Hsieh Nizhen takes a vicarious, round-the-globe ride through the tales of bike fanatics, and discovers why two-wheel travel – motorised and otherwise – is taking over 



A mud-speckled bicycle adorned with flag stickers and loaded with panniers leaned precariously against the wall of a narrow alley that led to my hostel in Damascus. Next to me, the cobbled artery of Souq Saroujah, a popular backpacking district, had been repaved in time for spring. I looked, puzzled, at the bike and the laneway. How often (and why) had the cyclist navigated this once-unfriendly terrain? This bicycle was not the first of its kind I had seen during my sojourn in the region. Since crossing the border from Turkey into Syria, I’d come across many travellers (mainly Europeans) on bicycles and motorcycles, en route from Europe to Africa via the Middle East. 

A friend of mine who had been backpacking in Luang Prabang, Laos, shared a similar encounter when he stumbled upon a 4x4 with a Singapore licence plate. Baffled as to how it got there, he was even more bemused when he finally met the driver, Eddie Keng, a 57-year-old businessman. Keng has been going on regular motorbike and 4x4 trips since the ’90s, so much so that he cannot recall when and where he travelled, and on what – the signs of a seasoned adventurer. He journeyed through Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Burma (now Myanmar). He has even gone as far as Shangri-La – no, not the fictional paradise described by James Hilton in Lost Horizon, but the equally exotic one in the Yunnan province, near the Tibet/China border. He embarked on all the above escapades from Singapore on his own set of wheels. ‘The idea of seeing a country is not flying from point A to point B and then seeing its sights. To me, that is artificial,’ says Keng. ‘The best way to see a country is to go through it.’ And that’s exactly what he did. 

As it turns out, the owner of the bike in Damascus has also adopted the same ‘go through it’ approach. His much more extensive journey began in Nagasaki, Japan, where he taught English for two years. In 2005, he started cycling through Korea, Tibet, Nepal, India, Central Asia, Iran, eastern Turkey and now, Syria. His final destination? Dorset, England – home. No small feat for 29-year-old Peter Gostelow, who has spent the last 2½ years on the road with a tent, cooking equipment, a paltry first-aid kit, a journal and a set of clothes that have seen better days. When asked why he decided to go on this marathon ride, he merely shrugged and said, ‘It’s always been something I’ve wanted to do.’ Fair enough. 

Back in Singapore, the encounter with this Englishman and other freewheeling individuals stayed with me. I was eager to know if this intrepid mindset existed here. For 33-year-old writers Sudhir Vadaketh and Sumana Rajarethnam, the motivation to embark on a bicycle trip stemmed from the desire to pursue a story. In 2004, they set off on a one-month expedition through Malaysia. Their goals were to explore the backroads, villages and wilds of Singapore’s northern neighbour, to meet the people and experience their way of life, and to examine its politics (in particular its historically tumultuous relationship with Singapore). 

What began as an economical mode of transport ended up becoming an integral part of their journey. ‘We were connected to it and dependent on it. It was our tool,’ says Vadaketh. During their trip, Vadaketh and Rajarethnam worked odd jobs in exchange for food. When they couldn’t find shelter, compassionate locals offered up their kampongs. Vadaketh says they would not have had the stories they were seeking if they had not been on bicycles. ‘We were more approachable,’ he adds. Their choice of transport gave them access to people in an intimate way that whizzing through on a bus or car could not have. 

While not everyone has the time, energy or resources for such extensive and autonomous travel, there are many companies that organise affordable and manageable guided bicycle and motorcycle tours within South-East Asia. The routes, prices and itineraries are customisable to the season, and the trip can be tailored according to the level of experience. Bangkok-based SpiceRoads (www.spiceroads.com) offers educational biking itineraries for locations across the region. Motorbike Thailand (www.motorbikethailand.com) takes you down trails and roads in regions undisturbed by busloads of rowdy tour groups in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. 

You don’t need to be at your peak (physically or fiscally) to try an alternative holiday – one that emphasises the traveller over the tourist. Take it from Keng: even though age is slowly catching up, he has not stopped his long-distance adventures. Instead, he has traded in his Honda Gold Wing for a sturdier 4x4. ‘My joints can’t take it any more but if things were different, I’d be riding a basic 250cc motorbike,’ he says. ‘No frills, just me and the elements.’ 

American writer Mark Twain said it best: ‘Explore. Dream. Discover.’