THAILAND - Through Issan

MAP OF MY ROUTE HERE & HERE
NOTE; At the time of writing the exchange rate was 35 baht to $1

LIST OF CONTENTS

07/09/15 – Phibun Mangsahan – Ubon Ratchathani – 45km – Medium

09/09/15 – Ubon Ratchathani to Amnat Charoen – 75km – Easy

10/09/15 – Amnat Charoen to Mukdahan – 91km – Easy

Crossing Phu Pha Yon National Park – Lessons learned

13/09/15 – Mukdahan to Dong Luang – 50km (approx) – Easy

14/09/15 – Dong Luang to That Phanom – 48km (approx) – Medium

15/09/15 – That Phanom to Tao Ngoi – 115km (approx) – Medium/difficult

16/09/15 – Tao Ngoi to Sakon Nakhon – 20km – Easy

18/09/15 – Sakon to Somdet – 88km – Medium

19/09/15 – Somdet to Wang Sam Mo – 90km (approx) – Medium

20/09/15 – Wang Sam Mo to Kumphawapi – 55km – Medium

21/09/15 – Kumphawapi to Udon Thani – 42km – Easy

24/09/15 – Udon Thani to Nong Khai – 55km – Easy

27/09/15 – Nong Khai to Vientiane – 26km – Easy

CONCLUSIONS & OVERALL COSTS

07/09/15 – Phibun Mangsahan to Ubon Ratchathani – 45km – Medium

Not much to report; a nice short cycle on a pleasant, if busy road with lots of trees & green foliage by the roadside. It was another day of constant undulations some fairly prolonged which found me rattling up & down the gears.

I avoided the city centre by taking road 231 around the city outskirts & headed straight for Fundee Mansions, 18 Chayangkul 38, T Naimuang & a $10 A/C room. It’s close to some food stalls & a Big C supermarket so my food & beer is taken care of.

After 4 weeks in Laos it’s great to be back to Thai food once again.

09/09/15 – Ubon Ratchathani to Amnat Charoen – 75km – Easy

It was a late start as I waited out a lightning storm. There followed an easy cycle ride over flat roads, a lovely change from the undulating roads I’ve become used to lately. Sticking with the main highway it proved to be a fairly boring road lacking any dramatic scenery but it just felt good to be moving & I really enjoyed today’s ride.

Arriving in Amnat Charoen early afternoon, I had a good look around & there’s lots of accommodation options although many are hidden away in the backstreets. I opted for Prince Hotel & for $10 got a big, well furnished A/C room.

Heading out for some beer at night I stumbled on a lovely little night market & enjoyed a Penang curry with rice before picking up some snacks for the room. Later I fell into conversation with a Cambodian from Sisophon who’s been married & living in Thailand for 15 years. He kept insisting on buying me beers & was desperately keen to talk about his homeland; I suspect despite his denial he feels more than a little homesick.

Amnat Charoen’s certainly not the prettiest town in Thailand but it’s another friendly wee town & has been an extremely pleasant stopover.

10/09/15 – Amnat Charoen to Mukdahan – 91km –Easy

I had a good night’s sleep in the Prince Hotel helped by the excess of beer my Cambodian friend bought me last night. A stop at the Big C food court for some breakfast meant I wasn’t fully underway until 10am.

It was another very enjoyable days cycling over a primarily flat road. The mornings scenery was bland & boring but improved in the afternoon as the road skirted Phu Sa Dok Bua National park,  the roadside foliage became thicker & more vibrant, trees began to dominate the foreground & forest clad hills came into view.

I stuck to the main road (road 212) for a variety of reasons although I’m sure the road which cuts through the National Park would be far more scenic & enjoyable, plus it knocks 7 or 8km off the overall journey.

Despite time spent sheltering from heavy rainstorms I still arrived in Mukdahan at 4pm & headed straight to Kim Jek Sin Hotel for a nice big, if well worn $7 fan room. The staff are as surly & uncommunicative as ever but who cares when I’ve got a decent serviceable $7 room.

Absolutely starving I had a quick shower before heading to a rice soup vendor for rice soup with pretty much everything in it (pork, prawns, liver, chicken, quails eggs, mushroom, ginger etc, etc) for $1.20 before picking up some laab phet & sticky rice to enjoy with my beers later.

