Bangkok to Big Mountain

Bangkok’s Siam Paragon mega mall was the most Instagram-ed place of 2013, probably due to its status as a focal point for the recent protests in Thailand’s capital.

Yet, it didn’t need much help since it’s thronged by hordes of shoppers on normal days anyway, which reflects the popular idea of a Thai holiday as one of arm-straining shopping, great food and cheap massages.

But you don’t have to travel all the way north to Chiang Mai to enjoy the opposite in Thailand’s considerable natural forests and mountain scenery.

Khao Yai National Park is Thailand’s third-largest nature reserve and is only 200km north-west of the capital.

We travelled from Bangkok to Khao Yai by motorcycle (see Adventure time on next page) and car, and it was an easy three-hour drive, including lunch and food stops. While Bangkok’s traffic is legendarily slow, it’s smooth-flowing once you are out of the central area and the contrast between the rural and urban couldn’t be greater.

The name Khao Yai means “big mountain” in Thai and that means it delivers three magical ingredients for a great road trip: Good weather, interesting roads and lovely views.

The national park roads are among the best in South-east Asia, being well-paved and well-planned. Avid drivers and riders will enjoy the fast and flowing bends, climbs and dips with few tricky curves or tight corners to worry about.

The park is 2,168 sq km, or roughly thrice the area of Singapore, and is full of wildlife. In fact it’s so large that tigers were only recently rediscovered there.

Further up the mountain, the scenery is stunning and the weather becomes temperate, feeling more like Australia or New Zealand than Southeast Asia, and there are numerous photo opportunities.

We took a short route through the park that lasted less than an hour but saw tortoises, deer and macaques. In fact, we were barely ten minutes into the park when most breathtaking of all, we came face to face with a wild bull elephant grazing at the side of the road.

It requires more effort than retail therapy at Siam Paragon, but you’ll probably gain much with Khao Yai’s experience of the wilder side of Thailand.

What:

Khao Yai National Park

khaoyaiguide.com

How to get there:

Hire a car or motorcycle near Bangkok and ride/drive in.

What to do:

Visit waterfalls, watch cave bats and other wildlife on night tours, mountain biking, rafting, and tasting at vineyards and coffee plantations.

Be careful of:

Elephants and other wildlife crossing the road and elephant poop.

Where to stay:

Outside Khao Yai there are numerous resorts ranging from hostels to superb resorts like Kirimaya Resort and Golf Club.

What to eat:

Try the fabulous ham steak at Krua Khao Yai.

Adventure Time

BMW’s R 1200 GS injects adventure into your life while foregoing much of the pain

The R 1200 GS is the best-selling BMW motorcycle around the world, thanks to Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman’s own televised two-wheeled adventures which, together with the GS, jump-started a whole new segment.

The GS you see here has undergone a major transformation - it’s the first time the venerable flat-twin ‘boxer’ engine uses water cooling. Traditionalists will fuss, but the bike is more powerful and efficient for it.

Yet the most valuable thing about the GS, which explains its popularity, is how easy it is to ride.

It’s not a small bike, at nearly 240kg, but a light clutch, easy throttle and perfect balance means it’s a cinch to throw around at almost any speed. Such ease of use also proves very useful in case you meet wildlife that’s much bigger than you.

The suspension and seating position are also terribly amenable, making light work of high-speed, long-distance runs and cocooning the rider from weather and bad road conditions.

The bike’s also packed with techno-trickery in the form of variable riding modes (Dynamic for more instant response, full power and so on) and button-adjustable suspension, but it also wins brownie points for simple, clever ideas like a height-adjustable seat.

All in all, it’s the sort of bike that lives up to its premise of adventure, one that could just as easily take you to Changi as it could China — rider depending.

BMW R 1200 GS

Engine type 1,170cc, 8V, flat-twin

Max power 115bhp at 7,750rpm

Max torque 125Nm at 6,500rpm

0 to 100km/h No Data

Top speed over 200km/h

Wet Weight 238kg

Seat Height 850-870mm

Price S$38,000 (machine price)