Road Cycling Bangkok to Phuket

We ride a total of 849 km over 9 cycling days. With the exception of a transfer out of Bangkok on Day 1 and from Sarasin Bridge to our resort in Phuket on Day 9, all of our rides are point-to-point. After an inland warm-up ride in the countryside of Phetchaburi Province, the first stage of the tour (days 2-6) takes us down the east coast where views over the Gulf of Thailand and towering coconut palms are never far out of sight. The riding is predominantly flat until we hit the second stage (days 7-8) where the terrain gets progressively more hilly, crowned by a climb and descent along the edge of Khao Sok National Park. Stage 3 (Day 9) takes us along the Andaman Coast to Phuket which, compared to the east coast, is more rugged and undulating. This journey is not just about testing your endurance on a road bike, but also experiencing the beauty of peninsular Thailand, from sandy beaches, serene Buddhist temples and lush agrarian hinterlands to towering karst formations, dense rainforests, and vibrant local markets. In the afternoons, there is usually plenty of time for R&R in our well-appointed tour hotels and resorts, all but one having pools.

The trip is fully supported, and your guide’s expert knowledge of the area and terrain means that you always know what is coming up in terms of distance and difficulty. This makes a tremendous difference, as does the constant supply of water and refreshments along the way.

Suitability: This tour is ideal for experienced road cyclists comfortable with long, back-to-back riding days. The first stage is predominantly flat with a few undulations, though you’ll encounter some false flats. Day 8 is the toughest as we cross to the west coast, navigating some hills, and the final day features steady undulations towards Phuket. There is no rest day, but distances have been carefully calibrated so that the two sets of 100+ km rides are cushioned by shorter ones. The main challenge of the tour is keeping up stamina and cycling in the tropical heat. Less experienced riders are welcome but should prepare for the long distances, aiming to maintain a steady pace. The support vehicle is always nearby to offer refuge to any weary cyclists.

Biking Conditions: On this tour we ride mostly along well-paved secondary roads that hug the coast or pass through agricultural areas, including coconut groves and rubber and oil palm plantations. Occasionally, we also veer onto narrow country lanes where potholes, road debris, and patches of gravel can be common. There are a few sections on busier streets near towns and cities as well as time spent on main provincial roads, which can be either unavoidable or used tactfully to cover distances more quickly. There is usually a wide shoulder to ride on and, while they can be busier in more populated areas, become noticeably quieter in rural regions. While we have scheduled our departures to avoid the wettest months of the year, showers can occur at any time. We generally ride rain or shine, but based on the guide’s discretion or your comfort level, modifications to the planned route can be made. It’s all part of the adventure!

Accommodation: In areas with a well developed tourism infrastructure such as Pranburi, Khao Lak, and Phuket, we stay in deluxe, character-rich hotels at the 4 star level. You can expect elevated comfort, professional staff, swimming pools, bars, spas (either at the hotel or nearby), and breakfast spreads worth waking up early for. Other hotels, while still more than adequate for hard-working cyclists, are geared more towards domestic Thai rather than international tourists, meaning that English-speaking staff or Western breakfast options won’t always be available. Coffee often comes in the instant variety, though usually there is an option to pay for a fresh brew. Your guide will always be reachable should there be any lost-in-translation moments, we can complement the more basic breakfasts with our own refreshment provisions, and good quality coffee is never too far out of reach. Many of the hotels on this tour are directly on or nearby a beach, which is always a highlight! Please be aware that some older properties, while charming, may show signs of wear and tear, and the service pace in Thailand can generally be more relaxed than you might be accustomed to. For larger groups, we may need to use more than one accommodation and, in case of limited availability, switch to an alternative property from the one listed in the itinerary.

Bikes

Because some people can't imagine going on a trip without their own beloved bicycle, we do not provide them as part of this tour. However, you can hire bikes locally for the price listed in the tour pricing section. If you bring your own bike, please make sure it is a road bike in good mechanical order.

