Bonjour à tous!
Ma copine et moi partons pour un tour du monde en vélo en 2019 et nous sommes en pleine préparation de l'itinéraire.
Sur notre route l'Indonésie, nous aimerions traverser plusieurs îles :
- Kalimantan
- Sulawesi
- les îles moluques
- La papouasie et la nouvelle guinée
- îles salomon
- Vanuatu
- nouvelle calédonie
Pour arriver jusqu'à la nouvelle zélande.
Est ce que les trajets en bateaux entre les îles se font facilement ?
Peut ton traverser ces îles en vélo ?
Salut ! :-)
Alors :
Le Kalimantan se traverse difficilement. Mike Horn l'a fait ( en vélo et d'est en ouest ) mais c'est Mike Horn !
On peut contourner par la côte de Pontianak à Palangkaraya à Balikpapan mais c'est long long long ...
Pour passer en bateau au Sulawesi je ne sais pas. De Pontianak il faut passer par Java. Il y a des PELNI ( des gros ferries ) mais pas tous les jours ... Et en plus correspondance à prévoir !
Traverser le Sulawesi du nord au sud oui, il y a une route.
Passage aux Moluques doit être possible en bateau. PELNI ou autres.
Pédaler aux Moluques je sais pas. Partir vers Jayapura ( Papua ) en bateau oui ( toujours en PELNI ).
De là, route côtière jusqu'à la frontière avec la PNG ...
Passer par les Moluques est une très bonne idée, mais pour y pédaler, ça risque d'être limité. Aux Moluques, on se déplace pour l'essentiel en bateau.
Ce déplacer d'île en île en bateau se fait sans problème avec les navires de la Pelni, mais il faut avoir pas mal de temps à disposition, car les rotations des navires sont assez limités, le plus souvent un par semaine, plus pour les plus gros ports.
Je parle plus en détail des déplacements en Pelni aux Moluques ici : Voyager d’île en île à bord d’un navire Pelni en Indonésie
Salut ! Merci beaucoup de ta réponse !
Ok pour kalimantan, est ce que cette route très longue vaut le coup d'être faite ? On a pas trop de problème de temps, pour un beau paysage et de belles rencontres encore moins !
Merci pour toutes ces informations !:)
Ok pour kalimantan, est ce que cette route très longue vaut le coup d'être faite ? On a pas trop de problème de temps, pour un beau paysage et de belles rencontres encore moins !
)
J'ai emprunté la route entre Palangkaraya et Banjarmasin et je n'ai jamais rien vu de transcendant : zones déforestées et sans aucun relief ... 🏴☠️ Idem au sud de Pontianak ...
Le Kalimantan peut être intéressant mais il faut bien chercher ( cf mon album photo ... à titre " documentaire " ) ! Au vu des photos ( postées sur ce forum ) de Sulawesi ou des îles de l'est ( que je n'ai pas la chance de connaître ) je vous conseillerai plutôt d'aller passer du temps là-bas ... Les paysages y ont l'air bien plus spectaculaires ! Quant aux rencontres, vous pourrez aussi en faire de belles dans toute l'Indonésie ...
Bonne route et bon courage 😎
A velo ce qui est faisable dans un pays archipelagique est tres vite limité principalement aux grandes iles developpées: c'est a dire Sumatra, Java puis Bali, Lombok et vers l'est a travers les iles de la Sonde, jusqu'a grosso modo le bout de Flores.
Ailleurs meme si les iles sont assez grandes, c'est soit sans interet soit les routes sont defoncés, sinon plus on va a l'est plus c'est une myriade d'iles ou il n y a presque pas de routes, plutot des communautes cotieres addossées a un petit arriere pays de maraichage ou de plantations et tournées vers le large avec le bateau comme moyen de communication principal voir unique!
Il reste Sulawesi dans cet ailleurs qui peut etre interessant.
