrive Chiangmai is Dato' Kamarul and Sam. Following them will be Ivy, Goh's wife and Crystal, Daniel's partner.
Mel coordinating the rooms for the Hatyai group.
The Hatyai Group arrived at noon.
Gerry wasted no time; straight to this Massage Boutique.
Dinner was at the surprisingly inexpensive River Market Restaurant.
Achin, Shaharin and Asri enjoying open air massage.
N4TION ADVLux 2012/2013. Segment 2
Day 2, Friday 14Dec2012.
Today is a non-riding day. Sam Dato Kamarul, Ivy & Crystal will land at Chiangmai airport by 0900. The bikes from Hatyai should be arriving by the afternoon. Mujib, Goh, CC Lee & Daniel should be arriving by evening. Ariff, who rode solo from KL on his Triumph Tiger was staying at Rider's Corner.
Everyone should be in Chiangmai by day's end.
We released some birds as we waited for Sam's arrival.
Setting the GPS
Just before noon we went to rider's Corner to do some adjustments on our bikes. The Triumph Dealer next door to Phil's place was of great help.
I thought they were super generous and very helpful as they topped up my GSA's engine oil but refused to take any payment. Many of us have very nice things to say about the Triumph guys.
The day passed quickly, everyone doing activities of their choice.
In the evening we held a Grand BBQ Dinner at Rider's Corner. Phil and his team went out of the way to prepare a Halal BBQ for all of us. The food was awesomely good, service outstanding.
The Hotel was a short tuk tuk ride away.
Its an early night for everyone tonight. Nurul, our sole female rider could not fly into Chiangmai in time. She will be flying in in two days time, and will RV with us at Nan. That plucky lady will ride alone, picking her bike up from Chiangmai and go solo all the way to Nan.
Day 2, Friday 14Dec2012.
Today is a non-riding day. Sam Dato Kamarul, Ivy & Crystal will land at Chiangmai airport by 0900. The bikes from Hatyai should be arriving by the afternoon. Mujib, Goh, CC Lee & Daniel should be arriving by evening. Ariff, who rode solo from KL on his Triumph Tiger was staying at Rider's Corner.
Everyone should be in Chiangmai by day's end.
We released some birds as we waited for Sam's arrival.
Setting the GPS
Just before noon we went to rider's Corner to do some adjustments on our bikes. The Triumph Dealer next door to Phil's place was of great help.
I thought they were super generous and very helpful as they topped up my GSA's engine oil but refused to take any payment. Many of us have very nice things to say about the Triumph guys.
The day passed quickly, everyone doing activities of their choice.
In the evening we held a Grand BBQ Dinner at Rider's Corner. Phil and his team went out of the way to prepare a Halal BBQ for all of us. The food was awesomely good, service outstanding.
The Hotel was a short tuk tuk ride away.
Its an early night for everyone tonight. Nurul, our sole female rider could not fly into Chiangmai in time. She will be flying in in two days time, and will RV with us at Nan. That plucky lady will ride alone, picking her bike up from Chiangmai and go solo all the way to Nan.
N4TION ADVLux 2012/2013. Segment 2
Day 3,Saturday 15Dec2012. Chiangmai - Doi AngKhang - Mae Salong - Doi Tung
We left the hotel and headed for Rider's Corner, our designated startpoint on this Segment.
We took the 107 Northwards from Chiangmai towards Chingdao. Most two lane dual carriageway, we made good time.
The plan was to turn off the 107 into the 1178 and join 1340 to Doi AngKhang. I have never ridden that route before, and unsure if
coffee joints are present i chose to have a coffee stop about 10km from the 1178 turnoff. Turns out that it was a good decision as the cafe was a nice one, and the coffee was good. We had to wait ages for the drinks though, but the propreiter was a pleasant guy so that kinda evens things out a bit.
I also met David Bailey and Mai there. They were just leaving for Doi AngKhang as well. David and Mai will be of great help later although i did not know it then.
The r107
At the Cafe stop.
Goh and Ivy looking every inch like a Hong Kong Movie Star couple
Replenished, we turned into the 1178. Nicely rural, some parts gravel, but almost all were narrow, twisty and inclined.
The riding was interesting.
After about an hour we stopped 25km away from Doi AngKhang. This Viewpoint sits above a valley with the Myanmar border below.
Goh and CC Lee.
Gerry, Ivy, Roh
We moved on after 30 minutes. As we left the viewpoint, the peak of Doi AngKhang played hide and seek as we turned the corners of the twisty road towards it.
