16/08/15 – Vientiane to
Hin Hoeup – 95km – Easy/Medium
17/08/15 – Hin Hoeup to
Vang Vieng – 63km- Medium
19/08/15 – Vang Vieng to
Phon Hong – 86km – Medium
20/08/15 – Phon Hong to
Vientiane – 72 km- Easy/Medium
22/08/15 – Vientiane to Thabok
– 93km – Easy
23/08/15 – Thabok to Pak
Kading – 95km – Easy
24/08/15 – Pak Kading to
Vieng Kham – 53km – Easy
25/08/15 – Vieng Kham to
Na Hin – 43km – Difficult
26/08/15 – Na Hin to Lak
Sao – 56km – Difficult
27/08/15 – Lak Sao to
Mahaxay – 105km – Medium/Difficult
28/08/15 – Mahaxay to Thakhek
– 40km – Easy
30/08/15 – Thakhek to
Savannaket – 125km (approx) – Medium
01/09/15 – Savannaket to
Somboon – 75km – Medium
02/09/15 – Somboon to
Pakse – 85km + 85km by bus – Medium
05/09/15 – Pakse
06/09/15 – Pakse to Phibun
Mangsahan – 95km – Medium
CONCLUSIONS &
OVERALL COSTS RECOMMENDED JOURNALS
16/08/15 – Vientiane
to Hin Hoeup – 95km – Easy/Medium
I’d been strangely
comfortable & content in my very basic $6 room in Siri 2 Guesthouse despite
everything being somewhat musty & the shared bathroom not too clean.
Originally I’d planned to
have an few days in Vientiane but find it’s a pretty boring little town
nowadays where every day has the feel of a sleepy, languid Sunday & I was
glad to be heading off after only one days rest.
The initial 50km was
pretty boring, tedious cycling initially through Vientiane’s suburbs before
turning onto highway 13 which brought heavier traffic, more urban sprawl & unexceptional
scenery. Around the 50km mark the scenery began to take a distinct upturn &
for the final 40km became ever more dramatic & enjoyable. A roadside lined
with mature trees & vibrant green rice fields gave way to untamed jungle
with rolling green hills coming ever closer. 
An early pit stop for a
fairly decent pork & chicken noodle soup ($1.25) kept me going until Ban
Nong Khay where I rested up in a petrol stations A/C mini mart before tackling
my first significant hill in Laos. It was around 150 meters climbing on a
steady gradient with rewarding panoramic views at the top.
Pushing on over an
undulating road with pleasant scenery I soon arrived in Hin Hoeup & began
looking for a room. Completely missing the 2 decent guesthouses in town, all I
could find was a fairly grotty guesthouse & paid $8.50 for a really basic
fan room.
If I’d taken a left before
the river (where you see a sign for a petrol station) I’d have come upon 2
guesthouses, one of which appeared to have a decent Wi-Fi signal ($6/night for
a fan room). Wandering around at night I came across these guesthouses &
had a lovely pork fried rice ($2.50) in one of their restaurants.
17/08/15 - Hin Hoeup
to Vang Vieng – 63km – Medium
It’s been an absolutely
wonderful days cycling through beautiful countryside topped off by an extremely
enjoyable night in Vang Vieng, only slightly spoiled by not choosing a better
room to rest up in.
9am & I was showered,
coffeed up, loaded & off. It’s an extremely early start for me but Laos is
such a sleepy place I suspect earlier nights & earlier starts are going to
become the norm.
Straight away I found
myself on a good road surface surrounded by dense vegetation, indeed
impenetrable jungle encroaching the roadside more often than not. Rolling hills
gave way to magnificent mountains as the day wore on, soaring peaks shrouded in
mist dominating the background with dense vegetation & thick jungle bridging
the gap.
Insect choirs resonated
all day & butterflies would appear out of nowhere, dance in front of my
eyes & then disappear again. Kamikaze insects kept dive bombing me &
were quite painful when taken at speed.
It wasn’t an easy ride as
the road undulated all day, the gradients were never severe but occasionally
the inclines were prolonged enough to have me laboring in granny gear. Idyllic
villages came & went with a tranquil, timeless air to them. Lots of
“sabaidii’s “& often the kids would line the roadside to ‘high five” me as
I passed by.
Water & soft drinks
were available the whole route but other than the ubiquitous noodle soup there
wasn’t many food options. I finally gave up looking for an alternative around
25km outside Vang Vieng & stopped for a pretty bland, ordinary noodle soup
($1.80).
Pushing on it was more
lovely cycling as Vang Vieng’s rugged karst formations came ever closer. The
final 10km was mercifully flat but I’d been watching storm clouds becoming ever
more ominous & sure enough 5km out a torrential downpour enveloped me.
My intent had been to have
a good look around & find a nice room or bungalow to rest up in for a few
days but with torrential rain battering me I instead took the 1st
room I looked at. Dokkoun guesthouse isn’t bad with a $7.50 fan room with hot
shower but it is noisy with adjacent bars & construction work.
