Had Yai – Nakhon Si Thammerat (Day 7)

Phraek Muang-Fang Tanawok, 72km.

Another day, another detour.

Once again I opted for an inland route instead of following the highway along the coast. With all the shrimp farms, creeks, rivers, and swamps there aren’t too many options here. An easy 43km along the coast turned into a 72km loop. Plenty of sunshine today, clouds and a few drops of rain were welcome. Finally reached the seaside for my overnight stop. Dinner by the sea as usual, but with a sea wall instead of a beach this time. Never mind, enjoyed the breeze and the cold Leo did taste great after today’s long ride! 😋

Skies looked clear this morning, all the more a reason to get away from the coastal road. While Route 4013 isn’t a big highway, it still is a wide two lane road with shoulders, traffic zipping past at high speed, and precious little shade. More than forty kilometers of that, all straight, just behind the coast, in the full sun? No, thanks. Off to the hinterland it was.

I turned left just after the large bridge past Phraek Muang Beach Park and then followed the first canal heading North. It was pleasant countryside cycling now, quite some shade, and very little traffic on those narrow paved roads without center lines. I crossed the main road at Hua Say, a small town somewhat inland. The market was very busy in the morning, plus plenty of food stalls and small restaurant, a good option for a food stop.

I continued along the canal, all small roads, sometimes West, sometimes East of it. At one point there was a group of cows grazing along the small farm road I was one, with flooded fields left and right. For some reason the cows went completely berserk, even when I got off the bike and walked. The were obviously scared, but with no way to escape left of right into the flooded fields the galloped up and down the little road, until finally being brave enough to stand still and watch me pass.

Finally the canal converged with another one, near where it flows into the sea. I crossed it near the convergence point at Wat Khok Mamuang. From there on it was mostly rural roads until I had another canal to follow at Wat Sa. The area around Wat Sa was green and leafy, with quite some shade from some tall trees. Ice cream and cold drinks it was in a nearby store along my route.

I skirted the Eastern outskirts of Pak Phanang but headed for the seaside instead of the town center. There’s accommodation available there, but I wanted to spend another evening by the sea as I had grown fond of those little restaurants and their bamboo salas right on the beach. It was only about five kilometers anyway, following a small road along a small canal. The sun was already low on the horizon by now, a joy to cycle now through the sun-drenched countryside.

I checked out SC Villa near the sea, modern bungalows type rooms, a nice garden, and a very friendly care taker couple on top of it. Just down the road at Tua Ti Pier there were a few seafood restaurants, my choice for tonight’s dinner. It wasn’t as nice as my previous beach dinners as there are sea walls here to protect the land, but I had a table overlooking the ocean, food and drinks, not too bad either.

These restaurants are quite a bit busier than the ones further down the coast. This might be because of the town of Pak Phanang and even Nakhon Si Thammerat not being too far away and people driving to the sea for a nice dinner. Talked a while with a group of curious youngsters, but declined their invitation to drink whiskey with them. No thanks, cycling with a headache is no fun!

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Had Yai – Nakhon Si Thammerat (Day 6)

Going inland; Rawa to Phraek Muang, 52km.

Followed the beach for a while but then it came down to a sandy beach path along a sea wall. Next option was the wide, straight and boring highway 408. No thanks, time to head inland! Zig-zagged for the rest of the day along farm roads and quiet rural lanes. Just a few rain showers today, clouds, and some sun. Very pleasant cycling. Headed back to the sea for the overnight stop and found a great restaurant for dinner. 🤩

The weather had cleared up overnight, it was partially ckoudy and sunny this morning. Got my bike ready and left fairly early. The first part lead me North along the cost on a small two lane road. I visited a temple by the sea and passed through several sleepy villages. After Tha Bon highway 408 gets very close to the sea, just ‘one lot’ behind, and swallowed up the quiet little road I was on. I continued on a new kind of a beach road, but not for long. This was a sandy trail on top of a seawall structure build over a long distance here to prevent erosion. Lots of trash, broken construction bits and soft sand here, so riding was neither pretty nor fun. Time to head for one of the inland detours I had traced on Google Earth.

