7 years of nurturing a plan On the 2nd day of the Lunar New Year 2024 (February 11), Nguyen Tan Thuong (34 years old, in Dau Tieng, Binh Duong province) departed from his hometown, riding a motorbike to Hoa Lu border gate (Binh Phuoc), preparing to enter Cambodia to begin a trip to Singapore by road. At the border gate, Thuong reunited with his close friend Chau Kiet Phuong (30 years old, in Ho Chi Minh City). The two have known each other since 2018 thanks to their shared passion for backpacking and have so far planned many times, riding motorbikes together through provinces and cities in Vietnam and 3 countries Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia. Sharing with VietNamNet reporter, Mr. Thuong said that this is a trip that he has cherished for 7 years to make, after completing the plan to drive a motorbike to Cambodia in 2017 and travel across Thailand in 2022. "Riding a motorbike to the lion island not only takes time and money but also requires a lot of administrative procedures. When driving a motorbike through customs in different countries, I have to present various complicated documents," Mr. Thuong said.

Mr. Thuong often travels to Hoa Lu border gate ( Binh Phuoc ) to enter Cambodia.

To make the "overseas" trip to Singapore by motorbike, he had to travel by road through Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia. From Hoa Lu border gate, Mr. Thuong and Mr. Phuong rode their motorbikes along Tonle Sap Lake (Cambodia's Great Lake) to pass through Poipet border gate, entering Thailand. In the land of pagodas, the two continued to move through Bangkok, stayed one night there, then went to the Malaysian border gate, to Kuala Lumpur. From here, the two Vietnamese men traveled another 350km, crossed the large bridge in Johor Bahru city (Malaysia) to stop in Singapore, the final destination of the journey.

Mr. Thuong checked in at the "death railway" in Kanchanaburi, western Thailand.

The total distance that Mr. Thuong traveled by motorbike from Binh Duong (Vietnam) to Singapore was nearly 2,900km. He estimated that he spent about 70 million VND, of which the travel cost was the most expensive. "Just the paperwork to bring the motorbike to Singapore accounted for 40% of the total cost, ranging from 25 to 30 million VND, not including maintenance and fuel costs," he said. Impressions and memorable experiences In Singapore, Mr. Thuong and his friend spent 3 days exploring and visiting some tourist attractions such as Merlion Park, Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Changi Airport, Singapore Art Science Museum, etc. They also took the opportunity to enjoy many delicious dishes in the island nation such as frog porridge, milk fish noodles, tomyum fish noodles, Hainanese chicken rice.

Binh Duong boy spends 3 days sightseeing and having fun in Singapore before returning to Vietnam

He said he was very impressed with the road system in Singapore. Here, all signs and traffic lanes are designed in a systematic and easy-to-observe manner. Although impressed with the convenient traffic system and fresh air in Singapore, he admitted that finding a parking space here to rest or check the navigation map is very difficult. Because each central route often has no stopping or no parking signs, it is difficult for drivers to stop and look at the map. Driving here is also difficult because of the large number of vehicles participating in traffic. Due to language barriers, Mr. Thuong got lost 2-3 times in Singapore. After that, he decided to leave his vehicle and travel by train to tourist destinations.

Anh Thuong stopped to check-in on a road in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Not only Singapore, the Binh Duong man was also overwhelmed by the infrastructure and roads in Malaysia with highways that allow both motorbikes and cars to travel at a speed of 110 km/h. While traveling in Malaysia, Mr. Phuong's car ran out of coolant but luckily they were assisted by local friends in a timely manner so the trip was not affected.

Mr. Thuong (yellow shirt) and Mr. Phuong (blue shirt) take pictures with new friends who share the same passion for backpacking in Malaysia.

Regarding accommodation, Mr. Thuong said that a room in Thailand costs from 400,000 VND to 500,000 VND per night, including all amenities. In Singapore, the cost of accommodation is very expensive. “Luckily, many Vietnamese people in Singapore support me with accommodation, so I don’t have to spend a lot of money on renting a room in this country,” he said.

The young man was touched by the affection of the Vietnamese community in Singapore for their enthusiastic support during his time exploring the lion island.

The Vietnamese guest also praised the cuisine in Thailand with many delicious and appetizing dishes. Mr. Thuong revealed that he aims to continue conquering China and Myanmar by motorbike in the future. Difficulties and things to note during the trip When asked about the difficulties on the road, Mr. Thuong said that almost the entire journey went smoothly, only encountering obstacles in paperwork. A few times in Thailand, he had to present the necessary documents requested by the local police. Or at the Malaysian border gate, when entering the country, he encountered some difficulties and had to carefully prepare all the information to answer the customs officers. "In Thailand and Singapore, I could not contact the authorities directly to get a motorbike pass but had to search and contact the service provider. After that, I provided them with the necessary documents such as passport, driver's license, vehicle registration," he said. Having a background in the car repair business and having had many experiences traveling by motorbike, Mr. Thuong did not encounter any problems with his special “companion” this time. Before the trip, he also maintained the car thoroughly. Parts such as tires, brake pads, and brakes were all completely replaced. In addition, he also brought necessary equipment, in case of an accident on the road.

Mr. Thuong admits that he is a simple eater and adapts easily, so he has no difficulty traveling in different countries. In the picture is the frog porridge and chicken rice that he enjoyed in Singapore.

During the trip, he drove an average of 8 hours a day. The weather in the countries he passed through was hot and sunny, so he always brought water with him. Regarding driving experience, the Vietnamese tourist said that if he wanted to travel by motorbike, everyone should equip themselves with some basic foreign language to communicate. In addition, unlike many places, drivers in Malaysia and Singapore have to fill up their own gas. When traveling in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, vehicles drive on the left lane at high speeds, so it is quite dangerous for Vietnamese tourists who are used to driving on the right. Therefore, when participating in traffic in these countries, tourists should limit sightseeing while driving, and focus on observing turns. When in the left lane, they should go straight or turn left, do not signal to turn right suddenly to avoid surprising the vehicles behind, which can easily lead to accidents.

Photo: Thuong Nguyen

Vietnamnet.vn

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/chang-trai-binh-duong-chi-70-trieu-vuot-2-900km-bang-xe-may-den-singapore-2294833.html