Hey
I'm planning a cycle trip in the spring break from Kunming down to Thai Ubon Ratchathani (to see a friend and shit). Now, this is a call for tips and advice. For instance: which border crossings can I do overland (from Yunnan to Laos and from Laos to Thailand) and can I then get a visa at the border?
Is Myanmar accessible for cyclists (i.e. could I skip Laos and go through Myanmar to Thailand instead?)
And thirdly, I'm probably not cycling back due to lack of time. Are there busses/trains from Ubon or elsewhere in Thailand that will take me back to Kunming? Or need I switch transport? Which would be the most ideal way to get back, considering that boxing up a bicycle for a plane is a pain and that putting it into a bus is no good news for the gears?
Other tips and advice are also welcome!
fiskjäveln
Kunming-based think tank fighting Myanmar forest loss
发布者Peter, interesting point of view but while monoculture plantations may still come at the expense of forests, the project in the first place aims to solidify and boost the livelihoods of rural dwellers in Myanmar, hence also the support of the LIFT fund (Livelihoods and Food Security).
Now when that proves viable, villagers may be less tempted to replace their land by monoculture plantations or indeed sell it to investors.
Kunming-based think tank fighting Myanmar forest loss
发布者The organization has the support of the government, and that's a pretty strong ally to have.
Of course, in a democratic country, governments change every so often, in the case of Myanmar in November, and everything may yet go down the drain if Aung San Suu Kyi wins - or it may not.
Or do you compare it to Borneo because you think corruption will prevail and big investors will win the day with monoculture plantations? Maybe, but showing in time that you can have high harvest yields _and_ keep healthy ecosystems could change public and industry opinions.
Around Town: Biking the trails of Changchong Mountain
发布者Thread here: www.gokunming.com/[...]
Map here:
www.google.com/[...]
Around Town: Wanda Twin Towers
发布者needs a bridge in between :)
who paid for it? Wanda is supposedly an integer development company but it is a little hard to believe.
The Petronas towers were built by tycoons with public money, then sold back to the city, after which the tycoons still occupy the building and are now charging the public to visit it.
* source: Asian Godfathers by Joe Studwell. Bit of a must-read that makes you question any of these gigantic projects.
Around Town: Biking the trails of Changchong Mountain
发布者check out the Mountain Bike Thread, last post has a link to a Google map with 1-day routes around KMG. Feel free to add.