Bike Repairs

Basic spares and tools are carried by the guide and on the support vehicle, though we cannot guarantee having spares for every conceivable problem. Carrying a basic tool kit, a spare tube and a pump while riding is recommended.

Safety

Wearing a helmet is required on all our biking adventures and is non negotiable. If you do not wear a helmet you will not be allowed to cycle. Your tour leader is trained in first aid and emergency rescue, but to a large degree you must be responsible for your own safety while riding. It is therefore compulsory that you take out travel insurance that will cover you for a mountain biking tour.

Guides

You will be led by a local English-speaking guide and if the group is 9 people or more we will add another guide to the tour. All our guides are well informed in the history, culture and religions of the area where you are biking and are skilled at passing that knowledge on to you. Your guide is also medically trained and an experienced cyclist, able to handle most minor repairs en route.

If this is the tour for you here's what you need to do to confirm your place:

FLEXIBLE BOOKING CONDITIONS

CONFIRMING YOUR BOOKING

Just complete our online booking form or send your booking details offline (email or post), and we will confirm your participation. No deposit is needed to confirm your place on a SpiceRoads tour.

You are advised to read our Booking Conditions in full before you make your payment and should you require further clarifications of any of the conditions below, please email us or call our office.

TRIP STATUS

There is a minimum number of participants (usually 2) required to enable the trip to go ahead. Once the minimum number is reached, the trip status will change from 'Available' to 'Guaranteed to Depart'. Once a trip is guaranteed to depart you are free to book your flights and make other travel arrangements. If the trip status is ‘Limited’ will mean we have only a small number of spaces available for booking. If you are unsure about the trip status, please email us or call our office.

BOOKING ONLINE

From the tour page, click the 'Book Now' link. All departures for this tour will appear, just select the date you'd like to travel. For the next steps, you'll need to know the names of the people travelling. If you wish you can also provide extra details such as passport numbers, height (for bike hire), or you can add that later by logging into Manage My Trip (we'll set up an account for you automatically if you don't already have one). Our system will contact you from time to time to fill in the missing information, as it will be required before departure. However, if the trip that you are booking offers a child discount, you will have to fill out the date of birth of each rider (so we can calculate the appropriate discount).

If you are having any problems please send us an email, or give us a call (+66 026 3295) and one of our travel specialists will assist you with your booking.

BOOKING OFFLINE

Just call us or send an email indicating which trip you want to join and we will happily send you a list of questions and process your booking for you.

DEPOSITS AND PAYMENTS

We do not require a deposit or full payment to book a place for you on a tour.

The balance of the tour’s cost (final invoice) will need to be paid 60 days before the departure date with fees for any bicycle rental(s), single supplement(s) and extra hotel nights.

In the case where a booking is made when there are less than 60 days until the tour departure date, the tour’s cost should be paid in full within 72 hours of receiving an invoice from SpiceRoads. Payment can be made by credit card using our online payment gateway or by bank transfer. When making payment online you will need to confirm that you have read these booking conditions during the "checkout" process, which equates to agreeing to the terms of services and stipulations as indicated in this document.

In all cases, tour fees need to be paid “in full” before participation in a tour. No person(s) will be allowed to join a tour without fully settling their invoice and receiving a confirmation number from SpiceRoads.

The exception can be made for last-minute miscellaneous fees that can be paid locally (visas, additional local hotel bookings, etc.) can be settled on the day of arrival.

FULL FLEXIBILITY FOR TOUR CANCELATIONS

If the tour is cancelled or postponed by SpiceRoads because we didn't make the trip numbers and the tour can’t run, we will make a full cash refund (by bank transfer or on your credit card).

If the tour is cancelled for any other reason, including due to Covid related travel restrictions, we will give you a full credit (with no deductions for admin or any other small-print item) to use on any SpiceRoads tour with no time limit. (Exceptions being flights, special permits and other non-refundable items and these will be advised when booking the trip).

Before paying for your tour, you can cancel your booking with no charge and up until 40 days before departure, you can change your booking to another travel date or move your booking onto another SpiceRoads tour with no charges.

If you need to cancel after you have made full payment, please see our cancellation policy.

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