Asia (all)

Cycling in Indonesia gave us a new definition to the word ``green''. Green is overwhelming, multi-hued and... tropical. So it also means, ``dreaming of a shower'' after a long (hot?) and humid cycling day.

On our Cycling in Indonesia website we show what it's like to travel through this tropical country.

Which country do we keep coming back to? India! For India's diverse people, landscapes and religions make it a fascinating land to bicycle through.

On our Cycling in India website we show what it's like to travel through this enormous country.

Biking across the Swiss Alps to Venice, along the adriatic coast of Italy to Greece; island hopping on Corfu, Crete, Santorini, Naxos, Samos; and finally following Turkey's Mediterranean coast to Antalya.

Durch die Alpen der Schweiz nach Venedig, der adriatischen Küste von Italien entlang nach Griechenland, Insel Spass auf Korfu, Kreta, Santorini, Naxos, Samos; und schlussendlich der Mittelmeer Küste entlang bis Antalya in der Türke

Janos and I have cycled in Thailand before. The people are friendly, there are a variety of landscapes, the busier roads almost always have a wide shoulder, hotels and guest houses are inexpensive, the food is great. And so to escape the cold winter at home, we embark on our third adventure in Thailand. We get more hot weather than we bargained for ...

On August 25th, Yana & Mark Ivey, Brooks Sizemore and I did a Bicycle Tour of Hokkaido (the northern-most big Island of Japan). The ride totaled 1532.3km of riding and 15,300m of climb over 18 riding days, during which we got 2 flat tires, neither of which could be attributed to the condition of Japan's roads. (All tracks were recorded by my Garmin 76CSx, and you download all the tracks in a zipped package)

To seek adventure and escape from the mundane we left New Zealand to travel overland from India to Cape Town in August 09. Whilst in Iran we met two crazy Frenchmen cycling from Beijing to Paris. It took little encouragement to be convinced of the benefits of travelling by the most efficient means yet to be invented. The humble bicycle. Whilst we have little experience of bicycles or bicycle touring, we are excited by the possibility of travelling slowly, village to village, rather than the tedious bus rides from city to city.

We will head south from Istanbul, with no timeframe and no destination. (we head home when the money runs out)

Just a crazy desire to be free and experience the wonders of this beautiful world.

This is my travel blog of several years on the road. It started life as a round-the-world trip, but before long I realised that A-to-B cycling isn't as interesting as getting off the beaten track and really exploring a place. So since I left home I've had as much time off the bike as on it, earnt more than I've spent, learnt a new language, met an amazing girl and got married to her! Eager to travel by bike as a couple, we're currently seeing where this new dimension takes us.

I prefer to write about the way the trip affects me psychologically and about the cultural, political and historical curiousities I encounter. It's an uncomfortably personal story at times, but I think it's more interesting than reading pages of distance measurements, road conditions and visa hassles.

My creative outlet comes through photography and video which I also share on the site - I carry 6kg of camera equipment and don't regret it for a second!

My goal for this Tour was to visit all of the major inhabited parts of the former supercontinent of Gondwana. Today, those places are mostly located in the Southern Hemisphere. Another aspect of my plan was to avoid long airplane trips by crossing oceans on container ships. That part of my Tour frequently caused problems, but I did hold fast to that idea, more or less. I traveled alone during 40 months and covered a little over 86,000 km by bike in 44 countries. My primary interest was the simple joy of cycling in new places, but I also concentrated on Natural History, Flora and Fauna, Ancient Sites and Diverse Cultures. My site contains sections describing Tour preparations, detailed logs, photos, posts written during the Tour, and a collection of essays written once it was complete.