Doi AngKhang Viewpoint
Shaharin led us to a Muslim Restaurant that serves killer beef soup. This shop is near the big flower garden / nursery at
Mon Pin.
Eva, Mel & Roh.
Leaving Doi AngKhang for Mae Salong
Sun was low as we got to Mae Salong, luckily we were heading Northeast.
When it became apparent that we will not make Doi Tung before dark, we stopped at the Mae Salong flower garden to
regroup and remind each other to be careful as we will be riding 50kms in continous hairpins that goes up or down with
only our headlights lighting the way.
We reached our Hotel near Doi Tung at 1900.
CC Lee and Elaine
Dinner
Tomorrow Sunday 16th December, our 4th day we will ride leisurely to Chiang Khong.
Day 3,Saturday 15Dec2012. Chiangmai - Doi AngKhang - Mae Salong - Doi Tung
We left the hotel and headed for Rider's Corner, our designated startpoint on this Segment.
We took the 107 Northwards from Chiangmai towards Chingdao. Most two lane dual carriageway, we made good time.
The plan was to turn off the 107 into the 1178 and join 1340 to Doi AngKhang. I have never ridden that route before, and unsure if
coffee joints are present i chose to have a coffee stop about 10km from the 1178 turnoff. Turns out that it was a good decision as the cafe was a nice one, and the coffee was good. We had to wait ages for the drinks though, but the propreiter was a pleasant guy so that kinda evens things out a bit.
I also met David Bailey and Mai there. They were just leaving for Doi AngKhang as well. David and Mai will be of great help later although i did not know it then.
The r107
At the Cafe stop.
Goh and Ivy looking every inch like a Hong Kong Movie Star couple
Replenished, we turned into the 1178. Nicely rural, some parts gravel, but almost all were narrow, twisty and inclined.
The riding was interesting.
After about an hour we stopped 25km away from Doi AngKhang. This Viewpoint sits above a valley with the Myanmar border below.
Goh and CC Lee.
Gerry, Ivy, Roh
We moved on after 30 minutes. As we left the viewpoint, the peak of Doi AngKhang played hide and seek as we turned the corners of the twisty road towards it.
Doi AngKhang Viewpoint
Shaharin led us to a Muslim Restaurant that serves killer beef soup. This shop is near the big flower garden / nursery at
Mon Pin.
Eva, Mel & Roh.
Leaving Doi AngKhang for Mae Salong
Sun was low as we got to Mae Salong, luckily we were heading Northeast.
When it became apparent that we will not make Doi Tung before dark, we stopped at the Mae Salong flower garden to
regroup and remind each other to be careful as we will be riding 50kms in continous hairpins that goes up or down with
only our headlights lighting the way.
We reached our Hotel near Doi Tung at 1900.
CC Lee and Elaine
Dinner
Tomorrow Sunday 16th December, our 4th day we will ride leisurely to Chiang Khong.
N4TION ADVLux 2012/2013. Segment 2
Day 4,Sunday 16Dec2012. Doi Tung - Mae Sai - Golden Triangle - Chiang Khong
Poonya Mantra Resort, Doi Tung
Breakfast
Leaving
The ride from the Hotel to the Queen Mother's Garden in Doi Tung was a short one.
Doi Tung
Group Photo
We parked our bikes ( the guard allowed us to park at the VIP spot ) and had the famous Doi Tung Coffee there.
Its one of those days you don't wanna get off a motorcycle. The weather's absolutely beautiful, temperature's cool, skies clear
with a light breeze blowing. We headed for the 'hidden' Thai Military Lookout point that peers into Myanmar.
This lookout point sits on a ridge that's 1,200 meters high, and overlooks a vast area of Myanmar from its vantage point.
The view was amazing.
The ride from the lookout point was just as spectacular.
We reached the Nothernmost point of Thailand after riding downhill for 30 minutes.
For many of us we have now covered the Southern and Nothernmost points of Thailand.
It was no longer cool as we got to the lowlands.
Golden Triangle was just another 20 minutes away.
As we were passing a rural village situated on top of a hill at Rim Khong ( 20km from Chiang Khong ),
a toyota pickup truck shot out of a junction, forcing Hisham to take evasive action. Unfortunately there was contact,
the left crashbar and cylinder head hitting the bullbars of the toyota, and Hisham and Eva,
his pillion was sent sprawling on the road.
The toyota was quite badly damaged, with a smashed grill and broken bullbars.
