A-List Adventures – Motorbike Indochina
BY PROJECTRAVEL
Many have been to Thailand, many have spend countless hours on the beaches soaking in sun and eating delicious curries, and all that is the perfect end to a few week trek through South East Asia on a motorbike.
Now before we start – we’d just like to say that while our other Adventures were in conjunction with service providers, you can motorbike around SE Asia by yourself or in a small group and there is no need to hire a tour company, however, considering we’re trying to do good by you, we’ll provide you with a service provider at the end of the article.
Once you’ve decided on going motorbiking Indochina, we’d highly recommend starting and ending your trip in Bangkok. Simply put it’s the major hub in the region, most accustomed to tourism, and by far the easiest location to acquire your vehicle. In the event you want to rent, you can do so as well here, but be sure that you have all the necessary papers to bring the vehicle out of the country, that all taxes are properly paid on the vehicle and that it has a clean bill. Nothing’s worse than getting to the border only to be told you can’t proceed further due to the bike not having all it’s taxes in order.
Next up plan your route. Considering the wealth of cultural, historical, and natural things to do in the region we’re not going to recommend any one specific route for you. The best thing to do would be to buy one of these books, and then plan your own journey.
- Vietnam Cambodia Laos and the Greater Mekong – Lonely Planet (UK
) (US
)
- Southeast Asia on a Shoestring – Lonely Planet (UK
) (US
)
- The Rough Guide to South East Asia – (UK
) (US)
As for some recommendations from our side, we’d say the Ho Chi Minh Trail, Temples and Religious Sites of Cambodia, The Diving Trail are a good place to start, or better yet mix and match. Also remember than when planning your route 150km can take as much as 5 hours to cover as road conditions, are not the best so plan accordingly for time.
Finally, while accommodations are plentiful by the coast, this may not be the case in smaller villages and more rural areas, and while the people are generally nice, and you can often find a place to sleep, a tent and mosquito net are still highly recommended, and if you’re traveling during the rainy season, be sure to book hotels ahead and park your bike away from the river and on hirgher ground as flash floods are known to happen during this season.
TOP TIPS
1. Start in Bangkok – Thailand’s law regarding the purchase and sale of vehicles are most lax due to the country’s large expat population as well as the tourist numbers.
2. When buying your vehicle, see if you can arrange a buyback for a percentage of the price, if not just leave it. Motorbikes in SE Asia are cheap enough.
3. Be sure to purchase a Japanese model as parts are plentiful and cheap, and in the event you break down a village mechanic will probably be able to get you going again.
4. Remember that crossing borders in developing nations is no where near as painless as the channel crossing (or the US/Canadian border for our North American readers), and can often be tedious and time consuming.
5. Prior to setting off, get all your papers, visas, in order to make your journey as smooth as possible.
TOUR OPERATORS
A Jewel of Turquoise Beauty
BY KATIE KENNEDY
There’s a jewel of turquoise beauty that lies South West of Vietnam and Cambodia, and it goes by the name of Phu Quoc Island. It’s one of those places you don’t really want people to find out about and it’s what I had been longing for since I’d left my homely comforts of South Manchester. If beaches and paradise are your thing, then move fast and get over there while it’s still low-key.
Emerald waters, solitude, lush mountains and white, squeaky sand (there, I said it) drape the landscape of Vietnam’s finest scene. The best way to make the most of this paradise is to hire a motorbike and brave the red dirt tracks of the island. Once you see the locals fly past you with the most ridiculously awkward objects hanging off the sides of their bikes, – hello fridges, pineapples, crates upon crates of beer and a family of four, all at once – you won’t worry too much about hitting the deck, so to speak. Learn to use the horn for anything and everything imaginable, and go exploring. Long Beach has the biggest range of budget to high-end accommodation. We stayed at Viet Thanh and as it was off-season we managed to get a double room with a fan and private bathroom for $7/n. However if you can, I would stay on or near Bai Sao. Long Beach itself is beautiful, but believe me when I say that getting on your bike and discovering Bai Sao beach is well worth it. It’s not as easy to find as you’d imagine and we weren’t alone in realising that we’d missed the unsuspecting dirt track several times. We finally managed to narrow it down and find it though after asking the locals when filling up for gas.
On arriving you get hit with an overwhelming sense of self-satisfaction. Why it isn’t over-run with tourists, backpackers and the like, I really don’t know. It holds an essence of mystery and solitude, yet is not so isolated that you feel you might to have to build a raft and row back to Vietnam’s mainland in desperate need of some Uncle Ho pictures of Pho Bo. The main town of Duong Dong holds some of the best Ho Chi Minh memorabilia you can lay your hands on. And as for the food? Walk down to the night market and after haggling for some Uncle Ho tat, delve into some of the finest and freshest seafood that will ever be served to you, and plentiful.
