China Day 2 - Warming up the Engines to Jinggu Dai and Yi Autonomous County

The second day in China was a journey to small county town Jinggu. The distance for today travel was a nice and easy 250km going through mountainous region of Puer. 

There was not much on the itinerary for the second day and it was mostly just making the odometer run so that all the participants would be used to the riding/driving culture in China.

I call it a good warm up for the group where we would start to understand our own group dynamics. Our tour guide Nick after a late night pestering of mine, found a potential detour pit stop location along the way. 

I was never a fan of driving from point A to B and with the short distance to cover today, an optional detour sound like a good idea.

What type of detour was not really important to me so long as I get to see parts of China that backpackers cant go to. That is essentially the benefit of riding a bike in China and I wanted to make full use of that advantage. 

Coffee Bar at the Coffee Farm in Puer 

Nick brought us to a coffee farm in Puer. Interesting since Puer was famous for tea and we did not know that apparently Puer also produces good coffee beans.

It was RMB 30 for unlimited coffee. The owner of the farm had a coffee bar set up and brew so many different type of coffee, explaining the texture and aroma for each one of them. I am not really a coffee connoisseur but it was definitely good coffee.

We all arrived Jinggu late afternoon and the group split up doing their own thing. I ended up with Mike & Paul hunting for a drink and after disturbing the hotel reception girl, led us to a real treasure hunt finding the hidden bar on a rooftop of downtown Jinggu. We send a message to the group and Vick & Hock joined us later for a hot pot dinner

River Flowing Through Downtown Jinggu

Rooftop Bar Overlooking Jinggu City 

A good start for China and that evening my roommate Cameron arrived as he manage to do his mad dash from Bangkok to catch up with us at Jinggu. His story deserve a solo post on itself but that is his story to tell.

Traveled on: May 2024

China Day 1 – Border Crossing from Boten (Laos) to Mohan (China) and onwards to Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture

It was back to the starting line. Finally the trip to Central Asia was happening and the first new route would be through China into Tibet and through Xingjiang. I was definitely excited but still nervous as with any border crossing.

China - Mohan Port Border Crossing 

The border crossing from Thailand (Chiang Khong) to Laos (Huay Xai) was a bad experience with the Lao Tourist Police. They said I would not be able to leave Laos through this Boten border. 

I figured it was a bluff but now that I am inside the immigration building, I was about to find out. Most of the other participant was ahead of me and I was one of the last to get my exit stamp.

Slow process at the immigration booth and I tried to remain as calm as possible. Finally an exit stamp and a small payment of 20,000 kip per head was collected after immigration which had a receipt but no idea what it was for. 

Next up was the moment of truth as I brought Bragge to the front of the customs booth giving the customs officer the D53 sticker waiting for him to key in details into his computer and finally I was cleared and the gantry open for me to leave Laos.

Back in China where the tour guide would take care most of the bureaucracy works and we just have to wait and be patient. 

Immigration cleared, customs cleared then it was a ride to the traffic police station to get temporary license and plate number. All smiles and the police were very friendly giving us the thumbs up with a warm welcome.

I knew the way to Jinghong city or more famously known as Xishuangbanna. The bikers naturally followed me as I turn on navigation for the final city run to the hotel. All checked in we went out for dinner where our tour guide Nick gave the run down and set up everyone's sim card.

Xishuangbanna region famous for Elephants 

The last time I was here, I had barely seen the city. The night market is one of the most famous in the region and this time I was not going to miss it twice so while everyone was tired from border crossings and formalities, I took a DiDi alone to check out the city and the night market.

It was huge alright and a total maze. It was still familiar since Xishuangbanna was famous for its minority tribe culture for being very close to Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar.

Xishuangbanna Night Market 

Xishuangbanna Night Market

The night market was more of a tourist market mixed in and was very vibrant in your face type of night market showcasing different food, trinkets and cultural performance.

By the time I call it a night, it was past midnight but the night market was still bustling with people. A lonely DiDi back to the hotel and a good sleep to get ready for the next leg where we would ride punishingly everyday for the next 10 days before a rest day in Lhasa.

Traveled on: May 2024

Back in Boten the Starting Line to Meet New Friends.