Rejoindre la Nouvelle Zelande en sautant d 'ile en ile a velo depuis l'Asie est un projet beaucoup trop optimiste, deja rejoindre la frontiere de la PNG, puis la papouasie en elle meme qui est tres tres peu visité a cause de l'insecurite et du manque de routes!!
Au dela les liaisons par bateau entre pays sont quasi inexistantes et les iles traversées ont le meme inconvenients que les autres iles en Indonesie (manque de routes, difficile d'acces)...donc un voyage a velo me parait bien futile et pleins de tracas pour le retour escompté, autant les visiter sans velo.
En nouvelle zelande ca change.
Le meilleur itineraire est pour moi rejoindre Sumatra qui d'ailleurs offre des experiences junglistiques et humaines bien comparable a Borneo voir superieures, du nord au sud de l'ile il y a de quoi faire, puis Java, Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa et enfin Flores puis rebrousser chemin vers Bali et prendre l'avion vers l'australie puis la nouvelle zelande ou directement vers la nouvelle zelande.
Une variante serait de rejoindre Timor depuis Flores puis Timor Leste et puis vol depuis Dili vers Darwin et la au choix soit un autre vol vers la cote est australienne avant de rejoindre La nouvelle Zelande soit pedaler dans les etendues sauvages Australienne avant de rejoindre la nouvelle zelande
Un point a surveiller serait principalement le visa Indonesien et le temps que vous passerez au pays pour faire votre trajet qui risque de depasser les 2 mois que vous pourrer avoir a la frontiere (donc demander un visa en dehors du pays puis proceder a des extensions)
Aussi la saison des pluies qui rendrait meme les routes les plus modernes de veritables traquenards pour votre velo!
Je pense en effet que Kalimantan à vélo c'est un truc de forçat, les distances sont énormes, il y fait une chaleur à crever, et il n'y a rien à voir sur la route cotière.
Par contre moi je crois que le vélo aux Moluques c'est pas mal du tout: au nord, les iles de Ternate et Tidore seront particulièrement sympa à faire à vélo, distances courtes, trafic raisonnable, paysages variés... Halmahera également, distances plus grandes mais raisonnables, routes impeccables et sans trafic, je les traversées en scooter et en vélo c'est tout à fait faisable.
Idem plus bas côté Ambon, si on exclut cette horrible ville d'Ambon tout le temps embouteillée, faire le tour de l'île d'Ambon sera agréable à vélo.
Ensuite les iles Key se prêtent également aux vélo, évidemment là ce sera de la petite balade, plus du cyclotourisme, tellement les îles sont petites, mais là encore super sympa en vélo (y compris Kei Besar). Pour info il y a un ferry (qui prend les véhicules) qui relie en triangle les iles Key, les iles Aru et les iles Tanimbar.
Sulawesi pas mal également mais les distances seront longues et le trafic peut être assez dense sur la route qui descend à Makassar via Pare-Pare (tandis que la route qui descend par Sinjai et Bira est beaucoup plus calme). En plus, de Bira il y a un ferry qui prend les véhicules et qui descend directement sur Florès, via Selayar et Taka Bonerate.
Il y a quand même une question importante à laquelle je n'ai pas de réponse: les Pelni prennent-ils les vélos? (les scooter c'est sûr que non).
OK super merci pour ces info!
C'est bien noté pour kalimantan je ne pense pas que l'on ira du coup.
Je pense que l'on intégrera sulawesi et les îles moluques, et pour les PELNI je crois que j'avais lu quelqu'un qui l'avais pris avec son velo.
Merci encore !
Jf
Voyager à vélo › Indonésie / Malaisie · 11 replies
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Je suis en train de développer une application Web gratuite et open source permettant de planifier des voyages à pied et à vélo (voire en voiture). Un itinéraire peut être créé en cliquant directement sur la carte pour ajouter des points de passage et il peut être composé de plusieurs étapes. L'application fournit des outils pour modifier les étapes et l'itinéraire global, pour afficher des informations utiles (distances, altitudes et dénivelés). Un profil de relief peut être affiché sous forme de graphique pour une étapes particulière ou pour l'ensemble de l'itinéraire.
