For a map of the route taken click on - Routemap
LIST OF CONTENTS
05/10/14 – Sihanukville to
Veal Renh – 48km – Easy/ Medium
06/10/14 to13/10/14 – Veal
Renh to Battambang -526km – Easy
15/10/14 – Battambang to
Pailin – 85km – Easy
16/10/14 – Pailin to
Chantaburi – 89km – Medium
17/10/14 – Chantaburi to
Rayong – 110km – Medium
18/10/14 – Rayong to
Pattaya – 77km – Easy
23/10/14 – Pattaya to
Rayong – 70km – Easy
24/10/14 – Rayong to Chantaburi
– 110km – Medium
25/10/14 – Chantaburi to
Trat – 72km – Easy
26/10/14 – Trat to Klong
Yai – 76km – Medium
27/10/14 – Klong Yai to
Koh Kong – 30km – Medium
30/10/14 – Koh Kong to
Highway 4 – 150km – Difficult
31/10/14 – Veal Renh to Sihanukville
– 48km – Easy/ Medium
Conclusions
& overall costs
05/11/14 –
Sihanukville to Veal Renh (costal route) – 48km – Easy/ medium
At the risk of repeating
myself, I once again kicked off my trip with Sovann’s full Western breakfast; -
2 fried eggs, 2 bacon, 2 sausage, hash brown, baked beans & baguette for
$2.50 which kept me going all the way to Veal Renh.
I've had enough of highway
4 & inconsiderate drivers forcing me off the road & instead took the
coastal route to Veal Renh. I cycled down to the port & past the old ferry
terminal to Koh Kong, traffic was a bit heavy for the 1st few km’s
but soon thinned out. It was lovely scenery passing through small fishing
villages & stretches of quiet beaches. The road, although a bit rough in
patches was surprisingly good for a Cambodian B road. Water & soft drinks
were available all day but food options tapered off after Hun Sen Beach (about
14km outside Sihanukville).
Passing Hun Sen Beach the
road soon takes a swing to the right & the flat terrain is over with the
next 25km of constant up’s & down’s. There’s nothing overly strenuous &
I never got out of the largest front cog but it was a bit of a work out all the
same. This route was marginally harder than Sihanukville to Veal Renh via
highway 4 but it was also far more scenic, enjoyable & certainly a lot safer.
The road eventually meets highway 4, 2km’s North of Veal Renh (NB – there’s a
petrol station convenience store here if you crave Pringles, ice cream or just
a plush Western style toilet).
Arriving in Veal Renh,
Sovann’s breakfast was finally starting to wear off so I headed straight to the
Khmer fast food restaurants opposite the market (directly opposite the Wayne
Rooney/ Van Persie billboard). A large bowl of vegetable, pork & shrimp
soup with rice for $1.25 hit the spot before heading to Leng Try Guesthouse for
a really nice $8 fan room.
I have to say I really
like Veal Renh for a stopover. Great food at incredibly cheap prices, a really
nice $8 room & friendly locals, only it does close up around 8pm. By night a lovely beef & green pepper stir fry & a bag of beers was the perfect end to a great day.
06/10/14 to 13/10/14
– Veal Rinh to Battambang – 526km – Easy
This was a repeat of the
journey I did in August this year & details are recorded in my September
blog entry “Around Cambodia”.
15/10/14 –
Battambang to Pailin – 85km – Easy
 |
| Battambang by night |
Rice paddies soon gave way
to fields of cassava with haze obscured hills in the background. Passed an
interesting hilltop temple which probably looks stunning on a clear day,
unfortunately it was partly obscured by the haze detracting from its effect. At
the 32 km mark I stopped at a small market with a few food stalls, I couldn’t
find any boneless options so settled for a barbecued chicken thigh with rice
($1). The road remained flat until about 12km outside Pailin where it became a
series of inclines & declines. Nothing overly strenuous & after so long
on flat roads it was good to get a bit of a work out.
Arriving in Pailin around
4pm, I found a room at the Pailin Ruby Guesthouse where rooms start from $6. Being
a heavy smoker I opted for a $7 room with outside window & communal
balcony, it’s nothing special but perfectly OK & reasonable value. Lots of
NGO’s milling around & staying in the cheaper rooms.
I kicked off my night with
a tomato, onion & pork stir fry ($1 with rice) before wandering around a
strangely vibrant night market centered around the Independence Monument. Enjoyed
a few beers, some grilled beef & grilled chicken then sampled some
extremely sweet Khmer deserts. Struck up a conversation with a really pleasant
Cambodian who works as a driver for a local NGO. He was extremely proud that
they have managed to completely eradicate Malaria in the Pailin area &
almost eradicate Dengue fever. The NGO is heavily subsidized by Bill Gates who
toured the Pailin area earlier this year & he was the proud owner of a
photograph of Bill Gates with himself in the entourage.
Strangely most people in
Pailin still seem to work on 40baht /$1, meaning its far better to pay for
anything in dollars or Riel, indeed it made things 25% cheaper.
Leaving Pailin the rolling
inclines & declines started immediately. Nothing overly strenuous but
enough to have me working up & down the gears. A good road with a decent
shoulder & very light traffic. 20km to Prum & I arrived with a healthy
appetite. The only boneless option I could find was pork stir fried with an
unidentifiable green vegetable & despite its unappetizing appearance it
tasted wonderful. 
With a brand new passport
& my Cambodian visa & entry stamp in my old passport, I expected some
hassles at the border. A wrong assumption as it turned out & both the Cambodian
& Thai officials quickly & painlessly stamped me out of Cambodia &
into Thailand & within 15 minutes I was cycling onwards to Chantaburi (or so I
thought). About 5 km into Thailand an immigration officer riding a motorbike
overtook me & flagged me down. After some misunderstanding he finally got
me to understand I’d somehow wandered back into Cambodia & was cycling back
to Pailin. How the hell I managed to cycle back through Prum without noticing,
I’ve no idea.
The next 40km was again
constant inclines & declines, a few steep & prolonged enough to see me
in the smallest front cog for the first time since Vietnam. It was actually
nice to get a decent workout after so much cycling on flat terrain. The scenery
seemed more dramatic than much of Cambodia with forest clad hills & even the
vegetation seemed more lush & vibrant as soon as I was over the border.
Back to a first world road with a great road surface & wide shoulder. The
traffic got steadily heavier all day & its noticeable how much faster Thai
traffic speeds by – thank goodness for that wide shoulder. 
