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Johor Bharu to Malacca

It's not to most spectacular route to cycle but since most ongoing traffic takes the highway, the #5 road that connects Johor with Pontian and further north to Malacca is for the most quiet cycling.

There are exceptions, for example getting out of Johor Bharu and around Malacca itself but you will enjoy cycling here.

View from The Zon jetty to Johor Bharu (right) and Singapore (other side of the water)

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Dali Lijiang and Zhongdian (Shangri-La)

If there is limited time to visit Yunnan, you should at least go to Dali Lijiang and Zhongdian (Shangri-La). Some only choose Dali and Lijiang but with direct flights nowadays, Shangri-La is also easy accessible.

Cycling here is challenging. It's because you are riding on altitude, Kunming is already 2000 meters high and you're going higher, to Shangri-La at 3300 meter.

The road from Yunnan to Tibet

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Cycling in Guangxi, China

Of all the provinces of China, Guangxi has one of the lowest priorities to visit except for Guilin and Yangshuo. It's really like going to Italy and visit Rome while the rest of the country, or in this case, the province doesn't exit.

True, some travelers visit Liuzhou, heck even a few go all the way to Nanning... because they're on the way to or from Vietnam. Central Guangxi see no tourist and yet, it is beautiful! So here it is, an introduction into cycling in Guangxi!

The road to Pingxiang and Vietnam

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South West China: Yunnan Province

Yunnan is one of the most visited provinces in China. Interestingly it is only the north west plus Kunming which is so regular visited. The rest of the province, about the size of France gets much less tourists to see.

Fair? Nope, but that is what it is. Yunnan has more to offer than Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La but... those are the places people want to go.

I cycled all over Yunnan, and here's what I think:

Rural countryside of north Lijiang

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Yunnan, the Stone Forest

Some like it, some find it a typical Chinese tourist trap. Whatever you think of the Stone Forest, you can't deny it is an impressive piece of natural sculpturing. And no, it's not only the park with its souvenir shops and tourist tricks that is interesting. In fact, it's outside the park a lot more interesting than inside the park. Not all tourists know it, but the Stone Forest area is hundreds of square kilometers big!

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The Karakoram Highway

It's been years since I was at the Karakoram Highway. Actually I have been there twice, once in summer, once in December. I've spend Christmas in Karimabad, even Santa Claus came around. It was a great journey.

On the way to Passu, north Pakistan.

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Bodh Gaya, northern India

One of the most spiritual places I have visited is Bodh Gaya in northern India. It's indeed one of those places where everybody comes. Bodh Gaya sees visitors from all over the world and you will find here all the main Buddhist countries with their own temples.

It's an interesting place with is dominated by Tibetans who have 2 temples here. But you should visit for example the Bhutanese, or the Japanese temple to see complete different forms of Buddhism. It's a place still full of magic.

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Bicycle tours in Myanmar

Myanmar (Burma, if you like) has been over the years boycotted by many travelers. For good reasons, maybe. However, what political reasons you may have not to agree in visiting the country, fact is that the people of Myanmar belong to some of the nicest and friendliest people I ever met. Like Iran, there's a huge cap between the people of the country and the system that rules them!

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Hotels in Yangshuo

It's a great place, Yangshuo. Sure, it's getting more and more touristy, nowadays it's about 90% Chinese tourist versus 10% foreign. 10 years ago it was the opposite. Things change, and so does accommodation... here's what I like:

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Organised bicycle tours in Thailand

No time? No family member or friend to join you? No bicycle? Not a problem in my recommended tours in Thailand. Get the best out of your time in Thailand, combine tours if you like and explore the country on bicycle and find gems you couldn't imagine.

Pak Meng beach which you will visit in the Biking the south of Thailand
as part of bicycle tours Thailand

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The road from Malacca to Klang (Malaysia)

The southern west coast of Malaysia peninsula is not particularly interesting for the most. Of course there is the wonderful city Malacca but apart of that ... there's little to lighten up your mind. The beaches are virtually non existing or damaged by the economical "progress".