This three months trip by train, ship, minibus and bike was a really low budget adventure through whole Russia. Many decisions how and where I travelled depends on marginal money and time but also on locals help. By bike I passed in two month the Eastern part of Siberia (district Irkutsk, Buryatia and Yakutia): at first along the Baikal-Amur-Magistral from Ust-Kut to Bodaybo, than by ships on Vitim river to Lensk and from here again by bike (and minibus) to Yakutsk and finally Oymyakon, the northern ``Pole of Cold'', where -71,2°C were recorded in 1926. On last section of this 2800 km bike trip I experienced the onset of Siberian winter...

You will find a lot of photogaphs (``Bilder''), the mapped route (``Karte'') and informations about the route, day-km and travel costs (``Streckenprotokoll'').

In summer 2006 my university arranged a geographic field work and excursion in the central part of Mongolia (lake Ugij nuur and Changay mountains) which I extended with a six week bike trip. Because I didn't know how to transport my own bike there, I bought one in Ulaanbaatar on the local ``Black Market''. I passed Mongolia on the northernmost road connection from Ulaanbaatar to Ulaangom, crossed the Altay mountains to Siberia and finished in Bijsk, the first railway station. My 68 Euro bike survived this 2300 km trip but I had daily technical problems and more than one situation where I was dependent on locals help...

The tour report is written in German, but a collection of photographs (``Bilder''), the mapped route (``Karte'') and informations about the route, day-km and travel costs (``Streckenprotokoll'') are mostly self-explanatory.

A six week ride mostly around the Tajik Pamir. Fantastic high altitude scenery, wonderful people and unspeakable food. Highlight was the rarely visited Bartang Valley.

On Russian iceroads, the so-called ``zimniks'', I cycled in march 2008 three weeks along the frozen Ob-river. The trip started in Priobe (Chanty-Mansijskij district) and ended in the mountains of Polar Ural near Salekhard above the arctic circle (Jamalo-Neneckij district). At the beginning I had no knowledge about the exactly road course, because it isn't shown on maps. I also had no special winter clothes, but no really critical situations in coldness (-37°C minimum). This bike trip was an great adventure with breathtaking impressions of Siberian winter and some meetings with the Chanty, the natives of northern Ob-region.

The tour report is written in german, but a collection of photogaphs (``Bilder''), the mapped route (``Karte'') and informations about the route, day-km, weather and travel costs (``Streckenprotokoll'') are self-explanatory.

I've cycled in Indonesia numerous times on the islands of Raiu, Java, Bali, and Lombok. I love Bali and have been there a half dozen times. Bali is a small island so cycling is somewhat limited, but I still find myself going back again and again. I stumbled upon a magazine article about an Australian who did a bicycle tour on Sulawesi, and that peeked my interest. I did some research and decided to travel there and take a look. Sulawesi is considered an exotic destination and therefore attracts a number of foreign tourists.

The climate is warm there, much warmer than the usual winter temperatures in Northern California. The winter of '08/'09 through January anyway, has been very dry and not near as cold as past winters. My bike ride in Sulawesi will take 23 days, a couple of which I will spend in wonderful Bali before flying on to that island. I invite you to come along with me as I visit the sights to be seen in Sulawesi.

Summer has almost arrived here in California. The weather in May is nice and I should be happy to be comfortable at home and to cyle around the area where I live, but I get restless and bored with the same scenery and that is my problem. I haven't been on a multi-day bike tour since I cycled in Sulawesi, Indonesia, in March and I've had no additional tour plans until July, when I've penciled out a ride in Europe. What to do during the three month intern is the question. I love cycling and especially riding in my favorite county, Thailand, so why not return for one more ride. I've never cycled there in May though, and with good reason, as it rains a lot. The 'wet season' extends from April thru early November. The weather in May and June, when I will be there will be hot, 90 to 100+ degrees, and wet. I just hope it doesn't rain all day every day. My experience cycling there at other times of the year is that it rains mostly in the afternoons and at night. If that is the case, I will have done the day's ride and be settled in a nice hotel room by late afternoon and the rains would not be so much of a bother. That is my hope.

