Some of the best bike tours in Asia, from Japan to Taiwan, for free wheeling fun
- The pandemic has inspired people around the world to get on their bicycles and two-wheeled tours look set to boom
- Stints in the saddle allow cyclists to experience countries like South Korea, India and Sri Lanka from a different perspective
Cycling is enjoying a coronavirus-induced boom. From Milan to Kolkata, and New York to Melbourne, cities are investing in pop-up bike lanes. The British government has committed £2 billion (HK$19.33 billion) as part of a cycling and walking package aimed at reducing carbon footprints and waistlines, and even the authorities in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, have introduced a bike-sharing initiative and installed cycle paths.
As cycling converts realise how much fun they are having on two wheels, there’s likely to be a corresponding increase in the demand for bike-based adventures. Here are some Asian cycle touring ideas and DIY itineraries to whet your appetite.
A land of sweltering heat and traffic jams, the Indian state of Kerala is also stunningly scenic. Cycle-tour operators wisely whisk their guests up into the Western Ghats mountains to ride on exhilarating single-track terrain that independent pedallers won’t find by accident. Stints in the saddle are combined with sightseeing breaks and a “give back to the community” philosophy means day-to-day spending is in locally owned tea shops, restaurants and hotels.
Rides begin high above sea level in towns such as Kuttikkanam (1,100 metres) and Munnar (1,532 metres), and make use of paths created 150 years ago by colonial planters searching for new lands to cultivate. The climbs are followed by adrenaline-pumping descents that corkscrew through cardamom, rubber and pineapple plantations and test riders’ bike-handling skills to the limit.
A three-hour bus or ferry ride from Hong Kong, the Unesco World Heritage Site of Kaiping and surrounding villages are renowned for unusual late 19th and early 20th century castle houses. Built with money sent from emigrant relatives, the fortified multistorey structures served as flood refuges and forts to keep bandits at bay. Some of these diaolou (watchtowers) are open to the public and even have original furnishings.
Life in Kaiping county, Guangdong province, goes on much as it always has: animals are reared and fields cultivated. Cycle tours are popular, when the border is open, with weekenders (and school groups) from Hong Kong. A typical three-day, 150km loop takes in bamboo forests, fish ponds, ancestral halls and ornamental gardens.
Cycling overachiever South Korea has made huge investments in infrastructure, making it possible to travel across the country without leaving a dedicated bike path. Mountainous terrain covers 70 per cent of the northeast Asian nation but you’ll pedal past rice paddies and Buddhist temples in the fertile foothills.
Crime rates are low in the Land of the Morning Calm and eager-to-please locals are more likely to come to your aid than steal your wheels. Korean winters are harsh but you can leave it late in the year (might November be too soon to see a resumption of flights from Hong Kong?) for a five-day, 244km ride around Jeju Island. The coastal perimeter road takes cyclists past inviting beaches and waterfalls, spectacular volcanic landscapes and tangerine fields that stretch into the distance. The route is mostly flat and the only risk to safety comes from seaweed left out on the roads to dry.
Thailand seems to have a themed cycling itinerary for every taste. Choose from temple tours and off-road rainforest rides, eco adventures and visits to national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, followed by lunch (and perhaps an overnight stay) in a hill tribe village.
Thailand is hot and humid so departures in the cool of dawn are the norm. Another way to beat the heat is to join excursions originating in the northern city of Chiang Mai that make a beeline for the northern highlands. If that sounds too demanding, sign up for a half day “bike and cook” tour. These excursions combine a Chiang Mai cycle ride (back lanes only) with a visit to a market to select ingredients for a cookery lesson at the chef’s home.
Cycling in lowland Sri Lanka is hot, sticky and tiring, so head for the hills. Sure, some of the climbs aren’t for the weak of calf but the pay-off is crisp, cool air. Besides, operators can usually arrange for hill-weary cyclists to hop on a train if legs become leaden. Roads can be chaotic and congested – less so the higher into the hinterland you venture, and it helps that tour leaders know all the quiet roads.
Itineraries include visits to Hindu temples and tea estates that offer sightseeing tours and comfortable sleeping accommodation. Be warned, if you manage to reach the former British hill station of Nuwara Eliya (1,890 metres), the nights are distinctly chilly. It may be the only time you sit beside a log fire so near the equator.
For an ambitious two-country tour, consider a Hanoi (Vietnam) to Luang Prabang (Laos) trip. The 633km adventure takes riders high into the Hoang Lien Son range, home to Mount Fansipan, Indochina’s tallest peak. From there, the road continues past terraced paddy fields and thick jungle to Tram Ton Pass, Vietnam’s highest mountain road.
The 13-day route winds through river gorges and sleepy villages inhabited by ethnic minority groups to Dien Bien Phu, where Vietnamese forces defeated the French in 1954. Across the Lao border are more remote settlements in a region largely undiscovered by tourism. The last leg follows the Nam Ou River until it meets the mighty Mekong, about 30km from Unesco gem and final destination, Luang Prabang.
Like South Korea, Taiwan is geared up for cyclists. An extensive network of bike lanes and scenic trails presents a variety of two-wheeled challenges. The ride from Luodong to Lishan takes pedallers from the coast through beautiful countryside to the mountainous interior. If that sounds too strenuous, head for the island’s subtropical southern tip, where the white sandy beaches, turquoise waters and coral reefs of Kenting National Park are reminiscent of Thailand.
Inland, crystal-clear blue waters draw sightseers to Sun Moon Lake. Completing the three-hour waterside circuit forms part of the so-called Taiwan triathlon, along with swimming across the lake and hiking up Jade Mountain.
A number of cycle holiday companies offer Japanese onsen (hot springs) tours, which incorporate rides through areas of natural beauty and history with an opportunity to soothe aching limbs in an onsen at the end of each day.
Routes include the forested uplands of Kyushu’s Kunisaki Peninsula, with its Buddhist temples and samurai castles, and a wilderness loop of Japan’s northernmost island, Hokkaido. Overnight stops are at traditional inns where delicious food is served up for ravenous riders. Tours have a support vehicle, bike mechanic and bilingual group leader, who comes in handy in rural Japan.