It’s been a really enjoyable days cycling despite being on a main, 4 lane highway & it’s great to be back in friendly, laid back Mukdahan once again. It’s nice when you know a town & don’t have to waste time looking around for a budget room or where to get good food, especially after a 90km cycle.  

CROSSING PHU PHA YON NATIONAL PARK – LESSONS LEARNED

In the following few days I was to learn traveling from Mukdahan or That Phanom via road 2287 which cuts through Phu Pha Yon National Park then stopping off in Dong Luang was a sensible option. It’s the last guesthouse before Tao Ngoi (around 18km from Sakhon Nakhon) & has a Tesco Lotus for food & cold beer.

It makes for a short 1^st day (45 to 50km) but otherwise you’re looking at a tough 110 to 120km until Tao Ngoi. The hotel indicated on Google Maps at the junction of roads 2287 & 3008 doesn’t exist. There is one resort signposted about 10km before Tao Ngoi but there’s absolutely no services in the area.

So, ideally 45 to 50km to Dong Luang, then around 70km to Tao Ngoi or push on the final (flat) 18km to Sakhon Nakhon.

13/09/15 Mukdahan to Dong Luang – 50km (approx) – Easy

Map of today's route - HERE

A nice days cycling began with breakfast at the Big C food court before setting out along highway 212. Despite being a 4 lane highway it was a pleasant road to cycle with lots of open green countryside, traditional stilted wooden houses & mature trees lining the roadside. Traffic was light enough for me to relax & enjoy the views.

Passing Ban Samkha brought back bittersweet memories of almost marrying a local lass & I was surprised to see 3 basic guesthouses & one fancy resort in town. Turning onto road 3008, straight away the pace of life changed with a quiet 2 lane road which I most often had to myself. Wonderfully tranquil countryside with insects chirping, birds singing & butterflies dancing in front of my face. It was a very pleasant ride over an undulating road with one 100 to 150 meter climb to get over.

My plan was to stop near the junction of roads 3008 & 2287 (near Wat Pho Si Kaeo) where Google Maps indicated a small town with a guesthouse or “resort”. The accommodation just doesn’t exist & taking a wrong turn I ended up cycling 15km up road 2287. Spotting a guesthouse as I came into Dong Luang & then a Tesco Lotus I decided to call it a day & regroup for a great days cycling tomorrow (or so I thought at the time).

A Thai sign only & no English spoken but I was happy with my $8.50 fan cooled bungalow with hot shower (no fridge or Wi-Fi) & a ran by a really nice, friendly elderly couple. It’s an incredibly dull village with no restaurants & no food stalls. I eventually just got a tin of tuna, bread & junk food from the Tesco Lotus to tide me over. Google Maps has just gone completely blank on me & all I get is a blank screen. I’ve been all around the village trying to pick up an unsecured wi-fi signal & my mobile date just won’t work. It means shelving tomorrow’s plans to cycle through Phu Phan National park & heading to a big town where I’ll get decent wi-fi & can re-download Google Maps.

NOTE; - My wrong turn North onto road 2287 & hence into Dong Luang today proved to be fortuitous. If I’d carried on along 2287 west & into the National Park as I intended, I would have discovered there was absolutely no accommodation for the next 70km until Tao Ngoi.

 14/09/15 – Dong Luang to That Phanom – 48km (approx) –Medium

I was tempted to push on through Phu Phan National Park despite having no maps but knew my sense of direction (or rather lack of) would let me down. The only sensible option was to head for a big town, good internet & get Google Maps sorted.

An initial 15km cycle up road 2104 was very pleasant with lots of green scenery & forest lining the roadside. It was another road with severe undulations and one prolonged climb up to 100 meters or so, there was no shoulder but most of the time I had the road to myself. It was a peaceful, tranquil morning’s cycle although I couldn’t help gazing at the rolling hills of Phu Phan which I should have been cycling through.

Turning onto road 223 was a shock to the system as I was suddenly back to a fast moving 4 lane highway. Cycling into Na Kae I stopped for some lunch & decided my plan to cycle to Sakhon Nakhon was a bit foolish when That Phanom was only 25km away. It was a fairly bland, boring 25km but over soon enough & I soon found myself at Pin Place Hotel with an $11.50 A/C room.

With a decent internet connection I found Google Maps soon fixed itself freeing up my afternoon to laze around That Phanom.