The final 30km was mostly
flat or flying downhill & I arrived in Chantaburi shortly after 4pm. Headed
straight to the River Guesthouse which I’ve used a number of times over the
years, but it has to be said it’s seen little maintenance over those years
& nowadays is barely good value at $10/ night. I’m sure there’s better
value in town if I had the energy (& time) to look around.
Not really an enjoyable
cycle today. All day spent on a main highway with fast moving traffic &
little in the way of scenery. A good road with a decent shoulder as one expects
in Thailand. Nothing too difficult but a few minor inclines particularly early
on, some of which were fairly prolonged. Overall a fairly boring ride & the
only highlight was the rest stops – cycling into petrol stations with
7’11’convienience stores, outside seating & plush toilet facilities.
I did enjoy getting back
to some great Thai food, early on stopping for a krapaw muu (minced pork, basil
& chilli stir fried in fish sauce) & then mid afternoon enjoying a
Penang curry. For $1.25 you can have some wonderful food almost anywhere in
Thailand.
According to my map it was
89 km from Rayong to Pattaya but there’s no way I travelled that distance, more
like 77km but even that’s just a guess. I enjoyed a great sleep in Rayong
President Hotel & didn’t awake until 8am. I was seriously tempted to spend
an extra night in Rayong but decided to push on for Pattaya. Having a choice of
the busier but shorter route via road 36 or the longer, quieter route 3, I
opted for route 3. 
Lunch in a rustic roadside
restaurant saw me enjoy another krapaw muu ($1.25), I love this dish &
could eat it 3 times a day. Otherwise every rest stop was spent trying to
finish off the excess of food I’d bought last night.
I’d had an absolutely
wonderful time in Pattaya enjoying some great food, catching up with mates I’d
not seen in a long time and restocking my wardrobe with quality gear not
available in Cambodia. I’d considered spending a few more days here but was also
keen to get back on the road.
Despite the traffic
Pattaya’s an easy & enjoyable place to cycle around & today I was soon
on Sukhumvit Road (or route 3) heading for Rayong. Following the road signs I
found myself on an unplanned detour over road 332, it cut a good few km’s off today’s
journey & was an enjoyable shortcut over a more lightly trafficked road.
Otherwise the journey was a repeat of that undertaken on the 18th. 2
bacon quiches with my morning coffee kept me going all the way to Rayong where
I again opted for a $12.50 room at Rayong President Hotel in Soi 46. 
At night I asked the hotel
staff where the local “talat yen” i.e. night market was & between Tesco
Lotus & Soi 35 is the Star Night Plaza (NB it’s not visible from the main
road, you have to go up Soi 35 a bit to spot it). I love Thai night markets
& Star Plaza wasn’t a disappointment. The variety & quality of food on
offer is astounding & for $1 to $2 you can eat what would cost 4 or 5 times
more in a restaurant, with the knowledge that the best cooks in town are here.
All the Thai staples were there plus fruit, cakes, desert stalls, steak or
chicken & chips, Turkish style kebabs, seafood, grilled meats, hamburgers,
pastas, etc, etc. Unfortunately it was all takeaway & there were no tables
to sit down & eat at. I opted for 3 battered chicken drumsticks ($1) &
rice with penang pork curry & Tom kaa Gai ($1) – even by Thai standards
that was amazingly cheap.
16/10/14 – Pailin to
Chantaburi – 89km – Medium
Leaving Pailin the rolling
inclines & declines started immediately. Nothing overly strenuous but
enough to have me working up & down the gears. A good road with a decent
shoulder & very light traffic. 20km to Prum & I arrived with a healthy
appetite. The only boneless option I could find was pork stir fried with an
unidentifiable green vegetable & despite its unappetizing appearance it
tasted wonderful. With a brand new passport
& my Cambodian visa & entry stamp in my old passport, I expected some
hassles at the border. A wrong assumption as it turned out & both the Cambodian
& Thai officials quickly & painlessly stamped me out of Cambodia &
into Thailand & within 15 minutes I was cycling onwards to Chantaburi (or so I
thought). About 5 km into Thailand an immigration officer riding a motorbike
overtook me & flagged me down. After some misunderstanding he finally got
me to understand I’d somehow wandered back into Cambodia & was cycling back
to Pailin. How the hell I managed to cycle back through Prum without noticing,
I’ve no idea.
Profound apologies to the
officer who took it all good humouredly, “crazy old barang” no doubt going
through his mind & I about turned & cycled back to the border. Another
round of profound apologies to the officer who’d stamped me out & then
noticed me cycling back in. Back through to the Thai side again & finally
headed off to Chantaburi.
The next 40km was again
constant inclines & declines, a few steep & prolonged enough to see me
in the smallest front cog for the first time since Vietnam. It was actually
nice to get a decent workout after so much cycling on flat terrain. The scenery
seemed more dramatic than much of Cambodia with forest clad hills & even the
vegetation seemed more lush & vibrant as soon as I was over the border.
Back to a first world road with a great road surface & wide shoulder. The
traffic got steadily heavier all day & its noticeable how much faster Thai
traffic speeds by – thank goodness for that wide shoulder.
Despite the better road
& more vibrant scenery I found it a bit dull & missed the diversity
& colour of Cambodian traffic, kids yelling sturdy “hellos” & the
fascinating roadside activity you see everywhere in Cambodia.
The final 30km was mostly
flat or flying downhill & I arrived in Chantaburi shortly after 4pm. Headed
straight to the River Guesthouse which I’ve used a number of times over the
years, but it has to be said it’s seen little maintenance over those years
& nowadays is barely good value at $10/ night. I’m sure there’s better
value in town if I had the energy (& time) to look around.
By night I headed straight
to a local night market & Thai’s certainly know about good food – the
variety & quality on offer is astounding. Spoilt for choice but aware I
have to increase my chili tolerance slowly, I opted for a massaman curry
(chicken & potato in a peanut curry sauce) & it was sublime &
superb value @ $1.50. A Gai Yat Sai (omelet stuffed with minced pork &
diced vegetables) to take away ($1) & passing a 7’11’ I couldn’t resist a
snickers bar to go with my Chang beers.
17/10/14 –
Chantaburi to Rayong – 110km – Medium
Not really an enjoyable
cycle today. All day spent on a main highway with fast moving traffic &
little in the way of scenery. A good road with a decent shoulder as one expects
in Thailand. Nothing too difficult but a few minor inclines particularly early
on, some of which were fairly prolonged. Overall a fairly boring ride & the
only highlight was the rest stops – cycling into petrol stations with
7’11’convienience stores, outside seating & plush toilet facilities.I did enjoy getting back
to some great Thai food, early on stopping for a krapaw muu (minced pork, basil
& chilli stir fried in fish sauce) & then mid afternoon enjoying a
Penang curry. For $1.25 you can have some wonderful food almost anywhere in
Thailand.
