Bikes, Buses, Boats, Beaches and Beer, on a Budget - Noddy's (mis)Adventures in Asia

2018-01-02T04:37:00.000-08:00

KRATIE (pronounced Krachie)

HOME OF THE IRRAWADDY DOLPHINS

So it was back on the bus to head further east and a little north to the town of Kratie, also nestled on the banks of the Mekong River and home to the near extinct Irrawaddy Dolphins. But first, we actually had to get there....

About 2 hours into our bus journey there was a massive thud followed quickly by an ear crunching grinding noise, our axle had basically fallen off and we were left stranded on the side of the road in the full scorching Cambodian heat, waiting for another bus to rescue us and take us the rest of the way onto Kratie.

Seeing as we had been on the road for over 2 hours, I knew we would be waiting at least another 2 for the next one to arrive, so I set forth in search of cigarettes, cold beer and a toilet. I found all 3 in the one place so figured I may as well settle on in! I was soon joined by an American named Mike who also had a case of parched throat - an ailment only quenched by delicious cold beer!

So we sat and chatted over beers until the bus arrived and ended up travelling together for the next few days in Cambodia and eventually Vietnam, where we sit now on a train from Dong Hoi to Hanoi for our flights tomorrow. It has been great having a travel companion, one I may not have spoken to had the bus not crapped out!

The journey is supposed to take around 4 hours and was also about $6us.

Kratie was another great little riverside town oozing with that relaxed charm you find in many of these small rural Asian towns. I stayed at Heng Heng 2 which overlooks the river and was great, especially at $13au a night, I would definitely stay there again and it is located only a 1 minute walk from where the bus will drop you off.

As per the usual routine, we grabbed scooters and explored the area, nothing overly spectacular to see, man-made that is, but the scenery alone and the friendly locals made the ride thoroughly enjoyable. We did stop at Wat Phnom Sambok, an interesting hilltop pagoda, worth the hike up all those stairs if only to remind us we need to get back in the gym!

We rode on past Kampi, where most people stop to take a boat out to view the dolphins, and ended up in the smaller 'town' of Sambor, where we stopped for noodles and a couple of cold beers overlooking the sun setting over the Mekong, so simple - yet so amazing. It was such a fantastic ride through tiny villages of wooden stilted house, right alongside the banks of the Mekong that you really need to get out there and give it a go whilst in Kratie.

The next day we swapped engine power for paddle power! Mike is a keen kayaker, like me, and we made plans to do a tour with Sorya Kayaking that turned out to be a really amazing day on the water.

After an early start with fresh made banana bread and hot coffee, included in the tour at the Sorya restaurant, we were crammed onto the back of a truck along with the kayaks and sent jostling up the bumpy road Mike and I had ridden the previous day.

It's not too far to travel and we were soon spilling out of the truck in anticipation, preparing to paddle one of the greatest rivers in the world, with the promise of seeing the beautiful creatures that are sadly facing possible extinction, the Irrawaddy Dolphin.

Unfortunately (or not) they were double kayaks, and somehow Mike and I ended up each going with one of the 2 guides. It really did make the day though, chatting with him along the way, and sharing the experience with a local. Sorya does a great job of employing locals and the service and information were outstanding.

We stopped twice along the way on little sandbar islands that popped up randomly from the rushing brown waters of the mighty Mekong, where we got to swim, eat and take in the natural wonders we were lucky enough to be in the middle of.

The second 'island' stop gives you the opportunity to watch for the dolphins that tend to congregate in that specific area, though we did see a few from the kayaks also.

The highlight for my guide and I after we had pushed on ahead of the others, was seeing what we thought was a dolphin surfacing right next to our kayak, only to realize it was a fish! This thing was a monster and we nearly fell out of the kayak with excitement, the guide saying he'd never seen anything like that before.

Alas, I didn't take a camera with me at all, so I have absolutely no pictures of the day, only some brilliant memories that will stay with me forever.... or until I return! You will simply have to go and see it for yourself, it really was an amazing day out.

Red Sun Falling became our eating/beer drinking/river watching hangout spot for it's excellent cheap food, great location and friendly staff. They don't close until you finish drinking! Tokae Restaurant is another option over near the markets and it certainly gets it's fair share of travelers.

2017-06-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

KAMPONG CHAM PICTURES

2017-06-13T06:09:00.003-07:00

KAMPONG CHAM

Kampong Cham is only a small city, roughly 3 hours north east of Phnom Penh and boasts a beautiful downtown riverside (Cambodia really knows how to utilize their river frontage) and a handful of tourist attractions to keep you busy for 2 or 3 days.

The highlight being the worlds longest bamboo bridge that stretches across the Mekong to Koh Pen.

"It is the longest bamboo bridge in the world, and is rebuilt every year once the rainy season passes and the Mekong subsides to reveal the sandy banks below. Almost a kilometre long and made entirely of blonde bamboo poles, the bridge remains until it is submerged and washed away again every year when the Mekong, flush with snows from the Himalayas, surges again."

taken from travelfish.org

Simply riding around the area or strolling the riverside soaking in the relaxed vibe is more than worth the trip though.

I stayed 2 nights at Moon River Guesthouse for $17au a night and found it satisfactory, very helpful staff, bikes for rent, a beautiful view straight over the river and a restaurant serving up cheap delicious meals, far superior to the 2 very poor meals I had at the well known Mekong Crossing. I can't comment on their accommodation but the food I tried was poor.

I definitely recommend the fresh spring rolls and the steak & cheese baguette at Moon River and would gladly stay there again, as I certainly see myself returning to Kampong Cham - a fantastic little getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city.

I visited pretty much all of the touristy sites, and highly recommend taking a bike ride north out to Prasat Han Chey. While there is nothing special about the place, just a cheesy hilltop temple really, the ride and the views once there are definitely worth the trip!

