Tag Archives: Wanderlust

Wanderlust : Trip to Koh Chang

24 October, 2026 Scurvy Dawg Leave a comment

Continuing my series, this is my latest road trip, to Koh Chang, in Trat Province.

This was my first overnight motorcycle trip. Although the distance itself can be covered in 1 day, the ferry to the island can add a significant amount of time, so I decided to stay there overnight.

I have been on this island with my family 6 times, but I always wanted to come here by motorcycle. I have prepared multiple trips over the years, but something always led to cancellation. This almost happened this time, too, but I persevered and kicked myself out of the house.

Day 1

The first 200km of the ride in Chachoengsao, Chonburi & Rayong provinces are boring industrial highways. I stopped only once for a coffee.

The last 100km in Chanthaburi and Trat are much better. I also met some fellow motorcyclists.

The queue for the Ferry was long, but motorcycles are allowed to cut through & jump to the front of the queue.

Once on the island, I rode straight to my favourite view point, something I had been dreaming about for many years.

The view alone made it worth it.

Day 2

On the way over, my crapy bungee setup snapped and sent my bag rolling on the highway (I had to circle back 2km to find it). This time I did a better bungee configuration to strap my bag under.

Bungee Cord configuration on Nightster 975

Riding through the empty streets of Koh Chang early morning was an incredible experience, smelling fresh geosmin on the way. I rode nice and slow till the ferry, enjoying every moment.

On the ferry, I felt sad to be leaving this magical place.

The ride back was uneventful, I rode hard and was back in Bangkok by 13:30.

Motorcycle

Wanderlust : Day Trip to Suan Phueng

19 September, 2026 Scurvy Dawg Leave a comment

Continuing my series, this is my latest road trip, to Suan Phueng, in Ratchaburi Province.

Total Distance: Approx 380 km

The route began better than the previous trip, no Rama 2 road. However, the route onwards is not as scenic.

Nightster 975 on Highway 4, Nakhon Pathom

The first stop on my trip was the Huai Mai Teng reservoir, which was “meh”.

Nightster 975 at Huai Mai Teng Reservoir — Nightster 975 at Huai Mai Teng reservoir

The best part of the trip was riding up the hills towards the Myanmar border in Suan Phueng.

Nightster 975 at hilly road, Suan Phueng

I stopped at this small and non-church-looking church and headed back.

Nightster 975 in front of Our Lady of Fatima Church, Huai Khlum

On the way back, I had plans to stop at these caves, but as soon as I slowed down near the entrance, a gang of monkeys started chasing me, so I skedaddled.

Overall, a bit underwhelming compared to the last one, which I would love to do one more time.

Also, unfortunately, the weather was unbearably hot the entire time and there was no rain, which I enjoy riding through.

Motorcycle

Wanderlust: Day Trip to Kaeng Krachan Dam

15 August, 2026 Scurvy Dawg Leave a comment

Continuing my series, this is my latest road trip, to Kaeng Krachan Dam, in Phetchaburi Province.

After my last trip, I was itching to do a longer trip and something less urban.

Total Distance: Approx 340 km

Phrom Phong, Bangkok to Kaeng Krachan Dam

The route begins with the infamous Rama 2 road, leaving Bangkok. Nothing special, typical highway, where under-construction concrete can fall on you and squish you any time.

Soon, you turn on-to Highway 35, much less intimidating to motorcycles, who are actually allowed on the main highway, not only the frontage.

But the real fun starts once you turn off Highway 35 to Rural Highway 3349. Lush green countryside with very little traffic and winding roads.

The dam itself is beautiful, with a lake on one side and a reservoir and power plant on the other. Serene and with barely any visitors.

Nightster 975 overlooking Kaeng Krachan Dam

Nightster 975 overlooking Kaeng Krachan hydroelectric generator

I spent 20 minutes here, enjoying the view and looking at the mountains across the border in Myanmar.

It was fun riding down the dam.

Soon it started to rain hard and I took shelter.

However, soon, I realised that the rain wasn’t going to stop any time soon, so just kept riding. It was huge fun riding in the rain. I went through 3 cycles of getting soaked in the rain and being thawed by the sun by the time I reached home.

This was one of my favourite rides ever. Partly because of the lush green landscape and because the Nightster is a beast on the highway.

Looking forward to exploring the west of the country more, in the next few months.

Motorcycle

Wanderlust: Day Trip to Bang Saen Beach

8 August, 2026 Scurvy Dawg Leave a comment

Continuing my series, this is my latest road trip, to Bang Saen beach in Chonburi province.

Ever since I got my new motorcycle, I had been itching to go on a long day trip. But I am still waiting on some mods, so I aimed for something closer.

