Asia (local)

Here are the day-by-day detailed route notes of the ten day, 248 mile, 398 kilometer ride from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Here are the day-by-day detailed route notes of the thirteen day ride from Bangkok to Phuket in Thailand.

The information that you will find on these pages is about cycling in central Japan and wild camping in the country. There are seperate links to different rides in Kanto, Kansai as well as Chuetsu regions with travelogues and photos. The main page contains also travelogues and pictures from bike rides in Ontario, Canada as well as a 6 month trip across Mediterranean Europe.

12 countries, 12,000 kilometers, five men and five bikes. This is the story of a remarkable bicycle journey across Asia nearly entirely by bicycle. At the time, we believed it to be geographically and politically, the most diverse summer ride the planet had to offer.

The website contains hundreds of high resolution photographs, extensive journals of each country and much advice on gear, immunizations, maps, routes and visas.

This was our first go at cycling in Asia. Our route along the Mekong and to Sukhothai was an excellent choice for a short bike trip in Thailand - villages, beautiful scenery, good roads and little traffic. We loved it. We also spent some time in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Ayuthaya.

I've cycled over a number of passes these few weeks, but if I will remember one, then it will be Zoji La. It stands between Alpine-like valleys near Sonamarg and more rugged mountain ranges of upper Kashmir. The road is cut into a steep mountain slope and it seems it's a one-way road. As a cyclist I was allowed to go in the wrong dirrection. Before that, going up to the summit, I had a sur-realistic encounter with incredible number of trucks (at least 200) that were descending the pass practicaly bumper-to-bumber. With dirt road and the headwind it ment cycling in constant dust and exhaust fumes. By the time all the trucks passed I was as white as a baker after a night's shift.

Questa volta dobbiamo ringraziare la perseveranza e la volonta` di Pierangelo che ci ha spinti e motivati nell'affrontare questa avventura.

Erano circa due anni che ci provava ed anche se non abbiamo fatto proprio quello che si era programmato all'inizio, siamo stati sul passo carrozzabile piu' alto del mondo (forse) ed abbiamo scorazzato per dieci giorni tra le montagne piu` alte del nostro globo.

We felt that we were prepared for our trip to Vietnam. We had read lots of guide books, stories of the wars and the peace and novels by Graham Greene and Marguerite Duras. Lesley had spent a year trying to come to grips with some of the intricacies of the Vietnamese language and its pronunciation. We had talked to other people who had cycled in Vietnam. We didn't expect to be surprised. The immigration police lived up to their reputation for being rude and abrupt but everyone else was so friendly and helpful that it was almost embarrassing. Only a relatively short time earlier our country had been involved in a bloody war with these people and they were welcoming us with open arms. It took us by surprise.

Un viaggio incredibile tra le montagne e l'India, per conoscere veramente l'anima di questo stato, per assaporarne appieno la gente e i meravigliosi paesaggi ogni giorno nuovi.

``What road? There is no road. Just stones and rocks and rivers flowing over what is supposed to be the road. You cannot cycle there. Still there are some who try.

I do not know how, but they do. But it is impossible.'' An old English traveller tells about the road from Keylong to the Baralacha La. ``But I do not want to discourage you.''

We have cycled six weeks in the Indian Himalayas through Sikh, Hindu and Tibetan Buddhist country. We had to cross some of the highest cols of the world (5.000 m plus) to reach the stunning Ladakh, Nubra, Lahaul & Spiti valleys.

[Commercial tour operator, plus general information.]

A unique and special tour crossing Israel hot spots. 2 weeks of travel (that are devided to 3 sectional rides) in which we will meet people, ethnic foods, culture, amazing historic sites and much more.

Photo albums and brief travelogues from two bicycle trips in South-East Asia in 2001 and 2002, repectively. The trip 2001 started in Singapore and took us through Malaysia, Thailand, Viet Nam and Lao. The journey in 2002 started in Chiang Mai, took us through Northern Lao, Isan, and Cambodia.

Travelogue of a 2700 km journey in Himalachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Nubra and Rupshu. The route was consistently on altitudes higher than 3000 metres, crossing Lachalung La 5065 m, Taglang La 5360 m, Khardong La 5603 m, Chang La 5519 m, Kiagar La 5000+ m, and Polakongka La 5115 m. Some of the passes were passed twice, as it was not possible to do a loop.