I know Vang Vieng gets a
bad press nowadays as being nothing more than a tourist ghetto but I still find
it to be a stunningly beautiful spot & relaxing place to hang out, you only
have to walk a few minutes to get away from the tourist hoards. 
An early evening beer by
the riverside (overcast conditions meant no sunset) before heading to the town
centre & watching the (somewhat tame) partying unfold as the tubers &
kayakers burned off excess energy. Eventually I found a bar with some older
travelers & interesting Laos expats & drunk way too many Beerlaos.
19/08/15 – Vang
Vieng to Phon Hong – 86km – Medium
Vang Vieng had been a
beautiful, enjoyable place to stopover & was another place I had to tear
myself away from sooner than I really wanted to.
An early start was wasted
when I stopped for a tuna sandwich & in typical Laos fashion it took them
35 minutes to make it. There ensued a lovely, if moderately difficult cycle
ride, the reverse of that described on 16 & 17/08/15; Vivid green
countryside, hills, jungle & tranquil villages all playing a part.
I wasn’t far outside Hin
Hoeup when disaster hit as the chain sprang off the rear cogs & wedged
itself between the cassette & spokes. It took me more than 1 hour to free
the chain & resulted in getting everything covered in oil. With the time
wasted it meant my vague thoughts of making it all the way to Vientiane went
out the window. 
I decided to get the hill outside
Hin Hoeup over & done with & stopover in Phon Hong instead. Once again
the hill wasn’t as bad as I’d anticipated, a steady climb to around 150 meters
& then a freewheel down to a couple of welcoming A/C mini marts.
Arriving in Phon Hong
there’s 3 promising looking guesthouses
but at each I was met with “tim, tim, tim” i.e. “full, full, full” I presume
there’s a big party or wedding going on & none had any free rooms. Getting
a bit desperate I asked some locals who directed me to a place a few km’s South
of town. It’s a really grotty, short time dosshouse but at $5 it is cheap &
the owners friendly enough. There’s lots of moaning & beds squeaking as the
local lassies keep their customers entertained.
A bucket shower, put on a
clean shirt & headed out for some beer & food. Almost the 1st
thing I encountered is some kids, one of whose chain has slipped off the
smallest back cog. It meant once again getting covered in oil, including on my
freshly worn shirt. Still the kids (& on looking adults) seemed to get a
kick out of the falang fixing their bike.
20/08/15 – Phon Hong
to Vientiane – 72km – Easy/Medium
Despite it being a real
shithole of a room I slept really well & had to force myself out of bed at
8am. By 10am I was coffeed up & cycled back into town for a breakfast of
stewed pork over rice ($1.80). The ride was the reverse of that described on
16/08/15 & was a fairly boring, nondescript cycle ride – a day to just keep
the pedals turning & the km’s ticking in. 
I’ve felt fairly weak
& lethargic all day & perhaps yesterday took more out of me than I
realized, certainly a blistering hot day didn’t help. I was glad it was a
fairly short distance to cover & I could afford lots of rest stops &
water breaks.
Arriving in Vientiane mid
afternoon I was really chuffed to find my preferred room in Siri 2 guesthouse
was available ($6).
22/08/15 – Vientiane
to Thabok – 93km – Easy
Once again Vientiane was
just a bit too sleepy & boring for me to want to spend more than a day
there & I was glad to be heading off today. 
Not for the first time my
incompetence surprised even myself & with a simple route out of town;
straight for 8 to 10km & then a right turn onto highway 13, I’ve no idea
how I managed to get lost on Vientiane’s outskirts. I eventually had to go into
a fairly fancy hotel & beg their Wi-Fi password off them to get a fix on my
position. My GPS is proving absolutely useless at fixing my location unless I’m
logged into a strong Wi-Fi signal.  |
| How many languages can you spot? |
There wasn’t much on offer
food wise other than the ubiquitous noodle soups but I eventually found a stall
selling grilled chicken (Kai yang) with sticky rice ($2.50). It was OK once
she’d whisked the flies off & along with a few banana cakes kept me going
to Thabok.
The afternoons ride
improved as the land became more fertile, trees or bushes began to line the
roadside & rolling green hills came into view.
 |
| Thong & Mark Guesthouse |
Thabok has a lovely little
area by the riverside with tables & chairs for the public’s use where I
enjoyed a few early evening beers. I must have eaten something but whatever it
was I didn’t include it in my notes.
23/08/15 – Thabok to
Pak Kading – 95km – Easy
I enjoyed a really
comfortable night in Thong & Mark GH & for $7.50 it’s the best value
I’ve had in Laos so far. My plan was to have a lie in, late start & do a
short 55km ride to Paksan but a local rooster decided I needed to be awoken
earlier. 
