Tiger Tales

Try Cycles

Looking to put a fresh spin on your holiday? Choose from this two-wheel tour trio, grab a bike and get rolling on the road to outdoor adventure

BANGKOK
By Greg Lowe

Min Buri, just 20 km from downtown Bangkok, is one of the city’s best areas to explore by bike. Its cultural and ethnic mix and natural diversity offer a glimpse of the capital as it once was.

Home to one of the city’s largest Muslim communities, the area’s rice fields and canal-side villages are dotted with minarets and historic mosques. Still, the presence of a sizeable Chinese population is hard to miss, with Chinese signs festooning shop houses, tea shops and the century-old wooden market at Nong Chok.

While it is safe to cycle around, the hassles of doing so independently – hiring and transporting bikes, finding decent maps and not getting lost – far outweigh the benefits of going on an organised tour.

A 40km ride around the area takes the best part of a day, with about four hours of cycling broken up with rest stops. Half your time is spent off-road, cycling on dirt tracks among the rice fields and along irrigation canals, with the rest of the ride on tarmac.

As in Bangkok, there are no hills. Heat can be a minor challenge for some, but it’s easy enough to pull over and rest for a few minutes if necessary. The first section is 8km and starts off outside Nong Chok. Riders cut through small villages, fruit plantations and coconut groves, stopping off at a local coconut charcoal manufacturer, where husks are roasted for a week and then sold as charcoal.

A short stretch further and it becomes evident that the large screeching birds flying around are in fact fruit bats. These foot-long animals are now protected and hang upside down from trees in their scores, taking occasional flights to feast on the nearby fruit or engage in high-pitched chatter.

The remaining 12km of the morning’s leisurely ride takes in a local orchid farm. Otherwise it meanders past buffaloes and waterways populated by pink heron.

After lunch, it’s a 5km cycle to the curiously odd Wat Phurt Udom Pul, better known as Heaven and Hell Temple, which features numerous life-size depictions of the torments that await adulterers, drug dealers, gangsters and other evildoers in the Buddhist purgatory.

The last 15km passes through more fields and fruit plantations, ending up once again at Nong Chok market. Round the day off with a 30-minute longtail boat trip along the San Saeb canal to the historic Kamalulislam Mosque. Along the way, you’ll see monitor lizards basking on the banks, children swimming in the canal, and piers draped with fishing nets used to catch food for local residents.

GETTING THERE:

Spice Roads (tel: +66 (0)2 712 5305, www.spiceroads.com) offers bike tours in Min Buri. Hotel pick-up and drop-off is available   (6.45pm to 8.15am;   5.30pm to 6.30pm). Cost: THB2,500 (AUD77.50/ SGD101), including bike, helmet, snacks and lunch.

HO CHI MINH CITY
By John S Hayes

Da Lat, a quiet town nestled amidst dramatic mountain landscapes in the Southern Central Highlands, is dotted with lakes and blanketed with fir trees. Built by the French in the early 1900s as an escape from the relentless heat of the Saigon summer, it has many picturesque villas from that period. It is a scenic six-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City (or a 40-minute flight) and is the starting point for one of the most exhilarating rides in Vietnam.

This one-day tour takes cyclists from Da Lat down to the coastal city of Nha Trang, which is bursting with dive centres, bars and restaurants. It’s a great place to indulge in further adventures, relaxing excursions or just to chill on the beach.

The first 14km takes you through mountainous terrain with spectacular vistas. While passing by rapids that tumble and churn though the forests on either side, it’s hard to keep your eyes on the road when you are surrounded by such stunning beauty.

As cyclists ride through picturesque rural villages, they are typically greeted with smiles and shouts of welcome from local residents. Such warmth is enough to put a smile on the weariest traveller’s face.

The final 3km winds steeply upward and requires some effort, but there’s a real sense of accomplishment at the end, especially when the support vehicle comes into view around the last corner, offering the prospect of refreshments ahead

of an awesome 28km downhill. Starting from an altitude of about 1,500m, the descent is done in air that is cool, clean and scented with pine. Now the thrill begins. Freewheeling almost all the way, riders speed by beautiful forests, fields and streams.

Then, suddenly, the road turns a corner and cyclists find themselves with an uninterrupted view of a huge expanse of jungle-covered valley. It’s a good road and the lack of traffic really adds to the feeling of adventure as you sweep down the steep mountain, the wind roaring in your ears.

Apply the brakes for a leisurely cruise or let them and yourself go for an adrenaline rush down the mountain. There’s one breathtaking scene after another – water pours down in majestic torrents from huge granite outcrops and rushes furiously under bridges as birds of prey soar overhead.

As you stop for lunch, you’ll realise that, having dropped almost 1,000m, you’ve also left behind the cooler air. The midday heat can be quite intense, so make sure you have plenty of sunscreen. The last 38km can be challenging as the route traverses over rolling hills. The support vehicle allows for weary riders to opt out of the harder parts of the ride.

Ending at the beach in the late afternoon, there is nothing more satisfying than stretching out on the beach with a cool drink, knowing that you’ve truly earned it.

PERTH
By Matt Kinder

The Swan Valley, Western Australia’s oldest wine region, is among the must-see stops on any trip to Perth. It is situated an easy 25-minute drive from the Central Business District (CBD) and is less than 15 minutes from Perth International Airport.

There are more than 10kms of shared-use paths, sealed roads – suitable for more experienced cyclists – as well as a number of scenic, bike-friendly roads throughout the area.

As there are few places in the Swan Valley that offer bike rentals, cyclists are advised to make use of the biking shops in the Perth CBD.

One of the most popular two-wheel routes in the area is the 10km Swan Valley Heritage Cycle Trail, which traces a path that takes in a picturesque mix of wineries, picnic spots and galleries.

The trail begins in Guildford, but can be accessed from two other entry points: Maali Footbridge and West Swan Hall. The Swan Valley Visitors Centre provides free maps of the cycling trails and nearby attractions. Visit the award-winning Mash Brewery on West Swan Road to sample their famous Mez beer. Or relax with a glass of wine while taking in the stunning views of the bushlands near the family-operated Oakover Wines on Yukich Close, Middle Swan.

While navigating the Heritage Cycle Trail, there are also a number of other attractions that cyclists can reach via short detours, including the popular picnic and barbecue spot Lilac Hill as well as Whiteman Park, which includes the Caversham Wildlife Park, Perth’s premier native animal park).

Bike-friendly businesses are also commonplace in the Swan Valley and can be identified by a sticker at the entrance. These businesses offer secure and safe places to lock bikes, easily accessible taps for filling up water bottles and a warm welcome for visitors in cycling attire.

GETTING THERE:

Pedal Oz Bicycle (tel: +61 (0)8 9387 7403, www.pedaloz.com.au) offers guided half-day tours starting from AUD128 (SGD168.75). Bike Hire (Point Fraser Reserve, Causeway Carpark, 1-7 Riverside Drive, tel: +61 (0)8 9225 2665) rents bicycles from AUD33 (SGD43) for a full day. Bikes are permitted on the Transperth public train system during off-peak hours. Exit at Guildford station, near the Swan Valley Visitors Centre.