SouthEast Asia & South America

[Jugular]

I'm getting married later this year and as our honeymoon we're going travelling for 12 months. Now as an avid cycletouring-website-reader and a very-occasional-minor-UK-cycletour-doer I'd like to upgrade a bit and do some cycletouring while travelling.

Our very loose plan is to travel through Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Borneo, Fiji and NZ then if we have time to move on into Chile and Peru (+/- a few stops depending on budget, flights, time and recommendations). My fiance doesn't want to spend the whole time cycling but is willing to do some big chunks that way. She's more interested in diving with Manta Ray and hiking, and I would quite like some windsurfing and Go hunting (ancient Chinese boardgame).

We have a reasonably healthy budget (~£25,000) for the whole trip and would consider working a bit on the way if we had to.
The key questions I have are:
- Are we mad?
- Should we buy a bike here and fly it out there and back, bike a bike there and fly it back here, or buy and sell bikes over there?
- Which countries should we do?
- Is it feasible to spend a few days with your bike locked up in a hotel/hostel/campsite and then start up the cycletour again?
- Are there any location specific bits of advice for us, or sources of advice (I haven't yet read crazyguyonabike with this trip in mind)?
- Is there anything we should take that we can't buy over there? Should we take a tent?
- Are there any savings to be had traveling as a two (i.e. Should I budget based on a two person per day or one person per day amount?)?
- Anyone know what flying with a bike on AirAsia is like?

Thank you so much for any advice, help, recommendations, encouragement or indifference.

 

[HelenD123]

Sounds like it could be the most fantastic honeymoon! One thing I remember from reading of cycle tourists doing similar globe-trotting trips for their honeymoon was that they wished they'd chosen trips which didn't involve flying with the bikes so much as that was far and away the most stressful bit, and it also adds to the expense. A couple of journals which spring to mind are:

www.erck.org/

Derek Gadd and Elizabeth Shortis on CGOAB

Could you, say, just do the bike touring bit round South East Asia then ditch the bikes? There are plenty of other things you want to do.

If you need to store bikes during your trip you could approach a Warmshowers host, or if there's a bike shop nearby take them in for a service and see if they will store them for a while.

Decide on where you'll be going then work out what you need to take. Most people don't bother taking camping or cooking stuff to South East Asia, for instance.

As someone who did most of their big trip alone I'd definitely say it's not twice as expensive for a couple. You'll make savings on accommodation.

Crazyguyonabike is a fantastic source of information and inspiration. I'd just read a few journals for countries you're interested in and get some ideas.

 

[andym]

- Should we buy a bike here and fly it out there and back, bike a bike there and fly it back here, or buy and sell bikes over there?
- Which countries should we do?
- Is it feasible to spend a few days with your bike locked up in a hotel/hostel/campsite and then start up the cycletour again?
- Are there any location specific bits of advice for us, or sources of advice (I haven't yet read crazyguyonabike with this trip in mind)?
- Is there anything we should take that we can't buy over there? Should we take a tent?
- Are there any savings to be had traveling as a two (i.e. Should I budget based on a two person per day or one person per day amount?)?

I can see the temptation to squeeze in as many countries as possible, but on the other hand there's a lot to be said for spending time getting to know a country or region in more depth - this would also cuts down on the stress/aggro of travelling and making travel arrangements flying etc. so maybe S.
America (eg hiking in Chile) and then head for Central America and the Caribbean for the diving and windsurfing possibilities? Or SE Asia and New Zealand?

It's definitely feasible to leave a bike at a hotel/campsite for a few days while you do other things.

Camping equipment depends a bit on where you go - for Chile it would almost certainly be a good idea but I suspect for SE Asia it would unnecessary weight.

The cost per head of two people travelling together is almost certain to be less than one person travelling alone but it's probably safest to calculate on the basis of one person.

 

[Ticktockmy]

I'm getting married later this year and as our honeymoon we're going travelling for 12 months. Now as an avid cycletouring-website-reader and a very-occasional-minor-UK-cycletour-doer I'd like to upgrade a bit and do some cycletouring while travelling.

Our very loose plan is to travel through Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Borneo, Fiji and NZ then if we have time to move on into Chile and Peru (+/- a few stops depending on budget, flights, time and recommendations). My fiance doesn't want to spend the whole time cycling but is willing to do some big chunks that way. She's more interested in diving with Manta Ray and hiking, and I would quite like some windsurfing and Go hunting (ancient Chinese boardgame).