Of course no trip to Kampong Cham is complete without venturing across the bamboo bridge and exploring the villages of Koh Pen, either by scooter, bicycle or on foot.

The bus trip from Phnom Penh was $6us and takes around 3 hours, with obligatory stop for food on the way! What are you waiting for?

The bridge to Koh Pen.
Didn't actually get any pics from the island village as I feel like i'm imposing on them, like their daily life is some sort of tourist attraction.

2017-06-13T05:32:00.000-07:00

PHNOM PENH

So after a long stint of working in Thailand, I decided to throw the shackles aside and quit my job to get back on the road again, and oh how i'd missed it!

The plan was to, well there really was no plan, I just needed to get out of Thailand for a while, so headed off to Cambodia at short notice with some friends. First stop - Phnom Penh for a few days, enjoying time with mates before they headed off back to their home countries again, and catching up with other ones who reside in the Cambodian capital.

Not much to report from Phnom Penh, just some good old fashioned bar hopping and feasting on the great value, delicious western cuisine available there. Street food in Cambodia hasn't really progressed as well as Thailand and I generally find myself gorging on the vast selection of international cuisine on offer.

A friend and I stayed at the Royal Mekong Boutique Hotel for the first 3 nights, a little overpriced and I certainly don't see myself staying there again. Location was poor and there were just too many smaller issues that put me off going back there.

I switched to the Pickled Parrot on for another couple of nights as the other guys were staying there, also another I probably wouldn't return to, but suitable for the budget traveler.

The boys headed off after a few days and I made my way to Kampong Cham, the first destination on my journey East to parts of Cambodia I hadn't yet visited.

Few pics from around Phnom Penh

2016-11-28T07:17:00.000-08:00

Last Day On The Road, Back to Kathmandu

This has dragged on far too long.... thanks to everyone that takes the time to read. With a new adventure on the horizon, I think i'll just drop the rest of my photos and let them tell the story. It was a fantastic ride with great people, through some amazing and challenging terrain. Don't hesitate to travel with the boys from Smoking Joe's Motorcycles!

Breakfast in Bandipur

Some of the road conditions are treacherous...

Lunch stop at a Trout Farm

2016-08-16T05:43:00.001-07:00

BANDIPUR PICTURES

2016-08-16T05:34:00.002-07:00

BANDIPUR

Once the rain had passed we made our way along the paved and cobbled streets through the architecturally stunning town of Bandipur to our lodgings for the night. It's hard to describe the buildings here or our rooms, but it was unlike anything I have had the pleasure too see before. It really was like taking a step back in time.

Our room

Our window, 2nd floor, 2nd from right

I wasted no time in hitting the streets for some pictures, this place was a photographers dream - the people, the food, the architecture and design, coupled with the views out over the valleys and up into the mountains, it truly was awe inspiring.

Later that night we were supposed to have dinner in a rather upmarket and expensive place in town, as was instructed by Joe. Instead, we stopped for a 'couple' of cold beers on the way there at a tiny little hole in the wall place, oozing with local charm.

One thing led to another and soon we were on the local rum, eating the most delicious local meals and snacks, having a jam session with some fellow travelers and pretty much having a really fantastic night.

I'm so glad we never made it to the other place, the menu looked dull with pretty much a couple of choices of western food. No comparison to the night we had and the local food we enjoyed, in such a simple ramshackle place, the kind of places I like to stop at while travelling. We even caught up with a couple of the other travelers we met here back in Katmandu.

A great night with great people was really a bonus, the town of Bandipur alone is not to be missed, one of the most amazing little places I have been lucky enough to visit on my travels. I wish I could have gotten more pics, but the weather just wasn't playing fair!

2016-08-16T04:37:00.000-07:00

DAY 3 POKHARA TO BANDIPUR

Day 3 of our bike adventure would take us on a wild ride from modern, touristic Pokhara to the ancient town of Bandipur, high in the mountains, lost in time and seemingly isolated from the rest of the world.

After a nice breakfast by the lakeside in Pokhara, the bikes were loaded and we were on our way again, back on the road in beautiful Nepal. Once again the scenery was fantastic, and the riding a little quicker now that the guys had relaxed with us. Aajit took off ahead and silently 'challenged' me to a race, and it was on, at times pushing a little harder than we should, but great fun!

A couple of quick stops for pictures, snacks and cold drinks along the way and soon we were at the turn off into Bandipur, the start of a tight, steep winding trail engulfed on either side by jungle or treacherous valleys, that took us through amazing mountainous scenery and almost back in time.

Once again the weather gods were unkind to us and a massive storm hit us half way up the mountain, to the point of being quite dangerous. Rain was whipping down heavy on us and in our eyes, making visibility a nightmare, winds were gusting so hard that tree branches fell, dropping around us or whizzing past our body on this tiny one lane track up the side of the mountain.

At one point, a piece of tin about 2 foot by 1 foot went flying over Julian's head as he ducked it, mere inches away from hitting him. We just kept riding, nobody wanted to stop so all we could do was continue on, ducking fallen power lines also as we neared Bandipur.

I think we all felt relieved as we pulled into the ancient town of Bandipur, cold and soaking wet again, it was clearly a unique little hillside community and we were quickly helped to put our bikes under cover and be given a hot drink and freshly cooked local snacks to warm up with out of the rain.

2016-07-07T10:51:00.000-07:00

DAY 2 - AROUND POKHARA

We awoke to glorious sunshine in beautiful Pokhara, a scenic little town nestled by Phewa Lake, though it is the second largest city in Nepal and gateway for most of the Annapurna treks.

It was now time to head out for breakfast on the main tourist strip by the lake, a quick stroll from Greenland Hotel. Can't remember the name of the place, a bit swanky for us ferals, but a delicious meal that hit the spot before another day on the bikes.