Incredibly, Hisham only suffered a cut below his left eye, and Eva was unhurt.
The crashbars took the brunt of impact, protecting Hisham's left leg from being torn off.
The villagers came out in full force, but they were all apologetic and friendly.
They arranged to send Hisham to the hospital, and we called on our local contact to pick up the bike and send it to the hotel.
David and Mai drove over and David rode Hisham's bike to the hotel. While waiting for David, Eddy,
Dato Kamarul and Sam stayed on at the village. They made friends with the villagers and bought ice cream for all the villagers,
and had a good time there. Hisham went to the nearby clinic and got his cut dressed. The villagers paid b700 (rm70) bill,
but after much thought, it was decided that we should return the money to them as b700 was a substantial amount and
irregardless of who was at fault, everything turned out ok.
The villagers invited us to the village for dinner, but Hisham politely declined as we need to ride off early next day.
Its nice to know that even in a foreign land, simple acts of kindness and friendly compromise goes a long way.
The road from Rim Khong to Chiang Khong descends into a wide plain from the hills. The view was again fantastic,
and its the first time we will see the Mekong on this ride. This river will feature greatly as we move along.
We reached Chiang Khong by 1845.
Day 4 of our ride ended with literally a Bang, but thankfully all was well as we retired that night.
Tomorrow, on our Day 5 of the journey we will ride Phu Chi Fa and the famed 1148, nightstopping at Nan.
Video shows Beginning of Segment 2 till our stop at Chiang Khong.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axCr0-kcZi0
Day 4,Sunday 16Dec2012. Doi Tung - Mae Sai - Golden Triangle - Chiang Khong
Poonya Mantra Resort, Doi Tung
Breakfast
Leaving
The ride from the Hotel to the Queen Mother's Garden in Doi Tung was a short one.
Doi Tung
Group Photo
We parked our bikes ( the guard allowed us to park at the VIP spot ) and had the famous Doi Tung Coffee there.
Its one of those days you don't wanna get off a motorcycle. The weather's absolutely beautiful, temperature's cool, skies clear
with a light breeze blowing. We headed for the 'hidden' Thai Military Lookout point that peers into Myanmar.
This lookout point sits on a ridge that's 1,200 meters high, and overlooks a vast area of Myanmar from its vantage point.
The view was amazing.
The ride from the lookout point was just as spectacular.
We reached the Nothernmost point of Thailand after riding downhill for 30 minutes.
For many of us we have now covered the Southern and Nothernmost points of Thailand.
It was no longer cool as we got to the lowlands.
Golden Triangle was just another 20 minutes away.
As we were passing a rural village situated on top of a hill at Rim Khong ( 20km from Chiang Khong ),
a toyota pickup truck shot out of a junction, forcing Hisham to take evasive action. Unfortunately there was contact,
the left crashbar and cylinder head hitting the bullbars of the toyota, and Hisham and Eva,
his pillion was sent sprawling on the road.
The toyota was quite badly damaged, with a smashed grill and broken bullbars.
Incredibly, Hisham only suffered a cut below his left eye, and Eva was unhurt.
The crashbars took the brunt of impact, protecting Hisham's left leg from being torn off.
The villagers came out in full force, but they were all apologetic and friendly.
They arranged to send Hisham to the hospital, and we called on our local contact to pick up the bike and send it to the hotel.
David and Mai drove over and David rode Hisham's bike to the hotel. While waiting for David, Eddy,
Dato Kamarul and Sam stayed on at the village. They made friends with the villagers and bought ice cream for all the villagers,
and had a good time there. Hisham went to the nearby clinic and got his cut dressed. The villagers paid b700 (rm70) bill,
but after much thought, it was decided that we should return the money to them as b700 was a substantial amount and
irregardless of who was at fault, everything turned out ok.
The villagers invited us to the village for dinner, but Hisham politely declined as we need to ride off early next day.
Its nice to know that even in a foreign land, simple acts of kindness and friendly compromise goes a long way.
The road from Rim Khong to Chiang Khong descends into a wide plain from the hills. The view was again fantastic,
and its the first time we will see the Mekong on this ride. This river will feature greatly as we move along.
We reached Chiang Khong by 1845.
Day 4 of our ride ended with literally a Bang, but thankfully all was well as we retired that night.
Tomorrow, on our Day 5 of the journey we will ride Phu Chi Fa and the famed 1148, nightstopping at Nan.
