2012 Kembara 4NR Dana Madrasah Kemboja...

“People travel to faraway places to watch, in fascination, the kind of people they ignore at home...” – D. D. Runes

(Advertising for Garmin in front of Angkor Wat)
(Standing: Tawfik, Hj Burn, Syawal)
(Sitting: Hj Din, Yati, Mun, Mus, Khitwan, Zali)

Kembara Dana Madrasah Kemboja

Malaysia - Thailand - Laos - Cambodia
Total mileage: 6,900 km

(18 - 31 Oct 2012)

Next Trip: Spain/Morocco 2012..

4NR DMK 2012: 01 KL - Phatthalung, Thailand 👉👉

4NR DMK 2012: 01 KL - Phatthalung, Thailand

"Persistent questioning and healthy inquisitiveness are the first requisite for acquiring learning of any kind..." - Gandhi

(Motorbikes lined-up ready to roll...)

Day 01: 18/10/2012 (Thursday)

Route: KL - Bkt Kayu Hitam - Phatthalung

Distance: 611 km

Hotel: Tawandao Resort Hotel, Phatthalung

The seven DMK riders and two pillions met at Sg Buluh R&R at 0730. Azim, Chon and Syed decided to ride with us until Phatthalung or Cha’am. At Gurun R&R we settled insurance and immigration card. We changed some foreign currencies at our normal coffee shop in Changlun. Border clearance at Bukit Kayu Hitam was smooth. We had late lunch @ Norlela restaurant in Danok then solat at a nearby mosque.

(Our reliable Vulcan 900...)

We reached Phatthalung around 1930 and checked-in Tawandao Resort Hotel. Later we went for dinner at a Muslim roadside stall for meehun soup.

👈👈 2012 Kembara 4NR Dana Madrasah Kemboja...

                  2012 DMK: Phatthalung - Cha-am, Thailand👉👉

4NR DMK 2012: 02 Phatthalung - Cha-am, Thailand

"When a goal matters enough to a person, that person will find a way to accomplish what at first seemed impossible..." - Nido Qubein

(Syed will ride solo to Koh Samui...)

Day 02: 19/10/2012 (Friday)

Route: Phatthalung - Cha-am

Distance: 682 km

Hotel: Cha-am Villa Resort

Everyone had breakfast in the room. We had bread and tuna and hot nescafe. Our ride to Cha-am was smooth. Syed left the group halfway and rode towards Koh samui alone. On the way we had to fix Zali's flat tyre at a petrol station, and the rest had light lunch while waiting. We reached Cha-am around 1930 and went direct for dinner at a muslim tomyam restaurant before checking in Cha-am Villa Resort by the beach.

(Valve problem...)

(Stopped for solat...)

Later that night, we had an hour of body massage to soothe tired muscle.

👈👈 2012 DMK: KL - Pattalung, Thailand 

                   2012 DMK: Cha-am - Udon Thani, Thailand👉👉

4NR DMK 2012: 03 Cha-am - Udon Thani, Thailand

"The tragedy in life doesn't lie in not reaching you goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach..." - Benjamin Mays

(Watching the sunrise at Cha-am beach...)

Day 03: 20/10/2012 (Saturday)

Route: Cha-am – Kamphaeng Saen detour – Udon Thani

Distance: 795 km

Hotel: Ban Chiang Hotel, Udon Thani

(2 riders will ride home...)

We had breakfast of bread and tuna in the hotel room. Azim and Chon split from the gang and rode back to KL. Seven bikes headed towards Udon Thani, a border town between Thailand and Laos. We took a detoured route to avoid entering Bangkok but there was still a massive traffic jam on the way, made worse by road repairs and accidents.

(Accident causing massive traffic jam...)

We stopped at a Masjid Al-Ridwan at Chorat for solat and we were served a hefty lunch by the Masjid people. We reached Udon Thani around 2230 and had a late dinner at a muslim restaurant near a mosque. Checked in Ban Chiang Hotel and my body was so heaty that I slept sweating wet.

(After a delicious lunch...)

👈👈 2012 DMK: Phatthalung - Cha-am, Thailand 

              2012 DMK: Udon Thani - Vientiane, Laos👉👉

4NR DMK 2012: 04 Udon Thani, Thailand - Vientiane, Laos

"You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught in either one..." - John Wooden

(Checking a flat tyre before the start of the journey...)

Day 04:- 21/10/2012 - Sunday

Route: Udon Thani – Nong Khai border - Vientiane

Distance: 80.8 km

Hotel: City Inn, Vientiane

(Riding towards the border...)

(Riding on Friendship Bridge between Thailand and Laos...)

(A welcoming smile...)

(Briani lunch @ Noor Restaurant...)