We have a reasonably healthy budget (~£25,000) for the whole trip and would consider working a bit on the way if we had to.
The key questions I have are:
- Are we mad?
- Should we buy a bike here and fly it out there and back, bike a bike there and fly it back here, or buy and sell bikes over there?
- Which countries should we do?
- Is it feasible to spend a few days with your bike locked up in a hotel/hostel/campsite and then start up the cycletour again?
- Are there any location specific bits of advice for us, or sources of advice (I haven't yet read crazyguyonabike with this trip in mind)?
- Is there anything we should take that we can't buy over there? Should we take a tent?
- Are there any savings to be had traveling as a two (i.e. Should I budget based on a two person per day or one person per day amount?)?
- Anyone know what flying with a bike on AirAsia is like?

Thank you so much for any advice, help, recommendations, encouragement or indifference.

So much to answer,
I would say treat each area as different trips. so South East asia as one trip, then do the Americas as another
as for diving the east coast of Malaysia and around the philliopines as well. are really worth doing, also you can pay for you trip by doing lectures in the schools around Japan and tawain but not so much in Malaysia
Thailand is not so good for getting funds by lecturing, and cambodia is a very poor country so hardly likly for earning your keep.
you will not need anything like £25,000 for a trip in South East Asia, more like £5000 for 6 months

 

[hubbike]

but the money won't hurt!!

In south america I would highly recommend Colombia as a very cycle friendly, beautiful place. El Cocuy national park has some fantastic trekking possibilities.

I spent £7000 in just over a year spent in south america. chile was the most expensive country but there are lots of good campsites and good food there.

In Peru be sure to visit Huaraz which is the access town to the Cordillera Blanca and the Cordillera Huayhuash very beautiful mountains...lots of climbing and trekking there...
other good hiking...
torres del paine circuit in chile
hikes around sacred valley, machu picchu, inca trail and its alternatives
cordillera real in bolivia

the best cycling I did in south america was
-Chilean Patagonia (careterra austral) and camino del siete lagos in argentina
-paso agua negra and north west argentina
-bolivia! my second fav country after colombia
-the mountains in peru between cusco and huancayo. dirt roads, high passses, strenuous but worth it!
-bucaramanga to el cocuy via san gil in colombia....uterly stunning scenery

extras for rich (25grand totting) peeps ...
island trips like easter island and galapogos
ciudad perida trek in colombia ($200 or so)
guided mountianeering (alpamayo or aconcagua would be serious expeditions)
caribbean diving?
wildlife safari in venezuela?! to spot anacondas, capivaras, caimen, fresh water dolphin, howler monkeys, and more birds than your mind will believe!
jungle river safari?!

just a few thoughts to get you fired up...can't help with SE Asia...sorry.

Lastly, I cant help but say it. if it were me, 25 grand would equal a round the world trip for two people no sweat. if you are taking a year off why not take 2.5 years off?! spend a few more nights in your tent and cooking on a stove and you could easily see ALL of south america and cycle home from china too!

 

[Jugular]

but the money won't hurt!!

In south america I would highly recommend Colombia as a very cycle friendly, beautiful place. El Cocuy national park has some fantastic trekking possibilities.

I spent £7000 in just over a year spent in south america. chile was the most expensive country but there are lots of good campsites and good food there.

In Peru be sure to visit Huaraz which is the access town to the Cordillera Blanca and the Cordillera Huayhuash very beautiful mountains...lots of climbing and trekking there...
other good hiking...
torres del paine circuit in chile
hikes around sacred valley, machu picchu, inca trail and its alternatives
cordillera real in bolivia

the best cycling I did in south america was
-Chilean Patagonia (careterra austral) and camino del siete lagos in argentina
-paso agua negra and north west argentina
-bolivia! my second fav country after colombia
-the mountains in peru between cusco and huancayo. dirt roads, high passses, strenuous but worth it!
-bucaramanga to el cocuy via san gil in colombia....uterly stunning scenery

extras for rich (25grand totting) peeps ...
island trips like easter island and galapogos
ciudad perida trek in colombia ($200 or so)
guided mountianeering (alpamayo or aconcagua would be serious expeditions)
caribbean diving?
wildlife safari in venezuela?! to spot anacondas, capivaras, caimen, fresh water dolphin, howler monkeys, and more birds than your mind will believe!
jungle river safari?!

just a few thoughts to get you fired up...can't help with SE Asia...sorry.

Lastly, I cant help but say it. if it were me, 25 grand would equal a round the world trip for two people no sweat. if you are taking a year off why not take 2.5 years off?! spend a few more nights in your tent and cooking on a stove and you could easily see ALL of south america and cycle home from china too!

Thanks for the comments everyone. Certainly South East Asia and South America sound quite cheap but we will be spending a couple of months exploring Japan and New Zealand which I know will be quite alot more expensive, particularly bike rental I hear.