Quand l'itinéraire est prêt, il peut être exporté sous forme de fichier GPX, qui peut enseuite être utilisé avec un GPS ou une application mobile de navigation.
L'application est implémentée en JavaScript et exécutée entièrement dans le navigateur Web. Elle utilise la bibliothèque Leaflet et plusieurs services basés sur OpenStreetMap. Initialement développé pour mes besoins personnels (je pratique la randonnées pédestre et le cyclo-tourisme), je serais heureux de la partager avec tous ceux qui peuvent la trouver utile. Elle est libre d'utilisation, ne nécessite pas de création de compte et le code source est disponible.
Hi there, I’m planning a cross-Canada bike trip, and I’ve got a question that might seem silly, but could someone tell me how to pack a bike (in a box, with a fragile sticker... I don’t know) for a flight? Thanks in advance!
This summer, we’re planning to cycle along the EV 19 that follows the Meuse River from Langres all the way to Rotterdam.
My question is about getting back to Nantes.
Do any of you know what the best return option might be? I’d love to hear about your experiences.
I saw that FlixBus doesn’t take bikes.
By train, I think it’s possible but would involve multiple local trains.
We were also wondering if there’s a boat from Rotterdam to Saint-Nazaire that could take passengers with bikes.
Any tips or experiences you can share would be really helpful—thanks in advance!
Have a great evening
I’ve got my flight ticket sorted—departing in mid-November and returning in mid-March. I’ll arrive in Santiago and leave from Buenos Aires.
I’ve already been to southern Argentina, specifically Torres del Paine National Park, and I’d love to go back to do the full W trek (I only did the shorter version last time).
I also want to do some hiking and maybe even tackle a summit. I climb and occasionally do some mountaineering, so I’ll definitely be going with a guide.
I plan to start around Temuco in Chile, with the idea of heading toward the lakes, then taking the Carretera Austral.
I’m not sure if I’ll go all the way to Ushuaia—it’s supposed to not be *that* worth it, except for the bragging rights of saying you’ve been to the end of the world.
I saw there are lakes in Argentina too.
I don’t have a precise itinerary, but what I’d love is, once I reach the southernmost point of my trip, to take a mini-cruise to see some wildlife. Any tips for that?
What kind of sleeping bag did you take? Is a 0°C (32°F) one enough?
And one last question: white gas stove or can I get by with my gas stove?
I’ve gotten used to crossing Europe by bus to return by bike.
It was really convenient to take the bike without having to disassemble it.
But FlixBus no longer accepts bikes...
What alternatives do you know about?
Thanks.
Hi there,
I’m planning to ride the Dutch section of the EuroVelo 19, from Maastricht to Rotterdam.
Since it’s too complicated to bring my bike on the train, I’m looking to rent one locally.
I’d love any tips or bike rental shop recommendations—I’m struggling to find options even in Rotterdam.
The plan is to rent in Rotterdam, take the train to Maastricht with the bike, then cycle back to Rotterdam.
Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions!
Nath
I’m planning to cycle from Morlaix to Brest (via Roscoff and the V45 coastal route). We’ll start riding on August 16th for 13 days (with stops for island visits, surfing, etc.). Is there a lot of traffic at this time of year? I’ve got two kids, 11 and 13, and we don’t like riding in the middle of cars (we’ve already done the Vélomaritime—Caen to Cherbourg—the Loire route from Orléans to Saumur, the Vélodyssée from Nantes to Royans, and the canals like the Nivernais and Bourgogne, where there were plenty of bike-only lanes, which isn’t the case on this route).
Thanks for your help if you’ve already done this route in late August!
Virginie
Hi there,
I’ve been road cycling for several years, and I’m about to switch to gravel in the next few days—I’m waiting for my bike, which should arrive this week.