Total Distance: Approx 180 km

Since it was a short trip, I left around 8 AM. What I did differently this time was I asked Siri AI to plot a scenic route and she disappointed me.

The beginning part was the same as this trip and this trip, so nothing special. But then she took me over the Chonlamakwithi bridge, a scenic 6k long bridge over the sea. It was so nice riding over the sea and breathing in the fresh sea air.

There are even places to park and enjoy the sea.

Harley-Davidson Nightster on Chonlamakwithi Bridge

I reached the beach by 10:00 AM and had a nice coffee there.

Harley-Davidson Nightster at Bang Saen beach

On the trip back, I let it rip on the highway and was back by noon.

Overall, I was pretty pleased with the performance of the motorcycle on the highway. like the Meteor, where I rarely went above 80 because of vibrations and engine stress, I was not even able to push the Nightster to its limits even when overtaking at quite high speeds.

I was not pleased with the riding position, because I had wrist and shoulder pain for a day after I returned. I must change it to a more upright riding position soon.

Motorcycle

Wanderlust: Day trip to Saeng Chan Beach

15 February, 2025 Scurvy Dawg 2 Comments

Continuing my series, this is my latest road trip, to Saeng Chan beach in Rayong province.

It was my birthday and after a rough month on the personal front, I seriously needed a break. What better to relieve sadness than a motorcycle trip to the beach?

Total Distance: Approx 380 km

Phrom Phong, Bangkok to Saeng Chan Beach, Rayong

The initial part of the ride is nothing special, same as Pattaya which I have already covered here and here. Industrial highway with lots of traffic and a different stink every kilometre.

I left at 4:30 in the morning and it was dark, cold and miserable.

Bang Chak Gas station on Chonburi Expressway — Chonburi Expressway at 4:30 AM

I made good time and saw the sun rise somewhere in Chonburi.

By the time I reached Rayong, the sun was out. The area around Saeng Chan beach is surrounded by beautiful canals.

The beach was mostly deserted at 07:00, so I spent some time in peace.

The beach has a unique shape, forming moon-shaped pools every few meters.

Spotted a nice lighthouse.

I needed to be back home by noon, so I left soon to grab a coffee at this cafe.

On the way back, I drove in a more leisurely manner. I spotted this interesting resort with different sections in different aeroplanes.

As expected, I took a wrong turn and accidentally entered Motorway 7, the enemy of motorcycles and had to back-track the wrong way.

All in all, a decent and relaxing trip.

Motorcycle

Wanderlust: Day trip to Chaosamran Beach

16 November, 2024 Scurvy Dawg Leave a comment

Continuing my series, this is my latest road trip, to Chaosamran beach in Phetchaburi province.

It had been a few weeks since my last motorcycle trip, so I decided to head out into the highway.

Total Distance: Approx 320 km

Unlike the more popular beaches near Bangkok, Chaosamran beach is on the eastern coast of Thailand, just short of Cha Am and Hua Hin.

I left on a monday morning, so getting out of Bangkok was painful, with many traffic hot spots. Once out of the metropolitan area, I found the highway quite similar to Pattaya and Ayutthaya. Not very pleasant to ride a motorcycle on.

Having already crossed the running-in period, I opened the throttle a few times and touched 120 kmph at a few spots.

Thankfully, the weather has cooled down by some amount, so the ride was comfortable.

Bang Chak station, Samut Songhkhram — Highway 35 to Phetchaburi Province

Once in Phetchaburi province, off the main highway, the roads were surrounded by lush green fields and I enjoyed the ride more at a sedate 80 kmph.

The beach, itself was almost empty of both tourists and vendors. It was quite peaceful to sit on the sea wall with my legs hanging over the ledge (Reminded me of our Futala lake jaunts).

However, the sun was still quite strong, so my skin started burning soon, so I left for a nice coffee and snacks at this cafe.

Chicken & Mushroom Pie, Espresso Frappuccino Ventī — Chicken & Mushroom Pie, Espresso Frappuccino

Soon, leaving the comfort of the air conditioning, I started my trip back home. I did most of the return trip between 110-120 kmph and reached home under 2 hours.

Thank you for reading!

Motorcycle

Wanderlust: Day trip to Prachinburi

12 October, 2024 Scurvy Dawg Leave a comment

Continuing my series, this is my latest road trip, to Prachinburi province.

Since I installed the CarPlay unit on my motorcycle, I had been eager to test it out on a day trip. The opportunity presented itself last Monday, when I just couldn’t bring myself to go to work. I took the day off and headed out on the highway towards Prachinburi province.

Total Distance: Approx 280 km

I left around 7:30 in the morning and immediately got caught up in morning rush hour traffic. Excruciatingly made my way out of Bangkok and was rewarded with beautiful tree-lined 2 lane roads similar to Nakhon Nayok.

