Route through Malaysia
 

Hi everybody. I'm in Phuket right now and will be making my way to Singapore in a few days. As it stands, I'm in a bit of a hurry and I'd like to get there in about a week.

Two questions:

1) Can anybody recommend a route south to Malaysia? The separatist violence in southern Thailand is a bit worrying and I was wondering which provinces or regions might be best avoided. It looks like the crossing on the main road, through Hat Yai and then Sadao, is my best bet. Or is it?

2) What about the Malaysian route? Again, I've got about 6 days. I have to hit Kuala Lumpur to pick up some equipment, but apart from that I'm totally wide open. Any recommendations? I read somewhere that the tea plantations in the Cameron Highlands make for some excellent riding.

Thanks in advance!

Cheers,
JVM

My info is 3 yrs old, but the trouble in South Thailand seemed to be mostly in its extreme southeast corner, and the main road to Malaysia was just fine. I´ve heard of bombings in Hat Yai, though, but the odds of it happening just that moment, when you´re there, are pretty small.

Cameron Highlands was great, the roads were a bit like North Thailand, but I think the area is not as big. And the big highway south is fast, but boring, as always.

Sipadan Island?? You´re gonna have a hell of a hurry to reach Eastern Malaysia on a bike on a 6-day tour!

If youre gonna do Singapore, it might be an idea to leave the bike in Johor Bahru, and take public transport. Just be careful where you leave it, we heard bikes might get stolen in JB.

Thanks for the information, folks. It looks like I'll probably have to stick to the west coast... sucks that I'm in such a hurry. Anyway, you say that I should probably leave my bike in Johor Bahru and then take a bus or something downtown. Why's that? Bad traffic in Singapore, or a border headache with the bike?

mission impossible
 

If you don,t register and tax your bike for a year you will not be allowed into Singapore(this is v expensive)
We tried to get in last year and got turned back, very politely but deffo turned back!!!!!!!.
We were on UK plated bikes and it wasn,t possible
Jahor is nice place, alot cheaper than Singapore and in my opinion better fun, and so much cheaper to ship the bikes to Austrailia,
the singapoerese come to jahor on Fri nights cos its better fun, cheaper and they can gamble.
Try to do your last leg to Jahor down the south china sea coast, great people and a good road.
Hope this helps Pete n Brucella

Hi Jabez -- thanks for the tips!

Say, for the route south on the South China Sea side, which part is the good one? Kuantan south to Singapore? I guess that's the 'last leg', so that kind of fits. How's the ride eastwards through the mountains from Kuala Lumpur? Looks like there's a major highway cutting through it.

Also, are the Cameron Highlands worth taking a detour through?

Thanks! I have no further questions your honour.

SJ

I visit Malaysia regularly on business and know it very well.

The Thai border to Singpaore is a very easy 1 day ride if you are going straight down the freeway, so you have heaps of fre time if you plan to take 6 days.

Of the many times I've ridden / driven around Malaysia I had the most fun heading east from Alor Setar to Kota Bahru, then follow the east coast south down to Trengannu. You can then head west to the Genting highlands and KL before gently meandering along the west coast via Melaka to Singapore.

The Cameron Highland are only a 2 hour drive north of KL so you could head back up that way too if you really wanted to see it - I really think the north east coast is too beautiful to miss though, so don't take the easy route and head straight to the Cameron Highlands from the Thai border.