Aajit rode on the back of Julians bike and grabbed some stills and video during the day

We grabbed the Enfield's for a day of riding around Pokhara, to see all the....... tourist traps! It was a bit of wild ride at first to head up the mountain overlooking Phewa Lake, launching point for the masses of paragliders that take to the skies over Pokhara and the lake.

There were literally dozens of paragliders either launching or already soaring overhead, basking in what would definitely be, an incredibly spectacular view in all directions. Pokhara is famous for being able to see the snow capped Annapurna range towering in the background, looming magnificently over the valley below.

Not my picture

From here it was onto the Devi Falls and the Bat Cave, both easily forgettable tourist spots close to town, though probably worth a visit for somebody who hasn't been spoiled with some of the best caves and waterfalls in South East Asia!!

Quick Troy..... to the Bat Cave!

This was an insanely tight squeeze to get out of, that was after scaling the cave wall inside!

Afterwards it was time for a great ride around the lakeside before getting some lunch and being rained in, a massive storm rolling over us for an hour or so. Once it had cleared, we made our way back to to Greenland where we sat in the garden area with a couple of beers and local rum, with some amazing local snacks and dishes that Julian organized. A truly great way to end a great day!

Not that we were finished yet, after a shower and change, we were back at Busy Bee, with yet more beer and rum, some games of pool, great live music and eventually some dinner. Another fantastic night out in Pokhara.

2016-07-07T09:08:00.000-07:00

DAY 1 - KATHAMANDU TO POKHARA

We awoke early and headed down to Smoking Joe's to meet the guys, finalize plans and get our bikes packed, before setting out into the rat maze of madness that is Kathmandu traffic. Day 1 will see us make our way to Pokhara, jumping off point for the bulk of the trekking tours.

Troy's bike

My beast for the trip!

To be honest, it was a little daunting at first, the traffic situation coupled with a very unfamiliar bike left me on high alert and not really able to relax until almost an hour later when we were clear of the city proper.

Even once out of the city, road and traffic conditions do not improve much and we cruise along at a fairly slow pace before coming to an almost grinding halt at the first mountain pass.

There is some political unrest here presently, as per usual after an election - half of the population are not at all happy with the result! There were droves of people coming into town to protest and all the trucks, buses and cars that use this already crowded and dangerous mountain pass, are at a standstill.

We duck and weave our way through this madness, never really able to take in the amazing views or blast around one of the hundreds of tight winding corners on this pass. Though we can see for literally miles, the traffic backed up and unmoving as the roads snake their way up, down and around the mountains we are on.

The riding is a little slow and we are basically stuck behind our leader, having to go at his pace, another reason I generally dont do tours. It becomes too much for me and as soon as I see some open road i'm gone, tearing past Julian and feeling like i'm actually riding.

Watching somebody's taillight and following them at their pace just doesn't allow you to ride properly, to experience what we ride for - an open road, the wind in your face and that feeling of freedom. To me, following somebody like that isn't riding, it's merely sitting on a bike.

I keep the guys in sight though and pull over for pictures, a cigarette etc until they catch up again, you still need to keep your group together. But I needed to see what the bike could do and open it up, well as best you can here with the crazy traffic and poor road conditions.

We have a few quick stops, including a local Nepali style lunch which was delicious, and with only a couple of hours left to ride, the heavens open up on us and we get absolutely soaked. The storm gets so bad we shelter in a concrete hut somewhere in the mountains, freezing cold and soaked to the bone.

Nepali Lunch

Absolutely soaked and freezing cold.... "na... i don'tneed one of those dry, warm leather jckets you have at the shop..." F#*@ing idiot I am!!

The last run into Pokhara takes what feels like forever, as we have to ride super slow, conditions are wet, dark and dangerous, my body feels like ice. Wet, twisting mountain roads full of huge potholes, large trucks and low visibility do not make for relaxing riding!

As we finally roll into Pokhara I am so cold I can barely move my hands, they are almost frozen in riding position, but we've made it! A great day's riding with a slight hiccup - you never tell the stories about the days everything went perfectly anyway!!

We check into Hotel Greenland and I go buy some dry, warmer clothes before grabbing a much needed hot shower and then of course it's.... Beer o'clock! We grab some dinner at a nice restaurant near the hotel, before heading to the local hotspot, Busy Bee , where seemingly everybody in town likes to hang out!

Busy Bee is a huge bar with great service, food, live music and absolutely buzzing with atmosphere, don't miss it!

2016-05-23T02:25:00.003-07:00

KATHMANDU

Then next day we just explored more of town and went to the monkey temple or Swayambhunath. It's perched atop a hill and there are 365 steps, steep ones I might add, to reach the summit.

There are actually monkeys scrambling about the steps and surrounding trees, but they didn't seem like the usual thieving kind that are prone to grab your camera and run off with it! A nice spot to visit for a couple of hours,then it was back into town to organize what we really came for - our bike trip.

Troy had been in contact with a local group, Smoking Joe's Motorcycle Tours and had pretty much arranged a trip already. We went down the shop to meet the guys, fine tune our plan, and get paid up, we would ride early the next day.

I normally don't do tours for many reasons and I even discussed with Troy doing this trip on our own. But going with a local can definitely be a huge asset, especially as it is my first trip here.

As it turns out, the 2 guys Julian and Aajit completely made our whole trip, and we have been hanging out almost daily since we returned. We went in as a customer and came out friends for life, with future trips and a possible business relationship planned. I have been assigned team leader when the guys come to Thailand to plan some epic long haul journey's in the future!

Both are really great guys, and their 3rd guide and main photographer Aman, who we have been hanging out with since, is also a champ. If you are coming to Nepal to ride, don't hesitate to book through these guys, not only a pleasure to hang out with but we learnt so much about the food and culture also.

Mmmmm the food.... loving the food here!!

