BEACHES
BEACHES WITH NOBODY ON THEM
Not the ones with the longtail boats and the sun loungers. Firm sand, kilometres of empty coast and the bike parked next to you. The south still has plenty, one dirt turn-off from the main road.
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SOUTHERN THAILAND // GROUPS OF 4FROM ZERO TO TRAVELLER
FROM ZERO TO TRAVELLER
IN 7 DAYS
Seven days riding the part of southern Thailand almost nobody rides. We start and finish in Phuket, on small bikes, the way people move around here.
THE SOUTH THAT NEVER MAKES THE BROCHURE
Almost everyone who comes to Thailand on a motorcycle heads north, to the Mae Hong Son curves. The south gets reduced to the postcard beaches of Phuket and Krabi, and nobody rides what lies inland.
That inland route is the one we ride. Dirt tracks through rubber plantations, villages without a single tourist, caves a local opens up for you, waterfalls you can swim in because there is nobody watching, and beaches where your tyre track will be the only one of the day.
I rode it myself first, to check that it works. What you see on this page are photographs from that ride, not from a catalogue.
WHAT YOU WILL SEE
CAVES
HUGE CAVES, NO QUEUE, NO TICKET
Stone chambers where a shaft of light drops through the roof and keeps you staring for a while. Many are signposted only in Thai, and the person who shows them to you is someone from the village.
WATERFALLS
JUNGLE WATERFALLS YOU CAN GET INTO
Turquoise water in the middle of the vegetation, a short ride off the road. You stop, leave the bike and get in. That is the whole plan.
THE RIDING
DIRT TRACKS AND EMPTY ROADS
Thai tarmac is a surprise: better than a lot of European roads. And where it ends, the dirt starts, in among the rubber trees. A small bike gets into places a big adventure bike simply cannot.
LIKE A LOCAL
WITHOUT STANDING OUT
On a small bike you are just one more. You stop at the market, you eat where they eat, and nobody looks at you like a tourist. That is the difference between travelling through a place and simply passing by.
WHY A SMALL BIKE
The bike for this trip is a Yamaha PG-1, 115cc. Yes, 115.
I have crossed the world on a loaded Ténéré 700, and I would not bring it here. The small bike wins: it fits the narrow tracks, you pick it up on your own if it goes down, any village workshop can fix it, and it does not put a wall between you and people.
And then there is the running cost: around 55 kilometres per litre. Filling the tank costs a little over three dollars.
No off-road experience or big licence needed. If you ride a motorcycle, you can ride this one.
HOW THE TRIP WORKS
GROUPS OF 4 MAXIMUM
Four bikes, not twenty. With more people it stops being a trip and turns into a coach tour: waiting around, queueing, and eating wherever the whole group fits.
IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH
The tours run in both languages. You ride with someone who speaks your language and who has already done the route.
SEVEN DAYS, PHUKET TO PHUKET
It starts and finishes in Phuket, which has direct flights from Europe. You land, you get on the bike, and the rest is sorted.
I RIDE AT THE FRONT
This is not a group with a hired guide. I rode the route myself and I lead it myself.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do I need off-road experience?
No. There are dirt sections, but they are hard-packed tracks, not enduro. The bike is 115cc and light: if it goes down, you pick it up without help. If you ride a motorcycle in town, you can do this.
What licence do I need?
Your own country's motorcycle licence plus an International Driving Permit. You get the international one at home before you travel, and it is the document the police will ask for.
When is the best time to come?
Southern Thailand can be ridden all year. In the rainy season it rains hard but in bursts, rarely all day, and the landscape is far greener. Message me and we will talk about which dates suit you.
Is it safe?
Thailand is one of the calmest places I have ridden. What you do have to respect is the traffic and the heat. And one thing that takes some getting used to: here people leave the bike loaded and nothing happens to it.
How much does it cost?
There are no published dates or prices yet. Message me on WhatsApp and I will tell you how it is coming together and what it includes.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TRIP?
Message me on WhatsApp and I answer you myself. No forms, and nobody calling you afterwards.
ASK ON WHATSAPPDates and prices are not settled yet. This page is here so you know what the trip is about.
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