15/09/15 – That Phanom – Tao Ngoi – 115km (approx) – Medium/difficult

MAP of today's route - HERE

It’s been a good, if strenuous days cycling & extremely frustrating knowing I’m in beautiful countryside yet constant rain obscures the views.

Setting out into a strong headwind found me toiling even on road 223’s flat surface, I’d no intention of doing 115km today & thought I’d find someplace to stopover on route so wasn’t particularly worried as the winds slowed me considerably. Turning onto road 2014 it was back to tranquil roads with pleasant green scenery. A 100 meter climb before freewheeling downhill & back into Dong Luang. Stopping for lunch proved to be a good move & at the time I didn’t realize it would be my last meal before Tao Ngoi. Thereafter there wasn’t much food services other than the occasional noodle soup restaurant.

All day it’s been constant rain, whether absolutely bucketing down or just annoying drizzle & I’ve had little opportunity to expose my camera. Pushing on down road 2104 I passed Wat Pho Si Kaeo & confirmed the resort shown on Google Maps DOESN’T EXIST. Indeed the resort in Dong Luang was the last accommodation before Tao Ngoi.

I’m sure in clear weather the next 50 to 60km would have been superb cycling as the road passed between the hills of Phu Pha Yon National Park, thick forest lining the roadside, timeless villages coming & going, green vegetation all around & the sounds of the jungle as a constant soundtrack. However today the lack of vision caused by constant rain & the hills shrouded in a blanket of mist proved frustrating & I certainly didn’t see this route at its best.

I’d been looking out for accommodation all afternoon but there just weren’t any options, indeed few services to speak of all day. Around 4pm I was beginning to weary, the mornings headwinds & constant undulations beginning to take their toll. Stopping to buy some water & enquiring about the nearest room I was disheartened to hear the closest was 30km away in Tao Ngoi.

I was also getting pretty damn hungry & it’s always a quandary in such situations; do I use up valuable daylight time & stop for a hot meal or fight the hunger & push on making the most of the remaining light. Usually I compromise & wolf down a packet of biscuits as indeed I did today.

5pm, I arrived at the turnoff to road 2339 & really didn’t need another 300 meter climb. It seemed to be on an extremely steep gradient but perhaps that was just my weary legs. Somehow I got over it & pushed on to Tao Ngoi arriving just as darkness was settling in at 6.30pm.

It was great to spot a Tesco Lotus & 7’11’ & with no energy to search for a room I stopped at the police station & enquired within. A friendly young cop directed me to (the imaginatively named) Tao Ngoi Resort, $6 for a nice fan room, hot shower, decent Wi-Fi & really friendly owner (no English spoken). Out of habit I did find myself checking the mattress, water taps, and fan before thinking – what on earth are you doing? Its 7pm, it’s dark, you’re exhausted, there are no other options nearby & you’re going to take this room whatever!!

There’s probably a night market in town with good food & perhaps some restaurants but I was too exhausted to look & just cycled to the 7’11’ for some junk food & beers for the room. 

16/09/15 – Tao Ngoi to Sakhon Nakhon – 20km – Easy

It’s been a great day which I kicked off with an extremely slow start to the day & then a relaxed cycle to Sakhon. The initial 10km on road 2358 was an extremely tranquil, peaceful cycle but turning onto road 223 for the final 8km it was back to a fast moving 4 lane highway.

 I’d plotted a course to the Big C supermarket & from there began a search for accommodation. Almost immediately I stumbled upon Kanjana Mansion (1^st right after MJ the Majestic Hotel) & for $10 have a lovely A/C room & Al Jazera on TV.

I spent the afternoon lazing around my room & in the early evening whilst heading for the Big C walked right into a wonderful Thai night market. All my favorites were there & I ended up making a bit of a pig of myself.

With washing machines in my hotel foyer I threw all my laundry in one & decided I’m having a day off to explore Sakhon tomorrow.

17/09/15; Kanjana Mansion turned out to a great place to stay, non intrusive but friendly as hell whenever I needed anything & Sakhon was a great place to rest up with a very earthy feel to it.

18/09/15 – Sakon Nakhon to Somdet – 88km – Medium

MAP of today's journey - HERE

I was fairly disappointed today when road 213 proved to be a lot busier than I was expecting & as a main artery between Sakon & Kalasin the heavy traffic detracted from my overall enjoyment especially as some sections, particularly the hills, were extremely scenic.