Cris-crossing the countryside on farm roads or following small paved country lanes along some minor canals I slowly headed North further inland. It was rather hot now and every bit of shade was welcome. A short shower or two brought some relief, a slight breeze and a few minutes of rain. Coming from a little side road I reached the point where Highway 408 heads North-East, directly towards Nakhon Si Thammerat. Instead of riding the few hundred meters straight to the beach along the highway I opted for another extra loop to include Phrae Muang Public Beach. I simply crossed the highway and continued North for a bit, towards a large canal ahead.

Along the way I crossed a smaller khlong harbouring a good number of fishing vessels. The small side road featured a huge bridge here, obviously to enable the fishing vessels to pass underneath and enter said khlong. The nearby public beach itself was the usual Thai style park with large shade trees plus a few stalls selling food, coffee or iced soft drinks. From there I trundled back towards the main intersection, looking for accommodation.

The first place I had marked on the map had some nice enough looking concrete bungalows but nobody seemed to be around here. I didn’t try hard to find anyone really as I had another spot marked, right at the intersection. This place, Lalabay Resort (ลัลลาบายรีสอร์ท) looked more interesting, with a sort of wooden skeleton pirate ship on the beach. The rooms were quite nice, too, staff was friendly, and the price right. Settled for the night I took a refreshing shower, it was quite hot today after all.

Finally I headed down the beach, to Hua Sai Seafood Restaurant (หัวไทรซีฟู้ด), just a few hundred meters away. Great choice, the usual bamboo salas right on the beach, good food and cold beer. Had squid in a spicy and sour sauce, delicious! At one point there was another short shower. I didn’t move indoors, got a little wet in the small hut, but the whole rain squall was over within a few minutes and it was back to enjoying the cool breeze and listening to the waves crashing onto the beach. Another peaceful evening right on the beach, fantastico!

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Had Yai – Nakhon Si Thammerat (Day 5)

Had Rawa, local ride, 15km.

Stay put, local ride only. As it continued to rain – and quite heavily at times -I decided to stay one more night at the same place. It cleared up a bit in the afternoon around 15:00 so I went for a little local ride. However, once back and at the beach, dark clouds moved in once more and another thunderstorm swept across the area. Still, there were few rays of sunshine today, so definitely an improvement. Tomorrow I will move on. Sun or storm. 😎

Not much to do today. The comfy porch with sun lounger and a large roofed area certainly made the decision easier to spend another day here. Large patches of grassland were flooded ankle deep or more, there was a wetland behind the little resort as well, plus a little stream. Tried to find any of those toads during day time but didn’t see even a single one. Where do all those guys hide during the day?

The local ride had me check out a coffee shop down the road, but it was closed. Passed quite a few flooded fields and ponds, tried to photograph some birds, and could get fairly close to them when cycling. However, as soon as one stops those guys fly off, so no luck. An overgrown area with some half finished and abandoned structures turned out more interesting. Saw some beautiful flowers and shrubs there plus a few dragonflies.

On the way back I passed by a seafood restaurant, just a bit North of the farmstay. It had some beach side salas and a large restaurant, dining room and parking lot just across the road. Several cars were parked there, so it definitely seems to be an option for food. However, I had ordered food at the resort, so I went back for dinner. There were a few moments of serenity down a the beach, but then another rain squall moved it, dark and threatening. Time to retreat to the porch, for more beer and more rain.

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Had Yai – Nakhon Si Thammerat (Day 4)

Had Maharat-Had Rawa, 38km.

Riders in the storm

Waited almost until noon but it never stopped raining. Finally left, heading North along the coast. Got soaked but it was OK, not too cold. Quiet paved roads, fantastic waves and wind all the way. Had a great lunch at Kru Rote’s Garden, great place with little huts and ponds, very friendly peeps. Finally it was down to a drizzle, so continued up the coast until I got to a great homestay by the sea. Food and drinks while the storm picked up once again, until late at night. Frog concert to go with. Another amazing day, I just love stormy weather! 😃

I slept in this morning, then slowly got ready to roll. At one point the rain slowed down to a drizzle, so I took a quick shower. By the time I got dressed it was pouring down once again. More time on the internet, checking my route, the weather forecast, and sending messages. Finally it got a bight brighter outside, still raining but not as much as earlier this morning. Time to move.

I followed the coast, small, paved roads with very little traffic, as everyone who needs to go somewhere uses the highway just a bit inland. Didn’t dare to stop anywhere as long as the rain was down to a drizzle. It seemed to be crab country around this area, with several colourful graffitis depicting crabs along the way.