I’ve passed through Rayong
many times but never actually stayed here, cycling through town I spotted a
sign for Rayong President Hotel. I’ve no datum to gauge it by (i.e. I’m out of
touch with current Thai prices) but thought it was pretty good value at $12.50
for a nice A/c room, hot shower, fridge
freezer etc – plus its right across from a Tesco Lotus superstore.
By night I went a bit
crazy in the Tesco Lotus & ended up with way too much food & just
enough beer. Chocolate, crisps, doughnuts, apples, bananas, ice cream & a
chocolate fudge cake will take a lot of getting through.
I’m really looking forward
to getting to Pattaya tomorrow & hoping a few mates will be in town,
although I’m not really looking forward to another day on a busy highway.
18/10/14 – Rayong to
Pattaya – 77km (approx) – Easy
According to my map it was
89 km from Rayong to Pattaya but there’s no way I travelled that distance, more
like 77km but even that’s just a guess. I enjoyed a great sleep in Rayong
President Hotel & didn’t awake until 8am. I was seriously tempted to spend
an extra night in Rayong but decided to push on for Pattaya. Having a choice of
the busier but shorter route via road 36 or the longer, quieter route 3, I
opted for route 3.
I enjoyed today’s cycle
much more than yesterday with a slightly more scenic road. Traffic was still
fairly heavy but never oppressively so, a good road & again the highlight
was rest stops in petrol stations with mini-mart services. There were a few
Thai cyclists on the road today, most on good quality racing bikes. One guy
cycled alongside for a few km’s & explained today is “sports day” at his
company whereby every Friday employees are encouraged to partake of some
sporting activity.
Lunch in a rustic roadside
restaurant saw me enjoy another krapaw muu ($1.25), I love this dish &
could eat it 3 times a day. Otherwise every rest stop was spent trying to
finish off the excess of food I’d bought last night.
Arriving in Pattaya around
4pm, I headed straight to ***** Court & was really pleased to find they had
a fan room available for $11. A large well appointed room, hot shower, fridge
freezer & private balcony where I can store my bike – very comfortable
& centrally located. (Sorry folks but my friends would lynch me if I gave
out the name of this little gem).
 |
| Old photo but it encapsulates much about Pattaya |
A quick shower &
headed off to my favorite no name restaurant for some hot & sour soup with
prawns (Tom Yam Kung - $2.50). Later I caught up with some mates in cheap &
cheerful side street bar, many of whom I hadn’t seen for over a year &
consumed way too many Chang beers.
I’m thinking of getting a
Thai SIM card but there’s also a side of me enjoying not wasting hours surfing
nonsense on the net & freeing up time for reading, writing & the
like.
23/10/14 – Pattaya to
Rayong – 70km – Easy
I’d had an absolutely
wonderful time in Pattaya enjoying some great food, catching up with mates I’d
not seen in a long time and restocking my wardrobe with quality gear not
available in Cambodia. I’d considered spending a few more days here but was also
keen to get back on the road.Despite the traffic
Pattaya’s an easy & enjoyable place to cycle around & today I was soon
on Sukhumvit Road (or route 3) heading for Rayong. Following the road signs I
found myself on an unplanned detour over road 332, it cut a good few km’s off today’s
journey & was an enjoyable shortcut over a more lightly trafficked road.
Otherwise the journey was a repeat of that undertaken on the 18th. 2
bacon quiches with my morning coffee kept me going all the way to Rayong where
I again opted for a $12.50 room at Rayong President Hotel in Soi 46.
Coming into town, I
noticed 2 bike shops selling good quality bikes & in Soi 48 there’s a bike
repair/ service shop. Chatting to the guys they seemed really passionate & knowledgeable
about bikes & I’m sure they would be competent to undertake any necessary repairs.
Throughout the day I’d been passed by quite a few Thai cyclists, speeding by on
unloaded racers, all but one giving me a wave or “sawasdee khrap”- nice to have
some fellowship on the road.
A quick shower & then
headed to Tesco Lotus food court for a pork, basil & chili stir fry &
then couldn’t resist a chocolate fudge cake to take back to the room.
At night I asked the hotel
staff where the local “talat yen” i.e. night market was & between Tesco
Lotus & Soi 35 is the Star Night Plaza (NB it’s not visible from the main
road, you have to go up Soi 35 a bit to spot it). I love Thai night markets
& Star Plaza wasn’t a disappointment. The variety & quality of food on
offer is astounding & for $1 to $2 you can eat what would cost 4 or 5 times
more in a restaurant, with the knowledge that the best cooks in town are here.
All the Thai staples were there plus fruit, cakes, desert stalls, steak or
chicken & chips, Turkish style kebabs, seafood, grilled meats, hamburgers,
pastas, etc, etc. Unfortunately it was all takeaway & there were no tables
to sit down & eat at. I opted for 3 battered chicken drumsticks ($1) &
rice with penang pork curry & Tom kaa Gai ($1) – even by Thai standards
that was amazingly cheap.
I really am going to miss
Thai street food when I get back to Cambodia.
The reverse of my journey
recorded on 17/10 only this time it seemed more scenic & enjoyable –
travelling South the green , forest clad hills are more visible &
distracted me from the monotony of a 2 lane highway with fast moving traffic. 
I’ve found Thai drivers,
almost without exception to be incredibly courteous, there’s been occasions
when I’ve had to cut across traffic to do a right turn & there’s no honking
of horns or flashing of lights, they always just slow right down, allow the
crazy falang cyclist to do his maneuver & then move on with (I presume) a
tolerant smile. Similarly cars exiting petrol stations or junctions will wait
patiently for a cyclist to pass before pulling out – Cambodian drivers would
just pull out in front of me & presume I know they will do so. Thai drivers
seem to have more understanding of the difficulties a cyclist has changing
lanes or taking right turns in fast moving traffic & employ incredible
tolerance towards us. 
The worst aspect I find
with fast moving highways is when a left turn comes up (NB Thailand is left
hand drive) & I have to stop hugging the shoulder & move out into the
traffic to allow cars taking the turn to pass me on the inside. 
15km into today’s cycle
& an insect flew into my shirt (it happens often with an unbuttoned v neck);
this one obviously didn’t like where he was & stung me right on the nipple.
