Had Yai – Trang, Day 13

Had Yai – Trang, Day 13 (57km)

Last day in the saddle, ride to Trang. At first, in the morning the view the fromTrang Alp, altitude of 88m, was fantastic – all the way to the cliffs by the sea. To get there was less fantastic. Heartbreak ridge itself was a beautiful ride along a hilltop. Getting up to heartbreak ridge was another story. Very steep, rocky, and fully exposed to the sun. The bike had to be pushed for a few meters, then a short rest, then push, break, push, and so on.

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.