I’m planning a bikepacking trip in a few weeks along the Véloroute V81, also known as the Vélosud, from Biarritz to Le Barcarès.
Has anyone here already done this route? Any info is welcome, whether it’s about the route itself, gear, or accommodation. I’ll prioritize staying with locals as much as possible. On that note, I just signed up for the brand-new site *Guidon et Couette* ((www.guidon-et-couette.fr)), which offers free accommodation between cyclists across the country, but there’s almost no one listed along my route!
Thanks in advance.
Laurent.
I’m planning to build a new touring bike.
I want to prioritize lightness.
That said, I’m tempted by a suspension fork that could offer some comfort on rougher roads.
The recent appearance of gravel suspension forks on the market might meet my needs—at least on paper.
I’m particularly considering the RockShox Rudy Ultimate XPLR fork.
Unlike MTB forks, its travel is short: either 30 mm or 40 mm.
It weighs 1400 g, which is 400/500 g more than a steel fork.
Any thoughts or real-world feedback on this?
I’m also wondering about the durability of magnesium (lower leg) for long-distance bike touring.
And what’s the impact of skipping the manufacturer-recommended maintenance every 50 and 200 hours? That’s bound to happen on a long trip unless you carry extra gear.
More generally, how reliable are these kinds of forks?
Hi everyone,
I wanted to share with you the incredible feat my friend José, who’s 72 years old, is currently undertaking. He left Auterive near Toulouse on Monday, May 18, 2026, on his non-electric bike, heading for the North Cape in Norway!
You can follow his route on the link below—he’s currently in Sweden:
https://thierry-thomas.travelmap.net/jose-de-toulouse-a-nord-cap-2026
You can zoom in on the map and click on each stopover town to see the photos
I’m making an exception and creating a separate post this time, since it’s all about France. In May, we spent a week in Provence, specifically in the Luberon, exploring the cycling routes *Autour du Luberon à Vélo*, the *Véloroute du Calavon* (part of EuroVelo 8), and the shorter *Les Ocres à Vélo* route. Together, they gave us an amazing journey through rolling hills, vineyards, lavender fields still green in spring, and some of the most stunning landscapes in southern France.
It was, of course, the perched villages that impressed us the most. We visited Gordes, Roussillon, Bonnieux, Lacoste, Lourmarin, Ménerbes, Oppède-le-Vieux, Cucuron, and Lauris. Many of them are among the most beautiful villages in Provence, and it’s hard not to agree with that reputation.
One interesting point is the route of EuroVelo 8 in this part of the region. The official path mainly follows the old railway line of the *Véloroute du Calavon*, which is very comfortable and safe. But in our opinion, cyclists traveling EuroVelo 8 around the Mediterranean would discover even more treasures if the route passed through villages like Bonnieux, Lacoste, or Oppède-le-Vieux.
We were also pleasantly surprised by how safe cycling felt. Most of the route takes small local roads, but traffic is light, drivers are respectful, and road design really takes cyclists into account. It’s one of those places where you can ride peacefully even without separated bike lanes.
Our full story:
Around Luberon by bicycle - the most beautiful villages of Provence
You can also find all our cycling travel stories on the forum:
Cycling Thread - Europe’s most beautiful bike routes
Hi there, we’re a group of 4 cyclists looking to get from Treviso in Italy to Munich with our 4 non-folding bikes. It seems complicated! Are there any solutions? Thanks so much.
hello fellow cycling enthusiasts
here’s a travel journal of the cycling tour through the Rhône-Alpes Auvergne region by Claudio
zouli
it was the plan
http://cbandiera.free.fr/parcours/auvergne-Ralpes/
the trip was completed
story being posted online soon
1100 km in 11 days
beautiful and varied regions
Hi there, we’re planning a Munich to Venice bike trip at the end of June 2026. Getting back from Venice to Toulouse by train with 4 bikes isn’t straightforward. What return options have others who’ve done this trip chosen? Any tips or great deals would be much appreciated. Thanks a bunch! !