I arrived Boten a good two nights before the pre-determined time for border crossing into China. The China-Tibet whatsapp group was noisy now with updates from all the other overlanders making their way to the border.

Naturally, everyone of them cursed the last 20km of bad roads to Boten but then it was time to meet up random strangers and you never know if the group dynamics would make the journey awesome or just plain horrible.

New Friends - China Crossing From Laos to Kyrgyzstan in May 2024

I also have a theory that there is a reason we all travel mostly solo without a big caravan of friends. People can be anoying and traveling a month together might be just long enaugh that smiles would crack.

It was a big group in a way. Six vehicles and Six motorcyle with a total of 19 people. Everyone was making the trip to Europe and I was the only one doing a loop to Central Asia. 

While I would like to introduce the group dynamics in this blog, I feel that it may be my bias opinion and posting without letting them know feels a bit wrong and getting consent from 19 people is just not worth the hassle.

So in simple terms, we have a group of people from multiple countries, A good few Malaysians, Singaporeans, Australians, Thailand, Denmark, Czech Republic, Germany, England and American. A good mix with at least all the Malaysian & Singaporeans able to speak the local Chinese Languege.

What I did observed however was that it was evident that my budget for this trip was not on the same scale as the rest. Luxury overland travel and tight budget overland travel comparison. They all more or less has an end goal to their travel while I was trying to drag my unemployment as long as possible.

Somehow it feels unreal sitting at the restaurant table in Boten meeting everyone and exchanging stories. I still could not belived that this time I would really cross into Central Asia. 

My little knowledge and experience of riding in China a year ago was bombarded with question from the rest of the group hungry for information.

I felt a little like a tour guide with a smile. If only I could get a job like this in the future, bringing overlanders through crazy adventures and making friends that would last a lifetime.

Traveled on: May 2024

Hiding from Tourist Police in Huay Xai and Luang Namtha

Ninja mode was activated after the dramatic border entry and somehow managing to dodge the tourist police scam. I was slightly paranoid but the amount extorted was exhorbitant for 2000 baht. 

A cross check to the whatsapp group from other China Crossing tour participant confirmed that other border entry into Laos did not have such nonsense requirement. 

Lazing around in Huay Xai

One other camper that did cross the same border a few weeks earlier got caught up in the scam but managed to negotiate the "price" down to 500 baht. Legitimate SCAM confirmed since proper documentation would not have a possibility of price negotiation. 

Still it was better to be prepared and avoid trouble instead of attracting attention so I laid low in Huay Xai just doing nothing watching TV in the hotel and after the third day when I thought the Tourist Police would have forgotten me and not work during a weekend, I made a push for Luang Namtha.

Pushing on to Luang Namtha

Luang Namtha for two nights in a familar town and I was more relax now that I was away from Huay Xai. I saw a few overlander vehicle at the guesthouse in Luang Namtha but kept my excitement to myself. It was just the beginning of the big trip so excitement was expected.

The journey to Boten from Luang Namtha was as horrible as I remembered. Stupid potholed roads of unimaginable degree. There was however a new additional stop which was a new PTT Petrol Station at Nataey with Amazon Cafe. 

A group of Malaysian & Singaporean Bikers heading to China 

A good break and as I sip my last possibly iced Thai Black Tea for a while many bikers from Malaysia and Singapore stopped by en-route to China.

Touring China was a norm now it seams but every group had a tour leader from Malaysia sucking double the money. Tour Leader from Malaysia takes a cut from the China tour guide so effectively the riders were paying more for having two tour guides but what can you do since they control the group and prevent outsider from joining without paying the price.

I had to pay the same price of information last year in 2023 when I did the test ride to China. Only 10 days round trip in China and it was more expensive than the upcoming trip in two days which would last me 27 days through Tibet and Xinjiang to cross over to Kyrgyzstan. 

This time I go direct with www.drive-china.com joining true overlanders which are all individual, unafraid of a little adventure.

The riders came and go all heading to Boten before entering China. I pushed off after all of them left and made my way through the last horrible 20km of mud roads to Boten for the night. Finally back at the starting line proper after two years.