Highway 3481 from Bangkok to Prachinburi

The route follows the Bang Pakong river for much of the way and is dotted with ponds and lakes on both sides.

Khao Ito Waterfall

The approach road to the waterfall turns into a hilly forest-like area and is eerily quiet.

The waterfall itself is not touristy at all and has absolutely no facilities. On the brighter side, there are no entrance fees or parking fees.

There was a lone man at the waterfall, washing his clothes. And a few friendly dogs.

Man washing clothes at Khao I To waterfall

I spent around 30 minutes enjoying the peace and quiet and the washing of clothes) before I headed back.

I had a nice coffee here and then headed back home. Also, on the way back, my motorcycle crossed 2000km and officially finished its running in period, so I opened the throttle. I kept my speed between 90 kmph and 110 kmph and reached before the expected time.

Since this was the first day trip with the new CarPlay unit, I present an addendum to this post on how it performed.

CarPlay on motorcycle

Since I found out that Google Maps doesn’t support motorcycle directions on CarPlay, I decided to try Apple Maps instead. Here’s my feedback on the navigation experience

The POI data on Apple Maps has improved vastly over the last few years. Still, I found myself double checking with Google Maps before leaving.
Apple Maps/Google maps with “Toll Roads” and “Motorways” turned off provide almost the same directions in Thailand as Google Maps motorcycle navigation.
With navigation, Wireless CarPlay, music streaming & location sharing, the battery drained (while connected to the motorcycle USB port) from
- 94% to 81% over 2.5 hours on the way to Prachinburi
- 71% to 58% over 2 hours on the way back
- Approx 5% battery drain per hour – Not ideal, but not too bad.
When I reached my destination, the phone had an overheating message, but I didn’t notice anything different on the CarPlay unit

Apple Maps is much more beautiful to look at, with 3D structures on the map. Also, I really liked how the app switches to 2D and zooms in just before a turn. Also, I found the colours & graphics better than Google Maps.

You have to make a conscious effort to not look at the display too long and focus on the road instead. Also, it is incredibly distracting using the touch screen while riding; I suggest stopping before using it.
While connected to CarPay, Apple Music sends the audio to the CarPlay unit, not the AirPods. It can be overridden from the phone, but not from the unit itself. This means you can start music only from the phone, but can control it from the CarPlay unit later.

An easy workaround to this is to connect your bluetooth headset to the CarPlay unit, not to the phone.
There was an instance while coming back when the phone refused to connect to the CarPlay unit. I restarted the CarPlay unit, which didn’t do anything. Then I restarted the phone and it connected fine. I have seen this before with cars, too, so I blame the phone.

With festivals coming up, there may not be too many solo trips for the next few weeks.

Motorcycle

Wanderlust: Day trip to River Khwae Bridge, Kanchanaburi

28 September, 2024 Scurvy Dawg Leave a comment

Continuing my series, this is my latest road trip, to River Khwae Bridge, in Kanchanaburi province.

The Bridge Over the River Kwai

The Bridge over the River Kwai is part of the infamous Death Railway that was constructed during World War II.

The bridge was built by the Japanese to support their military campaigns. Over 60,000 Allied prisoners of war and 200,000 Asian laborers were forced into backbreaking labor under brutal conditions to build this railway. The construction resulted in an enormous loss of life, earning the railway its grim nickname.

The bridge itself became an iconic part of this story, tragically immortalized in the 1957 film “The Bridge on the River Kwai” which brought international attention to the horrifying conditions endured by the workers.

Total Distance: Approx 340 km

The Trip

This trp was not planned in advance. However, I couldn’t sleep well the night before and after wasting many hours doing nothing, I decided to make a day trip out of it.

I left at 7 in the morning and didn’t encounter much traffic leaving Bangkok. The highway 338 to Kanchanaburi wasn’t as intimidating as Pattaya or Ayuthaya. In fact, it felt like most Indian highways.

Meteor 350 on Highway 338 from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi

Things got better through the trip, the roads within Kanchanaburi criss-crossing small villages with ponds around them.

I stopped only once on my way there and it took me 2.5 hours to cover the 170km distance.

At the bridge itself, there were not too many tourists, just one Japanese group.

River Khwae from the bridge, Kanchanaburi

After pending some time at the bridge, I went to the Starbucks at TMK Park, Kanchanaburi for a snack and a coffee.

Espresso Frappuccino & Chicken and Mushroom Pie

Meteor 350 at TMK Park, Kanchanaburi — Espresso Frappuccino & Chicken and Mushroom Pie

Fun Return Trip

The return trip was much more adventurous. First I did what I always do and accidentally entered a motorway; requiring me to back-track for many kilometres. When I did get on the right route, it started raining heavily, and I had to stop. I started again when the rain stopped, but it started raining again and I had to stop for the second time.

