It's going to be a trip out of your normal comfort zone; an adventure to see the picturesque landscapes, to immerse in the local cultures and to visit the breathtaking tranquil of mystical Shangri-la. All of these on a motorbike ride.

Together with bikers in the region, this will be the first organised bike trip of its kind from Singapore through Thailand and Laos, culminating in the summit of Di Qing in Yunnan - the self-declared Shangri-la. Officially organised by the BMW Motorcycle Club in Thailand, with dozens of meetings and discussions on the trip with their Singapore counterparts, the actual trip is set to take off in April next year. Opened to non- BMW bikers as well, it has already attracted quite a few sign-ups from Singapore bikers.

Choy Wai Leong, 36, who co-ordinates the local riders trip on behalf of the club in Thailand said, "The riders will include many nationalities including American and German expatriates in Singapore with already more than 25 confirmed for the ride."

The pinnacle of the China section of the trip is definitely the snow- covered ride up to the Tong Ju Ling temple, a Lama-Tibetan temple in Diqing, Yunnan. Also known as the mystical Shangri-la to the world, after publicly proclaiming itself in 1997 as the titular paradise in James Hilton's 1933 novel Lost Horizons, its off-road scenery is one to behold with beautiful ice- caped mountains and, its ethereal lakes and glaciers.

The last part of the estimated 24 days trip will also see the bikes been ferried across the Mekong River, across the Mekong River back to Chiang Khong in Thailand.

The attraction of such a trip to the bikers lies also in the previously inaccessibility of some roads in China and Laos. This includes riding across the Thai-Laos Friendship Bridge in a vehicle restricted zone with Laotian police escort. And there is also a closer insight to other cultures and their daily lifestyle with rides through local villages.

Wai Leong adds, "This type of rides is very adventurous...and mostly die-hard riders because of their love of riding and adventure and seeing places and other cultures."

"They enjoy the peace of mind, the wide open roads, the scenic mountains, mixing and also understanding culture and (the local's) way of life."

Of course safety procedures will be adhered to and the bikers will ride in a single line convoy from Thailand with biker marshals at a slow pace. The dry spring season is also chosen for a dryer and smoother ride, with less of those mud lines.

A shorter ride consisting the first leg of the Shangri-la trip from Singapore through Thailand to Laos will take place this December with a visit to Lao's world heritage site in Luang Prabang.

So if you're one of those experienced bikers with an adventure streak in you, you may want to join these guys for a ride.

You can contact Choy Wai Leong for further details
at Tel: 9694-8025