That said, it IS a quite nice bike ride on for the most reasonable quiet roads (leave Malacca and the area around Klang, which are quite UNpleasant).

Here's my experience in 2010:

The road from Port Dickson to Morib, with signs in the area name
this Malaysia's "Gold Coast" - I wonder why....

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Cycling in Greece

Greece was magnificent. There were plenty of options to get off the grid (so to say) and still see plenty of the Greek ruins. I loved it.

Acropolis Athens

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Diving at Pangor, or better ... at Pulau Sembilan

The west coast of Malaysia doesn't have much to offer to diving enthusiasts. With Pulau Payar at Langkawi you have named the most famous. Pangkor itself doesn't have much to dive but 30 minutes outside there are Pulau Sembilan which offer a very good diving possibility.

For a few years it was not possible to dive here, but that has changed. Again you can book a diving adventure here:

Me diving at Pulau Sembilan

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Exploring Bali, day 4 : Ubud to Lovina

The day I cycled Ubud - Lovina via Mount Batur was a day of underestimating the difficulties of the mountain. It was 35 km climbing to Mt Batur and I didn't realize that when I left. A serious mistake, which was made worse by the thunderstorm later the day when I was going down...

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North Bali: Lovina to East Java (day 5)

North Bali is apart of Lovina a lesser visited part of Bali. Maybe there is less to see (except swimming with dolphins and some diving) but it's a great road to cycle. I loved it, mostly flat and easy and recommended over the south part of Bali, which is busier.

Bluer than blue

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The vicinity of Ubud (day 3)

Most travelers come to Ubud to suck in the artistic part of town. There's a lot of culture here, many painters have their studio in town and have small or not so small permanent expositions running. I however, went out of town and found the countryside as 10 years earlier, nothing changed, still wonderful.

The small streets of the villages are almost untouched by the modern world

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Cycling across Bali: Days 1 and 2 Arrival in Ubud

In 2010 I cycled Denpasar to Jakarta. For some reason I had forgotten to write a few pages about my favorite part of the journey: Bali. So here we go with the first two days: arrival and the first day of exploring Ubud.

Monkey Forest, temple

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Bandung to Bogor

It's 2010 and I decide it's been too long since I have been in Indonesia. I fly to Denpasar in Bali and cycle from there in a month to Jakarta. It was an amazing trip, here is something about the journey from Bandung to Bogor.

On the way to the Puncak Pass

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The Ladakh Festival 1997, in Leh Ladakh, India

I've spend a lot of time in India. It's not a country, it's a continent. There is so much to see, way too much for even drifting a year around. One of the highlights for me was my visit to Ladakh in 1997, right at the time of the Ladakh Festival ... and that was a complete different thing. And as a foreigner (sometimes it is embarrassing ... but this time I felt really lucky) I had the privilege to have a front seat. Here's some photos I took that day.

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The temples of Khajuraho

If there is one place in the world where you wonder why something was build right there, it's Khajuraho. The series of temples build here seem to be build at the end of any road.

Of course, when they were build it was right in the middle of civilization because the wetlands here are fertile and there's plenty of water. Thus it's a good place as a center of civilization. Still, nowadays it's somewhere in the middle of nowhere. If you want to visit, you have to travel considerable and it seems (it is not of course), the way in, is also the way out. But even if that was true, it's still worth the effort!

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Watching the Mekong flow in Mukdahan

When I visited Mukdahan in 1991, I wrote a postcard to a good friend of me in Holland, paraphrasing Bob Dylan's Watching The River Flow... he thought, so he told me later, I was either drunk or stoned:)

I was back after 20 years in Mukdahan early December. It was still a magic sight... and the continuing bicycle ride through north east Thailand was just as good.

View from Mukdahan to the 2nd Friendship Bridge with Laos

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Visit Perak 2012 on bicycle!