Getting out of Sakon meant cycling along a busy highway & after 10km I was confronted with a 300 meter climb as the road wound its way up a hillside. With thick jungle all around & very modest gradients it was an enjoyable & fairly easy climb up followed by a superb freewheel downhill the road twisting & turning all the way down.

All day there’s been little or no shoulder & regular convoys of cars or trucks passing did get somewhat oppressive. There were lots of “resorts” on route today but none with any services in the vicinity. I should have cut off onto an unnumbered road which circumnavigates the Northeast side of Nam Phung Lake & got away from the traffic. Instead I continued on road 213 & it soon became a bit mundane & hard to enjoy with relatively heavy traffic & a constantly, sometimes severely, undulating road.

Stopping in Sang Ko I had some lunch & replenished my water, a timely stop as almost immediately thereafter a 500 meter climb began. Once again it was on a very modest gradient & surrounded by wonderful thick jungle it was an easy & very enjoyable climb. Insect choirs, birdsong, monkeys whooping & butterflies flirting around enhanced the experience & I’d really enjoy it for a while until another convoy of vehicles would arrive & shatter the idyll.

With such gentle gradients my freewheel downhill lasted a wonderful 10km twisting & turning down beautiful jungle lined roads. It really was a fantastic finish to my venture into Phu Phan National Park. A final 15km cycle through pleasant lowland scenery found me arriving in Somdet.

I couldn’t be bothered searching all over town for a room & when I spotted a hotel next to a 7’11’ & with a night market setting up nearby I took one of their rooms. $10 for an A/c room with fridge & hot shower is OK but it’s all a bit worn & I’m sure there’s better value if I’d had the energy to look around. Indeed returning to my room at night I had to go on a cockroach killing spree, something I rarely have to do in Thai hotels nowadays.

Wandering out to the night market in the evening I was delighted to find most stalls had tables & chairs such that I could sit down, enjoy my meal & beers & do some people watching. A chicken green curry with rice ($1.50) was superb as was 2 banana pancakes (60 cents each).

It’s been a good days cycling despite traffic being heavier than I’d expected & I’ve enjoyed a wonderful night in Somdet.

 19/09/15 – Somdet to Wang Sam Mo – 90km (approx) – Medium

Click HERE for a very approximate map of today's journey although with so many dead ends & wrong turns I often lost track of where I was. 

It’s been a great days cycling albeit made much more difficult largely due to my complete lack of navigational skills. It should have been a 55 to 60km route except for my constant wrong turns & having to backtrack often.

I began the day by cycling along road 2041 but as happened yesterday, lovely scenery was spoiled by being on a 2 lane road with heavy traffic & absolutely no shoulder. I needed all my concentration on keeping tight to the inside & rarely got my head up to enjoy the vivid green scenery.

It wasn’t long before I decided to cut off onto quieter rural roads & initially it was extremely pleasant cycling as I left the traffic behind & enjoyed peaceful, tranquil surroundings. Birdsong & insect choirs replaced the sounds of fast moving traffic with butterflies & dragon flies flirting around me. Passing through scenic farmland & idyllic villages with lots of shouts of “sawatdii” or “pay nai”, bicycles & the occasional motorbike replaced cars as the local means of transportation.

The road surface steadily deteriorated as the day wore on until finally I found myself cycling along rutted tracks. It was slow going & bone jarring but with majestic trees lining the route, green rice fields & following a river with huge nets suspended on wooden frames & lone fishermen in canoes it was an extremely pleasant & picturesque ride.

According to Google Maps I had to cross the river but despite wasting a lot of time & energy cycling up & down the bank I couldn’t find any way across. I even asked a couple of fishermen if they could canoe me across only to be met with a shake of the head & “mai daay khrap”.

Eventually I gave up & tried to find a route north to road 227 but kept finding myself on dead ends or on roads swinging off in completely the wrong direction. I wasn’t particularly concerned as all the time it was wonderful cycling through lovely tranquil countryside.

Finally though I decided if I was to make Wang Sam Mo by nightfall I had to stop pissing around & backtrack east to find road 227. Despite being a great days cycling it was a relief to finally get back to road 227 which was actually another lovely road to cycle with light traffic, trees lining the roadside, vegetable plantations & rice fields stretching to the distant hills. Severe undulations sapped the last of my energy though & I was glad to see Wang Sam Mo getting ever closer.