At one point I passed a fishing village right by the sea. Their boats were parked right across the local road along the coast. The beach is fairly narrow here during high tide, and with a storm just outisde in the Gulf Of Siam the locals pull up their boats onto higher ground, across the road immediately behind the beach. For cars it’s a detour to the main road inland, for me it was dragging the bike around the boats along the beach. Most boats still sport elaborate paint jobs and carvings at the bow here, so the little detour was well worth it.

Next was a short detour inland to a coffee shop I had spotted in Google Maps. Small huts around a pond and surrounded by flooded paddy fields dotted with sugar palm trees this scenic spot made for a great stop along the way. Staff was as surprised about having a foreigner arriving on a bicycle as they were friendly. I had some food and a real coffee here and pondered about hanging out a little longer in this cozy garden cafe. Nope, I still had to find a place for the night and it still rained a bit. Better to move on.

Up the coast, towards Rawa Beach, around Pak Trae. Thipphawan Guest House along the highway would be a safe bet for the night if the potential options along the beach turned out to be closed/non-existent/booked. Howeve, this was not necessary as ยศชัยฟาร์มบีช Yodchai Farm Beach, a homestay with a handful of rooms, was open for business. The rooms were good, price right, peeps friendly, and there was a small sala across the road right at the beach.

After a quick shower I ordered some food for dinner later on and headed for the sala. What a wonderful little spot to hang out! I enjoyed the cloud formations, the wind and the waves, until a dark and threatening monster crept closer and closer. I stayed as long as possible, but then it was time to run. Dinner was to be in their little shop, with heavy rain pouring down outside. After dinner I retreated to the covered porch in front of my room. The staff had put an ice box there and a few bottles of Leo. Great spot to end the day on the sun lounger, listening the rain pummeling the roof and a gazillion of frogs and toads croaking into the night.

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Had Yai – Nakhon Si Thammerat (Day 3)

Songkhla-Had Maharat, 54km.

It was raining cats and dogs in the morning so couldn’t leave until 11:00. From there on it was light rain or a drizzle all the way, pleasant cool ride. Mostly small concrete country roads today and then later on following the coast. Quiet, wet, no traffic. Finally it stopped raining just before I arrived at a small local resort, a quick shower, and off to one of the small beach restaurants for dinner. Just perfect. Windy, and cool, right on the beach, what a magnificent way to end the day.

The rain hammering against the windows woke me up early in the morning. It was still dark outside, so no reason to worry. It sure would stop soon, as those heavy showers and thunderstorms in the tropics usually do. I slept again, then woke up past six o’clock in the morning. It was still raining, and quite heavily. I slowly got busy, checking my mail and messages, downloading and backing up my photos, taking a shower, packing the bags, and getting the bike ready. Yes, it was still raining. Time to check the weather charts at the website of the Thai Meteorological Institute. Yup, there it was, a nice, big low pressure just North-East of the coast of Songkhla. So this could take longer, and it would likely last for a while.

By ten o’clock it was still gloomy and dark, but the rain had slowed down to a point where riding would be all right. I finally left, glad that I had a fairly short distance to cover today. First it was down to the car ferry and across the strait. The rain was down to a drizzle now and the short ferry trip offered some good views of the Yabal Niah Mosque and the fishing community there. Despite being late I decided to detour around the headland South of the pier. This was a good decision, great ride there through the small villages along the coast, next to no traffic, a very narrow road at times.

After crossing highway 408 I headed North-East first and cruised through the now more rural hinterland. Soon it was mostly fruit plantations and grassland, with small villages in between.

Crossing the highway once more at Ching Kho I headed for the seaside. The rain got stronger again and to top it off I had a puncture just before I got to the sea. A seawall with plenty of small concrete salas protected the low lying inland from the sea here. There’s wasn’t much going on here, everything seemed to be closed, be it because of COVID or the bad weather. I repaired my puncture in one of the salas, got another one just a few hundred meters down the road and settled in another sala for more repair work.

From here on I followed the beach whenever possible. I had to stop a few times when the rain got too heavy – one of the disadvantages wearing glasses, couldn’t see a thing with all the rain drops on the lenses. Nope, taking off the glasses wouldn’t be good idea, that would be like flying blind. At Muang Ngam Beach I had a late lunch. One of the several small restaurants there had quite a few cars parked outside and looked rather busy. Rightfully so, their food was excellent. I had two plates, one being Som Tam with crunchy little dried fish – one of the best papaya salads I had in a long time!

