Betong Thailand Ride
For those who have not been to Thailand or never been to the rustic border town Betong, this is your ride ! For those who have never tried long distance ride, this may be your real test ! But be forwarned, it's not coasting all the way to Betong...
Riding from Penang to Betong is not only tiring but can be boring and harzardous, especially along the Kulim to Baling stretch where traffic can be quite heavy at times.
The roads along the noctorious section where Innokom factory is located are not only narrow but cars tend to speed ! Watch out for small cars with retrofitted exhaust, they would zip in and out and scare the hell out of you. And also look out for bloody noisy trucks; I would suggest you pull to the side when you spot a big truck coming from behind (a mirror may come in very handy)
Baling is a nice small town. It's a good place to stop for a cuppa before the painful ascend to Keroh.
From Keroh town (Pengalan Hulu) at the main traffic junction turn left, it's about 3-4 km to border crossing. Pay rm 2 to get the clerks at the Thai immigration to fill up your immigration form and the rest is a breeze... From the Thai immigration office its another 4-5 km to Betong town.
Betong is a small rustic border town. Most of the resident can speak Mandarin or Cantonese or Malay. You can use Ringgit or Thai Bath. But with the current exchange hovering at about 9 Bath to 1 Ringgit the Thais prefer to be paid in Bath.
If you still have the energy and spirit to ride when you arrive in Betong after your 100km struggle, you can join the local MTB group for a ride around Betong and a likely round trip to the tunnel up in the hills. My contact in Betong Ah Seng and his mates are very fit and rides almost everyday in the evening. They are a bunch of very easy going and friendly riders. If you want to meet up and join their evening ride, let me know before hand so that I can link you up with them.
What else is good in Betong? Ah ya, the hot spring along the way to the tunnel. You can dip your sore legs in the boiling spring water for free.. And the food is good. Not forgetting the cheap beer. My favorite is Kau Man Cai (chicken rice) The tasty skinny free roaming chicken is unbeatable ! Any recommened place to put up? Yes, absolutely. The riverside guesthouse is my favorite. At rm 60 per night and nestle in a quiet part of the town, it's a steal ! But if you prefer the cosy 4 star comfort, the new Mandarin hotel at rm 120 per night is great value!
Will continue to update this page, stay tuned....
ps: Will talk about alternate route to Betong and a detour to Sedim park.
Sedim is somwhere between Kulim and Baling. You can do water rafting or frolic in the cool stream
(Pool is 15 feet deep !)
Regards,
Daniel 1/2/2010 10am