Meine erste grosse Radtour begann zu Hause und führte mich in Richtung Asien. Ich bin aber nicht der Typ, der für alles einen Plan hat. Ich lasse mich einfach dahintreiben, und finde Unterwegs immer wieder Ideen, wo ich gerade hin könnte. Häufig durch Jemanden, der gerade unterwegs ist, und mir von seinen Erlebnissen oder Plänen erzählt.

Trans Asia on a single speed bicycle with just a small backpack as luggage. The ultimate light weight experience. On Januari 10th we will start our Fixed & Free Challenge from Singapore. Cycling through Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and China we are aiming to arrive in Shanghai in May 2010.

Already on our fully loaded expeditions we have been constantly minimising our gear and now we even go without gears. Although limited by our 25 litre backpacks we will carry more than enough for a journey like this including a Macbook and camera each.

We will cover this journey on www.osmosno.wordpress.com

A solo cycling journey from Shanghai, China to Padang, West Sumatra During the spring/summer of 2009 I determined to cycle departing from my pre-war apartment in Shanghai and to continue as far as I could in the three months time I had from April 11th until July 11th. 8000 eventful Kilometers later I finally reached Padang, West Sumatra.

Aside from only one ferry ride connecting Penang, Malaysia to the Port of Belawan, North Sumatra the whole trip was by bicycle. During the trip I encountered fierce rains and winds, steep climbs and endless mountains, roads that went from pavement to mud and rocks, monkeys jumping down from the trees, snakes the length of baseball bats, lizards the size of big cats, Hmong Guerillas with AK47's on a misty mountain pass. I experienced the kindness of strangers as well as the indecency of others. I pushed my middle-aged body to the limit and achieved a personal record in northern Thailand by cycling 263 kilometers non-stop in one truly eventful day of fast and hard riding.

It is difficult for the pictures I shot of myself (with my outdated 5 mega-pixel camera's auto shoot feature) to capture the true essence of this journey. They can't capture the nearly 2000 kilometers of continuous climbs from western Guangxi through North/Central Laos and the often steep ascents, fierce winds and heavy rains encountered there. The lonely days of riding up and up and the anguish felt after reaching a pass and realizing there are only more mountains to cross in the horizon. Nor can they capture the lighting fast descents on winding mountain roads with hair pin turns, where I have mastered the act of riding without my hands, singing and strumming along to the thumping tunes on my ipod. Pictures can't capture the restless nights sleeping alone in the jungle, in a bamboo hut open to all the elements, the night creatures taunting and wailing out load as if in mocking and the loud claps of thunder that drown out the sound of the jungle creatures. Pictures can't capture the struggle of lifting a fully loaded touring bike and hand carrying it over mud and rock slides which persist kilometer after kilometer during the rainy seasons in China's western regions. Pictures cant capture the taunting calls of 'hello mister' or 'tourist' by the locals in all of Sumatra or the endearing smiles on faces of Laotian children as I ride by, they can't capture the maddening and often dangerous traffic in parts of China and Sumatra and the disregard of truck drivers and other motor vehicles for the lone cyclist on the rode and they can't capture the army of bugs at dusk flying into my face, eyes and clothes, pelting me as if hail from the skies above. [...]

I left home in September 2004. I was supposed to cycle to Tibet in 7-8 months. Until now, I never reached Tibet and I'm still on the road. A cold winter in Turkey make me change my itinery and then my travel's philosophy. I decided that the performance was not that important but the road itself brings me everything. In almost a total of 2 years where I worked as a safari tour guide in Namibia, I had enough money to continue and live the dream further and further. Soon, I will attempt to buy a boat in Amazonia and turn it into a bicyle-boat to cross the Amazonas on its bigest highways: the rivers! This tour is still in process and I will keep it updated on my website. nature, dirt roads, cultures and wildlife lover..

