We had read a lot of stuff about this road before using it yesterday. The road was very badly washed out in the rainy season and fixed up about a month ago. However, it is a pretty hard road, especially when it is unseasonally hot as it is here at the moment.
The first 50km have been asphalted some years ago and now very badly potholed with some areas of surface missing completely. Can't travel at more than about 50km per hour on a big bike 2 up with luggage (we travelled with another couple on big old BMW and they had the same problems as us).
The second longest section of 70 km is red dirt. It was packed and graded about a month ago but is showing wear already. Again 50km per hour is about as fast as you can go on a big bike 2 up. In parts it was rutted and really bone shaking, in others pretty sandy. Cars and buses were kicking up a lot of dust and we were covered in it. On one of the wooden bridges a truck had caused the bridge to break and was stuck across the bridge when we arrived. We had to ride across a hole so look out for holes as there are a lot of wooden bridges. This section seemed to go on forever and took us a couple of hours, the countryside is pretty souless here and we were all a bit despondent at times. It was a very hot day, it would be better in cooler weather.
The final stretch of 30 km is much better with asphalt only damaged in parts and much faster.
Having said all this, we were overtaken by a Farang guy on a 250 who seemed to be finding it a lot easier that our 2 bikes.
It is very hot at the moment and you should take water in case you break down as there are long stretches with not much around. There is plenty of traffic though and you should be picked up if you have a breakdown.
The locals say that the road is not due to be upgraded until 2008! The journey took us 5 hours with another 3 at the border so reckon on a full day. You really need to stay at Aranyaprathet overnight and be at the border before it opens at 7 a.m.
Helen
Look at our photos:
Link removed
The first 50km have been asphalted some years ago and now very badly potholed with some areas of surface missing completely. Can't travel at more than about 50km per hour on a big bike 2 up with luggage (we travelled with another couple on big old BMW and they had the same problems as us).
The second longest section of 70 km is red dirt. It was packed and graded about a month ago but is showing wear already. Again 50km per hour is about as fast as you can go on a big bike 2 up. In parts it was rutted and really bone shaking, in others pretty sandy. Cars and buses were kicking up a lot of dust and we were covered in it. On one of the wooden bridges a truck had caused the bridge to break and was stuck across the bridge when we arrived. We had to ride across a hole so look out for holes as there are a lot of wooden bridges. This section seemed to go on forever and took us a couple of hours, the countryside is pretty souless here and we were all a bit despondent at times. It was a very hot day, it would be better in cooler weather.
The final stretch of 30 km is much better with asphalt only damaged in parts and much faster.
Having said all this, we were overtaken by a Farang guy on a 250 who seemed to be finding it a lot easier that our 2 bikes.
It is very hot at the moment and you should take water in case you break down as there are long stretches with not much around. There is plenty of traffic though and you should be picked up if you have a breakdown.
The locals say that the road is not due to be upgraded until 2008! The journey took us 5 hours with another 3 at the border so reckon on a full day. You really need to stay at Aranyaprathet overnight and be at the border before it opens at 7 a.m.
Helen
Look at our photos:
Link removed
