Tag Archives: Wanderlust

Wanderlust: Day trip to Prachinburi

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.

Bangkok to Prachinburi & back
Bangkok to Prachinburi & back

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
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.

Next to a lake on highway 3481
Next to a lake on highway 3481

Khao Ito Waterfall

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

Approach road to Khao I To waterfall
Approach road to Khao I To waterfall

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.

At Khao I To waterfall
At Khao I To waterfall

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

Man washing clothes at Khao I To waterfall
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.

Khao I To waterfall, Prachinburi
Khao I To waterfall, Prachinburi

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

  1. 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.
  2. Apple Maps/Google maps with “Toll Roads” and “Motorways” turned off provide almost the same directions in Thailand as Google Maps motorcycle navigation.
  3. 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.
  4. When I reached my destination, the phone had an overheating message, but I didn’t notice anything different on the CarPlay unit
iPhone overheated
iPhone overheated
  1. 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.
Apple Maps with 3D buildings on CarPlay
Apple Maps with 3D buildings on CarPlay
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
Apple CarPlay Error
Apple CarPlay Error

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

Wanderlust: Day trip to River Khwae Bridge, Kanchanaburi

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.

Bangkok to River Khwae Bridge and Back
Bangkok to River Khwae Bridge and Back

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
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.

Meteor 350 near a village pond
Meteor 350 near a village pond

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 Bridge, Kanchanaburi
River Khwae Bridge, Kanchanaburi
River Khwae from the bridge, Kanchanaburi
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.

A funny train at Kanchanaburi
A funny train at Kanchanaburi

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.

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.

Wanderlust: Half-Day trip to Ayuthaya

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.

Bangkok to Ayuthaya & back
Bangkok to Ayuthaya & back

Total Distance: Approx 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
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.

Sump Guard on Royal Enfield Meteor 350
Sump Guard on Royal Enfield Meteor 350

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

Meteor 350 near a Stupa at Ayuthaya
Meteor 350 near a Stupa at Ayuthaya

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.

Meteor 350 at a Bang Chak gas station
Meteor 350 at a Bang Chak gas station

Overall, not a very pleasant motorcycling trip.

Wanderlust: Bangkok Motorcycle Rides Part 1

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

Bangkok Motorcycle Rides : Chao Phraya River ride
Bangkok Motorcycle Rides : Chao Phraya River ride

Approx 30 kms

Krungthep Bridge, PC Preecha.MJ 

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

Sukhumvit to Suvarnabhumi Loop
Sukhumvit to Suvarnabhumi 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.

Meteor 350 on Srinagarindra Road
Meteor 350 on Srinagarindra Road

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.

Starbucks ATT U Park
Starbucks ATT U Park

Wanderlust: Day trip to Nakhon Nayok Province

Continuing my series, this is my latest road trip, to some scenic places in Nakhon Nayok province. The province of Nakhon Nayok is dotted with beautiful places, with more than 10 waterfalls. Covering all of them will take multiple trips, so I decided to do 2 places in this first trip:

Bangkok to Nakhon Nayok
Bangkok to Nakhon Nayok

Total Distance: Approx 280km

This time, I used the lessons learnt from my previous road trip and did not have to stop many times.

It had rained the entire day and night before my trip, so I was a bit apprehensive about getting stuck in rain. Once again, I stated my journey on rain-soaked streets with BBC World Service in my ears.

Unlike Pattaya, heading out of Bangkok was a breeze. There was hardly any traffic and within 30 minutes, I was on the 6-lane highway 305 to Nakhon Nayok.

Highway 305 to Nakhon Nayok
Highway 305 to Nakhon Nayok

Unlike the motorway to Pattaya, highway 305 is much more biker friendly and much less scary. In fact, after 50kms or so, it turns into a 4-line winding road running parallel to a Khlong. The entire route smelled of rain-soaked vegetation which I loved. Reminded me of early morning bicycle rides in Durgapur.

Highway 305 to Nakhon Nayok Adjacent to a Khlong
Highway 305 to Nakhon Nayok Adjacent to a Khlong

There are quaint little bridges all over the Khlong for people to cross.

On a bridge over Baan Khlong Malong
On a bridge over Baan Khlong Malong

My motorcycle is on its second phase of running in, so I rode at a base speed of 70kmph with bursts up to 80kmph.

Wang Ta Krai National Park

First stop was Wang Ta Krai National park with a waterfall of the same name. You can ride your motorcycle a bit into the park.