Hi everyone,
Happy owner of a Pegasus Estremo bike with a Rohloff hub, which is giving me trouble with the SF11-NCX-FT-E-LITE 700C TS 300/0 fork (serial number TD01329060). It’s starting to show its age, and I’d like to repair it to extend the life of my beloved bike.
The suspension is gone, and there’s an oil leak from the seals.
Does anyone know how to repair it? Where can I find parts that are about fifteen years old? Or where to find an identical replacement fork? Just to clarify, the Magura HS11 brakes are mounted using Firm Tech, meaning they’re on pivots behind the fork, facing the frame.
Hi, I'd like to know if anyone has done this route recently or has reliable info.
Does the track exist, and most importantly, is there sand (for biking)?
Any info is welcome.
Cheers,
diego ambilobe: mangaoka, manondro, ramena
vohemar sambava: masondrono, tanambao
Hi there,
New to bike touring,
I’d love to start with a section of the Via Rhona to explore and share (route to be decided).
Looking forward to exchanging tips!
I’m landing in Madagascar with a buddy before the end of April 2026. We’re planning to bike around for about twenty days or so. We don’t have a specific goal other than exploring the country and meeting the locals.
Ideally, we’d prefer a loop route starting from Antananarivo with a good chunk of it along the coast. On the bike side, we’re used to riding 6 to 8 hours a day, depending on the needs, encounters, and mood 😉 Any feedback or tips from trips around this length?
A big thank you to Lazarou for all the info you share in this forum!
I'm passionate about Morocco, which I cycled through back in 2009.
Last year, my wife and I explored the High Atlas by tandem. Completely smitten, we're heading back in April (Anti Atlas) and May (High and Middle Atlas), still on our tandem.
Do you have any info on the track between Amezri and Ali Ait Nito? Are the river crossings in the Tessaout still there? It's not easy to navigate with a loaded tandem... especially if the river level is high due to this year's heavy snowmelt!
Thanks in advance for any tips you might have, and best wishes for health in this new year!
Claudio specializes in the route of the Savoie lakes
Here are his travels
Between Bornes, Chartreuse, the Savoie foothills, and Dauphiné
Five lakes: Léman, Annecy, Paladru, Aiguebelette, Bourget, not to mention a few ponds along the way
Plenty of accommodation options: camping, hotels, and more...
A lovely route not far from his place
Rural and quite peaceful
A road cycling route created by Serge B...
First of all... happy New Year! Wishing you great roads in 2017!
I’ve been traveling for a few years now with a high-quality mountain bike, but it’s equipped with hydraulic disc brakes. I live (pedal) with the constant worry of a breakdown (leak, air bubble, heat causing the fluid to...). My bike mechanic tells me it’s impossible to switch them out for V-brakes.
What do you all think? Am I taking a big risk continuing (alone) with these brakes? Thanks in advance for your great tips!
First post here to share a quick recap of our west-to-east bike trip along Algeria’s coast in January 2025.
It was just the two of us—my partner and I—with French passports and not a word of Arabic. No friends or welcoming hosts in the country.
Under those conditions, we’d strongly advise against going.
Our original plan was to follow the coast from Algiers to Tunis. We ended up cycling from Algiers to Béjaia, then took the train from Béjaia to Annaba (with a stop in Constantine), and finally biked to the border.
We were tailed by police the whole way—whether on our bikes, on the train, or even on foot while exploring towns. On top of that, we couldn’t wild camp and were limited to the few state-approved hotels that accept foreigners. Under those circumstances, connecting with locals was especially tough.
With such an omnipresent and intrusive police presence, we’d definitely recommend against this destination for bike touring. A really sad situation that completely cuts you off from the local population...
We’d been warned, we went to check it out, and we weren’t disappointed!
Hi there,
I’m planning the route to cycle from Lille to Nordkapp with my partner.