Swayambhunath

2016-05-23T01:15:00.000-07:00

DAY 2 IN KATHMANDU

Our first full day here was spent exploring the town on foot, such an interesting place full of colours, designs and smells that have your senses on high alert at all times. We covered quite alot of ground actually and I think i'll just let the pictures tell the story of the day.

Momo's... a Nepali staple and delicious. These were from Gokarna House Restaurant, daily special there - 100 rupees ($1.30) with coke, and some of the best momo's we had all trip

2016-05-19T06:08:00.000-07:00

KATHMANDU..... A QUICK TRIP TO NEPAL

After a near 12 month hiatus from traveling, it was finally time to get out of Thailand and away from work for a short break! My friend Troy was talking of his upcoming trip to Nepal, with biking being the main agenda.

It wasn't really a place I had considered before, but after a quick spot of research on Google, I thought "that sounds bloody awesome", and promptly invited myself along for the trip! It had been far too long since my last adventure, and a break from work was a very welcome thought.

Troy had been in Kathmandu last October for a brief stint and loved the place, though this time around, doing a bike trip on Royal Enfield 500's was the plan. As it turned out - a great plan!

We arrived in Kathmandu from Bangkok, (Troy also lives in Thailand), at around 1.30pm on a Wednesday, the flight a mere 3 and a half hours. As the taxi drove us into the heart of this dirty, dusty, chaotic labyrinth of bricks, bikes and people, it was clear that Kathmandu was not like any other place I had been before.

We checked into a new, fairly nice hotel - Lemon Tree, which we booked through cheaptickets.com and quickly headed out into the mess of muddy streets, all the while keeping a vigilant eye out for the motorbikes and cars that seem to use the tiny streets as a race track.

We are staying in the tourist area of Thamel, but it's a fascinating little part of town with its myriad of narrow dirt and paved alleyways, intriguing architecture, amazing food stalls and friendly locals.

Troy... and lane way to our hotel

Hate to be an electrician in Nepal!

First beer in Nepal!

Great live music venue, Purple Haze

More great live music and good food at H20, these guys were unbelievably good.

2015-03-28T05:16:00.000-07:00

AROUND CHANTABURI - PHLIO WATERFALL, LAEM SING & CHAO LAO BEACHES

The next day was a huge ride, first south to Nam Tok Phlio (Phlio waterfall) which is a really nice spot with streams and swimming holes that are just loaded with fish, that WILL take a little nibble at you, in amongst beautiful jungle.

There is a moss covered chedi along the way, built in 1876 to honour the place King Rama V would take his main squeeze, and future queen, for courtship. Of course the main attraction is the waterfall which is nice enough, once again huge numbers of fish swimming around in the cool, crystal clear water.

You can buy bags of long beans to feed the fish with along the way which is great fun as they scramble over the top of each other for a snack, not as amusing when your swimming with them and people are throwing all the beans right at you!

From here we headed further south and to the coast, which we then gradually followed north past Laem Sing and up to Chao Lao, making frequent stops for refreshments and to take in the great views. Not the most spectacular beaches by any means, but I loved them and the whole area, barely a tourist in sight and miles of deserted coastline to enjoy. But soon it was time to head back to town.

We covered a lot of miles, lots of funky little fishing villages interspersed with canals and inlets, a few beach front stalls with cold drinks and fresh seafood, there is even a small forest park along the way and the whole area just has an attractive charm to it. For a quiet beach getaway, it hits the spot just nicely.

There are quite a few other attractions around the place but they would have to wait for next trip, after the big day we'd had it was another great night back at Wang Phla with dinner and drinks on the balcony, while we all took turns stirring the fish into a feeding frenzy with the little pellets they sell there.

Next day we took the bikes to the mini bus station and organized for them to follow us to the bike rental shop, once again to save on any taxi fares, and that was no problem. A mini bus back to Pattaya was cheap, can't remember exactly, and took under 3 hours.

A fantastic break away and so close to Pattaya, I can see many future trips here on the bike, the whole coastline from Sattahip, Rayong etc all the way around is really nice and generally very quiet.

2015-03-28T04:16:00.000-07:00

KOH CHANG TO CHANTABURI

It was time to leave Koh Chang though unfortunately, and we hopped the ferry across to the mainland, the price including a mini bus trip to Chantaburi where we would stay a couple of nights.

According to all the info I could find online, the only place to get rental bikes here is through a small laundry shop, so with the help of the girls we organized for 3 bikes to be waiting and our driver took us there... eventually. It is a hard place to find, even though we had the boss talking to our mini bus driver by phone.

"Motorbikes can be rented from a man named Jong, who runs a small laundry shop on Tha Chalaep Soi 8 near Burapha University. It's not easy to find, so Jong encourages travellers to call him at (081) 853 1763, and he will deliver the bike(s) to anywhere in town. The cost is 300 baht per day. If wanting someone else to handle it, River Guest House can make arrangements for you. "

Quote taken from Tavelfish.org

The driver then took the girls to our intended accommodation for the night while we followed on bikes, once again another hard to find place, Wang Phla Resort. A really nice place with excellent over-water bungalows all the way around a huge pond that was just teeming with large fish, though unfortunately you aren't allowed to fish here...

The rooms were really nice and great value at 500bt, with a small balcony you can relax on and feed the fish from. The menu was a little expensive, but we just got food from nearby and all had a couple of beers and relaxed a little before hitting the road and doing some exploring on the bikes.

Wang Phla Resort

It was quite a big afternoon on the scooters, exploring some of the coast and then night markets, before kicking on back at Wang Phla after eventually finding our way back, it proved quite tricky actually and we were getting a little worried!

Snaps from our first afternoon

Mmmmm... delicious! Back home - bait, Thailand - dinner!!

I just want ONE cast!!

