I was planning my next trip to South Africa, but in a moment of indecison, I decided I could go somewhere else and of course preferably somewhere where I can ride a road bike.
Thailand had been on my bucketlist for a long time, but until now it wasn't clear to me if I wanted to go diving, play golf or just travel around there. It didn't take long before I found the right motivation, which was to ride from Bangkok to Phuket in 8 stages, that sounded perfect to me and there was still places left and I quickly entered. The booking was made three weeks before departure the anticipation was huge and growing each day.
Friday, February 14th, Valentines day! I went to the airport in Zurich and the last time I would experiecne freezing cold for the next 3 weeks, with brief a layover in Dubai, I departed to Bangkok, Thailand.
It was a dream to get off the plane in Bangkok because it was warm and the sun was shining. But when I took the taxi to the first hotel, my mood was a little clouded. Bangkok was noisy, too many cars, too much chaos and no holiday atmosphere. After a short exploration tour through Bangkok we went to the hotel where we received a short briefing for the coming days and got to know the other participants.
Still a bit tired from jetlag and after a hearty breakfast I took the bus out of Bangkok, where it was much nicer, it was quieter and I couldn't wait to get on my bike. 😀
After the road bikes had been individually adjusted for everyone, we got to know the remaining members of the team before we started the roll-in stage, which was 66 kilometers. After the first few kilometers, the sea was our constant companion and after a coffee break we went to the first hotel in Hua Hin, which was located directly on the sea and of course we went into the sea first before the sunset and the evening began.
On the second day we were divided into groups and I decided to go with the first group, we were able to wait for the next group at each stop since this trip was not a classic training camp, but a bike trip, the pace in the group was still very comfortable on the terrain, so I was able to remain in a very comfortable zone. On side roads we drove through pineapple plantations and the Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park to Khiri Khan. Here, too, our hotel was right by the sea, so that we could still go into the water at the end of the day. 🙂
The next morning, the third stage and we moved away from the larger tourist places and it became a norm that we were always warmly welcomed everywhere. After we moved into our hotel again by the sea, after a Thai massage we went to a small restaurant where we enjoyed local specialties.
The next day, the plan was 122 kilometers and we rode through palm forests and rice plantations. I was really impressed with how easy the roads were to ride, including the small back roads that we mostly rode upon. When we arrived in Chumphon, we moved into our room at a beautiful hotel. The following day was our day off. On the rest day, I went on a short ride on the bike with a couple of other participants. We passed a group of locals, we were warmly welcomed and invited to join in their celebration 🙂 Afterwards we had a massage and we ended the evening with Thai food. I had totally immersed myself in Thailand and enjoyed every moment.
After the rest day we started the longest stage with 146 kilometers. After a short roll-into the ride the route went on the highway, it was louder and busy, but we never had a problem with the drivers. After about 25 kilometers of highway, part of our group then separated and rode to the first coffee stop with a little more enthusiasm, it was a fun change 🙂 On this day we passed the Isthmus of Kra, the narrowest part of the Malay Peninsula to get to our destination of the day Ranong, which is on the Indian Ocean. After moving into our hotel, I really wanted to go to the thermal baths, the springs were supposed to have a healing effect. This was something that I really wanted to experience. It was so incredibly hot that even I, as someone who prefers really warm showers, couldn't stay in it for that long a time. We ended the evening with the locals before we went to bed so that we could be ready again the next morning.
The following day was 128 kilometers, the stage destination was Kuraburi, the route was full of twists and turns. We could see the rainforests and the hotel was almost in the middle of a jungle, for me one of the nicest hotels on the trip. In addition to the fantastic view from the balcony over the lake and the surrounding forests, the shower was a real highlight. It was a stone wall from which the water came out, nice to look at, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The next day, the seventh stage with 81 kilometers was on the plan. Through rubber plantations and small villages we went to Khao Lak, where it became more touristy again. Before we drove to the hotel, we stopped briefly at the police boat 813, which was washed into the country for kilometers by the tsunami which happened in 2014. After a massage there was actually no rice for the first time, but a pizza for dinner.
The time had passed so quickly and so our last stage had arrived. The highlight of the ride came after lunch. We packed the bikes on small boats and crossed the water to Phuket, so that we didn't have to cross the famous Sarasin Bridge, as it is very busy. So after 99 kilometers we arrived at our destination of the trip.
I enjoyed every kilometer of the tour and can't imagine that I could have learned more about Thailand than touring it on a road bike.
Every day was a highlight for me, I liked Thailand better when we were out of the tourist regions. It was all smaller and more familiar and we were much closer to the locals. We ate in small local restaurants and learned a lot about the culture. The temples and Buddha statues where we had stopped were also always impressive. I am also enthusiastic about the road conditions and the consideration they show for each other in traffic.
I can very well imagine going on another bike tour through Thailand again, because there is still a lot to discover, including in the east.