World Biking: The web's most comprehensive Africa Cycling Expedition. Eric and Amaya pedalled 55,000 kilometers and traversed 55 countries (37 in Africa) when they cycled from France to Cape Town via West Africa and then back to France via East Africa and the Middle East between 2006 and 2009. The next stage of their expedition beginning in June 2009 will take them across the USA and then through South America all the way to its southernmost tip, Ushuaia. Lots of photos, tales of their adventure plus touring tips, practical information and gear reviews.

``On a bicycle you are forced into intimate contact with your surroundings, the grass on the side of the road, the vehicles that drive past, the farmer in the field, that damn hill under your wells, the rain on your face, the smell of the wild flowers (or the broken sewerage pipe for that matter). This interaction gives a real sense of the place, the traffic tells you what kind of things are going on in the area, tourism, logging, farming, industry etc. The constant exposure to the weather gives an astute awareness of the day to day changes, or in the case of a strong head wind, any natural feature which will give some shelter . Hungry, thirsty and tired, a warm smile and a few words (or more often hand signals) is all it takes to find a place to pitch the tent for the night, on real ground with a newly gained sense of the place after a long day in the saddle''

With a focus on photography, this site will give the viewer a real sense of life on the road as a cycle tourist.

An ``aventure bicyclétale'', it's a two-wheeled little miracle which combines discoveries around the world, respect of others and protection of the environment. So let's get in the saddle!

After 10 years in Asia, I've decided to go home, to Châteaudun in France. I left on Sunday the 29th of June 08 from Bangkok, I'm on my way.

The Old Jaipur Road is closed so we are forced to take the New Jaipur Road, which is an extraordinary busy highway. Luckily there is a service road which is much quieter. Cyclists, carriages with oxes and lots of walking people with loads of all kinds of luggage on their backs or on their heads: it is the really slow traffic that makes use of the two lane service road. In fact we are the fastest traffic on the service road. The highway itself is used by cars, buses, trucks, motorcycles, scooters and taxis and has got a minimum of six lanes on both sides. I have never seen so much traffic in one view angle. Still the traffic does not look like a complete mess. There are no dangerous situations.

Our first kilometers in Delhi are but the first of an overload of experiences on our India - Nepal journey. We will be cycling two weeks in Rajasthan, then we will go by bus and train to Varanasi from where we will be cycling to Nepal to explore the Nepal Himalayas.

On my way to China from Switzerland, I left home on August 2008 and plan to arrive in China on September 2009. As biologist I try to meet other collegues and make some birdwatch on some famous bird's important areas. meeting people also take a good part of the trip.

Cycling with my Lowrider Tricycle and my Bongo drum from Germany to Vietnam :o) stopping my bank career 1/2a ago to fulfil my dream and exploring alternative approaches to life; very interested in the current financial crisis and following future; doing interviews with citizens asking them for their approach to life, and opinions about the financial crisis.

Presenting results of my interviews, blogposts with GPS pics, video documentations,

Believing in One World, One Love, One Unity, Dread Marco

Early in the morning, when assembling the bike I couldn't tighten the right pedal all the way into the crank. I took a closer look and discovered few scraps of aluminum in the crank thread. Oh my God! I ruined the crank! It seemed the tour was over before it begun.

We are entering our fourth year on our tandem adventure 'round the world'. We have visited Mexico, Central & South America, New Zeland, Australia, South East Asia, China, and Europe. We are now wintering over on the Costa Del Sol, Spain. Off to Morocco in Feb. 09 then back into Europe for 09.

Comenzaremos esta aventura a principios de primavera del 2009, partiendo desde Asturias hacia Estambul (Turquia). Desde Turquia seguiremos la Ruta de la Seda hasta Xi-an (China). Desde China continuaremos nuestro viaje hacia Lhasa, cruzaremos la cordillera del Himalaya terminando en Katmandú (Nepal).

