On the Move
In November, I decided to jump on that plane and fly half-way across the world to Bangkok, Thailand, on a five-month Southeast Asian tour. For the past three months, I’ve traveled by car, bus, minivan, train, motorbike, “tuk tuk,” taxi etc to get to temples, waterfalls, beaches, mountains, borders, guesthouses, Wats, and plenty of other tourist attractions. On my journey, I’ve grown to appreciate the steady chaos of driving back home in Los Angeles.

No Helmets, No Problem
One amazing aspect of driving in Southeast Asia is that motorbikes are readily available for rent everywhere regardless of whether or not you know how to maneuver one. On the road, you will see many locals driving their scooters without helmets up and down the streets nearly crashing into everything -- not to mention cutting off every vehicle in their way. Some drivers will have young children clutching their backs and others will have up to three other passengers squished together on the back. You’ll even see some tourists hobbling around with ace bandages wrapped around their ankles and legs from exhaust pipe burns, famously known in Thailand as real “Thai tattoos.” Luckily in Thailand, most of the roads are paved.

 Asia Motorbikes 101
Motorbikes are fairly easy to drive, even for inexperienced cyclists such as myself. Manual, automatic, and semi-automatic bikes are available to rent at varying prices. Of course, automatic motorbikes are the easiest to ride. They are a point-and-shoot type of ride, meaning keep your right hand on the throttle and use your arms to steer. It’s that simple. Still, I recommend not driving above 60 kilometers per hour (about 40 mph) until the handling becomes more  natural. Semi-automatics do not have a clutch, but still have a pedal for shifting.

Know that cars will drive uncomfortably close to your bike to pass you and other bikes will stop close and squish in at red lights and stop signs. Always stay near the shoulder and don’t forget into which lane you are turning.

On the Road: Picking Your Turn Lane
In Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, the roadways (as they are in Britain), are on the left-hand side, otherwise  known back home as “the wrong side of the road.” Driving on the opposite side of the road means a little bit more than sitting in a different seat. One thing that is apparent is that making left turns becomes easier and right turns harder. The trick is remembering into which side of the road to turn.

When my friend and I rented a car in Lang Kawi, a beautiful island off the western coast of Malaysia, I kept confusing my turn signal with the windshield wipers as well as always wanting to look to my upper right for the rearview mirror. Thankfully, the gas, brakes, and clutch are all in the same positions. To be safe, we paid the extra few Ringgits to rent an automatic car to avoid the trouble of left-hand shifting. Unlike Thailand, Laos, and Indonesia, Malaysia seemed to be a very safe place to drive – paved roads, well-marked signs, and more cautious drivers. However, we were on an island and not more chaotic cities such as Kuala Lumpur.

Holding the Key
Traveling abroad can open the gateway to new experiences and even a newfound respect for home. Our world is one on wheels, where we can go to and from practically everywhere. Sometimes we only need a driver’s license to get there. Knowing how to drive is more than just a means to an end. What we tend to forget in our daily lives of stop-and-go rush-hour traffic is the pleasure of driving. You don’t have to fly across the world to know the joy of traveling. All you need are the keys to your car. Even if your journey is only a mile, make it a fun one. 

By Alyse Speyer
AskPatty Contributor

Alyse Speyer has a BA in Literature from the College of Creative Studies in the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has several published poems in the 2008 Spectrum and a short story published on UnderThisRedRock.com. She was also an editor for 2008 Into the Teeth of the Wind, a UCSB poetry publication. She speaks Spanish, French and has an understanding of Catalan. Alyse currently works as a freelance copywriter and blogger and writes for a variety of fields. She specializes in Search Engine Marketing and Optimization, web copy and editing.