Video shows Beginning of Segment 2 till our stop at Chiang Khong.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axCr0-kcZi0
N4TION ADVLux 2012/2013. Segment 2
Day 5, Monday 17Dec2012. Doi Tung - Mae Sai - Golden Triangle - Chiang Khong
We woke up to a misty, almost foggy morning, in temperatures in the mid teens. The mist was so thick we culd not sees Huay Xai across the Mekong, just about 1 km away.
Hisham seems a lot better, although one eye was swollen due to a cut just below the eyelid. David Bailey planned to take Hisham to the clinic again for a change of dressing. Hisham plans to ride to Pua and wait for us at the border. David will accompany him till he leaves.
We as a group owe David loads for his kindness and all the assistance rendered. In essence, we are strangers, and David is going out of his way helping people he just met for the first time, and probably never will again.
Genuine great guy.
As we were preparing our bikes at the car park, we ran into Sebastian, who accompanied us to Hatyai three weeks ago, when we started on this journey. His story is at the start of this thread. He is leaving Chiang Khong for Boten, then into China, leading a pack of 5 4WDs from Malaysia.
We filled up at the edge of town and left the main road into a village track looking for a shorter way to R1155, then eventually Phu Chi Fa. The road turned fro tarmac to concrete slabs, and later gravel. We passed through acres of cornfield, deserted with not a soul in sight. The mist was still thick.
Eventually the road got worse, suitable only for 400cc MX bikes, and it will not be enjoyable as we had 18 bikes in this group
and 5 were with pillion riders as well. We doubled back, wasting a good 1 hour.
We found ourselves on tarmac again and followed the 1155 to the turn off that leads to Ban Sai Thong. Within just 1km of leaving 1155 the road turns heavenly.
We stopped for a Group Photo
I didn't know it then but the peak of Phu Chi Fa can be accessed from two sides. The main access point brings vehicles up to a parking lot where there's another 800meters to be covered on foot before the peak. The other one is the less popular one, with narrow steep concrete laid 'road' that leads a more rudimentary parking lot of gravel and grass. The peak was only a 400meter walk from here. These points were on the opposing sides of the peak.
We chose the unpopular route.
It was another 80km to Chiang Kham and we were looking forward to riding a stretch of straight roads.
That did not happen until we were about 25kms from Chiang Khong.
We found this waterfall and had lunch at the foodstalls nearby.
Chiang Kham marks the start of the 1148, a road popularised mostly by word of mouth, and highly featured at Rideasia.net.
It looks like just another ordinary road as we ride the 1148 out of town, but after about 30kms the road starts to meander up the shallow hilltops. The road quality was good, surface grippy and smooth, unlike most of the Thai roads we encountered where smooth means slippery. The later half of the 1148 runs on a ridge, offering great visibility to the left and right. The corners are lined up so nicely at some points it possible to see 2kms ahead. The vegetation is mostly grassland and shrubs. On this day the temperature was in the low 20s. The skies were clear and with the sun getting lower in the horizon, it was tough riding at a fast clip while wanting to enjoy the sights. We had so much fun riding the road.
We reached Nan at 1700, and as we were parking our bikes we met two British riders on two YamahaS10. They were
thinking we were crazy to ride our GSAs offroad with pillions. We asked them why the S10 and not the Explorer, and they jokingly told me they wanted japanese reliability. They also told me that the Explorer was unavailable then.
We turned in early, everyone excited at the prospect of entering Laos tomorrow.
Day 5, Monday 17Dec2012. Doi Tung - Mae Sai - Golden Triangle - Chiang Khong
We woke up to a misty, almost foggy morning, in temperatures in the mid teens. The mist was so thick we culd not sees Huay Xai across the Mekong, just about 1 km away.
Hisham seems a lot better, although one eye was swollen due to a cut just below the eyelid. David Bailey planned to take Hisham to the clinic again for a change of dressing. Hisham plans to ride to Pua and wait for us at the border. David will accompany him till he leaves.
We as a group owe David loads for his kindness and all the assistance rendered. In essence, we are strangers, and David is going out of his way helping people he just met for the first time, and probably never will again.
Genuine great guy.
As we were preparing our bikes at the car park, we ran into Sebastian, who accompanied us to Hatyai three weeks ago, when we started on this journey. His story is at the start of this thread. He is leaving Chiang Khong for Boten, then into China, leading a pack of 5 4WDs from Malaysia.
