Bangkok to Britain Is on the Road
The GlobeBusters B2B Expedition has Begun
Our riders have now officially begun their three-month, trans-continental journey to the UK. The welcome was a warm 35 degrees, but nothing that a few cold beers on the riverfront couldn’t handle.
The adventurous spirit was needed right from day one – hours were spent waiting in Bangkok Airport customs – excellent warm-up practice for the notorious Turkmenistan border still to come.
he heat before the team could uncrate the bikes and ride them out. The reward? A hectic, sweltering battle through Bangkok’s traffic at rush hour.
One by one, the bikes were released from Bangkok’s cargo terminal. What followed was a blur of photocopies, signatures, and baking in t
Riders arrived throughout the week from the USA, UK, Switzerland, and Germany, and soon settled into the city, preparing to hit the road north.
After months of planning and anticipation the group rolled out of Bangkok bright and early on the 4th April. The first 600 miles took the group deep into northern Thailand, where temperatures soared to 39°C with heavy humidity.
The team skirted the border of Myanmar, riding the legendary mountain road with 1,864 bends – a twisting, thrilling challenge for every rider. Brush fires along the roadside pushed temperatures even higher, and smoke often obscured the views, but as Dom put it:
“No such thing as bad weather. Just bad gear.”
Despite the conditions, the riding was spectacular. The day ended with a visit to hilltop statues and temples – a calm, spiritual contrast to the intense heat and winding mountain roads.
Bangkok to Britain has now crossed one of the biggest milestones of the entire expedition… China
Five weeks through China, thousands of miles. Endless mountain roads, deserts, high passes, huge cities and tiny roadside villages. It’s been one of the most spectacular and eye-opening stretches of the journey so far.
After leaving Laos, the team entered Yunnan Province in southern China. A region where tropical jungle roads quickly give way to high altitude mountain riding. Massive river valleys, endless twists and towering scenery became the backdrop to daily life on the road.
The riding itself has been exceptional.
From the UNESCO Honghe Rice Terraces to Tiger Leaping Gorge and the Tibetan regions of western China, the group has ridden through landscapes that many adventure riders in the West still know very little about.
At over 3,300 metres, prayer flags replaced palm trees, yaks wandered roadside and Buddhist monasteries overlooked winding mountain roads. One day the team would be riding through ancient lantern-lit towns, the next through huge open canyons and alpine scenery.
And as always on a GlobeBusters expedition, it’s the unexpected moments that create some of the best memories.
One roadside coffee stop in a Tibetan village turned into an invitation into a local family home. Wedding albums were passed around, stories shared through Google Translate and, in true adventure travel fashion, Julia was even offered a yak skull as a gift by the family grandmother. Sadly she had to leave it behind.
Further north the route eventually led to Xi’an and then west onto the legendary Silk Road itself.
The scenery changed dramatically once again. Green hills disappeared behind the group as the roads stretched out into the Hexi Corridor between the Gobi Desert and the Qilian Mountains. Vast open horizons, huge desert landscapes and long remote stretches of road now replacing the tight mountain riding of southern China.
The team also reached one of the real highlights of the expedition so far, the western end of the Great Wall of China. Far away from the crowded tourist hotspots further east, this remote desert section really brought home just how far the riders had travelled already.
Of course, expedition life is never completely straightforward.
Xinjiang Province delivered everything from 40°C desert heat to fierce winds strong enough to close roads completely. For the first time in GlobeBusters history, the decision was made to turn the group around and abandon a riding day due to dangerous conditions ahead, with vehicles reportedly being blown off the road.
Then came the daily challenge of fuel stops in western China, where petrol stations require local ID cards to activate pumps. What should have been simple fuel stops quickly became comedy exercises involving convincing local riders and motorists to scan their ID cards for us.
But despite the challenges, China has once again delivered an unforgettable adventure.
Deserts, border crossings, mountain passes and the long road west towards Europe.
The scale of the country, the friendliness of the people, the constantly changing scenery and the sheer variety of riding has left a huge impression on the whole team.
Now, after more than 5 weeks crossing China, the expedition has officially entered Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
Ahead lies the next chapter of the Silk Road.
And as always… it’s not a holiday, it’s an ADVENTURE.
Stay tuned for the next Bangkok to Britain update.