Narathiwat through Yala City to Betong

This is the link for the route I took from Narathiwat through Yala City to Betong.

I made my way to the city of Yala and rode past the City Pillar without stopping or knowing for sure if that was what it was. I stopped at the Yala Clock Tower (หอนาฬิกา), snapped a picture and figured out it was the city piller in the middle of the last traffic circle.

I tried to add the main Mosque in Yala to my route plan but somehow got Google Maps into some kind of freaked out state. When starting the route the map it would switch to some location a long ways away from where I was. I could zoom out and see the route and where I was but if I hit re-center it would zoom in to some random location.

The directions at the top of the screen seemed to working so I followed them but ended up at Wat Kuhaphimuk (วัดคูหาภิมุข) and not the city mosque.

Wat Kuhaphimuk was a planned stop so I just visited it and skipped a stop at the mosque.

Wat Kuhaphimuk has a lot of stairs up to a cave temple. Not sure it was worth climbing the stairs but I got some pictures.

I had seen a YouTube video that said Route 410 between the city of Yala and Betong was one of the best motorcycle routes in Thailand. I had rode about 60 or 70 kilometers of this route and had a turn coming up so thought I was almost to Betong. I thought there has been some pretty scenery but not really an amazing ride.

I had misread my GPS and still had about 60K to go to Betong and that 60K was a really fun and pretty ride. My phone had me turn onto route 4363 and then route 3006 which ended connecting back to route 410. Not sure if taking those roads saved me any time but those roads had very little traffic and was a really fun ride.

I did this ride on a Saturday and encountered large groups of riders on route 410 before turning off the main highway. When I returned this way 2 days later I made a point to stay on route 410 and it was also a fun ride but with more traffic even without the weekend riding groups.

I didn't take any pictures on the ride south but stopped at a view point on the ride north. These are from a section of 410 I had bypassed on Saturday for this photo.

I spent two nights in Betong and this is my route plan for the Betong Sites.

I had planned for stopping at the Betong Clock Tower (Betong City Centre) (หอนาฬิกาเบตง) and the World's Largest Mailbox (ตู้ไปรษณีย์สูงใหญ่ที่สุดในโลก) later in the day but went right by at the start of the day. Here are the photos.

My next stop was at the Winter Flower Garden in Betong (สวนหมื่นบุปผา เบตง) and is was a great ride to get to the entrance. Once I was there I just didn't feel like going in for some reason.

I snapped a photo near the entrance and then stopped again above the gardens and snapped another.

I rode on up to the entrance to the Piyamit Tunnel (อุโมงค์ปิยะมิตร) but again decided not to go in. I think I have become a bad tourist. The tunnels site is the top tourist site in Betong and I had no interest in seeing it. I did take a picture from the road.

I really enjoyed ride out to and past these tourist sites even though I didn't go in. It was a lot of fun on these twisty roads through the mountains.

I made my way back into town and made a stop at Phra Mahathat Chedi Phra Phuttha Thamma Prakat (พระมหาธาตุเจดีย์พระพุทธธรรมประกาศ).

In Betong I also stopped at Wat Phothisatto Chao Mae Kuan Im (วัดโพธิสัตโตเจ้าแม่กวนอิม).

I had time left in the day but had visited all the stops that I had planned. I guess when you skip going into places you save a lot of time. I sat in a coffee shop and looking at Google maps came up with an idea of a loop to ride and another temple to visit.

I rode over to the start of my planned loop and found a muddy mess of a road and abandoned my loop idea.

I headed out to the temple I had found on the map. I missed a turn so backtracked and then missed another turn and was riding down a small road that was not on Google maps. This non-mapped road had some pretty views.

I went on down this road until the pavement stopped and kept going until I got to a section that looked to be used very little and was very steep. I decided this was a good place to go back the way I came.

I think on my return I found the missed turn to the temple but decided I had done enough exploring for the day. I abandoned visiting this temple and called it a day.

The area around Betong was really pretty and I was happy I made the trip to the southern tip of Thailand.

Pattani to Narathiwat

This is the link for my planned route from Pattani to Narathiwat.

This day was full of riding along the coast and looking out on the Gulf of Thailand.

I am ashamed but I am not sure which picture goes with which beach. I will arrempt to get them correct but please don't plan travel on what I put here.

My first stop was at Penarik Beach (หาดปะนาเระ).

I was riding along and just turned left down an unknown road and wound up here.

My next stop was at Ratcharak Beach.

When I road down to the beach I pasted this mosque so stopped and snapped a picture when I was passing on my way back to the main road.

Once again I saw a sign pointing to a beach so off I went but don't think I made a point to get the name of this beach.

I think this is Wasukri Beach (หาดวาสุกรี) but when I look at pictures on line of Wasukri Beach I don't see a light house so now I'm confused.

My last beach before riding through the city of Narathiwat was Ban Thon Beach (หาดบ้านทอน).

I would say that Narathat Beach is part of the city of Narathiwat. I stopped on a bridge on the way to the beach for a picture and then a picture of the beach.

I seem to have a knack for arriving at a Mosque as prayer is taking place. This was the case at Masjid Klang Pracha Changwat Narathiwat (มัสยิดกลางประจำจังหวัดนราธิวาส) so just took a picture.

I seem to have entered the temple grounds at Khao Kong Temple (วัดเขากง) via the wrong entrance. Google maps had me going in circles and wanting me to turn in places there were no roads but I eventually found my way over to the big Buddha.

San Chao Mae Kow Leng Jee (ศาลเจ้าโก้วเล้งจี่) was my final stop of the day and I was getting ready to snap a quick photo in front of the temple when a lady showed up urged me to go into the temple. I forgot to take the picture outside but have this one from the inside.

