From Saigon to Singapore, the GlobeRiders Indochina Expedition is an 8000-mile adventure through Southeast Asia by motorcycle. Ride through Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia, experiencing the bustling cities, back roads, floating markets, and ancient temples. Hosted by author Helge Pedersen (Ten Years on Two Wheels) and Chris Poland.
Crossing boundaries in culture, politics and geography, the riders struggle with bad roads, breakdowns, accidents and fatigue, always looking for a new discovery around the next corner. From the dense urban jungles of Saigon, Hanoi and Bangkok to remote hill tribe villages in Northern Vietnam, the 8000-mile motorcycle expedition from Saigon to Singapore reveals a landscape beyond the normal tourist map of Southeast Asia.
Highlights from the incredible adventure include:
Episode 1: Southern Vietnam – The Indochina Expedition begins in Seattle, Washington as Helge Pedersen, Chris Poland and Sterling Noren make preparations to begin a 70-day motorcycle tour across Southeast Asia. There’s clothing to pack, bikes to set up, and lots of paperwork. This is the first time that foreign registered motorcycles have ever been imported into Vietnam and then exported out of the country. After two years of preparations, they fly to Ho Chi Minh City to get the expedition started.
The first impression of Saigon: heat, humidity and crazy traffic. Millions of two-wheeled scooters buzz continuously around the streets of the city. While waiting for customs to clear the motorcycles, the crew heads out by boat to explore the Mekong Delta, stopping at floating farmer’s markets and craft workshops along the way. After the bikes are released from a long ordeal with customs officials, the expedition heads to Dalat, in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.
Episode 2: Central Vietnam – Leaving the seaside resort of Nhatrang, the GlobeRiders Indochina Expedition heads up into the highlands of Central Vietnam. This is an area seldom visited by tourists and home to a significant hill tribe population. Highlights from the area include spectacular mountain roads lined with coffee and rubber tree plantations and the largest waterfall in Vietnam. A late afternoon rice harvest on the side of the road is a peaceful look into a local Vietnamese tradition.
The rainy season is in full swing, and the roads at night can be dangerous, but Chris survives a minor mishap on the way to Kon Tum. After experiencing the charm of Hoi An, an ancient city on the coast, the expedition stops at a local high school to learn about the Vietnamese educational system. Then it’s on to Hue, the ancient capitol on the Perfume River.
On the way north, an exploration of the canal system used to irrigate crops and fish farms across the country, and a brief visit to the DMZ – the historic border between the northern and southern parts of the country during the war.
Episode 3: Northern Vietnam & Laos – Leaving the congestion of Hanoi, the expedition heads for the mountainous northern part of Vietnam to explore an area known for its hill tribe population. In Sapa, they visit a traditional Black Hmong village and learn about the daily life and living conditions in this isolated part of the country.
The road to Dien Bien Phu is a spectacular journey through high, lush mountains, but not without peril. Chris is attacked by a Malaysian sun bear outside of the hotel and gets stitched up at a local hospital. Muddy roads almost defeat the team, but they push on to Mai Chau, discovering an oasis of beauty and tranquility before heading into Laos.
Difficulties at the border force the team to accept accommodation in a communist barracks – the only lodging in town. When they finally make it into Laos, they discover a country that is far less populated and developed. The Pathet Lao caves offer a glimpse into the tragic past of America’s “secret war” with Laos, as does a trip through Phonsavan with its mysterious Plain of Jars and legacy of unexploded ordinance. Luang Prabang is the spiritual heart of Indochina and the place to head up the Mekong River to Whiskey Village and the Cave of One-Thousand Buddhas. It’s also the place to watch saffron robed monks receiving their daily alms in the morning.
Episode 4: Cambodia – After leaving the capitol of Laos, the expedition makes its way south to Cambodia, stopping along the way to visit temples and portage their motorcycles across the Mekong on small rafts.