We lay there content in knowing we had made it to arguably one of the world’s finest beaches. My advice to you is to go as soon as you can. Vietnam is expanding; it’s a plethora of old and new, it’s developing fast and you can feel it booming. The Vietnamese know how to make business and they want to make that buck. Off the stretch of Long Beach, early development for lavish golf courses and overpowering hotels is already looming. Often on my jaunts around Southeast Asia I spoke with others about whether these ‘off the beaten track’ beaches and places still exist. Well, they do, you just need to put down your guide, do some talking, and you’ll find that when you stumble across that beach, everyone else there has come across it by word of mouth and is equally as relieved that these places are still out there, right under your nose. Contrary to popular belief, they even still exist in Thailand, but we’ll come to this later. Places which hold the ultimate balance of blissful relaxation and beers until you can’t see straight. Beaches that haven’t been ruined by full-moon revellers, over-development or Alex Garland’s omnipresence. Don’t feel bad if you get that pang of selfishness in not wanting it to get over-commercialised or discovered by too many others, but accept that maybe one day that will be the case, and for now relish in its immense beauty and your luckiness.
Inside the Temples of Cambodia
BY HOLLY ONG
You can’t visit Cambodia and not see Angkor Wat – it would be like going to Paris for the first time and not going to the Louvre.
Cambodia was part of the Indochina region and was ruled by a string of Khmer and Cham kings between the 12th and 16th centuries. During that time, the ruling dynasties tried to outdo the last and build even more impressive temples with Hindu or Buddhist influences, depending upon which religion was in favour at the time.
‘Wat’ is actually the local term for temples. You may think Angkor Wat is the only wat but it’s a misnomer as there is more than one temple in the compound to see. Angkor Wat is just the largest and most well-preserved, – which of course means that it is also filled with wandering tourists.
However, if you’re a photo buff or culture vulture, you’re in for a visual treat. Wander around and get lost in a maze of temple ruins. Let your imagination soar and dream of kingdoms that once were. Re-live a time where a mere mortal was accorded demi-god status and marvel at the architectural geniuses who built to honour their gods. Talk to roaming monks in orange robes and watch out for monkeys.
When in the temples: be considerate about noise levels and don’t talk too loudly, – listen to the jungle cicada symphony and drink in the silent beauty of the bas reliefs on the temple walls. You can’t avoid the sheep-herded tour groups in the most visited wats (Angkor Wat and Bayon) but they are in a rush to finish so let them go ahead and take your time.Visit the lesser-known temples like Ta Prohm to see where giant silk cotton trees wrap their roots around temples and rise high into the sky.
Whilst it’s possible to see the main temples in one day, you run the danger of being watted-out. You’ve already come so far – so take the three day pass option at US$50 and build up a slow routine. Have breakfast, hop on the motor-cab, wander through a temple or two, head back to town, lunch, swim, shop and eat dinner before beginning the process all over again.
TRAVEL, MONEY & FOOD
Motor-cabs are the main mode of transport and cost about USD$10-20 a day– depending on your bargaining skills. Agree on a price before getting on and pay at the end of the day.
Siem Reap isn’t the cheapest town in developing South East Asia. But you do not need to change any local currency; carry US Dollars, Euros are not as popular but acceptable. While it’s possible to get USD$1 meals, the arrival of affluent tourists means you can spend USD$6 and up for a meal. Most of the restaurants in the Old Town are owned by enterprising foreigners, so finding a real Cambodian-owned joint may be difficult – but not impossible – look out for signs. Vegetarians will be able to get by; vegans may be a bit tricky. If you have reactions against monosodium glutamate (MSG), be careful as it’s a condiment used very freely.
You can buy souvenirs like the Cambodian checkered scarves at the Old Market. You’ll need to bargain though. Alternatively, you can shop with conscience by checking out places like Artisans d’Angkor where you certainly pay a premium for much finer products, but you’re helping support local artisans.
TEMPLE ETIQUETTE
Wear comfortable shoes as there are considerable grounds to cover and steep steps to climb. For female visitors, don’t be too scantily clad as it’s still a religious compound you’re visiting.
When approached by vendors: be kind and don’t quibble over USD$ 1. Many Cambodians have a hard life and tourism is their main revenue generator. Touts abound and a firm no is acceptable. Little tout kids speaking in German, French, English, Korean and Chinese all imploring you to buy may seem cute but don’t bargain unless you have intent to buy.
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