Second Rain Stop at Kanchanaburi — First Rain Stop at Kanchanaburi

After waiting for a while, I realised that if I keep stopping like this, I won’t get home, so I powered through the rain. It was exhilarating riding at 80 kmph on a 2 lane road during heavy rain.

Soon, the rain stopped and the sun came out in full force, burning my skin because the rain had washed away the sun block. I went through 2 such cycles of wet-dry, but my shoes and socks remained wet throughout.

Eventually, I reached Bangkok via Chinatown, completely filthy and was glad to take a shower.

This was one of the best road trip I ever had and I look forward to doing it again in the future.

Motorcycle

Wanderlust: Half-Day trip to Ayuthaya

14 September, 2024 Scurvy Dawg 1 Comment

Continuing my series, this is a recent road trip, to Ayuthaya. I did this trip because Wanderlust suddenly struck me, but it was too late in the day to go any further.

Ayuthaya: A Glimpse into History

Founded in 1350, it served as the second Siamese capital after Sukhothai. The city flourished as a major trading post and diplomatic hub, connecting the East and West through maritime routes. Its strategic location along the Chao Phraya River made it an essential nexus for international commerce. By the end of the 17th century, Ayuthaya had become one of the world’s largest urban areas and cosmopolitan centers.

Ayuthaya is famous for its impressive ruins of temples, monasteries, and statues of immense historical and cultural value. The cityscape is dotted with towering prangs (reliquary towers) and stupas that are quintessential to Thai architecture.

I had been here before, but I wanted to make the short trip on motorcycle.

Total Distance: A pprox 170km

The Trip

I left after a heavy lunch, around noon. The initial route within the city was same as Nakhon Nayok, once out of the city, it was similar to the highway to Pattaya. I was always a bit stressed that I would unknowingly stray on to the motorway where motorcycles are not allowed.

Meteor 350 on the highway from Bangkok to Ayuthaya

The highway was dotted with big factories each giving off a different smell, some really pungent. All concrete, no greenery to speak of.

One thing I noticed during this trip that the Sump Guard which I had installed recently is reflecting more engine noise towards me. I am not exactly sure whether I would keep it or get rid of it.

I did the entire trip in one go. At Ayuthaya, I just drove around the city aimlessly without stopping.

On the way back, I ran into some drizzle, so stopped at a Gas station for a few minutes. Luckily it was over soon and I returned home on time.

Overall, not a very pleasant motorcycling trip.

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Wanderlust: Bangkok Motorcycle Rides Part 1

31 August, 2024 Scurvy Dawg Leave a comment

Continuing my series, below are some motorcycle rides I generally do within Bangkok. These are when I only have a few hours, but still need to fulfil my wanderlust. What better way than to explore the city I have been living in for more than 3 years, but have hardly explored?

Chao Phraya River Ride

Approx 30 kms

This is probably my favourite ride (Till now). I cross the Asok intersection to Ratchadaphisek Road and take the flyovers to Rama 3 road. I take the scenic section next to the river past Terminal 21. Past it, I cross the river on the Krungthep bridge, parallel to Rama III bridge, turn north and then back east crossing the river for the second time over the much bigger King Taksin the great bridge. Then cross Sathorn, Lumpini Park and back home.

King Taksin the great bridge, PC: Anil Kaushik

The entire ride is less than 1 hour and provides a good boost of feel-good.

Suvarnahbhumi Loop

Approx 65 kms

This is a slightly longer ride I do when I want to grab a coffee and also do a ride. I take new Phetchaburi Road, then turn on to Srinagarindra Road where I follow the Yellow Line Monorail, till I reach Bang na-Trat road and turn left.

I generally go to this Starbucks on the highway, have a coffee and make a loop around the airport and come back via a different route.

An Insight into my Hindside

Tag Archives: Wanderlust

Wanderlust : Trip to Koh Chang

Day 1

Day 2

Wanderlust : Day Trip to Suan Phueng

Wanderlust: Day Trip to Kaeng Krachan Dam

Wanderlust: Day Trip to Bang Saen Beach

Wanderlust: Day trip to Saeng Chan Beach

Wanderlust: Day trip to Chaosamran Beach

Wanderlust: Day trip to Prachinburi

Khao Ito Waterfall

CarPlay on motorcycle

Wanderlust: Day trip to River Khwae Bridge, Kanchanaburi

The Bridge Over the River Kwai

The Trip

Fun Return Trip

Wanderlust: Half-Day trip to Ayuthaya

Ayuthaya: A Glimpse into History

The Trip

Wanderlust: Bangkok Motorcycle Rides Part 1

Chao Phraya River Ride

Suvarnahbhumi Loop

Earth bound misfit, I