Checked out at 0600 sharp. From here on a 4x4 vehicle will join us to Cambodia. The bikers were supposed to ride to the border early but were a little delayed to look for Shawal’s misplaced bike key. We managed to reach the border early and beat the morning traffic and busloads of tourists. The border clearing was smooth with little hassle. We went for an early lunch at one Indian Muslim Briyani Restaurant along the Mekong River. We checked in City Inn Vientiane Hotel and had ample time to rest until 1700.

(Riding in Vientiane...)

(A prominent landmark, Pha That Luang)

Late afternoon we went for a walk along Mekong River and watched the beautiful sunset. We bought some souvenirs at the night market and had Nan and Tandoori chicken for dinner.

(Watching the sunset @ Mekong River...)

(The majestic statue of King Anouvong)

Tonight we had another hour of therapeutic body massage...

👈👈2012 DMK: Cha-am - Udon Thani, Thailand

             2012 DMK: Vientiane - Xino, Laos 👉👉

4NR DMK 2012: 05 Vientiane - Xino, Laos

"The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention..." - John Burroughs

(Off-roading for 78km...)

Day 05: 22/10/2012 - Monday

Route: Vientiane - Xino, Laos

Distance: 640 km

Hotel: Lattanaphonephasouk Hotel, Xino

(Dry and dusty...)

(Better part of the route...)

We planned to ride early but the hotel provided breakfast only at 0730. To safe time we took an alternative dusty and rough off-road route of 78km and managed to cross the distance safely. We stopped at a small grocery shop to freshen-up and rest before we proceeded through the normal trunk road. Stopped at Pakxan petrol station for last refueling and rode on towards Pakse. It was already dark and dangerous to ride Laos trunk road at night as you have to be at all time alert of pedestrians, motorists and even cows and dogs crossing the road.

(A 4x4 vehicle following close...)

(Solat time, any where possible...)

(Dangerous riding at night...)

We decided to check-in a hotel in Xino and had simple dinner of white rice with our own food brought from home. Some bikers managed to wash their motorbikes to get rid of mud and dust.

The off-roading made us so tired and tonight we slept like tired dogs...

👈👈 2012 DMK: Udon Thani - Vientiane, Laos

                   2012 DMK: Xino - Siem Reap, Cambodia👉👉

4NR DMK 2012: 06 Xino, Laos - Siem Reap, Cambodia

"The only time you mustn't fail is the last time you try..." - Charles F Kettering

(A good wash after a muddy off-roading...)

Day 06: 23/10/2012 -Tuesday

Route: Xino, Laos - Mukdahan border – Poipet border - Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Distance: 650 km

Hotel: Reaksmey Chenrias Hotel, Siem Reap

(Fast and efficient border clearance...)

(Riding to Thailand border...)

We had breakfast of bread and cold Nescafe. Around 0745 we rode towards the Laos - Thailand border abound 45km away. The Mukdahan immigration clearance was simple and fast. Once we crossed into Thailand we refueled and had breakfast at 7eleven. We rode direct to Poipet immigration Thai - Cambodian border, and clearance was with no hassle, simple and fast.

(Entering Cambodian border...)

(One for the album...)

(The boys doing their break dance...)

When we crossed the border we had to cover our headlamps as running lights are only used for VIPs in Cambodia. We stopped for solat at Cambodia tourism and Cultural Centre and later rode in the heavy rain to Siem Reap. After we checked-in Reaksmey Chenrias Hotel, we went to a restaurant next to the mosque on a tuk-tuk. In Cambodia the motorbike gang needs to pay for ground fees to the organizers for lodging and food.

We had an hour of foot reflexology at a spa next to our hotel...

👈👈 2012 DMK: Siem Reap - Phnom Phen, Cambodia

2012 DMK: Vientiane - Xino, Laos 👉👉

4NR DMK 2012: 07 Siem Reap - Phnom Penh, Cambodia

"Don't let the silly little dramas of each day get you down. For you are here to do great things..."

(Riding into Angkor Wat Complex...)

Day 07: 24/10/2012 -Wednesday

Route: Siem Reap - Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Distance: 350 km

Hotel: World Star Hotel, Phnom Penh

(In front of the main temple...)

(Our last visit here was in 2006...)

We checked out and rode in the drizzle to Restaurant Hj Musa for nasi goreng breakfast. Here, the riders gang forwarded some sumbangan to the Madrasah. We rode to Angkor Wat and requested permission to ride the bikes to the main temple for photo shots. Normally there was a charge of USD20 per entry but we were allowed to pass through without paying for the tickets.

(A typical small town along the way...)

(Bumpy and dusty road leading to the Capital City...)