We would love to take 2.5 years out to explore further but both our professions would disown us if we weren't to work for over a year. The very reason we have a small nestegg to play with is the reason we cannot make the most of it in terms of time out.

I think the plan stands at something like Japan for two months, cycle through Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia to Vietnam for 3-4 months, 3 months to do NZ and some diving in Fiji and Vanuatu then 3 months in South America. We'll certainly take into account those suggestions for good experiences in SA hubbike. Isn't Colombia dangerous to cycle in, or is it the usual "safe in the right places".

There is certainly no desire to ensure we spend all of what we have saved, we'd rather return and have a small amount to tide us over till we find new jobs.

 

[hubbike]

Isn't Colombia dangerous to cycle in, or is it the usual "safe in the right places".

There is certainly no desire to ensure we spend all of what we have saved, we'd rather return and have a small amount to tide us over till we find new jobs.

I had no bad experiences in Colombia. quite the opposite in fact. There are dangerous areas but most cities and main roads are fine.

here are a few thoughts on your other questions...

- Are we mad?
No
- Should we buy a bike here and fly it out there and back, bike a bike there and fly it back here, or buy and sell bikes over there?
If I were doing your trip I would prefer to be on my own bike brought from the UK
- Which countries should we do?
Think your choice looks amazing. I really want to visit the himalaya and china but its a personal thing I think...
- Is it feasible to spend a few days with your bike locked up in a hotel/hostel/campsite and then start up the cycletour again?
Yes, I have always found this very easy.
- Are there any location specific bits of advice for us, or sources of advice (I haven't yet read crazyguyonabike with this trip in mind)?
also in South America you can stay for free in the Casa Ciclistas listed here
- Is there anything we should take that we can't buy over there? Should we take a tent? look at some kit list threads...
A tent will give you greater freedom to visit places where there are no hotels...so for me it is essential.
- Are there any savings to be had traveling as a two (i.e. Should I budget based on a two person per day or one person per day amount?)?
Yes, a lot. hotel rooms, etc. lots of equipment will double up: tent, stove, tools, etc
- Anyone know what flying with a bike on AirAsia is like? no. but in general flying with a bike is a lot easier than you might expect.

 

[greenmark]

My comment is that out of the countries you selected, I wouldn't really recommend either peninsula Malaysia or Borneo for cycling. They're great places to visit, but the cycling is poor. The country is set up as a car culture - everyone drives to get around. With the traffic density, it's similar to say cycle touring round Los Angeles. Expect busy roads, strip malls and a fair bit of agricultural monoculture.

Laos and Cambodia are excellent. Vietnam is great but the roads are beginning to become too busy to be pleasant.

I'm not that familiar with cycling in Japan or Korea, but from visiting the places (off bike) I'd say there are probably some pretty great routes around both countries.

And of course, if you have time, I would suggest visiting our little island. There is some pretty great cycling to be had here.

 

[Ticktockmy]

I think the plan stands at something like Japan for two months, cycle through Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia to Vietnam for 3-4 months, 3 months to do NZ and some diving in Fiji and Vanuatu then 3 months in South America. We'll certainly take into account those suggestions for good experiences in SA hubbike. Isn't Colombia dangerous to cycle in, or is it the usual "safe in the right places".

There is certainly no desire to ensure we spend all of what we have saved, we'd rather return and have a small amount to tide us over till we find new jobs.

Here is an idea for a Malaysia
If you fly to Singapore, leave Singapore via the Causeway into Johor Bahru, nothing worth looking at there, cycle East to Kota Tinggi, stay there or cycle inland up into the hills to the Waterfalls at Lombang hotel is expensive or spend 2 nights at Kota Tinggi and have a day ride out to there. Leave Kota Tinggi cycle up the East coast of Malaysia, when you get to Mersing, take a few days out on Pulau Tioman, great Diving place, and you can arrange a package in Mersing then travel out either on the ferry or speed boat.

From Mersing, carry on along the coastal road, to Pekan, Not much to see there, but a few hotels which are cheap, but act as brothels at night so can be a little noisy from the sound of magical movements. Then to Kuantan here you could leave your bikes and catch the express bus to Kuala Lumpur for a few days.

Back on the road leave Kuantan, and head for Kuala Terengganu, here you can arrange diving packages for there for Pulau Redang you are really into Home stay accommodation now though the small towns have small hotels, most act a brothels in the evenings, but don’t let that put you off.

Leave Kuala Terengganu , once over the bridge there is a coastal Kampong road, take this and follow to Kota Bharu.

Kota Bharu is the border town with Thailand, not much there to excite.

