Southern Thailand

Starting in Phuket, an island at the southern tip of Thailand, we set out on a two week bike trip. Our destination was the capitol city Bangkok some 1,000km to the north. We faced many long and hot days along the way. However, we were also rewarded with incredible scenery and many experiences of kindness by the local Thai people. Read the full story here!

Our trip began on Phuket, a beautiful tropical island just off the southern coast of Thailand. The island is a showcase of white sand beaches, turquoise blue waters, and iconic long boats that characterize the country’s coastline.

At the time of our entry into Thailand, international tourists had to complete a 5 day “sandbox” quarantine in Phuket. We were required to book lodging at certain hotels that had been certified to house guests while they completed the required covid testing. We booked an affordable stay in the town of Patong which we subsequently discovered is notorious for its bars and nightlife. However, due to the pandemic’s impact on tourism, we found a much more subdued environment.

Patong, Phuket

Enjoying a swim during our final day on the beach before our trip began.

Preparing for the bike trip

Our bike trip only became possible after we discovered that we could ship the rest of our bags ahead. We used a local shipping and delivery service to send our extra clothes, luggage, and airplane cargo bags to Bangkok before we started.

Showing off my fresh bike and bags on the first day of the trip. We both owe a big thank you to members of our family who helped us assemble all the touring essentials with their generous gifts.

The incredible sunset view we enjoyed during dinner on our first, and most exhausting, day of the bike trip.

Views from the road - Ranong Provence

Another beautiful beach scene during our lunch break on the second day.

View of the river that forms the border between Thailand and Myanmar (Burma) cutting through the thick vegetation.

Caitlin showing off the view and our gear from a bridge crossing over the river.

Beautiful beaches as far as the eye can see.

Our “Night Life”

Thailand is primarily a cash economy and our American credit cards were rarely accepted. Evening stops at a local ATM became a part of our evening routine.

Traveling on bikes requires packing light, and that means rewearing clothes. Our evening routine included hand-washing our bike clothes and drying them out overnight on a make shift close line creatively strung across the room.

Kindness of strangers

Especially in the rural southern tip of Thailand, we had very few western familiarities to rely on. Many of our meals were found at roadside carts and shops like this where we discovered amazing home-cooked food and enjoyed the warm kindness of complete strangers.