It was really bloody sore & continued to give me pain all day, although
thankfully no allergic reaction. Around the 50km mark I arrived in Klaeng
absolutely famished. A quick look around & I found the most wonderful
restaurant. All the Thai soups, curries & other staples were there, I had a
krapaw muu & liver, kidney, pepper stir fry over rice. It cost less than $1
& was the tastiest Thai food I’ve had in a long time. It’s located right
across from a small 7’11’ & was packed full with groups of Thais. The
dishes are displayed outside & the family was delightfully friendly. Just
one sitting & it’s already in my top 10 Thai restaurants/ street stalls. I
seriously considered finding a room nearby just so I could eat 2 or 3 more
times in this wonderful place. 
Reluctantly pushing on
& mid afternoon I stopped at a bus shelter for a cigarette & water
break. An elderly, toothless Thai gent cycled up on fairly dilapidated, single
speed bike. He seemed incredibly interested in my bike & kept firing
questions at me. The problem was he had a really thick and (for me) impenetrable
accent, it wasn’t Issan or Eastern Seaboard (which I’m used to) more like Deep
South which I’ve always found almost impossible to understand. One of those
conversations ensued where neither party’s really sure what the others saying,
yet can still be strangely satisfying. I just prattled away about how much it
cost, where I’d bought it & where I’d travelled on it & it seemed to
make his day. 
Soon after an extremely
heavy downpour saw me cycling with extremely impaired vision as the rain ran
down into my eyes, the wash from my front tyres compounding the effect. I do
feel very venerable when everyone’s vision is impaired & it wasn’t a
pleasant last 25km into Chantaburi.
24/10/14 – Rayong to
Chantaburi – 110km – Medium
The reverse of my journey
recorded on 17/10 only this time it seemed more scenic & enjoyable –
travelling South the green , forest clad hills are more visible &
distracted me from the monotony of a 2 lane highway with fast moving traffic. I’ve found Thai drivers,
almost without exception to be incredibly courteous, there’s been occasions
when I’ve had to cut across traffic to do a right turn & there’s no honking
of horns or flashing of lights, they always just slow right down, allow the
crazy falang cyclist to do his maneuver & then move on with (I presume) a
tolerant smile. Similarly cars exiting petrol stations or junctions will wait
patiently for a cyclist to pass before pulling out – Cambodian drivers would
just pull out in front of me & presume I know they will do so. Thai drivers
seem to have more understanding of the difficulties a cyclist has changing
lanes or taking right turns in fast moving traffic & employ incredible
tolerance towards us. The worst aspect I find
with fast moving highways is when a left turn comes up (NB Thailand is left
hand drive) & I have to stop hugging the shoulder & move out into the
traffic to allow cars taking the turn to pass me on the inside. 15km into today’s cycle
& an insect flew into my shirt (it happens often with an unbuttoned v neck);
this one obviously didn’t like where he was & stung me right on the nipple.
It was really bloody sore & continued to give me pain all day, although
thankfully no allergic reaction. Around the 50km mark I arrived in Klaeng
absolutely famished. A quick look around & I found the most wonderful
restaurant. All the Thai soups, curries & other staples were there, I had a
krapaw muu & liver, kidney, pepper stir fry over rice. It cost less than $1
& was the tastiest Thai food I’ve had in a long time. It’s located right
across from a small 7’11’ & was packed full with groups of Thais. The
dishes are displayed outside & the family was delightfully friendly. Just
one sitting & it’s already in my top 10 Thai restaurants/ street stalls. I
seriously considered finding a room nearby just so I could eat 2 or 3 more
times in this wonderful place. Reluctantly pushing on
& mid afternoon I stopped at a bus shelter for a cigarette & water
break. An elderly, toothless Thai gent cycled up on fairly dilapidated, single
speed bike. He seemed incredibly interested in my bike & kept firing
questions at me. The problem was he had a really thick and (for me) impenetrable
accent, it wasn’t Issan or Eastern Seaboard (which I’m used to) more like Deep
South which I’ve always found almost impossible to understand. One of those
conversations ensued where neither party’s really sure what the others saying,
yet can still be strangely satisfying. I just prattled away about how much it
cost, where I’d bought it & where I’d travelled on it & it seemed to
make his day. Soon after an extremely
heavy downpour saw me cycling with extremely impaired vision as the rain ran
down into my eyes, the wash from my front tyres compounding the effect. I do
feel very venerable when everyone’s vision is impaired & it wasn’t a
pleasant last 25km into Chantaburi.
Arriving in town I tried a
couple of hotels but they were all full, it seems there’s some sort of “gems
fair” on at the moment. I finally gave up & headed back to the River
Guesthouse & it will do for a night, the bikes safely stored & it’s
close to a decent night market. Once again I was really glad of my phones GPS,
Chantaburi is such a maze of small side streets I find it easy to get completely
lost.
Remembering my last visit,
I returned to the same stall by night & had another wonderful massaman
curry with rice ($1.50) before picking up some marinated grilled chicken (Gai
Yaang), sticky rice & Chang beers for the room.
I really enjoyed today’s
cycle, my map said 72km but it didn’t feel like that & I was really zapping
in the km’s. A nice scenic ride & even although it was a main highway, with
mature woodland on my left & a central reservation of tall green trees it
felt more like a country lane. I’d expected heavier traffic; especially as it
was Saturday & I was on the main artery to Koh Chang but traffic remained
fairly light all day. Once again a wonderful wide shoulder meant traffic never
came anywhere near me. Lush green vegetation & forest clad hills made for a
scenic, enjoyable ride. 
Arriving so early I
actually started to get bored & with only one English channel on the TV, no
Thai SIM card to use the internet, I was at a bit of a loss until I dug T.C.
Boyle’s, Drop City out of my bag. 
At night I went a bit
crazy in Trat night market which unfortunately is mostly take away food with
only a few stalls with tables & chairs. A omelet stuffed with pork &
diced vegetables (Gai Yat Sai) was followed by sweetened sticky rice with ripe
mango & coconut milk (Kaaw Niaw Mamung) & for $1.25 was absolutely divine,
I’d forgotten how wonderful this dish can be. I returned again later & some
pork sate was followed up with squid stuffed with minced pork. I thought
(wrongly) that it might be my last night market for some time & didn’t want
to waste the opportunity to sample as much as I could. I’m feeling bloated,
tired & struggling to get my quota of Chang beers down me as I write this
at 10.30pm.
PS – I forgot to mention
but the past 2 days there’s been a few yappy dogs come at me. I can see (&
hear) them coming & know they are set to chase after me snapping at my
heels. I’ve learned to stop & face them & give them a loud & authoritive
“pai” i.e. “go or go away” & they soon slink back off.