Leave there and head for Sungai Golok, Cross over into Thailand, then head for Narathiwat there are Coastal roads to use, but some have a habit of curling back on themselves , thus you end up doing more miles that you want in the heat of the day.

 

[hubbike]

keep us posted as your tour takes shape!

 

[Jugular]

Thanks for posting again hubbike, it's nice to know someone's still keeping an eye out. You never know when a thread is finally dead or not.
There's been little movement on the plans as we're also planning our wedding at the same time.

The plan probably stands at; fly to Singapore and get prepared there, cycle/train up to Bangkok, cycle through Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam over three or four months with a cycle, cycle, rest kind of pattern of travel. At that point we either sell the bikes, or we take them on to Japan or New Zealand to tour those. We definitely want to spend two months in each of those places but how we travel is yet to be decided (potentially; trains/rented folding bikes in Japan, campervan in NZ). We'll probably buy some hiking gear in Thailand (I hear North Face kit is dirt cheap there) and go hiking in South America. Depending on time and desire we might visit Fiji and Australia on the way too.

I need to decide on a point at which to post back a bunch of stuff we no longer need or have bought as gifts. Definitely post visiting Japan.

I've been ogling the Thorn Sterling all the while knowing that buying a Trek in Singapore or Bangkok would be the most cost effective and sensible option.

We will need a whole host of jabs so I'm aware that we need to get moving on that. Are there places I can get jabs without taking days off work?
We also need to start thinking about visas I suppose.

 

[Ticktockmy]

My comment is that out of the countries you selected, I wouldn't really recommend either peninsula Malaysia or Borneo for cycling. They're great places to visit, but the cycling is poor. The country is set up as a car culture - everyone drives to get around. With the traffic density, it's similar to say cycle touring round Los Angeles. Expect busy roads, strip malls and a fair bit of agricultural monoculture.

Laos and Cambodia are excellent. Vietnam is great but the roads are beginning to become too busy to be pleasant.

I'm not that familiar with cycling in Japan or Korea, but from visiting the places (off bike) I'd say there are probably some pretty great routes around both countries.

And of course, if you have time, I would suggest visiting our little island. There is some pretty great cycling to be had here.

You must know a different Malaysia than me, as I cycle many miles in Malaysia, and away from the main west coast roads, the many kampong roads provide miles of traffice free cycle.

The Main route 1 on the west coast, and the main route 3 on the East Coast are unpleasent in parts to cycle on, as drivers tend to use the main roads and not pay the toll for the expressway .

 

[Elflick]

Wow you're so lucky! A trip that I want to build up to - am saving up now!
Only been cycling in Laos before - amazing country, very slow going and not much traffic. Even in the capital. Everyone seems to ride scooters - very slowly.
Roads only seem to have started being built in some places but this makes it all the better in a way. (although I was there two years ago, things change fast...)
Have fun!

 

[Jugular]

An update!

Yes I thought I should come back and say thanks for the help I received in planning the trip. In the light of the road few plans are kept. We went from Kuala Lumpur up the West coast to Penang and Langkawi then over into Thailand. We traveled up the West coast, visiting many islands in the Andaman Sea (Lipe, Muk, Libong, Ngai, Lanta, Phi Phi, Phuket) then went on a 5d diving liveaboard in the Similans from Khao Lak. We then crossed the country to where we are now in Chaiya, Thailand.

After I spent a lot of money on my bike getting it all kitted up in good modern touring gear I've found a little issue. The brand new rear wheel built by Harry Rowland lost a spoke. I was probably carrying too much weight, though it wasn't an unusual load (~35kg + my 16st all on the back). I've transferred some weight to my wife's bike and I'm taking the hills nice and easy. So far so good no more broken spokes but I would like to get the broken one replaced. Any ideas for bike shops on the East coast of Thailand?! Everyone rides mopeds here now!

Also, will any spoke that fits do? I'm sure Harry built it up with heavy spokes (it's on the drive side) so perhaps I should replace it with an identical spoke...

I suppose I should email Harry.

Aside from that does anyone have advice for whether there are things not to miss on the East coast from Surat Thani up to Bangkok?

Great things so far: Meeting helpful friendly people, diving sites have been incredible.
Bad things so far: Barking dogs chasing us along every quiet road, not speaking the language.

 

[Ticktockmy]

Nice to hear that all is going well other than a broken spoke, I would have assumed you would have replacement spokes with you and the tools to replace them, if not a lesson learned. Mr Hippo on here lives in Thailand, from some of his postings, he might be able to give the advise you need.
Enjoy the rest of your trip, it get easier the longer you stay incountry.
Take Care
Bob G.