We filled up at the edge of town and left the main road into a village track looking for a shorter way to R1155, then eventually Phu Chi Fa. The road turned fro tarmac to concrete slabs, and later gravel. We passed through acres of cornfield, deserted with not a soul in sight. The mist was still thick.
Eventually the road got worse, suitable only for 400cc MX bikes, and it will not be enjoyable as we had 18 bikes in this group
and 5 were with pillion riders as well. We doubled back, wasting a good 1 hour.
We found ourselves on tarmac again and followed the 1155 to the turn off that leads to Ban Sai Thong. Within just 1km of leaving 1155 the road turns heavenly.
We stopped for a Group Photo
I didn't know it then but the peak of Phu Chi Fa can be accessed from two sides. The main access point brings vehicles up to a parking lot where there's another 800meters to be covered on foot before the peak. The other one is the less popular one, with narrow steep concrete laid 'road' that leads a more rudimentary parking lot of gravel and grass. The peak was only a 400meter walk from here. These points were on the opposing sides of the peak.
We chose the unpopular route.
It was another 80km to Chiang Kham and we were looking forward to riding a stretch of straight roads.
That did not happen until we were about 25kms from Chiang Khong.
We found this waterfall and had lunch at the foodstalls nearby.
Chiang Kham marks the start of the 1148, a road popularised mostly by word of mouth, and highly featured at Rideasia.net.
It looks like just another ordinary road as we ride the 1148 out of town, but after about 30kms the road starts to meander up the shallow hilltops. The road quality was good, surface grippy and smooth, unlike most of the Thai roads we encountered where smooth means slippery. The later half of the 1148 runs on a ridge, offering great visibility to the left and right. The corners are lined up so nicely at some points it possible to see 2kms ahead. The vegetation is mostly grassland and shrubs. On this day the temperature was in the low 20s. The skies were clear and with the sun getting lower in the horizon, it was tough riding at a fast clip while wanting to enjoy the sights. We had so much fun riding the road.
We reached Nan at 1700, and as we were parking our bikes we met two British riders on two YamahaS10. They were
thinking we were crazy to ride our GSAs offroad with pillions. We asked them why the S10 and not the Explorer, and they jokingly told me they wanted japanese reliability. They also told me that the Explorer was unavailable then.
We turned in early, everyone excited at the prospect of entering Laos tomorrow.
N4TION ADVLux 2012/2013. Segment 2
Day 6, Tuesday 18Dec2012. Nan - Huai Kon - Pua
We got ready early.
Road has improved a lot since I rode here 18 months ago. There are still bits being graded but most of the potholes are gone.
We stopped at this sole Stupa
Crystal offering her prayers
We got to the border soon enough. But when we went to the Thai side the officer warned us that the Lao side will reject us, so he was reluctant to let us through. Eventually he told us to go in two groups and released us after clearing our papers.
I rode over to the Lao side, with Goh close behind as he can speak some Thai. 8 bikes were then parked just outside the Lao Security gate and we walked over to Immigration.
The building housed both Immigration and Customs so it was supposed to be 'easier'
The first inkling that gave indication we would be facing problems was when we found out the group of 5 Thai bikes that came ahead of us were refused entry. We can see plenty of discussions taking place but eventually the Thais turned back in disappointment.
When it came to our turn to hand over our papers the Counter officer did not even bother to look or check. he just said no way. After much begging and
persuasion we gave up and returned back to Thailand. We recleared our documents and headed for Pua.
Heading for Pua
We found this nice place that Hisham stayed in when he rode to meet us yesterday
Its not a happy day for the group being turned away for no reason. I was already thinking of many alternative plans, with even rerouting to spend our time in Thailand. I am also keeping Sam's contact at the Malaysian Embassy handy.
That night, over dinner there were many separate plans being made and it was decided that we will head towards the general direction of Nong Khai.
The main group will head to Phitsanulok.
N4TION ADVLux 2012/2013. Segment 2
Day 7, wednesday 19Dec2012. Pua - Phitsanulok
Goh, Ah Keat, Daniel, Julian & CC Lee left Pua first towards Khon Kaen. They planned to visit the Hanging Temple at Wi Liang, near Nong Khai.
Mel had to arrange transport for Roh who was supposed to fly out of Luang Prabang but now she will be returning from Chiangmai. Its a 5 hour drive byroad. At the same time Sam had to arrange transport for Shija, his wife, who will arrive Chiangmai and join us at Phitsanulok
We left at mid morning, riding an unremarkable road 400kms to Phitsanulok.
