I never believed I could cycle from Phnom Penh to Kuala Lumpur in one month.
This, however, turned out to be the first tour that I made according to the
plan. In fact, I was considering to cycle all way to Singapore. The pain in the
ribs (broken rib probably), which resulted from the car accident in KL,
prevented me to go all the way down.
General information
ROUTE (daily end stops): Phnom Penh, Skon, Stoung, Siemrieb, Sisophon, Sa
Kaeo, Chachoengzao, Bangkok, Ratcha Buri, Hat Chao Samron, Phu Noi, Bang
Saphan, Kra Buri, Bang Ban Beach, Takua Pa, Kemala Beach, Phangnga, Krabi, Ko
Phi Phi, Shell Cemetery, Thung Song, Hua Sai, Songhkla, Sai Buri, Kota Bharu,
Gua Musang, Kuala Lipis, Bentong, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Port Dickson, KLIA
(Kuala Lumpur International Airport). Start 15.12.2003, end 18.1.2004.
ROADS: In Cambodia there were three dirt, potholed and partly stony stretches
(60 km between Skon and Kampong Thom, 70 km between Stoung and Siemriep
and 80 km between Siem Riep and Sisophon).
Other than that there is tarmac all the way (except at occasional roadworks) of
good quality in Thailand, a bit less so in Malaysia and sometimes potholed in
Cambodia. The road is flat except across central Malaysia (road No. 8 from
Kota Bharu to Kuala Lumpur) and few mini-passes on the west Thai coast (road
No. 4 from Kra Buri to Takua Pa).
TRAFFIC: Busy in and around major cities and on major highways in Thailand and
Malaysia (where you can safely cycle on the leftmost slow-vehicle lane). Lots
of motorcyclists, which often ride in the opposite direction. Secondary roads
are much more peaceful. Drivers are in general considerate, slightly less
yielding in Malaysia.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT: I wish all trips would be as clean and easy as this one. I
checked my boxed bike in Ljubljana free of charge, picked it up in Phnom Penh,
assembled it (under the watchful eye of airport stuff), started cycling, and
then cycled ..., well, ... all the way to KLIA, where I packed the bike (in
cardboard that I brought from Port Dickson) and checked it to Ljubljana free
of charge. Three times I took ferries (Ko Phi Phi and Thai-Malaysian border)
where they accepted the bike without raising an eyebrow.
ACCOMODATION: I slept in hotels or bungalows which can be found at least
every 100 km. Prices were 3-6 US$ in Cambodia, 5-9 US$ in Thailand (up to 17
US$ in tourist places like Ko Phi Phi) and 6-12 US$ in Malaysia.
WEATHER: Hot (28 to 34 deg C). Sunny and dry in Cambodia and most of Thailand,
rain showers about every hour in east and central Malaysia and south-eastern
Thailand. Northwestern wind in Cambodia, north and west Thailand, gradually
replaced by the eastern wind blowing from the South China Sea in the south of
Thailand and in Malaysia. Daylight from 6:20 to 18:10 (shifted one hour in
Malaysia).
SITES: I liked Cambodia best, because of its rural and still unspoiled scene.
In Thailand there were some interesting karst formations from Phangnga to
Krabi in the west and nice coastal atmosphere with salt fields around Kao Sam
Roi Yot N.P. in the east (south of Hua Hin). In Malaysia I'll remember a
challenging, scenic and rather peaceful
route No. 8 across the rainforest covered mountains.
ANNOYANCES: In Kuala Lumpur I was hit by a car. I nearly got bitten by a 2 m
long snake which I thought to be dead (the snake stroke when I cycled past it,
but I reflexly lifted my legs - bad news for SPD lovers, I guess). Mosquitoes.
I got tired of saying "hello" to the locals about 200 times a day. Otherwise I
felt safe as in my living room.
GEAR: Road/racing bike (steel, 12 kg, tyres 26-622, Sora triple, 7 speed). 10
kg of luggage (3 kg in handlebar bag, 7 kg in rucksack on the rear rack). No
tent, sleeping bag nor cooking gear.
REPAIRS: 4 flat tyres (3 "snake bite" flats, 1 puncture from a piece of wire),
bent rear rim (hit by a car), unscrewed headset, lost rack bolt.
STATISTICS (I love this): Summary: 35 days, 29 cycling days (CD), 3589 km
cycled (3480 km in CD), 169.5 hours of cycling (162.5 in CD).
Averages: 102.5 km/day (overall) and 120 km/day (only CD), speed 20.5 km/h
(20.7 km/h in CD), daily cycling time 5 hours 48 minutes (in CD). Spent 17 US$/day.
Maximums in CD: daily distance 185 km, cycling time 8 hours 30 minutes, speed 59.4 km/h,
average speed 24.6 km/h.
Minimums in CD: distance 68 km, cycling time 3 hours
22 minutes, average speed 14.8 km/h.
LINK: See Mr.
Pumpy's informative and entertaining site for more information on cycling
this region.
Bicikliranje od Phnom Penha do Kuala Lumpurja ... pa
še malo dlje
POT (končne dnevne postaje): Phnom Penh, Skon, Stoung, Siemrieb, Sisophon, Sa
Kaeo, Chachoengzao, Bangkok, Ratcha Buri, Hat Chao Samron, Phu Noi, Bang
Saphan, Kra Buri, Bang Ban Beach, Takua Pa, Kemala Beach, Phangnga, Krabi, Ko
Phi Phi, Shell Cemetery, Thung Song, Hua Sai, Songhkla, Sai Buri, Kota Bharu,
Gua Musang, Kuala Lipis, Bentong, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Port Dickson, KLIA
(Kuala Lumpur International Airport). Start 15.12.2003, cilj 18.1.2004.
