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 1st
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.
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.
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 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.
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. 
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 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. 
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”.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 (1st 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.
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
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.
