I met a young French couple cycling in
Myanmar who said that Indonesia was the best place that they had
ever visited on a bicycle. Well, perhaps the sparsely populated
and less developed areas that she went to, like Irian Jaya or
Sulawesi, would have been good, but I had a terrible time in Java.
The truth is that Indonesia is developing rapidly and the world's
most populated island is feeling the strain of its own successes.
The roads are packed with dirty and dangerously fast diesel-run
trucks, mini buses and cars. And if you dare to venture off the
beaten track, you will spend all your time watching out for the
pot-holes.
Just think! If you never go to Java you'll always be able to think
of it as an exotic tropical island.
I know I won't. I dare say that I put up with the heat and humidity,
and the steepness of its mountains to an extent, but who wants
to risk the effects of breathing in poisonous gases from all those
engines?
If anyone were to suggest that I should visit Java again, my reply
would be that I'd sooner be bound up screaming, and pushed off
a very tall tower.
I thought Sumatra was wonderful, however,
and Bali was okay despite the zealousness of some of the local
merchants. The food is good and there are enough natural attractions
to make Indonesia a great place for a holiday.
But take the bus. Some long distance coaches even have karaoke!
Japan has some great places to visit if you are fit and like mountain scenery. My favorite places are Tohoku, Shikoku, Kyushu and Hokkaido.
If you are thinking of touring Japan, the
best time to go would be either spring or fall, although summer,
despite its humidity, is popular too.
Japan is an expensive country, so if you are on a tight budget,
camping or youth hosteling remain the only two options. Minshukus
are more expensive than youth hostels, but after a hard day's
cycling, nothing could be better than to have a hot bath, put
on a yukata, and tuck into a hearty meal.
In and around the urban areas of Japan, traffic can be a problem,
but if you avoid large towns, the roads can be surprisingly pleasant.
I live and work in Japan, and one of the surprising things for
me is how easy it is to have the place to oneself. All it takes
is to put your bike in a bike bag and take an hour's train ride
away from Tokyo in any direction. There you will find forestry
roads of good quality which are virtually free of people or cars.
The only sign of civilization are the vending machines which are
everywhere!
Laos is fun.
From the very crack of dawn, when locals sit kneeling by the roadside
to pass up alms to the monks, there are sights to be seen. Everyone,
apart from the monks, of course, lives off the land in some form
or other. Their simple but pleasant lives are a joy to watch,
and all this against a backdrop of pristine natural beauty.
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What I liked about Laos, apart from its natural attractions, were the tales about Laotian culture and Laotian beliefs that I heard from local people whom I met along the way. I was surprised at how many of them could speak English or French, and their hospitality made the trip very much worthwhile.
I didn't spend long in Malaysia. I just
cycled up the east coast.
It was quite pleasant, but there were not so many points of interest.
I did meet a New Zealand couple in Cherating who had traveled
over the mountains from the west coast who raved about Malaysia,
and perhaps I should have been a little bit more adventurous,
myself.
Malaysian roads are very good quality, and it's easy to travel
far in a short period of time. If you are not prepared to cycle
about 100km or more in a day, then you may need to bring your
tent and enough food and water for at least two days, as some
parts of Malaysia have very few places to stay.
I liked Malaysia for its cleanliness, its simple but tasty and
nutritious food, and the friendliness and honesty of its people.
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Myanmar is a fascinating place to visit
if you are prepared to put up with the undue sloth and nervousness
of some of its officials.
There are some excellent places to visit, and even being detained
by the police for half a day for no apparent reason, or getting
more punctures in one trip than all the others put together, wouldn't
detract one iota from the fantastic experiences that I had there.
It goes without saying that Bagan should be visited, and Yangon
and Mandalay have their attractions, too.
The most memorable moments of my trip were the visits to the balancing
pagoda at Kyaiktiyo, and the journey from Bagan to Mandalay via
the monastery at Mount Popa.
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Thailand is not one of my favorite Asian countries for cycling, but it is one of my favorite Asian countries. I like the relaxed nature of its people, the culture, and the food. As for cycling, the main roads are rather hectic and fairly dangerous. Whoever said "It's the journey itself that counts, not the destination." must not have been traveling on a push bike through Thailand at the time. Thailand is good for the places you stop off at, but most of these can be got to easily and more safely by public transport. Of course, in doing so you will miss out on those wonderfully insignificant places which make up the real Thailand that few tourists ever get the chance to see. But you'll still have a great time, I think. Whenever I go to Thailand now, I leave my bicycle behind, go to the touristy places, enjoy the food, and share the sunsets with my girlfriend.
Vietnam is one of the best places that
I have ever visited in my life. So long as you avoid the rogues
who prey on unsuspecting tourists in just a handful of the more
popular destinations, you can have a great time there.
Vietnamese people are naturally very curious, and will think nothing
of borrowing some of your belongings, including your bicycle,
having a good look at it, and then giving it back to you. They
are also very intimate and physical, so if the thought of having
your leg hairs tweaked or your stomach gently poked makes you
feel uncomfortable, then Vietnam may not be the place for you.
Some western women even complained to me of being assaulted in
Vietnam. Whether this was really what happened, I'm not so sure.
I really enjoyed Vietnam. The food is excellent and you will have
few problems with the terrain as Vietnam is as flat as a crispy
pancake.
You have basically two choices for planning your route; Hanoi
to Saigon, or Saigon to Hanoi, as there are few other choices
in such a thin country. Some of the cyclists that I met said that
they didn't like Vietnam's busiest highway, but I think that the
occasional truck which does pass by is worth putting up with.
In the main, you will be cycling all on your own, and you will
be stopping off at places where few other visitors will have been
before. The real congestion is when you get off your bike at any
of the many small villages on the way.
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