Bicycle Adventures Blog, what's new on the bicycle-adventures.com website

May 22, Street Food Tour in Kuala Lumpur including Hawker Centers

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:37:39 PDT

Want to find the best street food in KL and have little time to sort it out yourself? This is an excellent opportunity to join the Street Food Tour in Kuala Lumpur including Hawker Centers.

Malaysian cuisine: the variety seems endless.

May 21, Moongate to #5 and Youth Park

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:44:04 PDT

There are several trails that connect the Moongate at the Botanical Gardens in Penang with the Youth Park. This page explores 4 different trails. Make your choice of any of these trails and have fun in the forest of Penang for an hour or 2.

May 16, Moniot Road heritage trails

Thu, 16 May 2013 20:14:28 PDT

Not a lot of people realize what a treasure the Penang Hills can offer. For example, the Moniot Road is part of the Penang Heritage Trails and ... few people ever take the time to explore!

May 15, Getting through KL

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:17:37 PDT

I am going to be flying into KL with my bike in July. As I have never done this before I am not sure how its going to go. a) Is it best to unpack my bike

May 14, Hiking to Crag hotel

Tue, 14 May 2013 07:28:02 PDT

This is a trail which for certain can not be cycled, not even by the best and most adventurous cyclists. There's some serious climbing to do, especially on an almost vertical hill not far from the long abandoned hotel. But there's more to tell. read more about this great trail.

Just before the last steep climb up to Crag Hotel

May 13, Trails around the Botical Gardens in Penang

Mon, 13 May 2013 07:50:09 PDT

Although tourist do visit the Botanical Gardens in Penang, not many know there are some awesome trails to hike. Another example of how unknown has become unwanted. I have been hiking several of these trails, here is what i found:

May 13, Nipah Guesthouse Pangkor

Sun, 12 May 2013 22:06:01 PDT

It's still my favorite guesthouse at Pangkor. Many travelers think the same as it was now twice chosen by Tripadvisor as a first choice too! Real travelers don't lie! Check it out.

May 7, Biking the South of Thailand (10D/9N)

Tue, 07 May 2013 05:51:08 PDT

South Thailand is lesser known as a great area to cycle. It's quite unfair because there is a lot to see and it's just as spectacular as the north. Plenty of national parks, limestone karst mountains, terrific beaches and much more. This tour offers a bit of everything.

May 6, Golden Triangle (including the Taj)

Sun, 05 May 2013 22:35:48 PDT

Walk through Old Delhi-Jama Masjid, Gurduwara, Chandni Chowk, Connaught Place. This is a great (albeit short) tour through an essential part of India!

May 3, Meandering the Mekong by Bike (4D/3N)

Fri, 03 May 2013 02:29:04 PDT

The Mekong delta is very different from the rest of Vietnam and worth to spend a couple of days on the bicycle. Meandering the Mekong by Bike starts in Saigon towards the south you will how the Mekong dominates peoples everyday life. On the way, you will find fruit orchards, rice fields, and Khmer villages on your way to Tra Vinh. The next day on to Can Tho, the Delta's biggest town, as you ride through the Delta with many traditional villages. On the last day markets will show you what the Delta offers the local population.

May 2, Terracotta Warriors and Big Wild Goose Pagoda from Xi'an

Thu, 02 May 2013 07:48:46 PDT

Terracotta Warriors and Big Wild Goose Pagoda are two of the main attractions in Xian. You simply can't ignore both. Yet, the city offers more than these two. So this tour offers both of the main attractions with stops at some others!

The Terracotta Warriors Xian, one of the wonders of China

Apr 30, Prambaban, UNESCO World Heritage site in Java

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:59:13 PDT

Few placed impressed me as much as Prambanan. Angkor of course, the Great Wall and Bagan but further... no not even the Borobudur was less impressive than Prambaban, in my opinion. See for yourself.