It was a very good day of riding along the coast and not what I expected of Narathiwat.

Songkhla to Pattani

This is the link to route I followed from Songkhla to Pattani.

The next three provinces (Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala) that I will be traveling in have a travel advisory about them as follows.

"The U.S. Department of State issues a Level 3: Reconsider Travel advisory for the provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat due to civil unrest and ongoing insurgent activities.Key

Advisory Details

Overall Rating: While most of Thailand is rated at Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions), the far southern border provinces carry an elevated warning to reconsider travel.

Security Risks: Sporadic violence, bombings, shootings, and arson attacks occur in the region involving insurgents and security forces.

Targeting: Tourists are rarely the primary targets of these attacks, but collateral risks remain high for anyone caught in the wrong place at the wrong time."

This is not the first time I have traveled somewhere with an advisory but am still a bit nervous. I'm writing this a few days later and have had no issues.

It was a bit of a long ride before my first stop at Teluk Samilae Beach (หาดตะโล๊ะสะมิแล). I found this to be a very pretty beach and sat and enjoyed an ice coffee while watching the surf rolling in.

I saw on Google maps that the road continued north another 10 kilometers to what appeared to be end of this outcrop of land at Laem Tachi.

Laem Tachi did not have much to see other than a couple buildings a bit of sand and a few goat but the ride there and back had some great beach views.

My next stop was at the mosque Masjid Kerisik (มัสยิดกรือเซะ).

I had marked the Pattani Skywalk but think it permanently closed but enjoyed riding around area and through Somdet Phra Srinagarindra Park (สวนสมเด็จพระศรีนครินทร์).

I arrived at the Pattani Central Mosque (มัสยิดกลางจังหวัดปัตตานี) as the call to prayer was going on so didn't enter the mosque.

I found my hotel and then went out for something to eat and made it another early night.

Phatthalung to Songkhla

This is the link to my route from Phatthalung to Songkhla.

I made the ride from Phatthalung to another island in Phatthalung Lake this was called Ko Mak. I rode through the island to the northern tip of the island but other than the bridge to the island I don't think I saw the lake at all.

I saw a temple called Koh Khop temple (วัดเกาะโคบ) and went to it to have a view of the lake.

I rode across another island in the lake named Ko Nang Kham.

After leaving the island I continued on towards the town of Songkhla and tried to find a view of the water ended up at a place called Songkhla Pier.

I rode onto another island but this one is in Songkhla Lake and is called Ko Yo (เกาะยอ). The pier I stopped at earlier is on what I would call a channel that connects Songkhla lake with the Gulf of Thailand.

When I was going onto the island I saw a Buddha on a hill near where the bridge ended and decided to ride up there.

I didn't find the Buddha but ended up at the Folklore Museum The Institute for Southern Thai Studies, Thaksin University (พิพิธภัณฑ์คติชนวิทยา สถาบันทักษิณคดีศึกษา). I didn't go into the museum but enjoyed the view over the lake.

I rode back down the hill from the museum and all the way around Ko Yo. This island ride had great views of lake as I rode along.

I rode off the island and into the town of Songkhla, found a hotel and then a much needed laundromat.

I spent the next day visiting Songkhla Sites on the linked route.

My first stop of the day was at Masjid Ban Bon - Usasan Islam (มัสยิดบ้านบน-อุสาสนอิสลาม). My phone kept telling me it was not open yet and when I arrived there seemed to be construction in front of the Mosque. I snapped a photo and moved on.

I had planned on stopping in the area known as Songkhla Old Town (เมืองสงขลา) but just keep on rolling and looking around from the seat of the bike.

I stopped and snapped a quick picture at the Songkhla City Wall (กำแพงเมืองสงขลา).

Following is a picture of The Great Serpent - Naga Head (ประติมากรรมหัวพญานาค).

While I was at the Naga Head I also snapped a shot of a fishing boat returning to Songkhla.

I stopped at Samila Beach and the Golden Mermaid Statue (รูปปั้นนางเงือก). This area was overrun with school kids. I always remember my Mom once saying about school kids at tourist attraction "Do kids spend anytime in school these days? It seems like they are always on field trips."

I rode along the coast going south and stopped at Bor It Beach (หาดบ่ออิฐ) for a few pictures.

I had completed the sites in the town of Songkhla that I had planned and Bor It Beach was not even a planned stop. It was still early in the afternoon so decided to make the ride to Wat Khuat (วัดขวด).

I wrote about visiting Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaew or Temple of 1 million bottles and Wat Khuat is a similar temple. Wat Khuat means bottle temple.

I wonder if any of the bottles I emptied are somewhere included in this very special temple.

I had thought this would be a short day and rest a bit but decided to try and hit the link for the Hat Yai Sites as well.

I rode throught the off and on rain showers from Wat Khuat into the city of Hat Yai and went to the Chinese style temple of Wat Chue Chang (วัดฉื่อฉาง).

I rode up the hill behind the hill behind the Hatyai City Municipal Park (สวนสาธารณะเทศบาลนครหาดใหญ่) to the Kho Hong Mountain vista point (จุดชมวิวเขาคอหงส์).

The viewpoint had views over Hat Yai and also a standing Buddha on this hill top.

I also snapped a photo of my next stop from a distance.

I rode down the hill and a bit through the park before heading to my last site of the day at The Central Mosque of Songkhla (มัสยิดกลางประจำจังหวัดสงขลา).

I extend my hotel stay for a third day in Songkhla. I had reached the milage on the bike for an oil change the previous day. I spent my 3rd day as a bit of a rest day but accomplished getting the oil changed.