N4TION ADVLux 2012/2013. Segment 2
Day 8, thursday 20Dec2012. Phitsanulok - Loei
While having breakfast at Phitsanulok I decided to give the Embassy a call. The Ambassador himself picked up and after some discussion I emailed to his office our details and he promised to call me later.
We left Phitsanulok for Loei, standingby in case the Ambassador gave us the all clear.
Route 12 was beautiful, and the subsequent roads were just better than average. We encountered a patch of wet gravel that runs just 3km 40kms from Loei.
We stopped at this amazing looking Amazon Coffee Joint, set amidst a backdrop of rolling farmland. Coincidently the Ambassador called me as I was refuelling and gave the all clear.
After coffee, it was another 30kms of nice roads before we arrived Loei.
We stayed at a Grand looking hotel. Incredibly, Loei seems susceptible to flooding, and the one in 2002 inundated the town.
Tomorrow we will head for Nong Khai, and pray our Laos Clearance comes through.
Day 6, Tuesday 18Dec2012. Nan - Huai Kon - Pua
We got ready early.
Road has improved a lot since I rode here 18 months ago. There are still bits being graded but most of the potholes are gone.
We stopped at this sole Stupa
Crystal offering her prayers
We got to the border soon enough. But when we went to the Thai side the officer warned us that the Lao side will reject us, so he was reluctant to let us through. Eventually he told us to go in two groups and released us after clearing our papers.
I rode over to the Lao side, with Goh close behind as he can speak some Thai. 8 bikes were then parked just outside the Lao Security gate and we walked over to Immigration.
The building housed both Immigration and Customs so it was supposed to be 'easier'
The first inkling that gave indication we would be facing problems was when we found out the group of 5 Thai bikes that came ahead of us were refused entry. We can see plenty of discussions taking place but eventually the Thais turned back in disappointment.
When it came to our turn to hand over our papers the Counter officer did not even bother to look or check. he just said no way. After much begging and
persuasion we gave up and returned back to Thailand. We recleared our documents and headed for Pua.
Heading for Pua
We found this nice place that Hisham stayed in when he rode to meet us yesterday
Its not a happy day for the group being turned away for no reason. I was already thinking of many alternative plans, with even rerouting to spend our time in Thailand. I am also keeping Sam's contact at the Malaysian Embassy handy.
That night, over dinner there were many separate plans being made and it was decided that we will head towards the general direction of Nong Khai.
The main group will head to Phitsanulok.
N4TION ADVLux 2012/2013. Segment 2
Day 7, wednesday 19Dec2012. Pua - Phitsanulok
Goh, Ah Keat, Daniel, Julian & CC Lee left Pua first towards Khon Kaen. They planned to visit the Hanging Temple at Wi Liang, near Nong Khai.
Mel had to arrange transport for Roh who was supposed to fly out of Luang Prabang but now she will be returning from Chiangmai. Its a 5 hour drive byroad. At the same time Sam had to arrange transport for Shija, his wife, who will arrive Chiangmai and join us at Phitsanulok
We left at mid morning, riding an unremarkable road 400kms to Phitsanulok.
N4TION ADVLux 2012/2013. Segment 2
Day 8, thursday 20Dec2012. Phitsanulok - Loei
While having breakfast at Phitsanulok I decided to give the Embassy a call. The Ambassador himself picked up and after some discussion I emailed to his office our details and he promised to call me later.
We left Phitsanulok for Loei, standingby in case the Ambassador gave us the all clear.
Route 12 was beautiful, and the subsequent roads were just better than average. We encountered a patch of wet gravel that runs just 3km 40kms from Loei.
We stopped at this amazing looking Amazon Coffee Joint, set amidst a backdrop of rolling farmland. Coincidently the Ambassador called me as I was refuelling and gave the all clear.
After coffee, it was another 30kms of nice roads before we arrived Loei.
We stayed at a Grand looking hotel. Incredibly, Loei seems susceptible to flooding, and the one in 2002 inundated the town.
Tomorrow we will head for Nong Khai, and pray our Laos Clearance comes through.
N4TION ADVLux 2012/2013. Segment 2
Day 9, friday 21Dec2012. Loei - Vang Vieng
Today we depart Loei for our 230km journey to Nong Khai hoping to finally enter Laos.
We will RV with the rest of the riders after going separate ways for the last two days at Nong Khai.
We met up at the hotel Mel and Dato' Kamarul stayed when they rode here a day earlier.