2015-03-27T00:43:00.000-07:00

TRIP TO KOH CHANG

I cheated a little on this one as I had 2 mates coming that had never ridden bikes in Thailand and were not comfortable making the trip down there, which is fair enough, so we took the mini bus from Pattaya and ferry across to Koh Chang for 550 bt ($20 AU) a person through 35 Group on 3rd road near Pattaya Tai.

A very painless process that only took a few hours and we had the whole mini bus to ourselves, after leaving the ferry the mini bus then drops you in Haad Sai Khao where we easily grabbed some bikes for 200 bt a day. I would definitely use their services again.

Once on the island the boys were given clear instructions that we WOULD be riding scooters here and it was a good place for them learn.

We stayed at Blue Lagoon in the Khlong Prao Beach area for the first 3 nights, a great place at decent prices, set in beautiful surrounds including wooden walkways over a crystal clear lagoon inlet, bungalows right on the water, with the added bonus of sharing a great beach with the neighbouring Centara Resort. We loved it here and had some great times on the beach at night with huge spreads of food and drink.

Another mate, Danca from my Isaan trips, also turned up later the first evening after making the trip on his Honda Phantom 200 and there were many beers and much food harmed during our stay. We also covered as much of the island as possible on the bikes, exploring everywhere we could.

We decided it was time for a location change though for our last night, or maybe Blue Lagoon were booked out and we had to leave..? Either way we ended up at Mam Kai Bae and lashed out 1500 bt for a great room with sea views and rooftop pool. The beach there was nice also.

Mam Kai Bae Resort, our balcony

View from the rooftop pool

Porn's Bungalows looked great, slightly run down, but amazing location with your balcony sitting right over the ocean and with cheap prices, they were fully booked but I will certainly check them out next trip.

We rode all round the island, hiked to waterfalls, partied and had a great time, Koh Chang has definitely become one of my new favourite spots, though having a great group of mates there made a huge difference.

Koh Chang - a place you could go solo, with mates, take the family or your girlfriend, something for everyone.

Around the island

This is the view from one of our favourite restaurants on the island

An apparently abandoned resort, of which we found a few

Cockfight training

Our 'secret' waterfall, pictures do not do it justice. Was just an amazing little afternoon swimming hole with a couple of beers

2015-03-01T01:07:00.000-08:00

SARABURI AND 'HOME' AGAIN

Time to get this little chapter finished, though there isn't much left to tell. From Nakhon Sawan we continued further south to Noi's hometown of Saraburi and spent a couple of days there visiting her family.

There is a great night market in Saraburi on Friday, Saturday and Sunday with some great and really cheap shopping, but not a whole lot else to do in the town itself. We have visited previously and checked out the waterfalls and surrounding areas, but this trip was all about seeing her family and then getting home.

By this time we were getting really slack, no photos and I can't even find the place we stayed at, though Noi tells me it was called Pai Tawan Hotel/Apartments, a really large room actually with a small kitchen and would be great for longer stays. 500 baht a night.

After 2 nights here we made our final run for home and took some obscure route through rural farmland, but it gave us a more direct and shorter path. A shortish day on the bike in comparison to the rest of the journey, but we were more than happy to be home.

It had been an amazing journey, we had traveled far and wide, had great adventures, seen so many incredible places, endured the Myanmar bus journey's and horrendous roads and were fortunate enough to visit some of the most spectacular ancient sites in SE Asia.

We had spent countless hours on the scooter going from town to town, never bored with the surrounding beautiful and varied landscapes, sometimes feeling like a holiday, other times feeling like hard work - but it was all worth it for the incredible places we had been.

The scooter journey alone took us along nearly 5000 km of Thailand roads and sometimes dirt tracks, and I have no idea how far we had been through Myanmar, but we sure covered some ground there also.

I previously stated that I didn't see Myanmar as a 'definite go back to' country, after re-reading my own stories and reliving the memories, I would have to dismiss that comment. I loved it and could easily go back any time.

Thailand as always, was incredible to travel, you couldn't possibly have a bad time anywhere traveling here. Nearly everything is cheap and easy and there is always something interesting to see or do, for the backpacker or the 5 star holiday maker.

2015-02-16T02:45:00.000-08:00

A NEAR DISASTER ON THE ROAD TO NAKHON SAWAN

So today the plan was to head for Ayutthaya but bloody hell did we have an interesting trip…

About an hour and a half from Sukhothai and fairly well in the middle of nowhere, the rim I mentioned earlier that was cracked, actually shattered while we were hurling along at 100km/hour.

I heard it go and my worst fear of the trip and something that had been playing on my mind a lot, was suddenly VERY real. Instantly the ass end of the bike was almost parallel with me as it slipped, grinded and chewed it’s way back and forth across the bitumen, meanwhile we are still at near full speed.

No way was I going to touch the brakes in this situation, that’s when you really get in the shit, you just have to try and hold it, keep your cool and pray to whoever it is that you believe in.

We were literally sideways and almost fully leant right over, from one side to another, the bike violently lurching around as the rim caught the bitumen, us being dragged along with it careening down the road still going way too fast, the threat of being thrown off increasing with each new wild skid.

I was just hanging on for dear life and using everything I had to keep us upright, bearing in mind that we were doing 100km/hour at the time and I just had to play it until we had lost enough speed.

Although I somehow managed to stay calm, probably too many times sideways and upside down on my bikes and in cars previously, I seriously thought we were gonna die or at the very least, both be suffering some serious broken bones and some nasty injuries. If we had of gone over at any point I have no doubt we would be dealing with one of these outcomes.

When I finally pulled the bike to a halt, I just couldn’t believe that we were alive or in one piece, honestly I’m still scratching my head as to how I’m even sitting here typing now. Buddha must be looking out for one of us for sure.

