The roads in Cambodia are improving at warp-speed. If you stay on the western side of the lake Tonle Sap, the road north from PP to Bat Dambang is new and four lanes wide. My understanding is that it is good all the way to Siem Reab, although did not ride the final bit to Siem Reab. From Bat Dambang to Pailin border crossing also a good, albeit a smaller road.
Ended up on a dirt road on the way south from Bat Dambang towards Koh Kong, which was being repaired and new bridges being built. I assume even this the road is also good by now.
The road PP – Preah Vihear – Ban Bung – Banlung – Senmonorom is in good condition with very little road works going on. Some small stretches mainly down from Banlung with well manageable very short gravel sections. No deep loose gravel or sand.
From Senmonorom to Neak Loeung (Magnificent Tsubasa bridge!), roads 7, 8, 11. Good roads with little roadworks, some minor on rd 8. And monkeys 🙊 on the roadside. No worries riding these roads.
The roads were surprisingly good virtually everywhere with the notable exception – the really bad roads are in the south, closer to Kep and towards Kampot and Sihanoukville and Koh Kong. These roads are under repair and they may by now be really good.
Exiting news! Things going to plan with KymiRing, we can now start looking forward to track races like WTCC, DTM or MotoGP in Finland already in 2026! See kymiring.com
KymiRing is Northern Europe’s only GP Circuit fulfilling the highest requirements of FIM and FIA. The track is 4,5 kilometers long with 21 curves and has an altitude difference of 18 meters. The length of the main straight is 1.1 km – the longest GP straight in Europe.
Finally! I’ve had this ride on my bucket list for a long time. Perhaps I’ve been pressed with time, had not found the right group or the stars just did not align for the trip.
But now, I am taking the time, riding solo and enjoying the adventure!
Mae Hong Son Loop
Mae Hong Son by the western, Myanmar facing border of northern Thailand is the most mountainous region in Thailand and named one (yes, yet another one) of the best motorcycle roads in the world.
Well, I can wholeheartedly confirm that it is a fantastic ride and when it comes to Thailand, Mae Hong Son Loop is literally above the rest – it actually takes you on top of the tallest peak in Thailand, Doi Ithanon!
If you are looking for the two wheels for your ride, I would suggest you head for C&P Big Bike rental shop in Chiang Mai. They have a wide selection of bikes in very good repair, as much as I could see when looking around in the shop. My V-Strom was brand new and when picking up my bike, service was excellent! My earlier correspondence with Ammy was quick in English and Mr Lan got my bike ready on time and as agreed. This is NOT paid promotion but my bid to answer the question everyone seems to be asking – where to get a reliable bike.
The ride on Mae Hong Son Loop usually starts from Chiang Mai and is a multi-day trip. Unless you just power through the route, I would suggest at least four days for just the MHS loop. The distance of the simple MHSLoop from CM to CM as such is not very long, only some 650 km from/to CM but there is a lot to take in, places to see and places to stop en route. Waterfalls, Caves, Elephants, the Kayan Long Neck people from Myanmar, coffee houses and great restaurants on the road side, nice resorts or just admiring the views. Even some party spots for the western tourist, such as Pai. For reference, my trip was 1500km in nine days during which I also did the Golden Triangle and Nan loop. I rode the MHS loop in clockwise direction.
Thailand is rather flat and Doi Ithanon earns the title of the highest peak by reaching the dizzying height of 2,565 meters above sea level. When I say flat, I mean it doesn’t have really high mountains but I do not mean flat as not being hilly, which this road really is. Just up or down AND left or right. Not much flat or even straight sections on these roads!
Due to being so hilly, I feel that the road is best enjoyed with a bike which has a bit more power than an average small scooter. Having said that, there are also a lot of small scooters on the road, ridden mainly by youngsters, even couples often two-up. Presumably more holiday-makers than bikers. I am sure they enjoy their ride – like even those with a bicycle do. But as you are reading my blog, I believe you may be a more experienced biker and to truly get the most out of the route, I recommend something more suitable for the hilly, smooth tarmac. In my case I rode a 2024 model Suzuki V-Strom 650XT adventure bike and it was perfect for the road.
This “mountain” is only about 1100 meters high but a key landmark in Kampot Cambodia. Many remember the road leading to the top as a difficult and rocky dirt road taking a day or even two to ride up. Today it is all tarmac and a leisurely ride on a winding road, filled with tourists, many of which are youngsters on their scooters.
If you wonder what the road is like today, the video is a speedy run through from the main road 3 to the Buddha statue on top.
The structures on the top are eery and in varying condition, hotels, churches, wats, guard posts, resorts, casino, even a former Kings summer residence the Black Palace, etc.
They have been rebuilt a number of times and the seem to have fallen apart equally many times. But that is a completely different story, perhaps in another post. In any case, apart from the ride and the view and the monkeys, they are a good reason to go up and to see for yourself!
It is a few years since I was last time in Cambodia. During my previous visit, I did all the main tourist sites in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Now this time I wanted to venture a bit closer to the regular Cambodian and tour the countryside.
My verdict on the scooter I had for this ride, can be found at the end of this post!
I took this trip without much preparations, as my idea was just to “go for a ride”. Now after Covid-19, it turned out that many bike rentals no longer existed and getting a decent off-road bike was not as easy as before.
Somehow, I thought that it would be a nice idea to do my tour on a scooter “like the locals do”. Bike rentals in Phnom Penh were not very eager to rent a bike for taking it outside PP but I found Victory motorcycle rental (nothing to do with Victory motorcycles!), who were happy to give me a bike – a scooter rather.
Furthermore, I had crossed roads with my old friend Arto, who was touring Asia and had some time available and was keen join me for the ride. Great, now we were two on the road! As a seasoned traveler he was not too bothered with my lack of plans and was happy to go with the flow, deciding next steps based on what we would find ahead.
First thing one notices, as without exception anywhere in Asia, is the rapid development mainly in the cities and key artery roads. This is the case really everywhere, but obviously in a different scale outside the main cities and growth centres.
Heading north, out of Phnom Penh, the new dual lane highway was being finalized. Driving to Battambang (presumably further to Siem Reap as well) will be very quick in the near future. Even now it was quick with only some unfathomable sections where traffic was guided from one side of the road to the other, at times without any visible reason. The obvious outcome was that all vehicles rode on both sides to both directions. Motorbikes usually picking the side with less cars and trucks. Locals also saw the opportunity to dry rice on the closed sun bathing sections of the road.
Our first destination was Kampong Chhnang with the idea of crossing the rivers and to ride the east side of Tonle Sap -lake. That turned out impossible just now – or rather – possible only around February when the marsh and wetlands dry on the other side. Now we would not be able to ride there. Continue reading Cambodia Like The Locals Do – On A Scooter!→
… that elusive day we keep putting good things off to…