Dirt-biking through Burma-Johan de Villiers

Dirt-biking through Burma

PART 1: By Johan de Villiers

Living in South Africa as an adventure biker has many advantages. It is a great place to get your motorcycle fitted out with state-of-the-art equipment and thus a great starting point for any expedition to some of the wildest and most beautiful countries in Africa, such as Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Tanzania and Rwanda. But once you have visited all these gorgeous destinations, including the Serengeti, Chobe and Moremi and witnessed the silver back gorillas in Rwanda, where to next?

That was the question we were pondering planning our next adventure sitting around the dinner table at our sea-side home of Melkbosstrand in Cape Town in early 2019. Both Kim and I were also seasoned off-road racers, so to combine our adventure bike skills with our dirt bike abilities seemed like a logical choice at the time. In addition to that, we have spent many months in Cambodia, Indonesia and Nepal and loved the culture and food of those remote countries. How we stumbled on mystical Burma, or Myanmar as it is now known, eludes me, but what an adventure it turned out to be!

Situated in South East Asia, Myanmar is bordered by Bangladesh, Laos, India and Thailand, as well as China. The Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal forms the southern coastline. Under a strict military dictatorship till 2011, the country was off-limits to all western travelers for many decades. Although a mostly peaceful Buddhist country, most foreign embassies still advise citizens to stay clear of Rakhine State, which is located on the western coast of Myanmar, owing to the ongoing ethnic genocide known as the Rohingya conflict. The rest of Myanmar is classified as a high caution country but is generally safe for travelers provided that the correct precautions are taken.

General expedition and kit list

We normally divide supplies into accessories, camping gear and miscellaneous kit before we travel. Carry a survival watch, such as a Garmin or Suunto, just in case your GPS on your mobile phone fails. Steel putty is vital in case you have a major spill on one of the dirt bikes whilst riding. We packed a small mace spray each for personal protection, but to be honest, we never once felt threatened in Myanmar.

Personal health and inoculation

When traveling to a remote third world country, it is vital that sanitization is high on your priority list. Hand wipes can come in very handy when no hot shower is available for days. Also, don’t be afraid to ask the local villagers for a bucket with some clean river water when required! Before the trip ensure that you have as a minimum the correct inoculations for hepatitis A and B, tetanus, typhoid and yellow fever. A good anti-malaria drug such a mefloquine is also highly recommended.

We packed a small first aid kit that included anti-fungal creams as well a broad-spectrum antibiotic and rehydration tables. You are not going to find a local pharmacy around these parts easily unless you are in the bigger cities, so don’t overlook this requirement.

In some of the remote villages, there are no bed and breakfasts or accommodation available. Introduce yourself to the local chief of the tribe and they will be willing to share their private residence for a small fee. The advantage of this is obviously safety. Nobody messes with your bike and they cook some scrumptious meals as well!

Travel documentation and passports

Being from South Africa we easily applied for a visa online for Myanmar. It is cheaper to book your tickets through Bangkok in Thailand and then take a regional flight into Mandalay. Remember to upload all your travel documentation and inoculation certificates into the Cloud, either via Microsoft One Drive or Dropbox. In the event of a lost passport, you can easily retrieve it and gain access to emergency travel documents from your local embassy in Myanmar. Credit cards obviously only work in the large cities, so ensure that you always have enough local currency to pay for food and fuel. Below is a handy list of the minimum travel documentation to pack beforehand:

Rider and protective clothing

When packing, remember the lighter the load, the better. Separate your packing list for clothing into riding gear and general clothing, head gear and footwear.

It is highly recommended to bring your own full-face helmet and riding gear. You already know it fits, it is clean, and you can have your own intercom system fitted beforehand. Considering the vast distances that you cover via dirt bike in Myanmar, it really helps to have instant communication between riders, from shouting warnings about oncoming trucks and meandering bush pigs in the road to highlighting some beautiful temples or pagodas in the jungle! Just remember to charge them at the same time as your mobile phone when you arrive at your destination each night.

Our packing list for the expedition:

Clothes - Technical T-shirts and shorts, Long hiking trousers, Normal clothes, jeans, underwear, socks, T-shirts, Bike jacket and biking pants, Leatt neck brace, Helmet and gloves, Riding boots, Hiking gloves, Waterproof trousers and jacket, Warm gloves, Sarong

Head Gear - Sun hat and cap, Buff light and beanie, Head lamp x 2, Spare batteries, Spare flashlight, Sunglasses

Miscellaneous - Ankle guard,

knee guard, Spare laces and super glue, Duct tape and cable ties, Big Voltaren tube, Compass and mirror, Pen, Reading glasses, Rope, Spare nuts, bolts, steel putty, wire, Black bag and Ziploc bags, Waterproof 20 L bag (or small one)

Footwear - Salomons, Trekking or river shoes, Sandals/slips, Thin socks: 4 pairs of smooth wool to be worn closest to the skin

Accessories - Leatherman

tool, Camera and charger, Kindle and chargers, Cell phone and charger, International plug adapter, Power monkey or battery bank, GPS handheld, Survival watch and charger

Travel - Passport and e-ticket (and copies of both), Travel itinerary, Forex, Travel insurance, Inoculation/yellow fever, Discovery Med Aid card, Hotel reservation forms, Credit cards, Dropbox activated and updated, Maps of region, Visa, Mace spray Part 2 Continued in Fall Issue

Camping/Hiking

Equipment - Backpack: 80 or 85 lts, Sleeping bag plus thermal layer, Thermal mats: Neoprene or Therma Rest, Plate, cup, and cutlery

Medical/hydration and

sanitation - Water Bottle: 2 x one liter wide mouth water bottles, Thermos 1 liter, Suncream and lip screen SPF 40, Personal first aid kit, Pee bottle and adapter (grin), Rehydrate, Puritabs and Celebrex, Anti-malaria tabs, Insect repellent/cream, Antibiotics, Lighter and fire starters, Hand cleaner/wet wipes, Toilet paper, Toiletry bag and towels

Johan de Villiers

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Travel - Large duffel bag, Small duffel bag: (foldable) or backpack, Spare locks (1 x bag pack, 2 x duffel bags)