After some photo shots, we started riding towards Phnom Penh by 1030 through the trunk road. It took us more than 8 hours to reach Phnom Penh because of bad road conditions and some mishaps along the way. Hj Din had to use the toilet at one Primary School. While waiting by the road side Hj Burn's bike fell. Kitwan’s bike fell at one patrol station because of oil spill. Another mishap was when Hj Burn’s bike overshot and fell to avoid an overtaking bus and a big pothole. All was well but Hj Burn suffered a slight bruise on his arm.

We checked-in at World Star Hotel around 1830 after a rough tiring ride on a trunk road full of pot-holes. Later we went for dinner on a tuk-tuk at one Muslim restaurant and after, we had a 2-hour body massage for only USD8 each.

👈👈 2012 DMK: Phnom Penh - Kampot, Cambodia

2012 DMK: Xino, Laos - Siem Reap, Cambodia 👉👉

4NR DMK 2012: 08 Phnom Penh - Kampot, Cambodia

"Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they've got a second..." - William James

(Tired bikers, but still energetic...)

Day 08:  25/10/2012 – Thursday

Route: Phnom Penh - Kampot, Cambodia

Distance: 175 km

Hotel: Heng Reak Smey Guest House, Kampot

We didn't have breakfast and there was no hot water even for a hot Nescafe. Started riding after 0800 and thronged the massive early morning traffic jam. Stopped to refuel and fixed Hj Burn's flat tyre. The mishaps of yesterday’s fall and today”s flat tyre made Hj Burn temperamental and moody even at a simple joke.

It was a leisure ride to Kampot as the road is good. We arrived early and rested at Riverside View Hotel while waiting for the organizer to fetch and bring us to a muslim retaurant for mee soup lunch.

(The Kampot bridge, partly destroyed and rebulit...)

We checked in a Heng Reak Smey Guest House, booked by the DMK organizer. After a short rest we went for a late lunch of prawns and crabs. The group then took a van to Kep Beach to watch the sunset and bought more crabs for dinner later.

(Catching crabs for dinner...)

We took a stroll for dinner at Ustaz Sulaiman's house. After a glass of teh tarik, we walked back to our hotel under the moon shadow of 10 Zulhijjah.

👈👈 Kampot, Cambodia

Siem Reap - Phnom Penh, Cambodia 👉👉

4NR DMK 2012: 09 Kampot, Cambodia

"Sometimes you have to forget what's gone, appreciate what remains, and look forward to what's coming next..."

(Fishermen with their catch...)

Day 09: 26/10/2012 - Friday

Hotel: Heng Reak Smey hotel, Kampot

(Solat Eidil-Adha with the locals...)

(Volunteers and the locals helping each other...)

(A hearty lunch break...)

The bikers group went for solat subuh at Mesjid kg Kendal. We went to watch fishermen unloading their catch of fish, prawns and crabs. We went back to Mesjid Kg Kendal for solat Hari Raya Eidil Adha. Had breakfast of French bread and soup at Ustaz Sulaiman’s house. Went back to the hotel to change into t-shirts and got ready to perform the qurban at Kg Kendal (30), Kg Kedap (43), Kg keh (22) and Kg Krenong (20). There were a total of 250 bulls to be slaughtered and the rest will be done on 2nd and 3rd day of Eidil-Adha at another remote kampungs.

(A 4x4 vehicle in distress...)

(A mosque in Kg. Kedap...)

(A bogota to cart off the qurban to remote kampung...)

(Tired 'penyembelih' taking a break...)

(The makciks watching the qurban from far..)

Dinner was at Ustaz Mohd's house situated near Mesjid kg Kendal.

👈👈 2012 DMK: Kampot, Cambodia - Pattaya, Thailand

2012 DMK: Phnom Phen, Cambodia 👉👉

4NR DMK 2012: 10 Kampot, Cambodia - Pattaya, Thailand

"Go after your dreams, no matter how unattainable others think it is..." - Linda Mastandrea 

(Rough ride on an unpaved road...)

Day 10: 27/10/2012 - Saturday

Route: Kampot – Koh Kong border – Pattaya

Distance: 360 km

Hotel: Furama Beach Hotel, Pattaya

We rode the rough road from Kampot to Koh Kong border passed through the main trunk road and a few national parks. We stopped to rest and eat mangoes and drink sugarcane juice before crossing the bridge to the Koh kong, Cambodia – Hat Lek, Thai Immigration Centre. Again, the border clearance was simple and smooth.

(Clean clear river under the Koh Kong bridge...)

We rode to Pattaya along the beautiful beach road and reached the Furama Beach Hotel already dark. After checking-in we walked around to look for Muslim food and ended up eating at one Persian Restaurant and packed some rice for tomorrow breakfast.

(Pattaya at night...)

We had an hour of foot reflexology at Baht200 each before a good refreshing sleep...

👈👈 2012 DMK: Pattaya, Thailand

2012 DMK: Kampot, Cambodia 👉👉