JessieDee

Hi There! My partner and I have 10 weeks to cycle in Southeast Asia in December and January. I'm pretty open to where, but am keen to include Vietnam. Any suggestions on the best routes including the most beautiful roads? I was thinking of starting Hanoi, down to Ho Chi Minh, across into Cambodia and over into Bangkok, then all the way down to the border with Malaysia, but I think that may involve having to get some busses as it might be too much to pack in?

JessieDee

ps. I'm not opposed to getting trains/busses if it means we can miss some bad roads and get to nicer parts.

saddlesores

crazy guy is the place! 10 gazillion cycle touring logs.

i didn't much enjoy vietnam....too much traffic, crazy drivers,
limited accommodations for foreigners, and the horns, the horns!
they gots air horns and they know how to use 'em! choose
your route with care. the more inland routes are said to
be better.

cambodia is great, super awesome for touring! you prolly
wanna see preah vihear and angkor wat, maybe a couple
night homestay in beantay chmar (mini-angkor wat with
NO tourist traffic) phnom penh worth a couple days, visit
the killing fields and the tuol sleng museum.

depending on water levels, there may be a boat running
from phnom penh to siem reap.

once into thailand, if time is short, catch the train near the
cambo border into bangkok. otherwise, go south a bit,
then west thru the elephant sanctuary.

great bus system in thighland, vip tour coaches with plenty
of room underneath to stow your bikes. best to take
a bus (or train) into and out of bangkok. the city is about
75 km wide, lotsa urban same-same.

after bangkok, continue west to kanchaniburi. march across
the bridge over the river kwai. remember to whistle colonel
bogey's tune. take the train ride up the valley.

now go home, you're out of time.

axolotl

Northern Thailand and northern Laos are great for winter touring. It's the dry season in that region and temperatures are much more comfortable from Dec-Feb than during the rest of the year. South of there, it's hot and sticky year-round. Luang Prabang to Vientiane is a great ride, though challenging. I did a great loop from Chiang Mai north and then along the borders of Burma & Laos, then looping back to Chiang Mai. I took buses to get out of Chiang Mai 50km or so, and similarly to get back to that city, to avoid heavy traffic.

I biked the whole east coast of Malaysia. Some parts were nice, but there was more traffic in some areas than I liked.

I haven't biked in Vietnam at all. I was dissuaded by accounts I've read as well as a first-hand account from a guy I toured with in Laos. Route 1 from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh sounds hellacious in terms of traffic and noise. The Mekong delta sounds decent, however.

300ps

Many (most?) roads in Malaysia don't have shoulders as well. I found it to be a bit too close for comfort.