In Phnom Phen, the capitol of Cambodia, the team goes to the Stung Meanchey Municipal Waste Dump to witness the families who make their living sorting through the refuse. Then they ride to the Killing Fields and learn about Cambodia’s tragic past during the reign of Pol Pot and the Khymer Rouge.
A journey south to the coast is a refreshing opportunity to see a vibrant seaside crab market populated with the hustle and bustle of fishermen and hundreds of Cambodians on holiday.
The team stops at a village of stone carvers before making to Angkor Wat, a highlight of the expedition and one of the world’s greatest assemblages of temples. In Siem Rep, the story of Aki Ra and the Cambodian Landmine Museum, an organization dedicated to eradicating the legacy of unexploded landmines across the country.
Episode 5: Northern Thailand – The expedition is stranded at the border into Thailand when a shock absorber breaks. After crossing the Thai border into Khao Yai National Park, the team has a dangerous nighttime encounter with wild elephants.
In the Thai Capitol, they visit the Bangkok Flower Market and the beautiful reclining Buddha before getting a traditional Thai foot massage. Outside the city they stop to see a pottery workshop and a local tourist attraction called Cobra Village.
Live music, dancing girls and fabulous food are the highlights at “Bike Week” in Loei, Thailand. Ancient and modern Thailand are compared while traveling through the historic capitol city of Sukothai and stopping at a roadside workshop where the ubiquitous canary yellow shirts are made.
On the way to Chang Mai, a lesson in horticulture at a flower nursery and a market that sells grilled insects.
The color and character of Northern Thailand come alive at night on the streets of Chang Mai through cultural performances and interaction with local characters. Before heading south the expedition stops to learn about orchid farming and the traditional art of umbrella making.
Episode 6: Southern Thailand and Malaysia – The Indochina Expedition makes its final push down the Thai Peninsula through Malaysia, to Singapore, the final destination.
While exploring Northern Thailand, the team visits a Buddhist monastery where monks raise orphaned Indochinese tigers and then stops at the famous Death Railway and bridge over the river Kwai. Further down the Thai peninsula the expedition visits the seaside resort city of Hua Hin, which still has an active fishing fleet that plies the waters of the Gulf of Thailand. They ride across southern Thailand, stopping along the way to visit monkey populated temples, rubber tree plantations and roadside coconut farmers before crossing the border into Malaysia.
After taking a ferry to Penang Island (Malaysia) the first order of business is checking out the street market of Gurney Drive where flavorful Malaysian cuisine is the specialty. The next day the island offers up its charms to the motorcyclists when they discover the old historic streets of the capitol city before heading to the less developed western side of the island to visit a tropical fruit farm.
Crossing one of the longest bridges in the world, the Indochina Expedition heads back onto the Malaysian mainland to visit a factory where mangrove trees are turned into high quality charcoal that’s exported around the world. As they head higher in elevation, the Cameron Highlands give the riders a chance to explore the rich topography of Malaysia’s largest tea producing region, an area with lush plantations, mossy forests and an abundant horticultural industry.
Parking the motorcycles at Taman Negara National Park, the expedition ventures into the backcountry for hiking and a ride up river to visit a Batek aborigine settlement. The urban jungle of the Malaysian capitol, Kuala Lumpur, is a significant threshold on the journey. After the team stops to visit the Petronas Twin towers, a landmark of Malaysia, they make their way through historic temple caves, a unique memorial park and a thriving night market.
On day 71, after riding 8,000 miles across 6 countries, the Indochina Expedition arrives in Singapore, the final destination and place to reflect on their historic journey across Southeast Asia by motorcycle.
Details
LENGTH: 6 x 50 Minutes
FORMAT: Series
INTERNATIONAL TRACK: Yes
TEXTLESS: Yes
CLOSED CAPTIONS: No
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
PRODUCTION YEAR: 2008
RELEASE YEAR: 2008
SUPPLIER: GlobeRiders/Wide World HD Productions
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
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