Day 1: Krabi
Your guide will await you at Krabi Airport in southern Thailand and then drive to the beach town of Ao Nang. Get fitted with your bike, then relax for the afternoon. After a brief orientation, head out to Nopparat Thara National Park to a tiny seafood restaurant with an incredible selection of fresh fish, crabs and shellfish for a welcome dinner.
Day 2: Karst landscapes to Au Leuk (70 km)
The region through which we ride for these first few days is filled with karst limestone outcroppings and dramatic cliff faces, surrounded by dark green palm oil and rubber tree plantations. There is a new photo op at literally every turn. This part of Thailand is predominantly Muslim, so calls to prayer are heard over loudspeakers and grilled chicken is king of roadside cafés. The tiny town of Au Leuk is our overnight stop where we relax at a small family run inn.
Cycling distance: Approx 70km/ Dificulty: Moderate
Day 3: Bike and boat to Phang Nga Bay (35 km)
We leave the bikes on shore and travel by long tail boat out in Phang Nga Bay, renowned for its karst islands towering above the blue waters. We’ll explore some of this by boat visiting Koh Phing Kan and Koh Tapu, the later gaining fame as Scaramanga’s missile launching platform in the 007 Man With The Golden Gun. Explore the sea gypsy floating town of Koh Panyee before returning to shore. Cycle into Phang Nga town, where we bed down in a 100 year old Hotel, the first hotel in town, built by a Chinese businessman and lovingly restored by his grandson. Dine Thai style tonight, by sampling a wide variety of finger food and small dishes in the local market that vendors sell.
Cycling distance: Approx 35km/ Dificulty: Moderate
Day 4: Khao Sok National Park (80 km)
The route turns away from the coast, as you cycle across the Isthmus. Rolling hills covered with rubber tree farms and oil palm plantations, provide a lush green environment for cycling, as we work our way towards Khao Sok National Park. As we cross the coastal ranges, a vast area of karst outcroppings spreads out as far as the eye can see, our cycling turf for the next few days. At the bottom of the descent is Khao Sok National Park’s headquarter area where we bed down tonight.
Cycling distance: Approx 80km/ Dificulty: Moderate
Day 5: Cycle to Ratchaprapha dam / Chiew Larn Lake, boat to floating hotel (65 km)
Pedaling deeper into the park region today, we are enroute to Chiew Larn Lake, created by the massive Ratchaprapha Dam. The forested mountains surrounding the lake hold a variety of wildlife, hornbills, deer, gaur and more. When we reach the dam, we board a boat to travel to our hotel, floating on the lake, underneath the towering limestone cliffs.
Cycling distance: Approx 65 km/ Dificulty: Moderate
Day 6: Free day on lake, boat to crystal cave, kayaking around shore
We’ll arise early to look for wildlife coming down to the shore to drink, then after breakfast travel to visit the crystal cave and Little Guilin. The afternoon is free to paddle around the lakeshore near our hotel.
Day 7 – boat to dam, cycle to Surat Thani (55 km)
Our boat driver will return you to shore after breakfast, where the bikes await. The ride today is fairly flat, following the Phum Duang River to the coast. Along the way, your guides will introduce you to the rubber making process, as well as exploring the historic temple cave – Wat Tham Singkhon, dating back many hundreds of years. We’ll shuttle into Surat Thani to avoid rush hour traffic, then finish the day out with a great Thai dinner at one of the town’s renowned seafood restaurants.
Cycling distance: Approx 56 km/ Dificulty: Moderate
Day 8: To Koh Samui (40 km)
After breakfast we drive to Donsak Pier to catch the ferry to Koh Samui. When we reach the island, weload up on the bikes and cycle to our ocean view resort in the Mae Nam area. Before checking in to our hotel, we’ll continue by bike to Bophut Beach area to visit Wat Phra Yai, sitting just offshore on Koh Pan (better known as Bog Buddha). The balance of the day is yours to relax.
Cycling distance: Approx 40 km/ Dificulty: Moderate
Day 9: Cycle loop of Koh Samui (70 km)
One last ride is in store, looping the entirety of the island. We’ll head out in a clockwise loop, so as to pedal through the tourist areas before most locals are up. Along the way we’ll stop in Ban Thale to explore a 150 year old Ancient House, a teak house made without nails, Wat khunaram, the resting place of Luang Pordaeng and the Laem Sor Pagoda, overlooking the blue sea. End a great ride with another great seafood dinner featuring freshly caught local fish.
Cycling distance: Approx 65 km/ Dificulty: Moderate
Day 10: Departure
Transfer to Samui Airport for your flights home or stay of for some beach time.
GRADING DEFINITION
To give you an indication of the difficulty of our trips, we’ve graded our adventures into three categories: easy, moderate and challenging. We take many factors into consideration in this grading, including distances covered, terrain, altitude, weather conditions and vehicle support.
- Easy: Suitable for most people in good health. These trips generally include short days on good paths and at low altitudes.
- Moderate: A reasonable level of fitness is required, as these trips can require sustained endurance levels, hills, longer days and altitude. All of our moderate trips have a support vehicle following closely, so weary travelers can hitch a ride and take a rest for a while.
- Challenging: These trips are physically demanding and best suited to fit people with a high endurance level. Days can be long, often at altitude, in remote regions and sometimes without a support vehicle nearby. Travelers may be required to carry a backpack.