Duration: 3 months, from May 1st to July 31st, 2026.
In the attached details below, I need to add some "non-riding" days (rest days, basically).
So I’m looking to "shorten" the trip by taking ferries or trains for some stretches. Which areas could I skip?
Thanks in advance for your great tips.
Have a good evening.
https://www.komoot.com/fr-fr/collection/4023980/-lille-cap-nord-1er-mai-au-31-juillet-2026?ref=collection
I’m planning to bike back from Poland this summer. Does anyone know a way to ship it there without having to take it apart? Otherwise, it’s a real hassle to fine-tune all the settings before departure!
Thanks in advance.
Hi, has anyone recently bought Primus or Butagaz gas, possibly puncture-style, in Dubrovnik or the surrounding area? Same question for Albania... thanks. aichatou
Just a few words about the loop I did by bike in Yunnan.
Entry and exit
I entered China through the Sino-Vietnamese border crossing at Lào Cai / Hekou under the 30-day visa exemption currently available to French nationals and others.
The process was simple and quick. A Chinese police officer even helped me complete my electronic pre-registration at a computer kiosk. I wasn’t aware this formality was required—it’s similar to Thailand’s TM6.
No issues with the bike.
I left the country via the Sino-Laotian border crossing at Mohan / Boten.
The atmosphere was a bit chaotic there, but again, no problems with the bike.
The timing
I visited Yunnan in February 2026.
Weather-wise, at higher altitudes (between 1,500 and 2,000 meters), it was around ten degrees at night and in the mornings, and around twenty degrees at the hottest part of the day.
I had two days of rain, so I took the bus to keep moving. Otherwise, clear blue skies.
Culturally, Chinese New Year fell on February 17th (and the 15 days following), right in the middle of my trip. Because of this, my take on the traffic might be off.
Accommodation and food
I always found a hotel to stay in for prices ranging from 8 to 15 €. Except in Kunming (the capital), where many hotels were fully booked (Chinese New Year). I ended up at a 100 € hotel with great value for money.
A bowl of noodles costs about 1.5 € on average.
Onboard electronics
Since my smartphone doesn’t support eSIMs, I subscribed to a China plan with my carrier. Otherwise, for much cheaper, Alipay offers eSIMs for foreigners that allow access to services usually blocked for Chinese users (WhatsApp, Facebook, etc.).
An internet connection is essential for paying with Alipay or WeChat, as this payment method is widespread.
I only managed to use Alipay.
Either way, always carry cash because sometimes there’s no signal, or the merchant only accepts WeChat.
Also, it’s best to bring a power adapter when you arrive rather than struggling to find one.
Traffic and roads
The Chinese aren’t reckless drivers. They follow traffic rules and watch out for cyclists. This is slightly less true in Xishuangbanna (the region bordering Myanmar and Laos).
In urban areas, there are almost always wide bike lanes, separated from other roads, where bikes, electric mini-scooters, and scooters share the space pretty harmoniously.
The roads are in great condition, and traffic is generally manageable—even light—except for one stretch (Eshan -> Yangwu).
Most traffic is absorbed by expressways, China’s equivalent of highways: toll roads that are off-limits to slow vehicles.
You’re never far from these expressways; sometimes you even ride alongside them, which can be noisy at times.
The climbs are usually reasonable, around 5% to 6%. From what I remember, the steepest section was between Menglun and Mengla, with gradients of 8% to 10%, sometimes more.
Riding at these altitudes—though modest—took a bit of getting used to.
The route
I didn’t plan anything in advance. My only goal was to reach Kunming. I don’t know why, but just hearing the name of that city, like Yunnan, always felt dreamy to me.
Hi! I’m planning to visit the Stockholm Archipelago by bike in early April.
Do you know if the boats will be running between the different islands at that time of year? For those who’ve already been, all your tips and recommendations are welcome—accommodation, etc. Also, do you know where I can rent a bike in Stockholm? Thanks so much in advance for your help!