Day 7: Ban Tong Tom - Ranong - Frankie goes to.....the South of Thailand (2018)

November 2, 2018

Day 7: Ban Tong Tom - Ranong

Crossing from the Gulf of Thailand to the Andaman Sea

I will try not to go over the top with my route description for today but I feel obliged to issue a warning for those fellow cyclists who plan their routes along other journals as I usually do. The ramps I had to deal with in the afternoon made me get off the bike at least three times and I assure you this is something I hate doing and requires a very good reason. Those reasons are to be found on the northbound section of the #4139. I always knew it wasn´t going to be easy getting to the other side on this particular route but when the soldiers at the checkpoint just before the u-turn made exaggerated gestures trying to tell me the only way from here on was up I was started to get a bit concerned. Unfortunately that site of a Swiss engineering company providing me with the elevation charts is not available anymore and I have to try and recall the number of climbs from my memory. And I am only talking about the second half of the day. The undulations on the first 50 kilometers were already getting my pulses up but I still managed to enjoy the lovely scenery, along the #4014 in particular.

Back to that infamous second half. From the checkpoint on until La- Un down along Hway 4 on the Andaman site I do recall five serious ramps with the first one being the longest but not the steepest. Once on top I still got my camera out but lost interest (and energy) in doing so on the following 20 kilometers. Insane! Mind you I am not peaking fitness yet and I have to realize my choice of bike is not ideal for this terrain. With only two cogs on the front I am definitely missing the granny gears.

In case you plan to come down from Bangkok too and wish to cross over I strongly suggest you take the Chumphon -Ranong route via Hway 4. Whatever bike you will be on. I have done that route myself a few years ago and found it much, much easier. As I already mentioned I got back to that Hway 4 where it crosses the river La-Un with the town of the same name on the northern end of the bridge. That was after precisely 100 km into the day and I was so knackered I considered staying in La-Un overnight. La-Un didn´t do it to me at all though. Great location along the river but they are not taking any advantage out of it. What I saw is just a drive-through settlement along the highway and as it was still only 3pm once I had finished a few cold drinks I decided to continue for the last 30 km into Ranong. Not knowing there was more adversity ahead of me! The #4 turns from a dual carriageway into a single lane road just south of La-Un but they are obviously working on the extension and with all the related activities on and along the side of the highway it was anything but the smooth approach of Ranong I was hoping for. So when I saw the sign for Port of Ranong I checked with google maps and that road (#4010) did indeed continue parallel to the highway almost all the way into my destination. And it certainly started nicely along rolling countryside until 11 km before Ranong. I still managed to ride that first ramp waiting there but the second one with only 10 kilometers to go was such a brutal wall I had to get off twice. Later down on the other side I saw a sign saying Multipurpose Port or something like that sending traffic off to the right. So I may have been able to do a hook around this hill but cannot say that for sure. Anyways, as I said I have been fitter on previous trips but am still good enough to quickly recover from such a breathtaking effort. When I approached the Casa Theresa Guesthouse, where I had already stayed 6 years ago, I was starting to develop that positive mindset of having achieved something beyond average.

Ranong itself has never appealed to me though. I guess the actual town center must be the area around the huge municipal market where I am staying too but I didn´t find it very appealing strolling around there. So it will just be one night here with some enquiries regarding my upcoming 2019 Myanmar ride to be done tomorrow morning.

Great start into the day: Sai Ri Beach along the #4011

Further down the #4011: Viewpoint at the Prince of Chumphon shrine

Another one ready to go at me - PS: I found out by Paul´s comment that they don´t even hesitate going at serving soldiers. Good for my self-esteem!

Once again far more welcoming than the coconut pickers

And their labour is not only hard but certainly dangerous. What you can´t see in the photo is the sharp spearhead they use to separate the skin from the actual nut

Along the #4139 with the first indication of the mountain range coming up soon

On top of the first moderate climb along the #4139. Little did I know what was still ahead of me

View on top of the first serious climb after the #4139-U-turn. The topography visible in the background indicates what the next few km will look like

Yes, you´ve got reason to smile, sitting there in your nice shady hut all day

Down on the Andaman side with La-Un in the background

The Casa Theresa Guesthouse with the 400 Baht aircon/shared bathroom rooms up on the first floor

My "no frills room" at the Casa Theresa. I like it like that: Spartan but no chance for any bugs

Today's ride: 131 km (81 miles)
Total: 531 km (330 miles)

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jan houtermansThere are three ways to master the final kilometers to Ranong. The one you chose is the hardest one. The road passing the multipurpose harbour is not flat either, but you save something like 60 meters of climb. Staying on the 4 seems to be the easiest but least attractive option- just one climb after you have passed the Punyaban waterfall, long but moderate.
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5 years ago

Frank RoettgenTo jan houtermansThank you, Jan! I am actually glad the port option wasn´t all that much easier - would have annoyed me as I briefly considered doing it while looking at that wall in front of me but left it as I wasn´t sure whether it would be a through road or dead end at the port
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5 years ago