A great day’s cycle today
with lovely scenery, good roads & light traffic. Roads lined with mature
trees shaded me for much of the way. After about 20km the 2 lane road sporting
a wide shoulder gave way to a single lane road with a very narrow shoulder but
traffic was so light it always felt reasonably safe. All day impressive forest
clad hills were to the left with glimpses of the sea to the right. Numerous
beaches & some resorts were signposted throughout the day & might have
made an interesting detour. Certainly the most scenic, enjoyable leg of my Thai
trip so far. 
I got hungry really early
today & around 10 to 15km stopped in a small town with a few basic
restaurants. Pork & green beans + chicken & liver over rice was a bit
bland & disappointing but for $1 it was still great value. I was unsure if
many services would be available on this route but found food & drink were
available pretty much all day. 
Lots of road kill today
& I passed at least 20 snakes in various stages of decomposition, it made
me think twice about venturing too far into the bushes on my toilet breaks.
Once again there were a few yappy dogs set to chase me until I stopped to face
them. Arriving in Klong Yai around 3pm, I considered pushing on to Koh Kong not
least as I knew I’d catch the Man U v Chelsea game on Cambodian channel TV but
the lure of one final Thai night market won in the end. 
Absolutely starving by now
I cycled down to the market & had an absolutely wonderful pork fried rice
(1.25), I could tell as soon as I saw him prepare this dish that he was a good
cook, nonchalantly throwing in ingredients & splashing in sauces without
even looking. It turned out to be one of the best fried rice’s I’ve ever tasted
full of hearty vegetables & wonderful flavors that some naam prick plaa just accentuated. 
A shower & cup of
coffee in the room before heading back to the same vendor for my last krapaw
muu over rice & finally a banana pancake to take home with my beers.
Knowing I’d only a 30km
run today, last night I’d drunk more beer than usual, planning to have a long
lie in & slow start to my day. 06.30am I was rudely awoken with loud
knocking on my door, throwing on a towel I went to investigate & there were
2 kids (perhaps 5 & 8 years old) outside looking as guilty as hell. I gave
them the few curse words I know in Thai & one or two in Khmer for good
measure & they soon slunk off. I tried to go back to sleep but couldn’t
quite keel over. 
Today’s run was the most
scenic & enjoyable so far, hills to the left, sea views to the right &
mature trees lining both sides of the road. There was no shoulder for much of
the day but traffic was so light it didn’t matter. The 15km to the border
wasn’t easy with constant inclines & declines, some inclines fairly steep
& prolonged such that I was rapidly dropping gears & regretting my 40
cigarettes/ day habit. 
I don’t know if it was
because I was on a bike or the fact that they already know me at this border
(I’ve thrown a few tantrums here in the past) or perhaps the authorities have
finally put an end to the extortion going on here but this time around it was a
completely hassle free experience. Within 5 minutes I was stamped into Cambodia
with no one attempting to charge me anything. 
Exiting Thai immigration I
passed a few fancy hotel/ casino complexes & soon hit a pretty steep hill
which almost had me in granny gear. Surmounting this hill the view is
breathtaking; mountains, sea, rivers & flatlands all laid out before me.
The good news is this is the last hill of the day & the next 14km or so is
flat & scenic. 
Before long I was crossing
the bridge into Koh Kong city stopping to take some photos at this extremely
photogenic spot. I stopped at a small restaurant for some stir fried pork &
green pepper over rice ($1) before checking out a few hotels eventually ending
up at my old haunt Bopha Koh Kong with a $7 fan room. There’s been a building
boom of hotels and guesthouses over recent years & there’s probably
cleaner, better value rooms somewhere in town but I was extremely happy with a
room with cable TV, hot shower & fridge for $7. Safe bike storage & a
nice big balcony with communal sitting areas being the icing on the cake.
Kicked off my night with a
bowl of stuffed squid soup (squid stuffed with minced pork) + rice for $1.50. A
few beers strolling around town before popping into Fat Sam’s bar/ restaurant
for a chat with Alistair about up to date road conditions. There’s usually an
interesting mix of local expat characters & fellow travelers in this bar
& I enjoyed a few hours chatting away over a few draft beers.
25/10/14 –
Chantaburi to Trat – 72km – Easy
I really enjoyed today’s
cycle, my map said 72km but it didn’t feel like that & I was really zapping
in the km’s. A nice scenic ride & even although it was a main highway, with
mature woodland on my left & a central reservation of tall green trees it
felt more like a country lane. I’d expected heavier traffic; especially as it
was Saturday & I was on the main artery to Koh Chang but traffic remained
fairly light all day. Once again a wonderful wide shoulder meant traffic never
came anywhere near me. Lush green vegetation & forest clad hills made for a
scenic, enjoyable ride.
I stopped in Khlung for
some food & pork, chili & liver, ginger, chili over rice was fairly
bland & not enough to fill me up, thankfully I soon spotted a Tesco Lotus
& some banana cakes & doughnuts filled the tank.
It was flat all day until
the final 15 to 20km where a few moderate inclines came into play. Arriving in
Trat shortly after 2pm I considered heading for Pop’s Guesthouse but instead
found myself at the SA Hotel. A big fan room was great value at $8 & I
could store my bike in the room.
Arriving so early I
actually started to get bored & with only one English channel on the TV, no
Thai SIM card to use the internet, I was at a bit of a loss until I dug T.C.
Boyle’s, Drop City out of my bag. At night I went a bit
crazy in Trat night market which unfortunately is mostly take away food with
only a few stalls with tables & chairs. A omelet stuffed with pork &
diced vegetables (Gai Yat Sai) was followed by sweetened sticky rice with ripe
mango & coconut milk (Kaaw Niaw Mamung) & for $1.25 was absolutely divine,
I’d forgotten how wonderful this dish can be. I returned again later & some
pork sate was followed up with squid stuffed with minced pork. I thought
(wrongly) that it might be my last night market for some time & didn’t want
to waste the opportunity to sample as much as I could. I’m feeling bloated,
tired & struggling to get my quota of Chang beers down me as I write this
at 10.30pm.PS – I forgot to mention
but the past 2 days there’s been a few yappy dogs come at me. I can see (&
hear) them coming & know they are set to chase after me snapping at my
heels. I’ve learned to stop & face them & give them a loud & authoritive
“pai” i.e. “go or go away” & they soon slink back off.
