Greetings..
Hi i'm rob..

ok now let me share about what i knew considering those routes,
first the red route, it is the most common route either for international travellers or local. both routes has a wonderfull scenic but you will found a much better road condition on the red one. i dont know about the distance between the two routes, the red seems a bit far from the blue, but with a better road condition you will manage just fine. assistance from local is much more easier to get if only you may need one.

while the blue route..well blue route is mostly the opposite from the red route and if you love challenges, just give it a go..

good luck

Are you sure about the colors?
Your advice is exactly the opposite of what I would have expected. From my understanding the BLUE route is the more commen and the red one is more challenging.

Cheers

Panny

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Hahahaha...you got me..
my mistake.. sorry sir..
just put it the other way, that should do..
sorry again..
hope it help though...

Hello Panny

Sorry this isn,t Route advice.
I,m currently in Carnavon on the West coast of Australia heading for Darwin to Ship my Bike across to East Timor also.
Not quite mid October though , I,m looking at Perkins Shipping cut off Date for the 2nd of October shipping.
Figure I,d check the Hubb for others heading the same way at same Time.
Might catch up? Others?

wheal i am in melbourn and hiting darwin in 14 days sea yuo thear or in east timor whil reach darwin around the 1 off oktober honda 650 sweden plates 2 year one the rode time four some asian nodels

Hallo Panny,

I came down the route Penang-Sumatra-Java-...-Timor in Feb.-April.2012, after a short visit in East Timor I have riden back to Bali, where I stored my Bike.
From mid Oktober 2012 I planing to go from Bali, Java, to Borneo and then shipping the Bike from the malaysian part of Bormeo back to Westmalaysia or if possible direct by air to Nepal.

As I reseached, there is no regular Car-Ferry between Bormeo and Westmalaysia. So you have to ship the Bike(s).
Same situation between Sumatra and Penang/Malaysia, but there you can use well known Cakra Shipping. Mr. Lim ist the agent at the malaysian side, but he can give you the adress of the agent in Belawan/Sumatra.
Maybe you can ask Helmut&Bea www.timetoride.de they might have the Waypoints.

Adresse Malaysia:
Cakra Enterprise, Yeap Thean Seng (owner), 187 second floor, Lebuh
Pantai, 10300 Penang (Georgetown) Malaysia - phone: 04 2625879, mobile:
Mr. Seng 012 4889717, mobile Mr. Lim: 012 4709717,
email: cakrashipping@gmail.com

About Indonesian ferrys:
on the southern route the car-ferrys runns more frequently. once or twice a day and west of Lombok every houer. Only from Timor/Kupang to Flores you might have to wait some days. 7 Month ago there was a ferry every Friday 14:00 Kupang to Ende and on Sunday and Thursday Kupang to Larantuka. There are no actual infos about ferry sceduals online, and the only way to find out, is to drive to the habour and ask staff (better more than only one).

I do not have infos about the northern route jet, but I am sure you have to bring a lot of time for this journey, and I heard roads are not in good conditions.

Anyway Indonesia is an interesting country with nice people.
My faforites:
Diving/Snorkeling with/between Mantas in Labuhanbajo/Flores and visiting the Komodo-Dragons,
Sand riding and senic views at Mt. Bromo/Java
Senic-West-Coast Highway Sumatra
Orang-Utans "feeding" near Medan/Sumatra

Bad news, you will hit the rainseason anyway. Just stopp and wait some houers if it is to bad...
Sometimes it is nice for cooling down.

Greetings und Gute Fahrt

Heiko

ps. Let me know if you take the northern route, I will be two weeks ahed of you and might give you further information.

Hi!,
The red route is less common taken by fellow bikers. There is no ferry service between East Malaysia to West Malaysia vice versa. (The last ferry service terminated in the 90s because not popular, expensive and longer time taken). If you ask me, I suggest if you are in Borneo (Kalimantan, Indonesia), you cross border from Pontianak, Indonesia to Lubuk Antu (Near Kuching, Malaysia) side. From Kuching you can ship your bike by air (MAS Cargo) to Kuala Lumpur (About 800 - 900 Malaysian Ringgit or about USD 280). Yourself can take the regular flight from Kuching to Kuala Lumpur by MAS or AirAsia. This is the easiest way to ship your bike into West Malaysia. MAS Cargo has lots of experience in freighting bikes and cars.
Riding in Malaysia; do not take the North-South highway (E1). Its boring because you dont see anything but palm trees, exits to small towns, lay-by rest and recreation (food, gas, ATM machines, toilet and mosque) and 110 kph highway speed limits. Take the secondary roads. From Kuala Lumpur, you can take the West coast of the peninsular towards Penang or the East coast to Kota Bahru.
There are 5 border-cross Malaysia into Thailand but the most popoular ones are at Wang Klian, Perlis Malaysia/ Wang Prachap, Thailand; Bukit Kayu Hitam, Perlis, Malaysia/Danok, Thailand; Bukit Berapit, Perak Malaysia/Betong, Thailand and Pasir Panjang, Kelantan Malaysia/ Sg. Kolok Thailand.
If you plan to cross border Malaysia into Thailand at the Eastern side you probably use the Pasir Panjang, Malaysia/Sg Kolok Thailand route. Check out with local police the security situation in Songkhla and Pattani district of Southern Thailand.
If you need any assistance while in West Malaysia, please contact me (email: amzahsulaiman@yahoo.com or phone +60193854736)
Safe ride.

Amzah

Hi Heiko,

thanks for the information! Very helpful.

From my knowledge, Cakra is no longer doing it:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ndonesia-63914
But I didn´t follow the thread recently.

We´ll check, when we get closer.

Most likely we´ll take the southern route, so chances are low, that we´ll meet, which is a pity!

Cheers

Panny

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