Day 5 South Thailand Tour 2016 Phatthalung - Trang

Good morning Phatthalung, checking out from Grand PL Hotel and we were ready to hit the road again.

All 7 were fresh and cheerful, two of us would be returning home Hui Min & Wai Kiat will be heading to Hatyai by train while the remaining 5 will be continuing the journey to Trang.

Hui Min feeling cheerful as we went round the town to look for a good breakfast.

Roger bought a can of lubricant and at the same time our breakfast was just opposite the road GPS : 7.55771, 99.60626.

Kuay Teow soup with shredded chicken meat and roast pork was heaven, I love the way the Thai prepare their plain soup noodle and I never failed to savour them whenever I have the opportunity.

The shop that served our wonderful breakfast belong to a Hakka family. The father & son took the liberty to take picture with us and our bicycles.

Our first pit stop at a nice cafe, Phudinsow Cafe after 16km of riding at the main road of Phetkasem (GPS :7.574704, 99.944088) and I had a nice black coffee served together with Thai tea. The weather remained pleasant for cycling but we expected it wouldn't last too long as it draw towards noon.

Generally Thai roads are mostly found to be bicycle friendly and with many limestone hills along this route. It was gradually ascending after the Phudinsow pit stop, the worst has yet to come.

About 27 kilometres we reached Sumano Cave Temple, a place many come for meditation with many Buddha statues in the cave. We took a rest here.

The end of the toughest climb of the day at the border between Phatthalung and Trang, my body was totally weak and were sweating profusely, the heat was extremely hot with minimal shade at the road side. We rested for a long time here before we resumed the journey. This was about 37km from our starting point. There is a shrine at an elevated ground opposite side of the road and vehicles were honking upon passing by the shrine. Later we found out that it was a sign of seeking blessing from the shrine.

Here we just passed by a series of elephants that look real at Trang Andaman Gateway, unfortunately we did not stop by. There are a number of shops that should be interesting to visit, maybe the next time.

Though we have cycled pass the highest point but there were still some mini ups and downs. The heat was at the extreme condition ..... we needed more water & rest.

A concrete bench that was so comfortable, it might be a counter for selling some food stuff. It was clear and became our resting bench. Nothing like laying down after a good intake of water and hidden away from the scorching sun.

I was glad to see the "Welcome" sign as we approached Trang town.

Finally we have reached Trang and were tracking to reach a hotel and to my surprise I saw a Malaysian Proton car showroom but it was empty.

The first hotel we tried was fully booked hence we have to go for option 2. By then we were hungry and went hunting for food, the place to stay can come later.

Rad Na similar to War Tan Hor (Cantonese fried noodle) has been one of my favourite choices whenever I am in a Thai food outlet. This time all of us were so hungry and all ordered the same dish. It was not the best I have eaten but it tasted so good especially when we are very hungry.

This roundabout in Trang is distinctive with white dolphins and horses, just wondering what is the story behind this nice feature.

Our accommodation in Trang was S2S Queen Hotel located at Wisetkul Road, GPS : 7.55854, 99.60856.

And dinner was at Laytrang 2 Restaurant, Sai Ngam Road which is popular for their dim sum, GPS : 7.55777, 099. 60744

This was our most toughest day the entire tour covering a distance of 60km with severe climbs specifically at the border between the states of Phatthalung & Trang.

A clip of the toughest day