BENGALURU: Bangalore to Bangkok – a ride 7,000 km across India, Myanmar and Thailand on a 110cc motorcycle. What does it take to embark on a 28-day road trip across three nations? Physical fitness and an extensive training on the complete workings of the motorcycle. You are expected to drop your kids off to school on a 110cc commuter bike, go to work maybe, but I decided to take my destination a little further, about 7,000 km further.
I am all set to conquer the tri-nation ride on the 110cc commuter bike, perhaps the first to take on this challenge.
Every bike is designed for a specific purpose. You take it out of its comfort zone and you realise the capabilities of it.
The revelation to attempt a journey of this magnitude came to me when I managed to take a below-100cc bike across the Rann of Kutch on a blistering afternoon to within 700 metres of the Indo-Pak border at Vighakote. My resolve to attempt this journey was further heightened when I heard of the new Indo-Myanmar-Thailand highway on social media, the internet was abuzz with this ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ and ‘bucket-list’ ride. Having done my fair share of the Himalayan circuit, I wanted to do something I hadn’t done before.
The route I am following on my way to Bangkok is through one of the most exotic travel destinations in the country.
Through the brilliance of Konark in Odisha and onwards to Darjeeling. I will travel through almost the entire north-east including Assam, Nagaland and Manipur before getting onto Myanmar.
A 10-day ride, through Myanmar with world-heritage sites like Bagan and stellar Mandalay, is sure to give great photographs.
I am eagerly looking forward to the boat-excursion on Inle -Lake in Myanmar which also happens to be Myanmar’s first designated place of World Network of Biosphere Reserves. I am also hopeful of doing a Hot-air Balloon ride amidst the 10,000 pagodas in Bagan.
The paperwork was tough. With an international ride on board and overland crossings into Myanmar and Thailand, it took close to 2 months.
Arunabh flagged off from Bengaluru on Christmas day 2015. You can follow his ride on his Facebook page.