Cycling in Petchaburi

Petchaburi province lies 3 hours South West of Bangkok and is predominantly only heard of from people passing between Bangkok and the well known coastal city of Hua Hin.  Petchaburi is mainly flat with a large coastal area consisting mainly of fishing villages and towns, however to the West of the province, bordering Myanmar is Keang Krachan National Park which is the largest national park in Thailand and a large track of rainforest, mountains and rivers.

The park is popular with Thais but lesser known among foreigners and camping trips are the most popular activity for people visiting the park.  There are several campsites in Keang Krachan with camping facilities, including tent rental facilities, washrooms, and on site restaurants.  There are numerous resorts in the area too, many of which located on the banks of the lake on the park boundary.  

Cycling in Petchaburi is not a well known activity and there are no bike rental facilities in the area, however for those with their own bike and transportation, there are endless opportunities for mountain biking in Petchaburi and road cycling.  Starting from Keang Krachan dam, there are various quiet roads perfect for road cycling enthusiasts, and the hills in the area make for a stunning backdrop.  With the slight raised elevation the temperatures can be slightly cooler than the coast too making for a more comfortable experience.  

Further in the park the forests become more dense and the hills turn into mountains which makes for better mountain biking experiences.  A 50km cycling trip to Panoeng Thung rewards visitors with stunning mountain views and daily sights of the clouds hovering above the rainforest early morning.  There is a semi paved road leading up to Panoeng Thung but for fitter people it would be more fun on a mountain bike.  

Petchaburi is just one of many provinces that are great for cycling in Thailand, and as the cycling scene becomes bigger more and more routes are being established to cater for a growing number of cyclists.  

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Terms & Conditions:
Requires advance booking (minimum 48 hours)
Package 1 - Free Ride
- Pay regular price for rides 1-7, get your 8th ride free.
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Package 2 – Group Discount
- Limited to a single group booking and riding on the same dates.
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- M : Riders # 7,8 & 9 pay 1,660 THB / rider / day
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Package 4 – Shuttle Service Only
- Maximum 4 runs / day
- Available time 8.45 am to 4.30 pm
- Price does not include food, drinks, bike service and guide

Action Sport Asia is a leading resource for cycling in Thailand and an official partner of X-Biking Chiang Mai

Cycling in the Central Highlands of Thailand

I recently travelled to the provinces of Uttaradit, Pitsanalok and Petchabun for a long weekend in February 2013 for some sightseeing and biking.  The journey from Bangkok was long (10 hours driving in total) and tiring but we finally reached our first destination, Phu Soi Dao National Park in Uttaradit province, which straddles the border with Laos.  

Phu Sao Dao is famous for the hike to the top of Phu Soi Dao mountain which, at 2000m is a cool climate perfect for a picturesque scene of pine trees and flower meadows, and making it perfect for camping fans.  The distance from Bangkok and the relative difficulty in the trek makes it far quieter than other National Parks in Thailand.  

View of Phu Soi Dao from the National Park headquarters.

The walk is 6.5km and starts from Phu Soi Dao waterfall near the headquarters, however unfortunately for us, as it is the dry season most of the vegetation was dead so the walk was not recommended to us and so we stayed for a night in the park headquarters.  According to the park staff August is the best time for making the trip.  The roads through the park are great for road cycling, there was very little traffic, the climate was refreshingly cool and the winding roads through the jungle were great fun.  Phu Soi Dao waterfall is just 1km from the headquarters and is quite nice for a quick swim, although it's quite heavily promoted don't expect a stunning waterfall however.

Winding roads around Phu Soi Dao National Park.

For mountain biking enthusiasts I found a few trails near the park entrance, one of which required a steep climb, gaining 600m in altitude without easing off. After an hour of pushing 90% of the way I reached the summit of a 1,200m mountain which had stunning views of the surrounding area.  The sun was setting by the time I got to the summit so had to turn back, however I am sure there are some amazing trails in the mountains.  There were also some trails leading into the jungle which were fun to explore.

  

The views were worth it after the arduous climb to the mountain summit.

The next day we travelled South to Pitsanaluk province and onto Petchabun where we stayed the night, again time was limited but I managed to go for a a few bike rides through Thung Salaeng Luang National Park and near Khao Ko in Petchabun.  This area has a lot of potential for mountain biking, again the climate is perfect with temperatures at midday around 25 degrees because of the altitude (in Petchabun we were around 700m above sea level) and with relatively few visitors there was a lot of open space for exploring on the bike.  

Cycling in Petchabun

For the most part I followed dirt farm trains over and around the hills, Khao Ko has an almost European feel with rolling hills covered in grass, there were so many trails for exploring and a 25km off road trail to Phu Hin Rongkla National Park was also inviting but again with limited time I will have to do another time.  I didn't come across any bikers over the 3 days but it definitely warrants exploration, Uttaradit is perhaps too far unless you have a lot of time on your hands but Petchabun is 5-6 hours from Bangkok so is doable in a long weekend.  

One of the many farm trails in Khao Ko in Petchabun

For more information on trails you can visit Action Sport Asia  which is a leading resource for information on cycling in Thailand.

Road Trip in Bangkok - Wat Krabue

If you are in Bangkok and you want an escape from the noise and pollution, a little know trail along the coast makes for an interesting road cycling trip for an afternoon.  Located around the Rama 2 area outside Bangkok, South West of the city centre, an ideal place to start is Wat Krabue, where you can park your car and stock up on refreshments.

