Go to the content

Ready for my solo cycling trip from South Vietnam via Cambodia to Thailand (S3 P1:E1)

It's finally here. After months of preparation, my third season (S3 2023) of Cyclingadventure 15 (CA15) starts in 2021 (S1) and will see me cycling solo in 15 years in all continents of the world. S3 consists of two parts. My first part takes me to Asia where I will leave Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam on Wednesday 4 January to cross Cambodia and hopefully arrive safely in Thailand in Bangkok on Monday 16 January.

Cycling Adventure 15 (CA15) is my path of personal growth with which I want to inspire people to develop their own path of personal growth in this rapidly changing world.

Two of my wonderful friends waved me goodbye at Brussels airport.

I was nervous the last days before my departure. Cycling in Europe is still something different from cycling in Asia. I was therefore glad that Monday, January 2, had arrived.

My two fantastic friends Frank and Geert arrived at 10 am. at my home. Before having a nice breakfast, they helped me close the bicycle box. Fortunately, Geert had extra straps with him to close the bicycle box properly, because what you obviously do not want is that the bicycle arrives damaged.

After a nice breakfast we left for Brussels airport. People laughed that I would be way too early, but in the end it took some time to get checked in. I had to have my visa to enter Vietnam ready in Brussels or else they wouldn't let me leave.

After two long flights with a stopover in Doha and a crying baby next to me, I arrived in Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam. I was so happy to see my bicycle box lying on the conveyor belt and there was no damage. And then there was the last challenge of the day, which was to find my hotel through the very busy streets with hundreds of mopeds. But all's well that ends well.

When I cross the border into Cambodia I will be more at ease.

A few months ago I started mapping out the cycling route in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. My challenge with CA15 is to cycle the circumference of the earth in 15 years in all continents of the world, which amounts to a minimum of 2700 km of cycling per year. That is why I have decided to cycle a total of about 3 km during S1 part 1500 and another 1500 km during the second part in the summer.

To find my route I first look at the main sights and try to estimate the roads. I had read that cycling along the main roads in Cambodia can be dangerous. Apparently a cyclist is only an afterthought for large trucks. To avoid the risk as much as possible, I opted for gravel routes in the Strava app.

Since I am not used to riding gravel and certainly not in such countries, I have tried to limit the number of kilometers per day to a maximum of 140 km. Because of this I will not be able to take a single rest day and will cycle every day for 13 days. I'm not sure if this is feasible. All the more so because I want to leave after sunrise and arrive at the destination before sunset. This is to avoid the times when the mosquitoes are most active.

Applying for a visa online is possible if you arrive at a major airport, which is the case in Vietnam. But for Cambodia I couldn't apply for a visa in advance and I have to do that when I cross the border. Fortunately, I noticed that my initial route did not pass an official border crossing and I have adjusted this. But to be honest, I won't be comfortable until I cross the border and have a valid Cambodia visa in my pocket. It seems that a few extra dollars can help with this. On that day I also have the longest ride ahead of 140 km. I hope the border crossing doesn't take too long or my plan to arrive before dark may fall apart. And cycling there in the dark doesn't seem like a good idea either.

Cycling with a tent is definitely not a good idea because of the danger of landmines. That is why I have to rely on other types of accommodation. Via booking.com I managed to find accommodation almost everywhere, but I didn't succeed in two places in Cambodia. That will be a nice surprise.

I'm not sure if I have enough options to charge my devices.

In addition to planning the route and accommodation, there are many other things to consider when cycling solo.

First and foremost, there are the many mosquitoes that can give you diseases such as malaria and dengue. To protect myself as much as possible from this, I bought mosquito repellent (deet), a mosquito net to sleep under, clothes with soft colors and also special socks that the mosquitoes cannot get through. I also have malaria pills that I take 1 day before I enter the area in Cambodia, where there are many malaria mosquitoes. Because you can be very bad with such pills, I still doubted whether I would take them. But eventually I'm going to do it anyway and I'll stop immediately if I feel bad.

In addition to the mosquitoes, you also have the stray dogs that tend to attack you when you enter their territory, which can sometimes be the case along the rural gravel roads. To protect myself against the dogs, I bought a Dazer device that emits ultrasonic rays that scare them off. It only does not work with deaf dogs. I'm curious if I encounter attacking dogs and if the device does its job.

I'm also not sure if I have enough options to charge my devices (phone, tablet, Garmin, etc.). That's why I bought solar panels that I can attach to my bike and with which I can charge my power bank. It's my first time using it and I'm curious if it works well. An adapter will also have to help me to use the different types of sockets.

Because most people only speak their own language, I use a booklet with all kinds of visual information that I received from Amina. Thank you very much Amina.

Tomorrow Wednesday 4 January my adventure starts after a night of rest. I hope the long flights and my jet lag don't weigh too much. Bearing in mind Kurt's wise words, this will probably not be a problem: “You don't have to work Bart, all you have to do is cycle. “

    Filip
    January 4, 2023
    11:39am

    Go, go, go, Bart! Enjoy it very hard and drive carefully. Big hug. Philip

    John vdn
    January 5, 2023
    9:31am

    Good luck buddy!

    Michael P
    January 6, 2023
    5: 02pm

    Enjoy your trip Bart! But be especially careful. I still want to cycle with you 😉

    Van Esbroeck Sven
    January 8, 2023
    1: 40pm

    Hey buddy, have fun on your adventure and come back in one piece!!😉👍

    Yvan
    January 8, 2023
    10: 09pm

    Good luck Bart, I suspect this one will leave an unforgettable impression.

    Gerry DeGeyter
    January 15, 2023
    4: 30pm

    Wow Bucky, what a trip.
    A huge travel experience.
    Keep it safe.
    Greetings,
    Anja & Gerry

Give a reaction