4pm I arrived pretty worn out & absolutely famished. I should have spent more time looking for a room as Chi & Chin Garden Resort isn’t particularly good value with an A/C room with no fridge for $11.50. There are a lot of other options on the way into town, although nothing that I spotted in the town centre.

At night I had a cycle into town & found a lovely restaurant 2 doors down from the 7’11’. A friendly place with a user friendly picture menu & good affordable food, indeed the krapaw muu (pork, basil & chili) was the best I’ve ever had (& I eat a lot of krapaw muu).

It really has been a great days cycling & if I’d found a better value room to rest up in it would be close to the perfect day.

20/09/15 – Wang Sam Mo to Kumphawapi – 55km – Medium

It’s been another lovely days cycling with very pleasant green scenery all route. There wasn’t much food services & I cycled a good few km’s on an empty stomach, whether that’s typical of this route or because it’s a Sunday I don’t know.

Traffic was light enough that the lack of any shoulder wasn’t a worry, although on occasion a convoy of vehicles would pass shaking me out of my daydreams & find me clinging to the inside of the road. Despite the short distance covered severe undulations pushed this into the medium difficulty.

I could have pushed on to Udon Thani but fancied one last night in a small Thai town with thoughts of a peaceful afternoon lounging around in a nice room & then finding a night market & enjoying good Thai food & a few beer. “The best laid plans of mice & men aft gang astray” as a fellow countryman once put it & I spent more than 2 hours searching the town & it’s outskirts for an affordable room, finally settling for a $10  A/C room about 1km outside of town. It’s well worn & not good value but I was just happy to find something affordable by this stage.

Thoughts of cycling into town at night along a dark, busy highway weren’t appealing & I just loaded the fridge with some food & beer from the local Tesco Lotus before darkness set in.

21/09/15 – Kumphawapi to Udon Thani – 42km – Easy

I should have used some back roads today as the main highways weren’t particularly pleasant to cycle especially highway 2 where I had a couple of near misses as a broken, potholed shoulder forced me out onto the highway.

Still it was a short days cycling & arriving in Udon Thani my first stop was Central Plaza food court for a wonderful lunch. Torn between a basic $8.50 fan room at Sritrakarn Hotel or a nice $11.50 A/C room at Jai Hotel, Jai’s A/C, fridge & hot shower won out in the end.

Every time I visit Udon Thani more & more wonderful night markets have sprung up, especially on the streets leading to the train station. I’m looking forward to a day off tomorrow, good food & restocking some kit before heading for Laos.

24/09/15 – Udon Thani to Nong Khai – 55km – Easy

As always I really enjoyed my stopover in Udon Thani & with superb food, wonderfully friendly locals, pleasant local parks I once again found myself understanding why so many expats relocate here.

Today’s cycle was a boring, instantly forgettable ride up highway 2. With a wide shoulder it was a safe unoppressive ride but still it was a featureless, fast moving 4 lane highway.

Arriving in Nong Khai I headed straight to Pikul Apartment for an $11.50 fan room with fridge & hot shower. It’s not really good value for a fan room but I do feel comfortable here.

NOTE;- I’ve brushed over my time in Udon Thani & Nong Khai & the journey between as I’ve already covered these places on 07 to 09/08/15 & recorded details HERE

27/09/15 – Nong Khai to Vientiane – 26km – Easy

A repeat of my jouney recorded 14/08/15 & contained in above link. I don’t really feel like another day in Vientiane & now at 20.00 I’m thinking of packing & heading off tomorrow.

CONCLUSIONS & OVERALL COSTS

I’m sure there’s much better & far more scenic routes to cycle in Thailand but my primary purpose was to get to Nong Khai & begin a tour of Northern Laos. That said cycling anywhere in Thailand nowadays is an absolute joy & as a cyclist your treat like a VIP. There were extremely scenic legs, especially through National Parks or cutting off onto tranquil rural roads. Add in absolutely wonderful food, friendly helpful locals & affordable accommodation & I can understand why Thailand is many peoples favorite country to cycle in.

I spent $484 in 21 days i.e. $23.05/day. Very approximately my daily expenses were;-

Accommodation - $10

Food - $5

Beer - $7

Miscellaneous - $1

NOTE; I had no visa cost & brought sufficient cigarettes from Laos thereby saving significant expense.