For most travelers it's unthinkable but Perak has more to offer than Pangkor and (if you insist Ipoh). Exploring Perak on bicycle gives you a far better way to find real gems in the state. And trust me, it's worth doing so. See for yourself:

A spectacular view of one of the now flooded old mines
on the way from Kampar to Kampong Gajah

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Jungle trekking Teluk Segadas and jungle trekking to Pasir Bogak

I like the jungle in the area where I live. 2 days back I did a jungle trekking to Teluk Segadas, a not much visited little beach at the south side of Pangkor island in Malaysia (half way in between Kuala Lumpur and Penang).

At the beach I spoke with the campowner who told me there's a trail leading all the way to Pasir Bogak, about 4 hours trekking. I had water, it was early so I went, reached the highest peak and ... got lost! Here's the story:

Teluk Segadas

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Ha Long Bay - limestone paradise in the sea

One of the wonders of nature can be found in north Vietnam at Ha Long Bay. Here you find limestone mountain pinnacles standing out of the water in strange formations. There are magnificent caves to visit and it's great to spend a few nights here on the water in a boat.

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Pingxiang and the Vietnames border

I had a little problem to find again the right road. This time it was to the Youyiguen border... here's the story:

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Cycling from Nanning to Vietnam, day 2

Day 2 on the way from Nanning to Vietnam lead me from Suyu to Chongzuo, a nice road with some very good sceneries on the way. There were only few villages on the way and even less people. Traffic was limited too.

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Cycling from Nanning to Vietnam

This is a story about taking the wrong way all the time on a beautiful day in November 2011 in Guangxi province China, Here is why I covered 129 km on a road of 45 km only...

Cycling from Nanning to Vietnam lead me to Suyu,
a town in no mans land but I found a hotel

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Guilin/Yangshuo to Nanning using direction Wuzhou

This is a description of a road I have cycled at least twice and parts more than that. Is it better than the direction Liuzhou? It is better to some extend especially the part in between Guiping and Binjiang is not particularly fantastic but Lipu to Taiping is a very pleasant and scenic ride.

The very pleasant road from Binjiang to Nanning.

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Guilin to Nanning using direction Liuzhou

If people travel in Guangxi, they use the route Guilin-Liuzhou-Nanning, by either bus or train. Few realize there is quite a bit of interesting things to see in between Guilin and Nanning. Here are two potential routes to travel by bicycle. I've cycled them both and prefer the one via Xiangzhou and Laibin. See for yourself:

On the road from Guilin to Nanning after Binjiang

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Vinh to the Lao Border at Lao Bao through the DMZ

Was the road around Vinh not particularly inspiring, after Vinh I got my share of the fun. First troubles with my tires, and than the DMZ, the former demilitarized zone with it's own violent history. It was an enlightening experience.

War memorials all along the road from Dong Hoi to Dong Ha

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About luck on the road from Vinh to Ha Tinh

The last years I come to realize luck is a mindset. If it goes bad, there's always a solution nearby. This story about the back tire tearing out and being unfixable proofs that ...

Luck is a mindset ... had this happened only 10km further I would have had to abandon my bicycle journey from Vinh to Ha Tinh and further to the DMZ and Laos

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Cycling from Hanoi to Vinh

The 300 km or so bicycle ride from Hanoi to Vinh was far more pleasant than I expected. Rpad AH1, not the highway but the old national road, was for the most quiet and pleasant. Although not spectacular except in Ninh Binh, it was worth the days cycling through the flat lands.

Thanh Hoa city center

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Cycling north Vietnam - Lang Son to Hanoi

It was not my intention to cycle all the way from Lang Son to Hanoi in one day and it was certainly not my intention to cycle more than necessary. Here is the story why I did cycle Lang Son to Hanoi in one single day:

Cycling north Vietnam, plenty of limestone karst mountains on the way

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Lang Son in north Vietnam

It's November 2011 and I have just crossed the Chinese-Vietnamese border. First stop is a little town called Lang Son... and it turns out to be a nice overnight stop ....