At the Prambanan, left my bike outside though

Apr 28, Cheng Kon Sze (Ching Jee Chan) temple in Penang

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 02:57:46 PDT

Seen enough temples already in Penang and no desire to visit another? I can understand that. After all, not all temples are that much worth to visit. So what about this one, the Cheng Kon Sze? In fact the name of the temple is Ching Jee Chan and the deity in the temple is the Cheng Kon Sze! But alright, that's not why you should visit. You could however visit because there is a beautiful antique oil lamp hanging. But the main reason, imho, is to hike to the temple. It's a great little hike and here is where you can start and where to finish. Trust me, it's worth the effort.

Spectacular view from just below the temple towards George Town

Apr 24, Hampi, one of the many UNESCO World Heritage places in India

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 07:41:11 PDT

I don't know how many UNESCO World Heritage places India has but I know Hampi is one of them and it certainly deserves to be included! See for yourself:

Apr 23, The Hoge Veluwe in the Netherlands

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 06:27:23 PDT

The Hoge Veluwe is the green heart of the country. This is Hollands main national park, but the Veluwe itself is larger than the National park. It's a must visit for all cycling enthusiasts and there is an excellent infrastructure for them including road markers with recommended routes to cycle and the local VVV (Tourism organisation) has great flyers and maps with these routes. No bicycle? Or no desire but prefer to hike? Same story! great hiking routes and excellent material with the trails available. And bicycles can be rented.

The Veluwe in autumn

Apr 19, Hiking from Botanical Gardens (Moongate) to 84

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 03:37:29 PDT

This is one of the many trails leading from the Botanical Gardens in Penang (these gardens alone are worth to visit!) to Penang Hill. This page tells about a particular interesting trail on the east slopes of Bukit Cendana (which you also can visit) to resting place 84, about halfway on the road. It's a great little hike and has quite a few challenges and surprises.

Apr 17, Hiking to Tiger Hill

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 23:45:42 PDT

The hike to Tiger Hill is a challenging one. It's not so much the difficulty but more the will to explore a part of the island few people ever visit. Some might have the fear to get lost in the wilderness. Others simply fear to loose the path. During my first hike to Tiger I had that feeling despite very good descriptions where to walk. I KNEW I wasn't lost but ... I was in a valley all surrounded by hills and I didn't even know it existed! So have a look at my Tiger Hill/Penang Hill hike and see if you are interested. Trust me, it's a beautiful trail, easy to find, challenging but not too difficult!

Apr 14, Hiking to the Ngoh Han Hill and Ngoh Han Hill Temple

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 03:21:25 PDT

This is a great 3-4 hours hike in the hills of Penang. It's also in an area not a lot of people ever come (contrary to Penang Hill, it's always quiet on the trails). Bonus are the waterfalls on the way up to 4 Way Junction!

Last of the falls before reaching 4 Way Junction

Apr 13, Hiking and cycling in Penang

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 16:52:22 PDT

Penang is known for the Batu Ferringhi beach, the UNESCO heritage area, the fantastic food but did you know there is a lot of beautiful nature to explore. Of course there is Teluk Bahang, the smallest national park in Malaysia but there is more. This page is an introduction into some of the lesser known trails to hike and bike in the hills of Penang.

Apr 12, Cycling around Penang

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 02:17:05 PDT

Explore Penang on bicycle. No, I do not mean the city center, I mean the areas a bit further away. This page shows you how and where to cycle in Penang where a lot less tourists ever come:

Titi Kerawang waterfall

Apr 9, Bicycle maintenance

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 19:38:04 PDT

When I am on the road and meet other cyclists, I can not wonder how some even can cycle. It looks like they don't car5e at all for their bike at all. When you're on the road, your bike is your best friend and, imho, you should take good care of it. Here are some tips how to maintain your bike in perfect condition so you don't need the bicycle repairman too much.

