Upon arriving in Bangkok, my immediate plan was to escape the bustling city and locate a suitable spot for camping. Having spent a few days in Almaty and endured a full day of travel, I was eager to get back on the bike and get moving.
Navigating through the city chaos proved to be quite a task, especially when met with the staggering 35-degree heat and an overwhelming level of humidity. The air felt thicker and I was probably imagining it but more challenging to cycle through.
Plotting my route from Bangkok to Chiang Mai posed a new challenge. Unlike the sparsely connected towns of Central Asia, Thailand’s abundant routes left me with an array of options. To ensure quiet roads and breathtaking views, I decided to connect the dots between various national parks along the way.
Each evening, I sought refuge in temples, where I encountered varying degrees of hospitality. Some monks simply guided me to a quiet corner, while others engaged in conversation and generously provided me with food. The temples, although exquisitely beautiful, quickly became mundane and once I’d seen a few grand ones felt I had seen them all.
The fourth day brought me into the mountains and I wasn’t prepared for how tough the Thailand climbs would be. On my Garmin I’d be told an average gradient of 7%, yet half the ascents would exceeded 12%, and the other half would be short steep downhill sections. The scorching sun and relentless humidity made the task even more arduous, with the temperatures often around 40 degrees.
Amidst these challenges, sourcing drinkable water became another significant hurdle. The tap water, wasn’t drinkable anywhere and often yellow, resulting in frequently using my filter. Thankfully, most restaurants provided access to a water cooler, so I’d try to drink as much as possible during my lunch breaks. I’d stop most days to eat at a restaurant as the Thai cuisine has been great. For £1 I could get a meal, the highlights being noodle soup, fried rice and pad thai.
Sampling a variety of tropical fruits became a regular indulgence and I’d always buy anything I didn’t recognise. One challenge however has been finding snacking foods, as there is no biscuits or cakes. This has prompted me to resort to having lots of fizzy drinks to get some sugar.
Given the lack of oats or bread avaliable, my breakfast routine has revolved around cooking rice each morning. In the evenings, I often resort to purchasing a bag of curry from the local markets, which I pair with yet more rice. Consequently, I’ve been consuming a kilo of rice every two days, something that’s been surprisingly hard to source. This is due to most markets predominantly stocking 10 or 20kg large bags.
The locals have all been very nice, but not as curious as in Central Asia. A likely consequence of Thailand’s touristy nature. Despite encountering good English speakers in the cities, it was far rarer in other regions. One memorable encounter involved meeting Ying, a friendly local whose mother ran a restaurant. She showed me around their splendid tropical garden and even offered me a position on their farm!
After six days, I finally was able to wild camp, nestled within the rainforest of a serene national park. However, an unexpected downpour left most of my sleeping gear damp and an army of ants added to the problems. Fortunately, I’d planned to stay in a hostel the following day in Chiang Mai so was able to dry everything off.
My time in Chiang Mai felt like going to an activity park. The city was teeming with advertisements for various day excursions, including elephant visits, rafting trips, and Thai cooking schools. A quickly walked around the city which led me to Decathlon, where I managed to purchase much-needed new cycling shorts after mine were becoming quite see through. The remainder of the afternoon was spent unwinding at the hostel, followed by a pleasant evening at a local bar with the hostel staff.
Next I’m heading into the mountains in the north West of Thailand through Mae Hong Son provance. This was a popular motorbike loop and I look forward to the cycling adventure through it.
Will Scam 