Just a few kilometers left to Maharat beach after this food stop, following the sea. At fissrt I checked out Sunshine Homestay, a pleasant little place, but their two standard rooms were full. They had a large house for rent as well, complete with kitchen, veranda and several bedrooms, but they wouldn’t rent out just one room there. The friendly staff pointed me towards another homestay, just a few hundred meters down the road, with just a simple sign along the road, all in Thai. Their bungalows were quite all right, the friendly owners a bit surprised to have a foreign visitor, but conversation worked out fine, using basic Thai language skills.

After a clean-up I cycled a bit further North, for a dinner along the beach. There were several restaurants here, the usual small shops with a few bamboo tables right on the beach. I checked out several but decided to go back to the first one, most cars parked there. As it wasn’t raining for the time being I picked one of the beach tables. Yam Pla Muek was my main course, delicious! The squid was cooked to perfection, soft but with just a bit of a bite, without being rubbery. Later on another rain cloud approached the beach, but it move in slowly and slightly further up North, so my dinner on the beach remained dry. The first drops fell after dark, when I rode back to the resort. A wet day, a few punctures, but overall this quiet yet wild mood made up for it and I really enjoyed this day.

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Had Yai – Nakhon Si Thammerat (Day 2)

Today’s ride was fun, I did some detours through the hinterland instead of just following the coast, where the road was a bit too straight and boring for my taste. Had some time to check out Songkhla, enjoyed the old town, the fishing pier and the restaurants along the city beach. Another good ride today. 👍🏻

First I had coffee at the beach restaurant of the Na Thap Camping and Resort where I stayed that night. Had the place to myself that early, others staying there just started showing up when I was about to leave.

I followed the beach for the first part, quite good riding with little traffic. There were some interesting local places along the way, mostly fishing communities, and I stopped several times to take some photos. As it got hotter and hotter I decided to take the inland detour I had planned. Just past Bor It Beach, a small headland with a park, foodstalls and more fishing boats, I turned away from the coast.

This pleasant loop took me through local neighborhoods, very quiet, and zero traffic despite getting closer and closer to Songkhla. I came upon a comfy looking eatery, Anon’s Kitchen (ครัวอานนท์), with a few motorcycles, cars and a truck occupying their parking lot. Time to stop for lunch, and yes, can’t go wrong where the locals eat. Everyone was all smiles, food was delicious, perfect for a midday stop.

From there it was back to the sea, checking out a few more places along the way into town. The fishing community and market around Masjid Darul Aman Mosque was perhaps the most interesting stop, albeit not very busy at this time of the day. Once in town I checked out a few local hotels as it was still early and I had plenty of time. Once I got to the Narai Hotel I knew I had found my place. A family run place with simple but clean air conditioned rooms in a quiet yet central residential neighborhood – just perfect.

After a shower and a short rest it was time to go and check out Songkhla, or at least parts of it. I cycled down to a large commercial fishing pier, with many trawlers at anchor. After chatting with some fishermen I slowly headed back through the old town. There were several nice coffee shops and restaurants there, but not much going on. Yes, still a lot of places closed because of COVID-19.

Back at the seaside of Songkhla I checked out Samila Beach. I ordered dinner in one of the seafood places under the shade trees along this rather nice city beach. It got fairly busy with local people before sunset, everyone enjoying the beach now as it wasn’t as hot anymore. After dark I pedaled back across town where I had spotted a kind of Western Saloon Pub earlier. A live band played indoors but I took one of the tables along the street, with another cold Leo and a snack to conclude this day.

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Had Yai – Nakhon Si Thammerat (Day 1)

Within a few kilometers I was out of town. It was mostly plantation roads and trails from now on. I zig-zagged East first, quite a few rubber tree plantations there. Then I followed the railway line to Sunkhai Golok for quite a bit. This trail South of the railway line ends on Google Maps, but on the satellite images the trail continues for a while until it disappears in the plantations. As the distance wasn’t too far until it reemerged on the other side of the plantations I thought there might be a connection.