Apr 5, My top 10 bicycle vacations

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 02:58:30 PDT

Making a top 10 of best bicycle vacations is difficult. In fact it is so difficult that I could every day make a list and every day it would be different. There have been so many wonderful places I have visited on bicycle. Anyway, here's a list ... from 10 to 1 .... click on the photo ...

Apr 2, Cycling in Malaysia: Kuala Sepetang

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:02:17 PDT

The west coast of Malaysia has a lot to offer to cyclists (and other travelers). Unfortunatelt many skip most of West Malaysia because they seem to think there's little of interest. Take for example a little day trip from Taiping 15 km west to Kuala Sepetang. Foreigners seldom come here but it is certainly worth a visit. What to find? Spectacular mangrove forest and charcoal factories. A great day out.

Mar 27, Hunza, north Pakistan

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 02:20:42 PDT

One of the most beautiful and spectacular places I traveled (and cycled, yes I did both by bus and a year later by bicycle). Hunza is one of those valleys you have to see to believe it...

Mar 23, Iran, a wonderful country to cycle

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 02:03:19 PDT

Iran is one of those countries with a bad reputation. And yes, politics suck here too. But one thing can't be ignored, the people of Iran belong to some of the most hospitable I have ever encountered. Absolute amazing. Read more...

The magnificent teahouse in Kerman, a former Turkish bath

Mar 21, Daishen, the man who cycled China with one arm and one leg

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 18:23:54 PDT

Daishen was a man who had only one arm and one leg and was able to ride his bicycle all over China. He wrote a book about it. The first time I met him was in the late 1990's in Dali only to meet him again 10 years later in Yangshuo.

One arm and one leg, ride your bicycle

Mar 18, Brunei

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 20:31:49 PDT

Brunei is a little oil state in north Borneo with borders with Malaysia. There isn't much to keep you here for a long time but as an overnight stop it certainly has some things you want to explore.

Mar 18, My Son ruins in Central Vietnam

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:24:45 PDT

These ruins are not as extensive or as spectacular as for example Angkor in neighboring Cambodia but they rival easily any other complex, including those around Nha Trang in beauty and setting. Despite it's more remote location, this is a must see in Central Vietnam. It's easy by motorbike from Hoi An.

Mar 16, Stung Treng and the road to the Cambodian and Lao border

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 22:51:26 PDT

North Cambodia doesn't see a whole lot of tourists but its increasing since the Cambodian-Lao border is open for international tourism. The road is on both sides in excellent condition too. Some might disagree but I think it's a great road to cycle, pretty easy, very empty too. But I enjoyed it very much.

Mar 3, Vietnam Tours

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 03:41:22 PST

Few countries in Asia have a better infrastructure than Vietnam when it's about organized tours. The Vietnamese have, or so it seems, for everyone and everything a tour available. Here's a selection of tours you might consider:

Feb 20, Darshan, the entry village to Mt Kailash

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:15:06 PST

Mount Kailash is holy mountain for Tibetans. Interesting the mountain has never been climbed to the top. Several climbers went up to close but decided not to reach the top out of respect for the Tibetan believes. The kora, a great 3 days walk, is a wonderful experience which I did once in late November. Here is the story:

Feb 19, Why would you consider traveling by bicycle?

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 06:20:14 PST

There are many reason why you might consider taking your bicycle for a holiday or a long journey. Reasons can include your desire for adventure, getting off the beaten path or simply the desire to find wide open spaces without any other traffic than ox carts and farmers. This page explains you what other reasons there are to take a bicycle on holiday.

Feb 15, Sonargaon, the City of Panam (Panam Nagar)

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 00:09:52 PST

One of the best preserved archeological finding in Bangladesh is the City of Panam (Panam Nagar). It's not far from Dhaka and can easily be done on a day trip. Here's what the old city looks like and I'll tell you a bit of the history.

