Klong Bukalo

I am currently staying at the Somerset Lake Point Apartments, near the centre of Bangkok. My apartment is on the 17th floor with incredible views (especially at night time). I even have my own balcony, kitchen with microwave, hotplates, utensils, boiling water dispenser, large screen TV, spacious room, table and chairs, lounge suite, desk, huge bed, modern bathroom and even a set of bathroom scales. What a bargain for about $60 a night including buffet breakfast. I would gladly stay here again. The room is cleaned and serviced daily and I even have my own washing machine for washing and drying my clothes.

Bangkok is a huge city of over 10 million people. Some would come and take a quick look at one small part ad decide that it is not for them. On the other hand, if you take the time to explore numerous parts of the city, you will find that it really can be a very interesting place to visit. The centre of the city is clean and the taxis are air conditioned and very cheap (most trips are under $4). The shopping centres are HUGE, making ours look small by comparison. When walking around Bangkok you will find that space on the footpaths is very rare as these are used for outdoor eating, motor bike parking, market stalls, eateries, roadside vendors, storage of boxes, just about anything. If you want to walk anywhere you will find yourself often walking on the edge of the road.

The biggest challenge here is the heat and the humidity. Even well after dark the temperature hovers around 35C with steaming humidity to make you feel like you are in a sauna. After several days I am starting to acclimatise a little but I am very grateful for air conditioning. It will be a shock to get back to a Melbourne winter.

This has been a very successful trip, especially the ride in Bhutan. I am sure that if others had realised just how amazing Bhutan is, they would have been keen to share this adventure with us. When I get back to Australia I only have two months before I leave for Europe with 20 others for our next French ride along the Loire.Read more