Our 2020 self-supported bicycle tour began in Chiang Mai and ended in Bangkok. There were no organized tours, no service to transport our gear—just us and our bikes, making it up as we go along! Approximately 1,700km entirely by bicycle. The only plannedaccommodations were the first few nights in Chiang Mai in order to recover from 22 hours of travelling and 12 hour time difference from Toronto. After the first two nights we were free to explore. Six weeks of adventure and an open road ahead. Each day we would choose a route, and a hotel/homestay for the night depending on how we felt. The only real goal was to reach Bangkok in 6 weeks time.
Before leaving Toronto in February there had been news stories about a new coronavirus that could potentially develop into a pandemic. We anticipated such a possibility and hoped that it might just blow over by the time of our scheduled return. Just four days before our flight home, COVID was declared a pandemic. We arrived home to a changed world. Little did we know it would be three more years before we could tour again!
Day off in Chanthaburi
Tourists in a city of so few tourists Honestly, we thought there would be loads of tourists given Thailand’s proximity to highly populated countries so closely situated. But alas, it’s not the case. Given that we’ve not been here before we have no frame of reference. Perhaps it’s no longer peak season for tourism? Is... Continue reading→
Chanthaburi to Laem Sing Beach
Passing time while rain passes. Lotte and Seppe. A wedding, and cannonballs at the pool. We have arrived at the Beach! Yesterday we left Chanthaburi and only travelled 3km before we noticed the gloomy grey sky. There was rain on the horizon, the first we have seen in four weeks here. We decided to pass... Continue reading→
Laem Sing Beach to Laem Mae Phim Beach to Ko Samet!
It’s feeling coastal and tropical now! Swimming & seafood! The heat was very intense yesterday and today. So hot that the moment we stop pedalling we drip sweat. It’s quite embarrassing really, standing in Amazon Cafe waiting for Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothies along with the others who look all cool and smartly dressed while we make... Continue reading→
Ko Samet: Our Island Beach Experience
Floating in the ocean till our skin turns pruney, sand bubblers, turds on the beach, and the wavy dock. The bikes haven’t moved—we are enjoying island life! The gloriously warm ocean waves, the powdery white sand, the oceanfront dining—it’s pretty hard to resist! We parked our bikes and they haven’t moved in two days. We... Continue reading→
Ko Samet to Banchang to Siracha
The Blue Moon, gigantic bugs, rubber trees and pineapple, and urban riding. We decided that loafing on the beach was too darn lazy for us but we weren’t quite finished with the island experience. We loaded the bikes and went just 3.6km down the road to Ko Samet Village right at the Port where we... Continue reading→
Siracha to Suvarnabhumi then — Downtown Bangkok
A mix of traditional next to modern, the market rat, riding into Bangkok We took the day off in Siracha thinking we would luxuriate in the pool that we just had to have, but alas there was too much to see that we didn’t swim after all. Instead we nabbed a tuk tuk ride and... Continue reading→