Feb 14, Gwalior Fort

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 05:59:00 PST

The Gwalior Fort is one of the largest forts in northern India. Yet, many skip it "because we have no time to visit yet another fort"! That's sad as this particular fort is very interesting!

Feb 13, Perak is much overlooked ...

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 17:24:22 PST

Take for example the possible roads to explore from Taiping to Ipoh! Malaysia is much more than what Malaysia Tourism wants you to believe but you have to dig a little deeper yourself. Taiping to Ipoh ... ask the locals and they say... nothing much... just highway. They're wrong... see for yourself.

Typical Malay houses on Road #1 from Kuala Kangsar to Ipoh

Jan 22, What kind of shoes are you going to use on the bicycle?

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 06:07:19 PST

You can of course cycle with normal sport shoes or sandals in tropical countries. Not a problem. Many do so. I however choose to use sandals with SPD system. It's very comfortable, gives more stability, especially in climbing. Some will claim shoes are better than sandals but that I find only true to some extend. Here's more about the pro's and contras of shoes versus sandals for cycling use.

The pair of sandals I am using now

Jan 11, Prambanan complex, central Java

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 07:23:24 PST

The Prambanan temples are World Heritage. The temples are such brilliance that it's even today hard to believe humans have build them. So what must people have thought in the past when they saw the complex? A gift from the gods, I guess... This is a must place to visit...

At the Prambanan, left my bike outside though

Jan 5, Plaosan Temple Complex and Ratu Boko Palace

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 21:27:24 PST

The Prambanan area has more to offer than Prabanan alone. Just north of the complex the smaller but no less spectacular Plaosan temples are worth to spend time. They're unrelated to Prambanan (strangely) and beautiful. Just south of the Prambanan complex, the Ratu Boko palace is worth your attention. Although there are some temples, this was a civilian building. It's just 3 km south.

Jan 3, Bicycle Tours in Cambodia

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 20:24:40 PST

Get your kicks on route to Cambodia .... personally I think Cambodia is a beautiful country to travel on bicycle. True, most travelers see no more of Cambodia than Angkor Wat and the city of Angkor Thom. But Cambodia has so much more. And on bicycle you'll experience the "real Cambodia"!

Kratie, north east Cambodia

Jan 3, Jaisalmar

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 07:31:38 PST

It's named "The Golden City", in reality it's more a sandstone castle but what a castle! It's also a great starting place for some dessert camel trekkings...

Dec 31, Trekkings in Ladakh

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 01:27:32 PST

One of the most spectacular provinces in India is without a doubt Ladakh. Here is a good set of potential trekkings with quality guides available.

The road to Ladakh

Dec 28, Traveling and Tours in Indonesia

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 19:55:46 PST

The Indonesian archipelago is so big thta when you put the map of Indonesia over Europe and place the most western point of Indoensia on the west part of Ireland, the most eastern part is located on the Ural mountains in Russia. Hence the tours I can offer you is limited. I can only give you a glimpse of what is possible and what I have traveled myself. So, here are the tours I can recommend:

Dec 27, Hong Kong Hiking Tour: Sai Kung East Country Park, Beaches and Hakka Villages

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 19:01:47 PST

Hong Kong is a small place in size but it has a large amount of people living. Obviously these people like to have their fun too. Consequence is that there is a lot to do in Hong Kong. Take this great one day hiking tour and find some amazingly beautiful place you didn't know exist in Hong Kong!

Hong Kong heritage

Dec 23, Time to book your next years bicycle tour

Sun, 23 Dec 2012 06:26:10 PST

December is usually a good time to think about next years summer bike holiday... so I offer you here a good site with all the great Asian destinations.

The 18km dust road (yup, still highway 11) to Thakhek, Laos

Dec 22, The story of Jim, or how to choose your bicycle

Sat, 22 Dec 2012 19:48:01 PST

The story of my bicycle which I named Jim. After almost 13 years, he and me have quite some stories told, but what is the story about the bicycle itself? In other words, this is the story how to choose your bicycle

Jim in March 2010, just before another journey to Indonesia.
I've taken the front rack off as I do not use it at the moment.