At the end it was down to a single trail slightly above the railway line, with good views on the trains – if one passes by that is. I got closer to a stream and the trail turned towards the hillside here, winding deeper into the plantation. Add one point it turned abruptly East once more and there was a steep turn down the ravine to the stream. This part had some concrete poured on the single trail, a sign that it is regularly used by the plantation workers. An easy crossing of the jungle stream here, some great trees along the ravine. On the other other side I rode back towards the railway line, slightly downhill, until I picked up the forest trail once more, heading further East near the railway line.

Next was a small underpass, turn right afterwards and easy sailing back onto agricultural roads marked on Google Maps. Had lunch at Luk Mae’s Noodle Shop in Khlong Pia, a larger village just at a railway crossing. Their soup was delicious, I had two bowls, plus plenty of water.

Fantastic ride so far, but very, very hot now as I had left the forested area. Getting closer to the seaside I was back on paved roads, but very little traffic. Beautiful rural scenery, very green, and lots of birds. Got to the coast and headed up North.

The first cluster of resorts I checked turned out to be some sort of local karaoke/party spot along the beach in Taling Chan. All rooms were full and the beach wasn’t too nice there so I moved on. There was another pleasant looking resort soon thereafter a bit off the beach. It was the Taling Chan Homestay, but nobody around, nobody answered the phone, so on I went. I started running out on options, had just one more spot ahead, at Na Thap Beach a few more kilometers to the North. I passed a park along the beach, with huge trees and some salas. I thought about sleeping there if I couldn’t find anything else, a bench in one of those beach huts would do for a night.

However, the last spot I had marked on the map turned out to be perfect. This was the Na Thap Camping and Resort, right by the beach of the same name. Nice rooms, albeit on the pricey side, and an actually quite pretty beach side restaurant. A quick shower, down to the beach, food, a cold beer, sunset, and a happy rider!

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Had Yai – Nakhon Si Thammerat, (Prelude)

Checked at the information counter which train would take bikes (not all do). Then it was on to the ticket counter, got my ticket there, second class sleeper. The bike ticket has to be bought separately, on the day of departure, at the cargo/parcel booth inside the station near platform number twelve.

Then it was time for a cold Leo beer in one of the restaurants opposite of the railway station. Love the view of this beautiful old building, dating back to 1916. The facade was designed by Italian architect Mario Tamagno in a Italian Neo-Renaissance style, popular at that time.

Hua Lamphong intersection is a great spot to watch the night fall. I love the wide view of the sky turning purple above the station, with all kind of vehicles passing by. Among them are plenty of overloaded motorcycles, heading for the cargo handlers up on nearby Rong Mueang Road. Fun and a good way to get into the mood for an upcoming trip!

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Had Yai – Trang, Day 14 (845km)

Then it was train 168, bound for Bangkok. Due to Covid-19 very few people aboard, maybe 30-40% of the capacity. Enjoying the lush green scenery of the South and passing through small towns, marking some for future bike trips, while the train pounded the tracks and sped into the night! 😉

Trip statistics:

Total distance about 640km.

Average distance: 49km per day.

Flat tires: 0. Zippo. Nada.

Snakes spotted: 1 monocled cobra.

Road hazards: 1 cow in the middle of the road at night, Ko Sukorn.

Happy time: Daily🥰

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Had Yai – Trang, Day 13 (57km)

The rest of the ride was quiet two lane concrete roads, with a few nice plantation detours build in, and finally a gravel road on top of a irrigation/flood protection dam leading towards the town. Further North now I noticed more palm oil plantations than rubber, and more dogs. I got myself a dog stick, to point at their snouts, to remind them to keep distance.

This Northern approach to Trang allowed me to sneak into town on minor roads without much traffic, all the way to the railway station and a nearby hotel. I picked Ban Ao Thong hotel because of its proximity to the railway station and their little wine bar with street cafe style outdoor tables. However, due to the current Covid-19 situation said wine bar was sadly closed. A little tour of the town by bike followed, and a well deserved dinner, with some real cocktails, at Guava restaurant!🤭

This day’s experience showed that one could indeed ride from the sea to Trang in the morning and then catch the afternoon train to Bangkok the same day. To move faster getting into town by one if the main roads could speed up things, or one could go to Kantang instead and catch the train there. However, I still wanted to enjoy this ride and see a bit of Trang, so the option with an overnight stay there was perfect for me.

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