Podras seguirnos en nuestro blog www.rutadelasedasolidaria.blogspot.com

The idea of freedom and not working is appealing to everyone. Tanya and I have quit our jobs and have left the country (our home, Canada) for a year. We are going to be riding our bicycles through many countries. Moving along at a slow pace, emerging ourselves in the culture. The only goal is to have a good time, not deal with schedules, or due dates and see a part of the world that has always intrigued us.

This is the journal of our travels.

People often ask why with budget airlines making travel so inexpensive I still plan on making a bike trip to Thailand. They say the journey may be physically demanding at my age (56) and dangerous as I would ride from Tumpat, Kelantan Malaysia right into the three hot spots in southern Thailand.

The southernmost provinces of Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani have been terrorized by regular attacks since early 2004, when a separatist movement flared after a lull of more than two decades.

Attacks generally take the form of drive-by shootings and small-scale bombings intended to frighten Buddhist residents into leaving the area. Suspected insurgents mainly target people seen as collaborating with the government, including soldiers, police, informants and civilians.

An experience never attempted before by one person on an electric bicycle - an alternative form of personal transportation highlighting the use of cleaner energy sources and living with less reliance on traditional combustion energy.

Touring the world in an eco-friendly way, to promote and encourage the development of a global culture of energy conservation and waste reduction.

In collaboration with an NGO whose focus is on international environmental projects, a `one kilometre - one hope' sponsorship program will allow individuals to show their solidarity and become part of the tour.

A global adventure on an electric bicycle through 5 continents via two Olympic and a candidate city: Beijing, London and Madrid.

I began my first bike tour in Asia. A few years after I went to South America for another tour. My latest tour was a year through Africa. I am back in Canada to make enough money for another tour, hopefully this one will last at least 6 years or more. I will have 3000+ photos when I am finish with my Asia section.

Vagabondages autour du monde d'un apprenti voyageur.

Un ou deux ans de voyage au programme pour découvrir l'Europe du Nord, l'Asie et l'Afrique du Nord différemment.

Prochaine étape : la traversée de la Russie en hiver

Vagrancy around the world by a apprentice traveller.

One or two years to discover in a different way north Europe, Asia and north Africa.

Next step : from St Petersburg to Vladivostok during winter time

This is the website and travelogue of The Project VELAIA. 22 year old velosopher, environmentalist and often minimalistic outdoor adventurer Daniel N. Lang has decided to go around the world by recumbent and upright bicycle after finishing an epic journey of more than 17.000km from Paris to Beijing as a rider of the Beijing to Paris 2007 Carfree Rallye, following coastlines for hundreds of kilometers, crossing deserts during mid summer in the Middle East, Central Asia and China and climbing some of the highest passes of the world under extreme conditions in the starting Tibetan winter.

After Eurasia he cycled Australia, New Zealand and the United States and is now on a tour through the South American Andes, starting in Caracas, Venezuela and cycling his way down to Chile at the time of writing this (beginning of September 2008).

This November, Simon Evans and Fearghal O'Nuallain will begin the first Irish circumnavigation of the globe by bicycle. Their unsupported expedition will cover over 30,000km, passing through 30 countries and some of the highest, lowest, driest, coldest, warmest and loneliest places on earth. In doing so, they will be promoting the positive contribution that cycling can make to mental health and the environment, raising 100,000 euro for Aware and highlighting climate change.

In the middle of the day I took refuge in the grove at the edge of the rice field. A couple of Pakistanis stopped their political debate, turned over to me and asked:

``What is the reason for your trip to Pakistan?''

``A mistake'', I replied.

Nachdem wir einige Tage in Bangkok verbracht haben, sind wir mit dem Zug nach Norden gefahren, wo wir von Nong Khai bis Sukhothai 580 km radelten. Anschließend haben wir Chiang Mai und Ayuthaya besucht.

Diese ist ein Bericht über eine dreimonatige Reise in den Ländern Thailand, Kambodscha und China, die wir zwischen Dezember 2007 und März 2008 gemacht haben.

A collection of tours that will eventually link up as a global circumnavigation. Fast riding with little luggage.