Dec 21, Cycling in Guangxi, south China

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 01:26:20 PST

Guangxi is more than Guilin and Yangshuo (plus Liuzhou if you insist. I've cycled across Guangxi several times and was surprised how much natural beauty there is to explore. This page explores some of it.

The road to Pingxiang and Vietnam

Dec 20, Tours in Myanmar

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 02:07:31 PST

This is the best time of the year to visit Myanmar. Not too hot, little rain, much to see... but what to see? Have a look at what I recommend... and trust me, these tours are really, really good....

At Iwama floating market

Dec 19, Cycling at Langkawi

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 06:46:22 PST

Langkawi is not known for it's cycling adventures but for the beaches. Still, you can have a couple of good bike rides around the island and visit some of the best beaches in your life. Langkawi and cycling go very well together:

Dec 16, Cycling in Asia, what to do, what to expect

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 18:14:50 PST

Cycling in Asia, what to do, what to expect. Difference in cycling in Asia for long distance cyclist and short holidayers

Dec 16, Betong to Yala in Thailand

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 08:03:41 PST

It's not a journey everyone does, in fact, in the 9 years or so I cycle this road regular, I have never met any traveler on this road. Why? There's some nice limestone karst mountains, a dam with a lake side and some more scenic beauty. But unknown makes unwanted. Betong has too much competition from Langkawi/Penang in Malaysia, I guess it will ever be popular. But if you are interested in finding some remote areas in Thailand, this is worth exploring... I've just done it a few days back... again... and again I enjoyed it very much!

Dec 10, Cycling from Penang/Butterworth to Taiping

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 15:42:19 PST

There are several possible roads to take out of Butterworth for going to Taiping. Most cyclists take the trunk road via Parit Buntar and Bagan Serai, an uninspiring busy road. There are alternatives... here is one of them:

Dec 6, Angkor Cambodia

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 19:58:51 PST

I've been 4 times to Angkor and I can easily go a 5th time. There is so much to see. Hundreds of photos are not enough to show the magnificence of the former capital of the Khmer Empire. Personally I can't get enough of it...

The outer wall of Cambodia's' National Symbol

Dec 5, South East Asia's most recommended bicycle tours

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 15:49:00 PST

Our favorite tours all over Asia. From Cambodia, to Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, China and Indonesia or Vietnam, we can offer the most exciting tours in Asia!

Wat Phu, a Khmer outpost in south Laos

Dec 3, The materials for your bicycle

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 21:59:57 PST

So you have chosen your bicycle. What else do you need to know? Well, for examples, what sort of other materials you need to bring on your journey. You can't expect everything to stay as new as it is right now. So, here you learn how to choose your chain, sprocket, freewheel etc...

Nov 30, Andaman Islands

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 06:57:55 PST

I've spend a few weeks at the Andaman Islands, and what a pleasure it was. Neil Island and Havelock are obvious choices but the history of Port Blair with its Cellular Jail needs a visit too. It's an essential part of India's struggle for freedom.

Nov 27, Mycenae

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 22:26:58 PST

The ancient city of Mycenae is one more important archeological site in Greece. As there are so many, do you have to visit? I would say yes... and here is why:

City walls of the ancient city

Nov 7, Cycling in Malaysia... what to eat?

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 01:55:06 PST

The Malaysian cuisine is extensive and very delicious. Regardless you love Indian, Malay or Chinese food, the variety is endless and seldom disappointing.

The variety of food in Malaysia is endless

Nov 2, Myanmar, a beautiful country to cycle

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 03:35:33 PDT

Myanmar was one of the really great eyeopeners. The question was...should I go considering the political situation? I decided yes and I never regretted it.

Jumping Cats, Inle Lake, Kyaiktiyo, Burma