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Cycling from Vietnam to Savannakhet (and Thailand)

For those travelers to and from Vietnam Highway 9 is a good and easy possibility. On the way there's guesthouses (though make sure you have one in a village, I had one somewhere in the middle of nowehere and had to skip a dinner).

Cycling through central Laos where most of Highway 9 is like this, empty ...

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Koh Tao - Learn diving at Koh Tao

During my first visit to Koh Tao there was a diving club, a restaurant and a guesthouse. Nowadays it's full of them. In fact, it's one of the most convenient and cheapest places to get your diving license.

Blue ringed angelfish

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Cycle Rickshaw Ride from Bangkok to Singapore

Hello, I am looking into the feasibility of riding cycle rickshaw from Bangkok to Singapore as part of a charity event. I've looked at a number of other

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A few days in Yangshuo China

A few days back in Yangshuo. It's really cold here (no 30C but closer to 15C. The internet is slower than ever with many restrictions (and increasing). But the scenery is still stunning.

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Guilin to Xingping, my 5th time I cycled this road 2 days back

Back in China. I took the bus (with my bike) to Guilin and started cycling from there to Xingping. This road is seldom traveled in it's whole.

Travelers do go as far as Caoping to visit the Crown Cave but few, if any continues from here to Xingping. I did it yesterday for the 4th or 5th time.

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Cycling in Vietnam

Cycling in Vietnam is quite exciting, especially outside the bigger cities which can be really busy and dangerous too. Still, get to the countryside and you find a lot of the old days of Vietnam back. And yes, you do need a bicycle for doing so...

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Malaysian bicycle trip

Our cycling trip in Malaysia was quite pleasant. Rode about 820 kms. Started in Malacca, July 11th. Ended at Kuala Lumpur Airport July 29th (we could leave

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Nipah Guesthouse Pangkor

So you want to stay cheap at Pangkor? Possible at Nipah Guesthouse, a new (2 years only) guesthouse at Teluk Nipah. I love the place not only because it's quiet, but also because here you will enjoy the Malaysian hospitality you miss in the big hotels. Highly recommended.

The new cottages... with aircon, TV and fan...

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Do you collect your entrance tickets?

Do you collect your entrance tickets of places you visit? I do, I keep them and I have added some of those I got in China on this and continuing pages. Just for fun.

Moonhill Yangshuo, a ticket on thin cheap paper, and it still looks nice

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From Thailand to India: Cycling through Myanmar and Bangladesh

I have a few questions. First off, is it possible to cycle from Thailand to India through Myanmar and Bangladesh? Obviously it is 'possible' but is it

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The road from Kuala Kangsar to Ipoh

A few weeks back I did the loop from Sitiawan to Kuala Kangsar and back. It was a really nice though partly very wet trip. I had cycled the road to KK via Manong several times, the first time in 2002. This time however, I choose to take a different road. Here's what I did.

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Kuala Kangsar, the Royal City of Perak

At first sight, there's little to keep you busy in Kuala Kangsar. Some claim it's only the Ubiah Mosque worth a visit but think again... there's the Istana Kenanga, now Royal Perak Museum and the Galleri Sultan Azlan Shah not to mention several heritage houses in the palace vicinity.

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Cycling in Hungary

One of my first bicycle trips was in Hungary. Things were different at the time, it was around the time before the Berlin Wall had come down. It was an interesting 4 weeks journey. Here is the story.

Cycling in Hungary: My bicycle near a local water pump somewhere in south Hungary

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Bruas and Hutan Lipur Ulu Licin

Unknown makes unwanted but certainly not always uninteresting. Bruas is such a place. It's a small town 55 km from Taiping and just over 60 to Ipoh. Despite it's royal history, there's not much left. However, north of the town you can find an amazingly beautiful jungle spot: Hutan Lipur Ulu Licin

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which bike?

Hi I am thinking of buying a cyclocross bike because they seem to be good all rounders, but I am stuck between the Cannondale CAADX Tiagra and the Marin

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