Indochina
Adventure travel by motorbike in Indochina
Two vagabonds, on a bike, travelling around the World. Exploring Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Indonesia, from the thickest jungle to the most beautiful beaches and whilst discovering ancient cultures and ethnic traditions they encounter some new friends.
Indochina is the vast peninsula in South East Asia, on the border between India and China that incorporates six countries, including Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia. Populated by different ethnic groups and rich in religion. On the roads, traditional houses merge with ancient temples and modern buildings; and along many routes agricultural landscapes such as rubber and palm oil plantations alternate with modern conurbations teeming with Western consumerism. Many paths, away from the more travelled routes, lead to a complete immersion into nature and the green of the tropical rainforest swarming with life, or onto the golden sand of beautiful beaches looking out onto crystal clear water. Travelling on these roads and camping in these lands, is an adventure to be experienced.
Following the Vagabond Instinct
Once landed in Bangkok, the “Vagabond Instinct” takes hold and leads us during the entire journey. 100% humidity and deadly heat do not stop our desire to explore the city, from the skyscrapers to the shanty towns, from the most prestigious temples to the floating market. Riding through the country, we arrive at Sukhotai to admire its famous ruins. We then ride along the jungle route to the border with Burma, where we arrive at the Mai Tan waterfalls. After an adventure in an underground quarry, we cross dusty trails, bumpy bridges and streets soaked by rain. The weather changes when we reach beautiful, uncontaminated beaches. We enter Cambodia where we discover the unspoilt red land of the wonderful Botum Sakor National Park. In Sihanoukville, on the Gulf of Siam, we are once again amidst traffic chaos and we slalom through the traffic before heading to Siem Reap, where we stop completely enraptured, at the sight of the Angkor archaeological park with its amazing temples.
After crossing the Cambodian border we are in Laos, the Country of the Mekong River. We follow the road to the coffee plantations and near Phonsavan, we admire the Plane of Jars. From the accounts of local people we discover the story of the “Secret War” which left millions of unexploded bombs in the ground: for obvious reasons, we do not leave the marked trails. We follow the hairpin turns of the mountains and find the tiny villages of the Hmong people, whose rites completely fascinate us. In Malaysia we camp in a palm plantation and the following morning we cross the Cameron Highlands, hills that are famous for their tea plantations. Passing through the oil palm fields, rubber and fruit trees, we reach the Taman Negara National Park inhabited by birds, tigers, elephants, rhinos and Asian tapirs. Its wealth of wildlife and vegetation are amongst the oldest in the world. We receive a telephone call from Joseph Perucca who invites us to visit the HQ for GIVI MALAYSIA: an unforgettable meeting, and a special treat for our bike! We then visit Kuala Lumpur: the Petronas Twin Towers, the Batu Caves, the Chin Swee Cave Temple, Gentling Highland, the Putrajaya Mosque and Shah Alam. We spend the last 4 days with great friends: Farah, Mohamad and Farooque ….. and we begin thinking about our next Journey!
The protagonists
Jackie and Pisel: two vagabonds on a Suzuki V-Strom 650
The protagonists
Jackie and Pisel: two vagabonds on a Suzuki V-Strom 650
Jackie and Pisel are two young men living in Mirandola (Modena) who decided to travel the World “free”, on two wheels and with a tent because they love camping for free! Their philosophy is summed up by the famous quote by Benjamin Franklin: “Do not put off until tomorrow what you could do today”. And for Jackie and Pisel, the “what” in the quote refers to their travels by motorbike!
Recommended gear
like an adventure
Jackie and Pisel travel safely wearing a flip-up helmet and the high-visibility Trekker vest (vest01). They cannot travel without their First Aid kit. To face the darkness, the bike is equipped with additional S322 LED spotlights and for any unexpected punctures, there is the Tyre Repair kit. By way of luggage, they have the Trekker 46ltr side cases (with 46 ltr capacity) and a tanklock bag with the compatible tank ring fitting, plus as additional rear rack.
Jackie and Pisel travel safely wearing a flip-up helmet and the high-visibility Trekker vest (vest01). They cannot travel without their First Aid kit. To face the darkness, the bike is equipped with additional S322 LED spotlights and for any unexpected punctures, there is the Tyre Repair kit. By way of luggage, they have the Trekker 46ltr side cases (with 46 ltr capacity) and a tanklock bag with the compatible tank ring fitting, plus as additional rear rack.
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