A review of Thailand Feb16

Arrived LHR at 7pm after 12 hr flight from Bangkok…temperature 4degs….Brrrr. Slept well that night!

This was a fantastic trip…a real adventure, approx. 4000Kms in the end through Cambodia, Laos and Northern Thailand…we travelled through remote and rural areas where tourists would never get, that’s the beauty of motorcycling! Many thanks to Duncan and Alan our guides from Tony’s Big Bikes…they put this trip together specifically for Bernard and me knowing we like to ride fast and hard..a change for them from their normal customers..they said it would be hardcore and it was…just what we wanted. We all got on well together ( just as well seeing as we spent 16 days together)..two great guys who knew their way round and looked after us brilliantly…thank you Duncan & Alan for everything. (Check out the Links tab for Tony’s big Bikes…highly recommend them to anyone looking for a bike tour or hiring a bike in Northern Thailand)

The route Thailand – Cambodia – Laos -Thailand

Lady Buddha & 4 friends

Looking back some main moments come to mind… The People we met along the way, friendly and always smiling; The crazy driving in Cambodia; the food we ate; the culture we experienced; the fantastic scenery in the mountains; the simple life of people in this region, so much in contrast to ours; the heat, 35+ degs is HOT; the roads..good, bad and ugly, we had everything; noodle soup for lunch cooked in a big urn, the Killing fields in Cambodia left a real impression; the Lost City of Angkor Wat from 12th century; the Ladyboys everywhere; the Elephants along the road; the hotel plumbing…left a lot to be desired; the toilet facilities in the wilds..not for the faint hearted; the Honda 500 CBX I rode…handled everything we threw at it..and crashed well! The myriad scooters and motorbikes..family transport for the masses..5 on a bike was the most I saw! The enjoyment of riding without worrying about speed cameras, or police..made a real change. The border crossings, so much paperwork and the payoff made to Cambodian Customs & Excise to let us take the bikes in. The Singha beer..loads of it and the great healthy food..no chance to lose weight.

One really special moment that topped everything was the news that my new Grandson was born during the trip to my son Thomas & his wife Megan who live in Seattle..well done to you both 🙂

My new Grandson..Archer (Archie) Thomas Milway…born during the trip

One event I did not report during the trip was the that both Bernard and I had minor crashes..the good news is no injuries to either of us or the bikes. One has to recalibrate the mind when riding over there..you never knows what is around the corner…potholes, animals of all sorts, diesel spills, locals taking the racing line, a stretch of dirt road..anything and everything.  Bernard was the first to crash on a great road that was like a race track, apart from the diesel ingrained in the tarmac on some corners..Duncan and I went through with no problem but Bernard caught a diesel patch and went down so quickly..his first ever crash on a bike! I took some pics of the scratch marks made by his bike as it slid…not that I was intending to use them 🙂

Diesel caused this crash

Bernard’s crash marks

Just to make him feel better I then crashed a couple of days later..on a narrow road in the mountains! I met a local driving his pick up truck on the racing line (my side of the road) coming towards me on the apex..I swerved to avoid him but ran out of road as I tried to correct and the bike ended up down a drainage ditch (thankfully I didn’t )…I managed to get the bike out before Bernard had a chance to take pics 🙂 my first crash in 60,000 miles of recent touring!

One tell tale sign to watch out for in rural Laos is piles of large stuff on the road..Elephant dung! Great photo opportunity though 🙂

Hello Nellie

Who is most surprised?

There are so many great memories from this trip..check out the menu page with the photo gallery…also the Video.

Finally, thanks again to Duncan & Alan from Tony’s Big Bikes..look forward to seeing you again next year, great way to break up the long British winter! And Bernard of course, my motorcycle touring buddy..always up for an adventure 🙂

So this adventure is over…but the next is already booked; Northern Spain and Portugal in June….watch this space!!!!