CESTE: V Kambodži so trije precej slabi makadamski odseki
(60 km med Skonom in Kampong Thomom, 70 km med Stoungom in Siemriepom in
80 km med Siem Riepom in Sisophonom).
Drugo je vse asfalt (razen občasnih cestnih del) precej dobre kvalitete na
Tajskem, nekoliko manj v Maleziji in večkrat zluknjan v Kambodži.
Cesta je večinoma ravna, nekaj vzponov je le na poti čez osrednjo Malezijo
(cesta št. 8 od Kota Bharu do Kuala Lumpurja) in
ob zahodni Tajski obali (cesta št. 4 med Kra Buri in Takua Pa).
PROMET: Zelo gost v in okoli večjih mest in na glavnih cestah na Tajskem in v
Maleziji (kjer se pa lahko varno kolesari po levem voznem pasu za počasna
vozila). Veliko je motociklistov, ki pogosto vozijo v nasprotni smeri.
Vozniki so v splošnem zelo uvidevni, v Maleziji nekoliko manj popustljivi.
JAVNI TRANSPORT: Ko bi le vsa potovanja bila tako enostavna in popolna kot je
bilo to. Kolo zapakirano v škatlo sem čekiral na Brniku brez doplačila, ga
prevzel v Pnom Penu, ga sestavil in se odpeljal .... vse do KLIA, kjer sem ga
zopet zapakiral (s kartonom, ki sem ga pobral v Port Dicksonu) in čekiral do
Ljubljane (zopet brezplačno). Od javnega prevoza sem uporabil le trajekte (Ko
Phi Phi in tajsko-malezijska meja) kjer so mi vzeli bicikl brez
ugovorov.
PRENOČIŠČA: Prespal sem v hotelih ali bungalovih, ki jih lahko najdemo
največ 100 km narazen. Cene so 3-6 US$ v Kambodži, 5-9 US$ na Tajskem (in do
17 US$ v turističnih krajih kot je Ko Phi Phi) in 6-12 US$ v Maleziji.
VREME: Vroče (28 to 34 stopinj C). Jasno in suho v Kambodži in v večini
Tajske, nalivi približno vsako uro v vzhodni in osrednji Maleziji in
jugovzhodni Tajski. Severozahodni veter v Kambodži ter severni in zahodni
Tajski, ki ga postopoma nadomešča vzhodni veter prihajajoč in Južno
kitajskega morja, čim bolj se približujemo Maleziji.
Dnevna svetloba je približno od 6:20 do 18:10 (v Maleziji zamaknjeno za eno
uro).
KRAJI: Kambodža mi je bila najbolj všeč zaradi svoje ruralne in dokaj
nedotaknjene scene.
Na Tajskem najdemo zanimive kraške oblike od Phangnga do
Krabija na zahodu in nekaj prijetne obmorske atmosfere s solinami v okolici
nacionalnega parka Kao Sam Roi Yot na vzhodu (južno od Hua Hina).
Iz Malezije si bom zapomnil zahtevno, slikovito in dokaj mirno
cesto št. 8 čez s pragozdom poraslo osrednje gorstvo.
NEVŠEČNOSTI: V Kuala Lumpurju me je zbil avto. Skoraj bi me pičila 2 m
velika kača, za katero sem mislil, da je povožena (kača je usekala ko sem
pripeljal mimo, a sem k sreči instiktivno dvignil noge - ne ravno dobra
novica za ljubitelje SPD opreme). Komarji. Čez glavo sem imel tudi
neskončnega pozdravljanja domačinov - po 200 krat na dan. Drugače sem se
počutil varno kot v svoji dnevni sobi.
OPREMA: Dirkalno kolo (jekleni okvir, 12 kg, plašči 26-622, Sora, 7 prestavna
kaseta). 10 kg prtljage (3 kg v torbi na balanci, 7 kg v ruksaku na zadnjem
prtljažniku). Brez šotora, spalne vreče ali kuhalnega pribora.
STATISTIKA: 35 dni, 29 kolesarskih dni (KD), 3589 km (3480 km v KD), 169.5 ur
na kolesu (162.5 v KD). Povprečja: 102.5 km/dan in 120 km/dan (samo v KD),
hitrost 20.5 km/h (20.7 km/h v KD), čas kolesarjenja 5 ur in 48 minut (KD).
Porabljeno 17 US$/dan.
Maksimumi v KD: dnevna razdalja 185 km, čas 8 ur in 30 minut, hitrost 59.4
km/h, povprečna hitrost 24.6 km/h. Minimumi v KD: razdalja 68 km, čas 3 ur in
22 minut, povprečna hitrost 14.8 km/h.
POVEZAVA: Mr.
Pumpy ima več in bolj zabavnih informacij o kolesarjenju po teh krajih.
Stuff
The bike was steel framed road bike, with triple chainring (52/42/30),
7 speed cassette (12-26) and 26-622 (700x26c) tyres.
Stvari
Kolo je bilo dirkalno z jeklenim okvirjem, trojno šajbo (52/42/30),
7-prestavno kaseto (13-26) in plašči 26-622 (700x26c).
1x 
Cycling Phnom Penh to Kuala Lumpur ... and beyond
Bicikliranje od Phnom Penha do Kuala Lumpurja ... pa
še malo dlje