26/10/14 – Trat to
Klong Yai – 76km – Medium
A great day’s cycle today
with lovely scenery, good roads & light traffic. Roads lined with mature
trees shaded me for much of the way. After about 20km the 2 lane road sporting
a wide shoulder gave way to a single lane road with a very narrow shoulder but
traffic was so light it always felt reasonably safe. All day impressive forest
clad hills were to the left with glimpses of the sea to the right. Numerous
beaches & some resorts were signposted throughout the day & might have
made an interesting detour. Certainly the most scenic, enjoyable leg of my Thai
trip so far. I got hungry really early
today & around 10 to 15km stopped in a small town with a few basic
restaurants. Pork & green beans + chicken & liver over rice was a bit
bland & disappointing but for $1 it was still great value. I was unsure if
many services would be available on this route but found food & drink were
available pretty much all day.
About 20km into the day I
started to meet some hills. Nothing too steep (perhaps 1 in 10 gradient
maximum) but sometimes prolonged climbs. This terrain continued for much of the
day. It was nice to be getting hearty “hellos” from the kids once again as I
cycled by.
Lots of road kill today
& I passed at least 20 snakes in various stages of decomposition, it made
me think twice about venturing too far into the bushes on my toilet breaks.
Once again there were a few yappy dogs set to chase me until I stopped to face
them. Arriving in Klong Yai around 3pm, I considered pushing on to Koh Kong not
least as I knew I’d catch the Man U v Chelsea game on Cambodian channel TV but
the lure of one final Thai night market won in the end.
An $11 A/C room in the
Klong Yai Hotel (NB rooms start at $7 here) is OK but I would try a different
hotel next time around (there’s at least 2 more in town). An icy cold shower,
150 channels of Thai rubbish with no English channels & an A/C unit with no
temperature control are the minuses but it’s clean & I can store my bike in
the room. It did bring back nostalgic memories of stopping here before getting
up at a ridiculously early time & racing to the border to catch a bone
jarring speedboat to link up with the boat to Sihanukville.
Absolutely starving by now
I cycled down to the market & had an absolutely wonderful pork fried rice
(1.25), I could tell as soon as I saw him prepare this dish that he was a good
cook, nonchalantly throwing in ingredients & splashing in sauces without
even looking. It turned out to be one of the best fried rice’s I’ve ever tasted
full of hearty vegetables & wonderful flavors that some naam prick plaa just accentuated. A shower & cup of
coffee in the room before heading back to the same vendor for my last krapaw
muu over rice & finally a banana pancake to take home with my beers.
It’s been a great day
cycling on good roads in scenic countryside & I’m glad I decided to stop in
Klong Yai. Everyone’s been very friendly & hospitable, the night market has
limited offerings but what I’ve had has been superb & the whole place just
has a wonderful vibe to it.
27/10/14 – Klong Yai
to Koh Kong – 30km – Medium
Knowing I’d only a 30km
run today, last night I’d drunk more beer than usual, planning to have a long
lie in & slow start to my day. 06.30am I was rudely awoken with loud
knocking on my door, throwing on a towel I went to investigate & there were
2 kids (perhaps 5 & 8 years old) outside looking as guilty as hell. I gave
them the few curse words I know in Thai & one or two in Khmer for good
measure & they soon slunk off. I tried to go back to sleep but couldn’t
quite keel over. Today’s run was the most
scenic & enjoyable so far, hills to the left, sea views to the right &
mature trees lining both sides of the road. There was no shoulder for much of
the day but traffic was so light it didn’t matter. The 15km to the border
wasn’t easy with constant inclines & declines, some inclines fairly steep
& prolonged such that I was rapidly dropping gears & regretting my 40
cigarettes/ day habit.
I’d intended to enjoy my
last Thai meal at the border but didn’t feel overly hungry & a few biscuits
& some water sufficed.
Thai immigration was the
usual uncommunicative, efficient & hassle free experience. The Cambodian
side is notorious for dreaming up ways to extort money; forcing you to pay for
a visa in Thai baht at vastly inflated rates, scam health checks whereby they
take your temperature & charge 20 baht a time or simply charging you to
stamp your passport.
I don’t know if it was
because I was on a bike or the fact that they already know me at this border
(I’ve thrown a few tantrums here in the past) or perhaps the authorities have
finally put an end to the extortion going on here but this time around it was a
completely hassle free experience. Within 5 minutes I was stamped into Cambodia
with no one attempting to charge me anything.
It’s at this point that a
feeling of euphoria always hits me & it always feels absolutely wonderful
to be back in Cambodia. Straight away the colours, street activity, lack of
pretentiousness & boisterous good humor make me feel at home. For sure
there’s dirt, grime & poverty running alongside.
Exiting Thai immigration I
passed a few fancy hotel/ casino complexes & soon hit a pretty steep hill
which almost had me in granny gear. Surmounting this hill the view is
breathtaking; mountains, sea, rivers & flatlands all laid out before me.
The good news is this is the last hill of the day & the next 14km or so is
flat & scenic. Before long I was crossing
the bridge into Koh Kong city stopping to take some photos at this extremely
photogenic spot. I stopped at a small restaurant for some stir fried pork &
green pepper over rice ($1) before checking out a few hotels eventually ending
up at my old haunt Bopha Koh Kong with a $7 fan room. There’s been a building
boom of hotels and guesthouses over recent years & there’s probably
cleaner, better value rooms somewhere in town but I was extremely happy with a
room with cable TV, hot shower & fridge for $7. Safe bike storage & a
nice big balcony with communal sitting areas being the icing on the cake.
It’s great to be back to
good cable TV after 100 channels of rubbish Thai TV always offers. Being
reconnected to the internet via my Smartphone is nice & it’s great to get
back to a good, non hangover inducing beer at ½ the price of Thai beers.
Kicked off my night with a
bowl of stuffed squid soup (squid stuffed with minced pork) + rice for $1.50. A
few beers strolling around town before popping into Fat Sam’s bar/ restaurant
for a chat with Alistair about up to date road conditions. There’s usually an
interesting mix of local expat characters & fellow travelers in this bar
& I enjoyed a few hours chatting away over a few draft beers.
Fried noodles, pork &
egg, a sickly sweet Khmer desert & some beers for the room completed
another pretty wonderful day.
Earliest start of this
trip ably assisted by Khmer guests in the hotel opening their doors, turning up
the TV volume & shouting to each other at 5am. It meant I was showered,
packed & off by 7am.
Pushing on & straight
away I was onto a major climb. Parts of it were fairly steep but worse was the
fact that it went on & on for about 4 to 5km’s. It really sapped the energy
& I spent a lot of time in granny gear (i.e. the highest gear available).