Traveled on: May 2024

Border Crossing Chiang Khong (Thailand) to Huay Xai (Laos) with a Malaysian Registered Motorcycle in 2024

The famous Thailand – Loas border in the north where the shortest route through Laos to China border every overlander on a time budget would take. 

I had crossed this border three times now so I thought everything would be simple enough. Twice I crossed from Thailand to Laos in 2018 and 2023 and one from Laos to Thailand in 2023.

In 2018 I crossed this border alone with Bluey and there was no tour guide required for a solo traveler. In 2023, due to the Malaysian group biker crossing together, the team leader arranged for a Laos Tour guide to ease the process. 

In fact the rules goes as ambiguously such as, anything more than 2 to 5 foreign vehicle travelling together would require a Laos Tour Guide.

Chiang Khong Border - Surrendered Temporary Import Permit to Customs Thailand 

Chiang Khong Border - Stamp Out Immigration Thailand 

This time I was crossing alone again and armed with prior experience I thought the process would be simple enough. Exit from Thailand went smoothly with no drama and I surrendered the TIP and stamped out immigration with the whole process barely spending more than 15 minutes.

Previously the TM2 form was stamped out and a copy made for me to pass onto the Laos side but this time the immigration officer told me to take a photo and that it would be sufficient. 

I rode across the Thai-Lao friendship bridge 4 and at the Laos immigration, they insisted for the TM 2 stamp out form hardcopy.

I had to ride back to Thai side and request a copy which they grumbled of why this Laos Immigration kept changing their minds every time. Still the copy was produced immediately and back I went again to Laos Border.

Huay Xay Border - Immigration  Customs 

Immigration requested 200 baht coffee money for the entry stamp which I gave and then it was insurance and the D53 Custom import papers for Bragge. 

Insurance at the usual place was closed and I had to walked out of the entry border and crossed over to the exit border of Laos to find a insurance office. Once I found them it was simple to purchase and then back to customs.

Buying Laos Insurance for Motorcycle 

Before I could get to customs booth, a Tourist Police waved me over.

THIS WOULD BE THE START OF THE BORDER TOURIST POLICE SCAM.

The tourist police asked for my passport which I gave and then brought me into a small room flanked by three other officers. One barely spoke English and delicately explained to me that I needed a paper to ride my motorcycle in Laos.

I asked to see sample of the paper and it was utterly rubbish written in Laos Language with no English and suspiciously informal. I don't need this I told them and they broke the façade insisting that this was mandatory and that it would cost me 2000 baht for them to prepare it for me.

Stood firm and act brave yet still be as polite and non-aggressive was a delicate balance as I told the Tourist Police that this is not my first time entering Laos with a motorcycle and I have done this through multiple borders throughout the years and know the rules and regulation. 

A letter to explain to other Tourist police that I am riding though Laos is not required period.

I asked for my passport back which they refused to give and I refused to give them money. It was fine I told them. If you don't let me in I’ll just turn around and go in through Vientiane anyway. 

I had time and there are more than one border. I knew the subtle threat of going through Vientiane means I could also lodge a formal complain there.

The Tourist Police asked me which border I would exit Laos. No idea I told them trying to hide as much information as I can. China, or back to Thailand via Vientine or Vietnam or maybe Cambodia, I’ll decide later depending on how friendly Laos is I told them.

In the end face with no choice, they gave me back my passport after recording it down into their so-called blacklist. I would be permitted entry but I was to only leave through the same border and that if I tried to exit though Boten to China, they would not let me out. 

It was complete bullshit.

Border Crossing with motorcycle only needed two things which was immigration stamp and Customs Temporary Import / Export Permit. Still I smiled and said ok just to retrieved back my passport.

After the good one hour Drama with the Tourist Police, I headed to the customs booth to get the D53 Temporary Import Permit which took a minute and another small coffee money of 40 baht which reasonably I paid. 

I was good to go and after leaving the border, the first thing I did was find another hotel that was not what I wrote on the immigration papers and hide the bike least they find me later at night to cause trouble.

Huay Xai Overlooking the Mekong River to Thailand 

A week later I would exit Laos at Boten to enter China without any issue which re-confirmed the Border Scam that the Tourist Police was trying to pull.

Traveled on: May 2024