The Ambassador called me again to set the time of entry, and we all rechecked our documents
to make sure everything was in place. Then we rode the last 2km that leads to the Thai Immigration
checkpoint.
True to his word the Ambasador and his Team were waiting for us at the Border Complex.
We left Thailand and rode over the Friendship Bridge into Laos. Quite a feeling after the disappointment at Nan.
We cleared the Lao side in about an hour. When we entered Laos we followed the Ambassador's to the Residence.
A short discussion at the Embassy and also a photo opportunity with His Excellency
We left the Residence for Patuxay Park. The Victory Gate was built to celebrate Lao Independence from France. Ironically
the close resemblance to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris is very apparent.
At the Patuxay Park our initial plan to stay at Vientiane was scuttled by the majority as everyone bar three wanted to ride on to Vang Vieng, 155km away. I told them it will involve riding at night in a foreign where they drive on the right, overtake as they like, on narrow potholed roads with sections of gravel surface.
They still wanted to go, so we proceeded Northwards.
Just outside Vientiane we stopped at the first, biggest and best Gas station in Laos, a modern complex that includes the Amazon Cafe. our crowd favourite. Just opened a week ago, the Operator was proud of his place and insisted we take a picture there
On the road towards Vang Vieng, with the sun low in the west.
We stopped at Ban Saka for dinner, at a Restaurant that rose in the middle of a padi field.
The sky although dark, was filled with glittering stars that goes down to the horizon. The road to Vang Vieng was as we
expected, dusty, bumpy and twisty. Although a little stressed, the lights from the 16 following bikes makes an amazing scene as we ride through the twisty roads. Traffic was light, but the few trucks that passed by flew like huge locomotives on a narrow track with more spotlights than a Stadium lit for a big game.
We reached Vang Vieng after 3 hours riding, and headed straight for Nazim, a chain of restaurants run by Indian Muslims.
We stayed at the Silver Naga Hotel, set on the banks of the Nam Kai River.
Laos at Last.
Day 9, friday 21Dec2012. Loei - Vang Vieng
Today we depart Loei for our 230km journey to Nong Khai hoping to finally enter Laos.
We will RV with the rest of the riders after going separate ways for the last two days at Nong Khai.
We met up at the hotel Mel and Dato' Kamarul stayed when they rode here a day earlier.
The Ambassador called me again to set the time of entry, and we all rechecked our documents
to make sure everything was in place. Then we rode the last 2km that leads to the Thai Immigration
checkpoint.
True to his word the Ambasador and his Team were waiting for us at the Border Complex.
We left Thailand and rode over the Friendship Bridge into Laos. Quite a feeling after the disappointment at Nan.
We cleared the Lao side in about an hour. When we entered Laos we followed the Ambassador's to the Residence.
A short discussion at the Embassy and also a photo opportunity with His Excellency
We left the Residence for Patuxay Park. The Victory Gate was built to celebrate Lao Independence from France. Ironically
the close resemblance to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris is very apparent.
At the Patuxay Park our initial plan to stay at Vientiane was scuttled by the majority as everyone bar three wanted to ride on to Vang Vieng, 155km away. I told them it will involve riding at night in a foreign where they drive on the right, overtake as they like, on narrow potholed roads with sections of gravel surface.
They still wanted to go, so we proceeded Northwards.
Just outside Vientiane we stopped at the first, biggest and best Gas station in Laos, a modern complex that includes the Amazon Cafe. our crowd favourite. Just opened a week ago, the Operator was proud of his place and insisted we take a picture there
On the road towards Vang Vieng, with the sun low in the west.
We stopped at Ban Saka for dinner, at a Restaurant that rose in the middle of a padi field.
The sky although dark, was filled with glittering stars that goes down to the horizon. The road to Vang Vieng was as we
expected, dusty, bumpy and twisty. Although a little stressed, the lights from the 16 following bikes makes an amazing scene as we ride through the twisty roads. Traffic was light, but the few trucks that passed by flew like huge locomotives on a narrow track with more spotlights than a Stadium lit for a big game.
We reached Vang Vieng after 3 hours riding, and headed straight for Nazim, a chain of restaurants run by Indian Muslims.
We stayed at the Silver Naga Hotel, set on the banks of the Nam Kai River.
Laos at Last.
N4TION ADVLux 2012/2013. Segment 2
Day 10, friday 22Dec2012. Vang Vieng
I woke up to a brilliant morning.
Its chill-out day here in Vang Vieng. Some hired bicycles, some went boating, and a few went ballooning.