Between Trapeang Rung
& Andoung Tuck (between the 2nd & 3rd bridge) is
a 40km stretch with one long incline, it’s not steep but goes on for around
10km & then there’s a cracker of a hill – I spent 1km in granny gear before
finally pushing the bike up the final few hundred meters. Arriving in Andoung
Tuck I wasn’t really hungry but forced down a vegetable & goat meat stir
fry ($1.75) not knowing where the next services would be available. THERE ARE
2 GUESTHOUSES IN THIS VILLAGE, one 20 to 30 meters after the bridge,
“Family Guesthouse” – a small sign on the right hand side has clean, if basic
fan rooms for $8. No TV, squat toilets & not really good value but would do
if the legs are wearying. Just coming out of town there’s a Guesthouse/
restaurant complex also. Andoung Tuck’s a picturesque little village with a few
basic restaurants & wouldn’t be the worst place to rest up before or after
100km of hill country.
I was very tempted to rest
up here but had decided if I could put in the extra 48km to Srae Ambel, I
should be able to find a guesthouse & get to Sihanukville tomorrow. With
daylight time running out the next 40km was a bit of a haze as I had my head
down & was peddling as fast as my 50 year old legs will allow nowadays.
There were a couple of minor hills but they didn’t seem to slow my progress too
much. Lots of kids out yelling hearty “hellos” or “bye bye’s” as I sped past.
I arrived at the 4th
bridge just as darkness was settling in & was disappointed to find no accommodation
options (NB – food & drink are available). Here I confess to utter
stupidity & inexcusable lack of research, I didn’t realize Srae Ambel was a
right turn away where I could have found a guesthouse & I thought Srae
Ambel was at the junction with route 4. Why I didn’t take a minute to check
Google maps on my phone still has me mystified. Thinking Srae Ambel was another
10 to 12 km’s onwards & getting somewhat desperate I strapped on my pathetically
inadequate lights & endured a dangerous & frankly foolhardy cycle to
the junction of route 48 & highway 4. I asked around for accommodation but
there was none to be had anywhere in the vicinity. Looking around, I couldn’t
even find a bus shelter or stone bench I might be able to catch some sleep on. 
Not really knowing what to
do I retired to a drink shop & enjoyed a few beers, not really a good idea
as exhaustion & drowsiness soon followed. 9pm & I was contemplating
pushing the bike onwards towards Veal Renh (extremely dangerous on highway with
often drunk drivers out & about) or trying to sleep on the grass verge
& dreading tackling highway 4 without any morning ablutions. 
As I sit here now at 22.30
in the Leng Try Guesthouse, a bag of beers to hand & a tin of tuna for
supper, I’m absolutely exhausted but quietly satisfied to have completed my
most challenging cycle route for some time. I’ve no regrets about resorting to
using a bus, avoiding what would have been the worst stretch of the entire trip
& to end up in a nice room with a comfortable bed is the absolute perfect
end to a challenging day.
Additional Notes; The scenery today was very pleasant, often
surmounting hills with panoramic views of the Cardamon (or Kardamon) mountains
& Cambodian landscape. All the bridge crossings were extremely scenic with
life on the waterways a contrast to the sparsely populated hill country.
Traffic was so sparse that most of the time I had the road to myself.
30/10/14 – Koh Kong
to Route 4 – 150km – Difficult
Earliest start of this
trip ably assisted by Khmer guests in the hotel opening their doors, turning up
the TV volume & shouting to each other at 5am. It meant I was showered,
packed & off by 7am.
2km into the day & the
hills began, some of which were fairly steep & had me dropping right down
the gears. All day it was a good road surface for cyclists;- Car &
motorcycle drivers complain about the large potholes but for cyclists they are
easily avoided & I was always on a nice tarmac surface. After 20km I
stopped at the first bridge (Tatai) & had a lovely marinated stir fried
beef ($1.25 with rice) & stocked up on water. There are a few up market
resorts in the vicinity.
Pushing on & straight
away I was onto a major climb. Parts of it were fairly steep but worse was the
fact that it went on & on for about 4 to 5km’s. It really sapped the energy
& I spent a lot of time in granny gear (i.e. the highest gear available).
Finally getting over this
major climb, the next 37km to Trapeang Rung (2nd bridge) consisted
of mostly flat or downhill cycling with a few hills where I employed my bottom
front cog but none of them were prolonged climbs. In Trapeang Rung I had a
fairly bland chicken & ginger stir fry with rice & again stocked up on
water.
Between Trapeang Rung
& Andoung Tuck (between the 2nd & 3rd bridge) is
a 40km stretch with one long incline, it’s not steep but goes on for around
10km & then there’s a cracker of a hill – I spent 1km in granny gear before
finally pushing the bike up the final few hundred meters. Arriving in Andoung
Tuck I wasn’t really hungry but forced down a vegetable & goat meat stir
fry ($1.75) not knowing where the next services would be available. THERE ARE
2 GUESTHOUSES IN THIS VILLAGE, one 20 to 30 meters after the bridge,
“Family Guesthouse” – a small sign on the right hand side has clean, if basic
fan rooms for $8. No TV, squat toilets & not really good value but would do
if the legs are wearying. Just coming out of town there’s a Guesthouse/
restaurant complex also. Andoung Tuck’s a picturesque little village with a few
basic restaurants & wouldn’t be the worst place to rest up before or after
100km of hill country.I was very tempted to rest
up here but had decided if I could put in the extra 48km to Srae Ambel, I
should be able to find a guesthouse & get to Sihanukville tomorrow. With
daylight time running out the next 40km was a bit of a haze as I had my head
down & was peddling as fast as my 50 year old legs will allow nowadays.
There were a couple of minor hills but they didn’t seem to slow my progress too
much. Lots of kids out yelling hearty “hellos” or “bye bye’s” as I sped past.I arrived at the 4th
bridge just as darkness was settling in & was disappointed to find no accommodation
options (NB – food & drink are available). Here I confess to utter
stupidity & inexcusable lack of research, I didn’t realize Srae Ambel was a
right turn away where I could have found a guesthouse & I thought Srae
Ambel was at the junction with route 4. Why I didn’t take a minute to check
Google maps on my phone still has me mystified. Thinking Srae Ambel was another
10 to 12 km’s onwards & getting somewhat desperate I strapped on my pathetically
inadequate lights & endured a dangerous & frankly foolhardy cycle to
the junction of route 48 & highway 4. I asked around for accommodation but
there was none to be had anywhere in the vicinity. Looking around, I couldn’t
even find a bus shelter or stone bench I might be able to catch some sleep on. Not really knowing what to
do I retired to a drink shop & enjoyed a few beers, not really a good idea
as exhaustion & drowsiness soon followed. 9pm & I was contemplating
pushing the bike onwards towards Veal Renh (extremely dangerous on highway with
often drunk drivers out & about) or trying to sleep on the grass verge
& dreading tackling highway 4 without any morning ablutions.