2 Thai guys in one of those cab-less trucks were right behind us and saw the whole thing happen and they pulled up looking like farangs – white as a ghost and eyes as big as dinner plates! They couldn’t believe it either and were telling Noi that as soon it started, they both said to each other ‘these 2 are going to die together’.

They couldn’t help as they had a full load of rice in the back, but actually came back about 30 minutes later and we were still there. They were still shaking their heads in disbelief, but smiling and giving me the thumbs up saying in Thai that I 'number 1 for ride motorbike '!!

By this time Noi had got in touch with the Kampheng Phet police, who sent the local guy out to pick us up in his ute and he arrived at the same time as the rice farmers that had come back to help us out. The ute was easier to put the bike on to so we cruised into town (still no idea what name it was, near Sai Ngam) on the back of the police ute and went to get repairs.

3400 baht later (around $140 au) I had 2 brand new rims and tyres on the bike and we were good to go. In the meantime I had become something of a local legend already and word had spread about the crazy farang who had looked death in the face and said ‘not today’!

Everybody wanted to see us, the bike, the rim and hear the story from the guys who had seen it, who had also followed us into town through sheer curiosity! Yep, there will be campfire stories for a couple of weeks I’m sure about that bloody lucky farang who Buddha must be looking out for!

The culprit. Let that be a warning, don't put it off if you see any damage to your rims

Just to kick me in the balls further, about 2 hours up the shitty, rough road, I dented the new rim already and blew a tube, having to get more repairs done and another 150 baht! Just one of those days and we both agreed that we should stop in Nakhon Sawan for the night.

Oh and we bought lotto tickets at the gas station!

Yep, crazy day if I’ve ever had one, I still can’t believe how close we were to a really serious incident, but glad I have the experience on a bike to have avoided a terrible outcome. That was seriously one of the closest calls I think I've had....

Even this guy got pictures of me on his phone!

Very little to report from Nakhon Sawan, a fairly busy little city and actually great timing for us as it is apparently one of the best places to be in Thailand for Chinese New Year celebrations. The streets were certainly alive with shopping, food, lanterns, entertainment and festivities, a great but busy vibe about the place and the market shopping was super cheap.

2015-02-16T00:03:00.000-08:00

SUKHOTHAI

After checking out we were on the road again, this time heading south to Sukhothai where we ended up staying 2 nights after rather randomly getting in touch with another mate via Line who also just happened to be in town, so we all got together for a night out of over-eating and a couple of beers! A great night and a nice surprise, after so many weeks on the road it was good to be among friends again.

We did do the Sukhothai temples the next day but… I don’t know, maybe we are a little ‘templed out’ or just the eagerness to get home, but it was nothing spectacular we didn’t think, though we (and myself especially) have been pretty spoilt when it comes to amazing temples.

I did like the style of them here though and it is definitely worth checking out, though possibly not after just having returned from Myanmar – temple overload!

The one that really looked worthwhile visiting was charging 100 bt for farangs and I refused on principal, they already charge you a fee elsewhere (that we avoided!) and this was one solitary structure that would have taken all of 5 minutes to see. That’s nearly $50 per hour of sightseeing in my books so I simply took a couple of snaps next to the ticket office and away we went. Man I can be stingy at times!!

We stayed at Banthai Guesthouse which was really nice, once again being able to speak some Thai saved me dollars by asking for a discount on the room if we didn’t use the AC, I used this method many times along the way and regularly knocked 100 bt off the room price! The food was average but the service was great and really friendly.

As you can probably tell, we are getting really slack by this stage, the long days on the bike, all the travel so far and the thought of being almost home again, are taking their toll! I’m definitely getting soft!

Banthai Guesthouse

2015-02-15T23:29:00.000-08:00

CHIANG MAI

We arrived into Chiang Mai late in the afternoon and stopped for a beer to do some free wifi recon that produced little result other than me wanting another beer! So I put our accommodation fate in the hands of Osmand, my GPS system, and we set off around the crowded city looking for a guesthouse.

It became increasingly frustrating and validated my normal approach of having something booked when hitting a bigger town like this, everything was full or overpriced. I finally gave in and we paid 500 bt to stay at Manee House, a little overpriced compared to the rest of our places, but nice enough with working hot water and wifi that hasn’t crapped out yet.

First impressions are that Chiang Mai could very well be the Kuta of Thailand (minus the beach), with it’s maze of tiny paved side streets intersecting the city, lined with little bars and café’s full of holidaying farangs.

Although much more well behaved than the usual idiots that can be found loud, shirtless and well pissed in Bali’s Kuta, the crowd seems similar and the place just has the same feel to it to me, more in terms of what’s here, who’s here and how it’s laid out. Plus it almost seems the farang tourist’s outnumber the locals here, something you rarely see.

We have only had 1 night here and these are simply my first impressions, but I found it interesting that I saw it that way and that Chiang Mai so far feels unlike anywhere else I have been in Thailand. Possibly because I have barely spent any time in the backpacker/holiday zones of Thailand like Phuket and the southern islands.

It really felt like the biggest concentration of Westerner's I had seen, aside from Pattaya, but that is a different crowd altogether, much older and often expats. You rarely see any backpackers there.

The next day we simply explored the city, checked out some of the temples and then ended the day by riding up to Doi Suthep, the mountain that looks over the city of Chiang Mai and hosts Wat Pra That, apparently a major tourist attraction judging by the number of people there.

Chiang Mai definitely needs more time than we were willing to give it this trip so we figured we would keep moving the next day and make our run for home, we are starting to feel the effects of so long on the road and are both ready to get home. I will most certainly be returning here with more time to spend, the whole area has been fantastic, though a little rushed.

View from Doi Suthep

Waterfall nearby

Some sort of bee or wasp nest...?!