Premises of Wang Ta Krai national park
Premises of Wang Ta Krai national park

I was surprised to see that cars, on the other hand, could go all the way in. Perhaps it is because of the horrible noise that Thai scooters make.

The waterfall is not very impressive; is a series of small falls over a long distance. Next to the gentle stream, you can see people picnicking.

I spent an hour there and then moved on to my next stop.

Khun Dan Prakarn Chon Dam

The dam is only a short distance away and the last few kms are winding hilly roads which I loved to navigate. The dam itself is quite imposing.

Khun Dan Prakarn Chon Dam

I was happy to see some fauna there.

After the dam, I went for a coffee to Nong Coffee, a modern cafe nearby.

The trip back was as fun; I stopped only once for a bio-break. Also, unlike the last trip (where I couldn’t wait to get back, this time I was a bit sad as the distance to home wound down to zero.

Looking forward to many such trips in the future.

Wanderlust: Day Trip to Pattaya Beach

Phrom Phong Bangkok to Pattaya Beach
Phrom Phong to Pattaya Beach

Total Distance: Approx 300km

As you can see from my last post, I bought a new motorcycle. Since then, I had been bitten by the wanderlust bug. My hands had been continuously itching to take the motorcycle on the highway. So, the soonest I could, I decided to drive from Bangkok to Pattaya Beach.

I have done this trip before, but that motorcycle was not suitable for highway riding and I wanted to do it again, the right way.

Bangkok to Pattaya

On the morning of the ride, I woke up to find the city soaked in rain overnight, so I left with caution. The way out of the city was painful with morning traffic, but outside, I opened up the throttle a bit.

Since the motorcycle is new, I had to follow running-in restrictions. I drove at a steady 60kmph with occasional 10-20 second bursts up to 70kmph. At this speed, I could not keep up with traffic on the motorway, so had to drive on the frontage road.

Frontage road at Bang Phli
Frontage road at Bang Phli

The motorway from Bangkok to Pattaya is highly developed, with 22 lanes (8 lanes on the upper level, 8 lanes in the lower level and 6 lanes frontage) in most places. There are restrictions on where motorcycles can be driven, so need to pay close attention to Google Maps, which is mostly correct as long as you select the motorcycle option.

The route is mostly scenic, passing near some lakes and khlongs and over the Bang Pakong river.

Stopped to take breaks many times to give the engine a break (and also sneak in some photos). Was quite impressed with the low-end performance of the engine. Gear shifts were mostly not required, as the bike can thump its way up in 5th gear from as low as 35kmph.

In Si Racha district, the view is quite nice as the road passes in between various hills.

Near a hill at Si Racha
Near a hill at Si Racha

Pattaya Beach

Because I stopped so many times, it almost took me 3 hours to get there. Once there, I spent some time chilling at Pattaya beach.

After getting my feet wet, I went to a cafe to drink some coffee and have a snack. It was typical below-average tourist fare.

Pattaya to Bangkok

On the way back, I focused on making good time and only stopped at one place to take the below photo of the Bang Pakong river.

At a bridge over Bang Pakong river
At a bridge over Bang Pakong river

On the way back, it only took me 2 hours to get back home.

Tripper

The Tripper proved its worth, as it provided very clear directions and I didn’t have to stop and look at my phone (which was nested safely away in my saddle bag) even once. On the 3 hour ride to Pattaya, my phone lost 23% charge, with tripper navigation as well as audio streaming (And the occasional photo).

Also, found a weird bug in that the tripper’s display and my polarised sunglasses seem to have the same polarisation plane when I am seated normally, which completely blanks out the tripper. If I move my head 10 degrees to the left or right or rotate my head 10 degrees clockwise or counter-clockwise, the display comes back.

This happens only with polarised glasses, regular sunglasses work fine.

Lessons Learnt

Learnt the below lessons which I plan to apply to my next trip(s).

  1. Need to buy thick handlebar grips, as the factory default is too thin and cramps up my hands.
  2. Always wear AirPods even if I don’t want to listen to anything. Active (and worst case Passive) Noise Cancellation is worth it to protect ears from traffic and wind noise.
  3. Always wear sunglasses during the day time, even if it is not too bright, to protect eyes from the wind (I cannot, for the life of me, see through any helmet visor And keep it lifted up).
  4. The USB charger is quite slow. So rather than wait for battery to drain and then charge the phone (Phone gained only 11% on the 3 hour trip back on charge, with navigation and audio), it is better to keep it connected from the beginning.

This trip also pushed my motorcycle over the first stage of running in, next trip should be faster.