The Wat itself is quite interesting, there is a rather macabre pile of buffalo skulls outside and the monk has an impressive collection of Mercedes-Benz cars apparently donated to him over the years.  Some of the cars look over 40 years old, all of which are parked around the grounds of the Wat.

From the Wat, it is a 10km cycle along Thanon Khun Thian, which is not especially interesting, however the traffic is quite light and there is a designated cycling lane unlike most other roads around Bangkok.  The road is well paved and there is no elevation therefore any level of fitness would suffice for the ride to the coast.

As you approach the coast you pass over various klongs, many of which are actively used as water highways with street lighting and signs.  There are also many seafood restaurants along the way up to this point all of which are very popular with Bangkok locals on weekends looking to escape and enjoy cheap seafood.  As you approach the sea you will start to see more mangrove areas as the cultivated land gives way to briny water unsuitable for farming.

As you approach the coast you pass over various klongs, many of which are actively used as water highways with street lighting and signs.  There are also many seafood restaurants along the way up to this point all of which are very popular with Bangkok locals on weekends looking to escape and enjoy cheap seafood.  As you approach the sea you will start to see more mangrove areas as the cultivated land gives way to briny water unsuitable for farming.

Eventually you will need to take a small turning off the main road and follow some footpaths to reach an elevated wooden path through some more dense mangrove.  This is quite difficult to find but you can refer to the map below for reference.  This is the prettiest section of the trail and you can see various flora and fauna within the mangrove.  The wooden platform is well maintained, however caution is required if wet as it becomes very slippery and there is a 6ft drop off in places.

You will reach the sea after 2km along this platform, and there is a small platform to relax or take a picnic, from here you can head back the same way or there are many other small trails in the area waiting to be explored!  You can contact us for information on cycling in Thailand or if you are looking for a cycling day trip in Thailand we offer a directory of trails, GPS coordinates and photos.

A 3D flyover a the route is below.

Downhill MTB in Khao Yai Da

Khao Yai Da is not a name most people will be familiar with, although anyone who has been to Koh Samet is likely to have seen the hills behind the pier, which is the location for this great downhill track.  

This is a highly technical course not suitable for beginners, unless you want to spend much of the time pushing around jumps, steep drops and large boulders, skilled mountain bikers can complete it in just 3 minutes, the standard rider in around 10 minutes.

The trail starts by a small pond which is good for parking cars and there is also a small shelter.  A steep descent will take you along a road on course for the Channel 5 and Channel 3 TV masts on the top of the hills.  Follow the road to the right when you reach a junction, which is signposted for Channel 3 and you are soon at the start of the trail. 

Riders are greeted with a huge jump at the start of the trail, around 8ft in height you will need to clear a dried up stream bed to clear the other side - about 3metres in width, should you land this then a sharp turn is required unless you want to disappear into the jungle!

There are several other large jumps to navigate through the jungle, eventually you will come out near the pond by the car park.  The gradient remains steep throughout.  Although well known amongst cycling enthusiasts in Rayong, chances are you will have the place to yourself giving you a chance to brush up on your cycling skills!

For more information on cycling in Thailand please visit Action Sport Asia.

Cycling Tours in Thailand

Amazing Bike Tours is a leading cycling tour operator located in Phuket.  The idea behind our trips is to provide everyone that joins our bike tours the opportunity to meet local people, immerse themselves in the culture, enjoy the local cuisine by most importantly to do it all by bike, traveling at a pace that allows you to see the sights you came to see.

You can join one of our scheduled bike tours with other cyclists that have booked on that tour; you can request a private bike tour for you and your group. We can cater to families making specialized family cycling tours or if you want we can design a custom tailored private biking tour for your group created around the places you would like to visit.

If you would like to experience Thailand in a truly unique way then visit us for your cycling tour in Southern Thailand enquiry.  


Amazing Bike Tours are taking bookings for the following trips:


Tour: Koh Yao Expedition
Tour departs: 28th December 2012
Tour returns: 30th December 2012
Duration: 3 days and 2 nights
Price: 12,900 Baht
View more details at: Koh Yao Expedition


Tour: Andaman Bike Adventure
Tour departs: 2nd November 2012
Tour returns: 8th November 2012
Duration: 7 days and 6 nights
Price: 34,400 Baht
View more details at: Amazing Bike Tours


Tour: Krabi Explorer
Tour departs: 2nd October 2012
Tour returns: 4th October 2012
Duration: 3 days and 2 nights
Price: 15,900 Baht
View more details at: Krabi Explorer

Road Cycling Tours in Thailand

Road cycling tours in Thailand are not what springs to mind when planning activities on a dream holiday in Asia, however those who choose to don their bicycle for several days are left with incredible memories of an amazing experience.

Siam Bike Tours is one company offering road cycling tours in Thailand and has been established since 2005 when two former race cyclists Martin Brot and Kurt Schlaepfer from Switzerland combined their two favorites hobbies cycling and travelling across Thailand and started the company with the first tour, cycling from Phuket to Bangkok.

Siam Bike Tours offers a number of tours lasting between 3 days and 10 days.  The tour guides take into account the strength of the entire group so the pace is pleasurable and guests can soak up the unique atmosphere of each destination.  

If you are interested in a road cycling tour in Thailand please visit Action Sport Asia for more information.