Motorbiking in Northern Laos

[Katkando]

I am planning a trip to Laos in early June, looking to pick up a bike in Vientiane (XR 250 or similar) for 10 days touring.

Anyone done this before & can recommend a hirer ?

Anyone done this before and can recommend 'must-see' places ?

Thanks

[Phuket2006]

think u would be better off asking here, http://www.gt-rider.com/
I will be up there in car in July so post what ya find

[Katkando]

Thanks PK2006.....I also found this link, which is pretty interesting :

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/northe ... troduction

[Falcon Randwick]

Took my bike up to northern Lao about five weeks ago. Drank lao kao. Stacked my bike. Broke my shoulder and copped a face full of road rash. I guess I should post some pics up here. My wife took some tasty photos of me sprawled unconscious in the middle of the road...

[scoffer]

Took my bike up to northern Lao about five weeks ago. Drank lao kao. Stacked my bike. Broke my shoulder and copped a face full of road rash. I guess I should post some pics up here. My wife took some tasty photos of me sprawled unconscious in the middle of the road...

Please explain the meaning of the word "Pain"
As I think it would be of benefit to another poster who's name starts with "K".

[Blorg]

I cycled from Hanoi to Luang Prabang (and then on down here) a few months ago. Followed the 6 from the border and then the 1C, going through Vieng Xai, Sam Nuea, Vieng Thong, Vieng Kham, and Nong Khiaw.

Vieng Xai is well worth a visit for the caves the Pathet Lao hid in during the war.

Nong Khiaw is a pleasant village on the Nam Ou with tourist facilities where you can rent a bungalow with a hammock; you can also get a boat up to Muang Ngoi (or further) which is not accessible by road. The boats will take bikes whether push bikes or motorbikes.

This road is 100% tarmac all the way excepting very short (100m) sections in part which have disintegrated. It is very mountainous; there is about 10km flat in the whole width of the country; other than that you are either going up or down. Other than Vieng Xai/Sam Nuea on one end and Nong Khiaw on the other it is very remote and there isn't much in the way of tourist facilities on much of it; I spent many days eating nothing but instant noodles and on at least one occasion had to knock on a random house to see if they could sell me some sticky rice- but you do get a good impression of the "real" Laos without other tourists and the scenery is beautiful. Certainly it was my favourite part of the three months I spent in the country.

You could easily do a loop on a motorbike taking in Phonsavan and the Plain of Jars. There is also the Hintang Standing Stones. This is often referred to as the Laos (or even Asian) Stonehenge. That is overplaying it a bit, but certainly worth a look if you are passing and have a motorbike. It was a painful two hours for me up a near vertical dirt road but you would be up there in 15 minutes on a motorbike. Again, it is remote, and you will have the place to yourself.

[katkando2]

Back from the trip - brilliant fun and highly recommended.

Hope the following info is helpful:

Bike hired was a Honda Baja at $30 a day - I had reserved an XR, but they were all out

Hired from Jules Classic Rental - they work in conjunction with Fuark, and PMO has closed down, so there is not a lot of choice
http://www.bike-rental-laos.com/

The Route:

Day 1 - Vientiane to Pak Lay (5 hours) Crap roads, slow going

Day 2 - Pak Lay to Xayaboury (3 hours) Good roads
Xayaboury to Luang Prabang (4.5 hours) Bad then good roads

Day 3 - Luang Prabang - lovely place but FULL of tourists

Day 4 - Luang Prabang to Vieng Thong (5 hours) Good roads

Day 5 - Vieng Thong to Xam Nua (5 hours) Good roads but VERY challenging - lots of 2nd gear hairpins

Day 6 - Xam Nua to Phonsavan (5.5 hours) Good roads but again very hilly, lots of acute winding roads

Day 7 - Stayed in Phonsavan - plain of Jars was zzzzzzz but the area in beautiful

Day 8 - Phonsavan to Vang Vieng (5.5 hours) great roads - fun ride

Day 9 - Stayed in VV, went tubing down the river, explored the surrounding area - beautiful

Day 10 - VV to Vientiane (5.5 hours) Horrible roads, smooth tarmac then rutted and rough, repeated for many many km's. The last 25km into Vientiane is VERY heavy traffic.

Highlights - The people (REALLY friendly), Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and the ride along route 1 from Pak Mong to Xam Nua

What would I do differently next time?
1/ Bigger bike - 250cc was hard work in the mountains
2/ Would not go during the wet season. I got lucky & only had to get the rain suit out 3 times, but I would have been much more adventurous in my choice of route if I hadn't had to worry about getting stuck/delayed on some remote dirt road

Budget - worked out around $90 a day including bike hire, gas, food & accommodation

You could do the whole route in a Camry if you needed to, but I don't think it would be much fun. On a bike, however, this was a great trip and I will definitely go back.

All the best!

[Phuket2006]

just to add to the above;

traveling by car
entered laos at Chaing Kong and drove to Maung Sing, (5 hours)
good roads and fantastic scenery all the way, rolling mtn ranges and you often find yourself on the ridge looking down on both sides;
great local market in town in the morning with various hill tribes gather and selling their wares,

back down to Luang Namtha 2 hours twisting good paved road. Not much to do in town but good Indian restaurant.
off to Luang Prabang, 70 kms of some of the worst roads in Laos i am sure, averaged speed less than 30 kms/hour and would NOT want to do it by motorbike or bicycle ( although saw a couple heading north)
Laid back town , extremely hot and mellow. Great if u love temples and good food.. Great Guest houses along the river. Took about 6 hours driving,
note all times include stopping for food, gas and taking photos. Would NOT want to be there in the high season.

Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng the "farang drinking, acting stupid" part of Asia. So many your kids fucked out of there minds on whatever they can ingest floating down the river and walking around town barefoot an no shirts. You would never think ur in Laos. 5 hours driving time Amazing scenery and limestone formations on the opposite banks of the river.

Vientiane 3 hours later ( first part was not very good) but last 70 kms smooth and arrived in the sleeping capital

Note had my exhaust pipe welded in LP and the water pump rebuilt and than on the way to Vientaine had the cluthc line bleed and the car runs great again.

Heading south in a day or two to Pakse where will cross back over to Thailand and than head south west to Surin and drop down to Camboida via Osmach

MY take, Laos is laid back and the scenery is amazing but after the first 100 kms it just repeats itself over and over . Good food and reasonably priced, good accommodations all under $30 us for air con./wifi in room. Friendly people just like the Thai's in Essan


Unlike Katkando I loved the rainy season and would not want to be here in the high season. Most of the places would be full of tourists and it just would not be the same with crowds