Just as I was
contemplating these 2 pretty dreadful options a mini bus pulled up &
unloaded numerous boxes into the drink shop I was at. Confirming he was headed
for Veal Renh & that he could take me & my bike I didn’t hesitate &
was soon sitting in the passenger seat with a cold beer whizzing towards Veal
Renh. The paltry fare of $2.50 is the best money I’ve spent this entire trip.
As I sit here now at 22.30
in the Leng Try Guesthouse, a bag of beers to hand & a tin of tuna for
supper, I’m absolutely exhausted but quietly satisfied to have completed my
most challenging cycle route for some time. I’ve no regrets about resorting to
using a bus, avoiding what would have been the worst stretch of the entire trip
& to end up in a nice room with a comfortable bed is the absolute perfect
end to a challenging day. Additional Notes; The scenery today was very pleasant, often
surmounting hills with panoramic views of the Cardamon (or Kardamon) mountains
& Cambodian landscape. All the bridge crossings were extremely scenic with
life on the waterways a contrast to the sparsely populated hill country.
Traffic was so sparse that most of the time I had the road to myself.
OUTWITH THE 4 BRIDGE
CROSSINGS THERE WAS VERY LITTLE SERVICES. Don’t believe car or motorcycle drivers who tell you otherwise. To them
20km between water stops is 20 minutes, on a cycle tackling hills it can mean
upwards of 2 hours. I topped up with 2 litres of water at every opportunity
& even then on 3 occasions I was rationing my last ½ litre before I found a
place to refill. I always think of a puncture, broken chain or other unforeseen
event & pushing the bike 20 or 30km, 1 litre of water doesn’t go far.
My statistic at the start
reflect distance cycled (i.e. 150km), the complete distance covered would be
approx 195km (i.e. approx 45km by minibus).
I’d intended having a long
lie in but awoke at 8am feeling absolutely wonderful. It’s amazing what a good
bed & long nights rest can achieve. I really must have been exhausted last
night as there was 2 unopened tins of beer lying on the dresser. I enjoyed a
really slow morning with 2 cups of coffee & a final cup of tea before
packing up & cycling to Veal Renh’s restaurants. Every time I stop in this
town I like it more & more, not least because of these wonderful “point
& order” restaurants (opposite the poster with Wayne Rooney). I had a
lovely pork, tomato & onion stir fry for $1.50 & it’s a great place for
a crash course on Cambodian food. 
It wasn’t until just
before midday that I headed 2 km up highway 4 (towards Phnom Penh) before
taking a left onto the coastal route to Sihanukville. It’s not signposted but
look out for the Tela petrol station (green sign) & turn left there.
Sheltering from a heavy
downpour for an hour or so meant I didn’t get into Sihanukville until around
4pm & headed straight to Romdouls restaurant for a hearty welcome &
lovely ham, cheese omelet with fresh baguette. I was delighted to find an $8
room available at Okata Guesthouse. At night returning to Romdouls for a long
anticipated chicken cordon bleu, I discovered the restaurants founder had just
arrived on holiday from Germany along with her husband & family. A
fantastic surprise & I had the chance to share a few nights drinking way to
much beer & swapping tales with them.
31/10/14 – Veal Renh
to Sihanukville – 48km – Easy/ Medium
 |
| Turn left for Sihanukville |
I’d intended having a long
lie in but awoke at 8am feeling absolutely wonderful. It’s amazing what a good
bed & long nights rest can achieve. I really must have been exhausted last
night as there was 2 unopened tins of beer lying on the dresser. I enjoyed a
really slow morning with 2 cups of coffee & a final cup of tea before
packing up & cycling to Veal Renh’s restaurants. Every time I stop in this
town I like it more & more, not least because of these wonderful “point
& order” restaurants (opposite the poster with Wayne Rooney). I had a
lovely pork, tomato & onion stir fry for $1.50 & it’s a great place for
a crash course on Cambodian food. It wasn’t until just
before midday that I headed 2 km up highway 4 (towards Phnom Penh) before
taking a left onto the coastal route to Sihanukville. It’s not signposted but
look out for the Tela petrol station (green sign) & turn left there.
The road was a repeat of
that recorded on 15/10/14, although it’s worth noting there are 2 guesthouses
in Stung Hav, a small town exactly midway (i.e. 24km), both with attached
restaurants.
 |
| Crap photo but no better way to end a trip than loads of beer with good mates |
CONCLUSIONS &
OVERALL COSTS;-
I was aware this wasn’t
the best cycling route to choose in Thailand (although Trat to Koh Kong was a
very scenic, enjoyable ride) but the priority to restock my wardrobe in Pattaya
was achieved & I look forward to returning & enjoying some quieter
country roads in Thailand next year. The Thai food enroute was fantastic &
rarely cost more than $1.50. The Thai people are a helpful, friendly bunch, if
more reserved than their Cambodian counterparts & the Thai drivers were
certainly more courteous & tolerant of cyclists.
This route proved to be
another extremely enjoyable trip. Cycling around Cambodia is always a joy &
the Thai infrastructure & first world facilities proved a stark &
enjoyable contrast to Cambodia’s third world facilities.
I was aware this wasn’t
the best cycling route to choose in Thailand (although Trat to Koh Kong was a
very scenic, enjoyable ride) but the priority to restock my wardrobe in Pattaya
was achieved & I look forward to returning & enjoying some quieter
country roads in Thailand next year. The Thai food enroute was fantastic &
rarely cost more than $1.50. The Thai people are a helpful, friendly bunch, if
more reserved than their Cambodian counterparts & the Thai drivers were
certainly more courteous & tolerant of cyclists.
The highlight for me was
tackling the Cardamon Mountains between Koh Kong & highway 4, a challenging
ride for me & it’s always good to push yourself a bit & come out
unscathed. I always thought I would hang my head in shame the first time I
resorted to putting my bike on a bus but realized sometimes it’s the only
sensible (& in this case safe) option.
Once again, I find I’m
unable to settle even in a paradise like Sihanukville & set off soon on a
trip through Vietnam. The (vague) plan is to start in the Mekong Delta &
then see where my bike takes me. A 3 month single entry visa ($90) will allow
me lots of time to explore another wonderful country for cyclists.
COSTS;-
Stripping out
extraordinary expenses I spent $632 in 26 days i.e. $24.30/ day.
Average daily costs would
very approximately be;-
Hotel - $10
Food - $6
Beer - $7
Misc - $1 to $2
I did load up with
cigarettes in Cambodia before crossing to Thailand thereby saving significant
expense.