Balloons over Vang Vieng.
The gang couldn't resist looking from an aerial perspective so a balloon ride is in order.
Night walk in Vang Vieng
The clear skies, free from light pollution, was lit by stars from horizon to horizon.
December at night is always full of interesting constellations, with Orion holding court, Taurus and Gemini around it,
and Cassiopeia in the North. The Seven Sisters, also known as Pliades sits squarely at zenith near midnight.
Day 10, friday 22Dec2012. Vang Vieng
I woke up to a brilliant morning.
Its chill-out day here in Vang Vieng. Some hired bicycles, some went boating, and a few went ballooning.
Balloons over Vang Vieng.
The gang couldn't resist looking from an aerial perspective so a balloon ride is in order.
Night walk in Vang Vieng
The clear skies, free from light pollution, was lit by stars from horizon to horizon.
December at night is always full of interesting constellations, with Orion holding court, Taurus and Gemini around it,
and Cassiopeia in the North. The Seven Sisters, also known as Pliades sits squarely at zenith near midnight.
N4TION ADVLux 2012/2013. Segment 2
Day 11, saturday 23Dec2012. Vang Vieng - Vientiane
Segment 2 will begin to wind down today. The first group to leave is led by Shaharin Wan,
and they plan to ride from Vang Vieng and enter Thailand at Nong Khai,
planning to stay the night at Korat, about 600kms away.
Shaharin Wan
Achin
Asri
Azmi
The first group to leave, including Mujib and Nurul, leaving Vang Vieng.
We wanted to ride Northwards to the foothills of Kasi Mountains before turning South to Vientiane.
Just outside Vientiane we stopped at the Gas station for coffee. Eddy Tan managed to find time to clean his GSA.
Our Hotel in Vientiane
This being the last night at Vientiane, we had a Grand Dinner at the Mekong River Seafood Restaurant.
N4TION ADVLux 2012/2013. Segment 2
Day 12, sunday 24Dec2012. Vientiane - KL
Goh, Julian, Ah Keat, CC Lee and Daniel leaving Vientiane for their 5 day ride back to KL.
The remaining 6 of us will leave our bikes in Vientiane and return in 10 days to continue Segment 3, onwards to Cambodia,our 4th country of this trip.
The Ambassador was at the airport to send us off.
Back at LCCT Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Segment 2 has been incredible for many reasons. 19 bikes riding as a group is a recipe for absolute chaos. But that did not happen. No one got lost or separated. The initial failure to get into Laos was a low point, but the recovery and subsequent entry more than made up for it. The group was compliant and disciplined, everyone playing their roles perfectly. This is another factor for the smooth running of the ride. Even when Hisham had his mishap, recovery was swift and the rest were not inconvenienced. Everyone helped as much as they could.
It was another Ride to remember.
Day 11, saturday 23Dec2012. Vang Vieng - Vientiane
Segment 2 will begin to wind down today. The first group to leave is led by Shaharin Wan,
and they plan to ride from Vang Vieng and enter Thailand at Nong Khai,
planning to stay the night at Korat, about 600kms away.
Shaharin Wan
Achin
Asri
Azmi
The first group to leave, including Mujib and Nurul, leaving Vang Vieng.
We wanted to ride Northwards to the foothills of Kasi Mountains before turning South to Vientiane.
Just outside Vientiane we stopped at the Gas station for coffee. Eddy Tan managed to find time to clean his GSA.
Our Hotel in Vientiane
This being the last night at Vientiane, we had a Grand Dinner at the Mekong River Seafood Restaurant.
N4TION ADVLux 2012/2013. Segment 2
Day 12, sunday 24Dec2012. Vientiane - KL
Goh, Julian, Ah Keat, CC Lee and Daniel leaving Vientiane for their 5 day ride back to KL.
The remaining 6 of us will leave our bikes in Vientiane and return in 10 days to continue Segment 3, onwards to Cambodia,our 4th country of this trip.
The Ambassador was at the airport to send us off.
Back at LCCT Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Segment 2 has been incredible for many reasons. 19 bikes riding as a group is a recipe for absolute chaos. But that did not happen. No one got lost or separated. The initial failure to get into Laos was a low point, but the recovery and subsequent entry more than made up for it. The group was compliant and disciplined, everyone playing their roles perfectly. This is another factor for the smooth running of the ride. Even when Hisham had his mishap, recovery was swift and the rest were not inconvenienced. Everyone helped as much as they could.
It was another Ride to remember.