In town

Sunset view from some rooftop reggae bar

Saw this place as we were heading out of town, looked like the kind of place I'd go. The Bus Bar.... a bar that's a bus...!! Looks like a nice spot next to the river, will check it out next trip

2015-02-15T20:29:00.001-08:00

CHIANG RAI TO CHIANG MAI - MAE SUAI DAM AND WANGMAJSHAR

Once again it was time to keep moving though and we headed down the 1208 before taking the 118 west and then south, past Mae Suai and all the way to Chiang Mai. Mae Suai Dam was a nice little detour and worth a look, they apparently do some good lure fishing here also, but the trips I looked at were way too pricey for me.

Mae Suai Dam

We also stopped at a really nice place called Khien Doi – Ngoo and Wangmajshar, some sort of local tourist destination that looks like it is still being finished, with a lake and assorted buildings and thousands of huge fish just waiting to be fed. You can buy assorted food on site to throw at these huge fish, we spent 35 bt and although I would have LOVED to get a line in, it was nice just to see them all.

There is also a massive python in a small cage that you can look at, with other cages around housing different birds and a few pigs, possibly some sort of small ‘zoo’ to keep the kids entertained? This also looks unfinished. Who knows, I never try to understand Thai logic, especially when it comes to their tourist attractions!

Definitely worth the very slight detour and the 10 bt entry fee!

2015-02-10T23:09:00.003-08:00

CHIANG RAI - FISHING, WATERALLS AND TEMPLES

After a couple of circuits of the town for a look, we headed back to the outskirts to find Khieng Doi Fishing Resort, about 8km out from the town center in the direction we had just come in from. At 400bt a night, we checked in to a great wooden cabin set on the other side of the fishing pond, almost in the forest with an awesome feeling of being far from civilisation and close to nature.

Before the day’s dust had time to settle, I was rigging up a line and getting a few casts in at the pond, over a well deserved large Chang, 180 bt to fish here with their rods, 80 bt if you have your own gear with you.

The place was packed with locals and we were all consistently catching fish, though it seemed there were only average sized pla suwai in here, after getting a late start at 6pm I still managed 4 fish in under 2 hours with minimal effort. After destroying that first Chang I ordered a small bottle of Sangsom and was making quick work of that also, a far greater priority over fishing at this stage in the day.

But it was a nice park with good rooms, a big pond that seemed to fish fairly easily and quickly, in a great location at good prices – a lot to like about the place.

Our room at Khieng Doi Fishing Resort

The next morning we headed south west from town to check out the famous Wat Rong Khun, or 'The White Temple', which is more of an art piece than a place of worship but definitely worth the trip especially when entry is free!

Continuing on this road, we rode another 20 or so kilometers to Khun Kon Waterfall, a really great spot to visit and almost the perfect waterfall. By this I mean it was a good hike getting into it, no concrete paths but a well worn jungle track, about the right distance with a few hard hill sections, barely any other tourists there and a rewarding waterfall at the end which you can swim at. Once again - no entry fee, definitely worth a look.

After that we rode far and wide just exploring the area and then town itself, we had planned to take the boat trip on the Mae Kok river to Tha Ton but needed to take the scooter with us. After scouting many places we found it was certainly possible but would cost around 2800 bt to do it, tickets are normally 350 bt but we would need to charter the whole boat.

It is supposed to be a great journey boasting excellent scenery, with options to stop in different villages along the way and I’d still like to do it, but this time was a bit more than I wanted to pay, considering we would have still had to ride from Tha Ton to where we were going after the boat ride.

Back in town we stopped at some flower park/entertainment venue type place, Noi loves flowers so she really enjoyed it, plus I'm quite a keen gardener, more so into my foliage design rather than flowers, but it was pretty amazing the way this place was designed.

Then we scoped the night market which was pretty good, definitely a cut above most Thai night markets, plenty of great eats and shopping to be had here.

For those that don't know, many places have public toilets that you pay 3-5 baht to use, but this was the first time I have ever seen this coin operated turnstile being used!

Some really tasty roadside Thai food on the way home at a whopping 80 bt for 2 people and we finally rolled back into the fishing resort sometime after 8pm, no fishing for me that day and we would be checking out in the morning.

2015-02-10T08:16:00.000-08:00

CHIANG KONG TO CHIANG RAI - PHU CHI
FA & PHU SANG

The next day we headed south on highway 3, which follows a mountain range, rather than take the road that goes right through them. About halfway down the range there is a turnoff to take you further east to Phu Chi Fa, a famous viewpoint on the mountain top, right near the border, that over-looks Laos.

Some very steep uphill riding with incredible views, then through a couple of tiny villages perched high in the mountains finally saw us arrive at the carpark, before having to make the fairly gruelling hike to the summit of Phu Chi Fa. Seriously, it was a hard slog getting up there!

On the way we passed groups of small hill tribe children, donned in their traditional garments, singing and dancing as we approached, hoping to make a few baht. It’s a tough call this situation – do you give them some money and encourage the further exploitation from the parents or walk by leaving them with nothing for the effort they put in…

We made it to the summit, exhausted to be honest, maybe it was the altitude?! And the views were….. okay. It was alright and worth the trip getting there, but a little underwhelming and not that special we didn’t think. Oh well, we got the pictures to prove it and we were outta there!

We then followed the 1093 that runs fairly close to the Laos border and it was a great ride, with a lunch stop somewhere at a roadside stall, Pad See Yu Kai Dow for me and noodle soup for Noi – grand total 60 bt!

This road eventually takes you right past Phu Sang and the roadside waterfall/public park area that is outside of town, a really nice spot and a pleasant surprise along the way. We thought it was just beautiful and well worth the time to visit specifically to see it, I’d like to go back and spend a day there I was so impressed.

The entire ride actually was brilliant, as seems to be the norm around this part of Thailand.

South of Phu Sang there is a T junction and we headed west from here, later finding the 1021 and the 1020 all the way to Chiang Rai, where we are now, though heading off again in the morning after 2 nights here.

Phu Chi Fa

Phu Sang Waterfall & National Park

2015-02-10T05:15:00.002-08:00

FANG, MAE SAI, SOP RUAK, CHIANG SAEN & CHIANG KONG

Nothing much to report from Fang, just another typically scenic Northern Thai town, though we explored very little, mostly I just caught up on some online stuff that needed doing. We stayed at Phumanee Home Hotel at 400 bt a night but had trouble with the wifi and water.

From Fang we headed east along the 1089 until the junction at Mae Chan and then took the Phahon Yothin Highway north to Mae Sai, where we quickly cruised the town and checked out the Myanmar border crossing, before continuing on the bike.

We took the 1041 around the border until an intersection takes you further east on the 1290, still on the border and right through Sop Ruak, the ‘official’ location of the infamous Golden Triangle and where the borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand all converge.

Further south from here takes you through Chiang Saen, which was a nice sleepy little town right on the Mekong, but we pushed on further still after considering a stop here for the night. We continued to hug the border as we rode alongside the mighty river at times, and others through more mountains.

Somewhere along the way, we joined the 1129 which took us all the way into Chiang Kong and we finally got to properly stretch our legs after a big day on the road. Chiang Kong offers virtually nothing,other than being a gateway into Laos, and most people only end up here with the intention of crossing over into Laos or having just come into the country.

It does have a certain charm to it though and would be as good a spot as any to just kill a couple of days doing very little amongst some great scenery and a laid back atmosphere. We checked into Rimnam Guesthouse at 350 bt for a large, comfortable, fan room with fantastic views over the river and across to Laos.

A quiet beer with some beef enchiladas at the local Mexican restaurant saw our night done after a long day, very little else to report from Chiang Kong.

My photography in Fang consisted of me taking a couple of snaps from our balcony!

Found these guys just outside of Mae Sai in a locked lot... no idea at all about them other than I thought they were pretty dam cool!! All made from scrap metal, car parts, rims, gas bottles etc, some really great art. Very curious to see if this place ever opens to the public

Roadside wine and strawberries for sale

Mae Sai border crossing into Myanmar

Sop Ruak, the Golden Triangle

Ummm... not really sure?! But it's a statue of a catfish...

From the balcony at Rimnam Guesthouse in Chiang Kong

2015-02-06T03:18:00.000-08:00

PAI & THE PAI PIRANHA FISHING PARK

It was time to make the short journey across to famous Pai and check out for ourselves why this little town in northern Thailand has remained so popular for such a long time. The ride was nice, fairly short at around 100 km from memory and we were soon rolling into bustling little Pai.

Hmmm, first impressions were that it seemed a nice enough town, pleasant surroundings, a very obvious arty, creative, laid back, funky kind of atmosphere exuding from the architecture and the people here, which seemed to be mainly foreigners. We weren’t the only ones a little over whelmed by such a huge presence of tourists - many of the locals we talked to hinted at how good the days of old had been, before seemingly every young backpacker from every corner of the globe converged on the place.

It has made for a great spot to simply chill at and have a ‘holiday’ partying with other youngsters, the apparently still easily available weed in the area I’m guessing is a big drawcard. There was a great night market scene though with plenty of amazing food, but most of the town area seemed to consist of bar/cafes full of farangs, or places to enhance your yogi and spirituality, neither of which was really what we were looking for.

We were probably only going to stay 1 night in Pai, but after searching online, found a fishing park just on the edge of town which we rode out to for a beer and to see whether it was worth a visit. The place looked really nice, a great design and feel to the place, coupled with a friendly owners and cheap fishing - I was sold.

We rode out the next morning with our gear and booked a charming bungalow right over the ponds, once again great design, with a beautiful bathroom and outdoor entertaining/kitchen area, complete with all the things you might need to self cater if you chose to.

Our bungalow was 600 bt per night, but included free fishing, normally 200bt, so essentially only a 400 bt room and superb value for what we got, the kind of place we hoped we could stay all the time, especially at those rates. I did have to buy bait though, but it and the fishing were very cheap.

The whole place was magnificently landscaped, ponds and water features all around the complex, with beautiful wooden furniture in the bar & restaurant area and tropical sala's with hammocks to kick back in. Throw in a couple of super cute and friendly dogs, a family atmosphere, other guests dropping in to chat with, and I can't imagine anybody having a bad time here.

Then there was the food… easily some of the most delicious and healthy food we have had anywhere, they do an outstanding job in the kitchen and you could seriously make the journey here just to eat! I can’t stress enough just how incredible the food here was, sure a bit more expensive than your local Thai noodle shop, but still very reasonably priced.

The fishing was good, a little slow due to it being the cold season, but no shortage of fish coming in over the 3 days we stayed. Oh yeah, we were having such a great time and just loved the place so much that we ended up there for 3 nights and even then had to drag ourselves away.

Dave, the owner, and his family are really friendly, plus he likes to sit and have a few beers with you, the whole place just oozes relaxation with an expensive resort style look, at bargain prices. Definitely one of my favourite places I have ever been to - we have already made plans to go back in the next couple of months!

The place is Pai Piranha Fishing Park and I can’t recommend it highly enough, especially for guy’s that worry about a non fishing partner being bored – your wife or girlfriend will love the place as well, just such beautiful surroundings and a place you lose track of time. Don’t miss it.

When we finally (sadly) dragged ourselves out of there, we made the journey to Fang, a trip of around 220 km, once again through tight mountain roads. Today I’m just having a catch up day on the computer, as I barely turned it on while busy fishing, getting a few important things organized.

Pai Piranha Fishing Park

Our bungalow

From the balcony

Some of the amazing food we had there

At least they're honest!

Lucky, the fat little puppy