Actually setting off at
9am wasn’t bad as the mist still shrouded the hills & it remained
pleasantly cool. Once again the scenery improved as the day worn on & to be
honest I hardly noticed the 1st 40km worth as I fell into a daydream
about writing a film script; there’s a cyclist who trains in the mountains of
Vietnam, goes to Scotland for a race……………, Enough of that! – it was my daydream
& very pleasant at the time. 
The afternoon’s scenery
improved considerably & thankfully snapped me out of my daydream as the
road skirted rolling green hills, bushes or trees lined the roadside &
views of the Mekong River & Thai mainland came & went.
I’d planned to stop in
Paksan but arrived too early to call it a day. There are lots of decent looking
guesthouses around especially taking the 1st right as you come into
town. Passing a restaurant full of locals I stopped & ordered a noodle
soup, it was Ok but at $2.50 it just seems so damn expensive.
Pushing on to Pak Kading
there’s a fairly fancy hotel ($15/night) a km or two before the town centre. In
town there’s 2 options, I took the 1st option on the right & for
$6 got a very basic room with absolutely no frills.
At night I had a fairly
good pork fried rice which anywhere out with Laos I would have thought
extortionate for $2.50 but by Laos standards that’s reasonable.
24/08/15 – Pak
Kading to Vieng Kham – 53km – Easy
Pak Kading was actually a
really nice location to stay in with forest clad hills & riverside scenery.
It made for a lovely start to my day as the road cut through & then ran
alongside a mountain range covered with thick jungle. Tributaries of the Mekong
River came & went & the first 10km was as pleasant as any road I’ve
been on in Laos so far. As ever on road 13 traffic was fairly light & the
road surface was in reasonable condition. 
The afternoons ride didn’t
have the awesome splendor of the morning’s section but remained pleasant enough
with lots of vivid green foliage & occasionally mountains looming directly
ahead. Sleepy little villages came & went but the primary impression was
how sparsely populated much of Laos is with jungle or scrubland dominating most
of the route. 
An instant noodle for
breakfast & hand of bananas on route meant I arrived in Vieng Kham
absolutely starving. Spotting a few stainless steel pans I ordered a pork green
curry & it was lovely, indeed the best meal I’ve had since Vientiane. 
It was a bit worrying as
the rain began to cover the scenery in a blanket of mist. Tomorrow I head into
the hills & had hoped for clear weather to enjoy what I hope will be the
best scenery of this trip.
There were lots of
guesthouses, restaurants & one fairly fancy looking hotel in what is a
fairly vibrant little crossroads town. I opted for Khamphone Keokhamphan
guesthouse & a decent ensuite fan room for $6, it’s a bit cramped but clean
& comfortable with a great Wi-Fi signal (it’s on road 8, 100 meters from
road 13).
25/08/15 – Vieng
Kham to Na Hin – 43km – Difficult
What an absolutely
wonderful days cycling. The best scenery of this trip by far & indeed up
there with the best cycle rides I’ve ever done. 
“Be careful what you wish
for” I thought as I awoke to a blisteringly hot day. Yesterday I’d hoped it
wouldn’t be overcast & misty but I didn’t mean blindingly hot. Unsure what
services would be available on this route I had a pork curry & rice for
breakfast & stopped at the local market where I picked up some spring rolls
for the journey. Just as you enter the market there’s a lady who does
absolutely wonderful fresh spring rolls, a pack of 3 with crushed peanuts &
sweet chili sauce for 60 cents & it’s the best food I’ve had in Laos so
far. 
Heading off along road 8
& immediately the road passes through dense vegetation with dramatic
mountains looming ahead. A small incline straight off & then for 10km it’s
fairly easy cycling with only one or two minor inclines.
Idyllic, timeless villages
came & went with shouts of “sabaii dii” as I passed by. All day traffic was
extremely light but enough to know I could flag down a truck or cart in an
extreme emergency.
Around 12 or 14km in there
was a 100 to 150 meter climb on a steady & not too fierce gradient but in today’s
heat it had me down in granny gear & sweating buckets. By this stage the
scenery was becoming ever more dramatic with every turn offering more wonderful
views of dense jungle & forest clad mountains, often their summits still
shrouded in mist. 
Butterflies flirted by the
roadside often joined by dragon flies, birdsong & loud insect choirs
resonated everywhere & the occasional eagle soared overhead. Dripping
sweat, I made it over my first serious hill & enjoyed a wonderful freewheel
downhill (steep; make sure your brakes are in order). The following 12km was
fairly flat riding through more outstanding scenery.
Around the 27km mark
there’s a small village with a few shops, basic restaurants & one guesthouse.
It’s a timely point to stock up on water as soon after the real climbing
begins.
An initial climb up a long
straight road before the road begins to twist & turn its way up the mountainside.
A blistering hot day & a serious gradient (10% perhaps) meant I found it
extremely hard work but the spectacular views were ample compensation.
Around 5km of climbing to
an elevation of 500 meters found me at Hin Poun Viewpoint & rewarded with
absolutely stunning panoramic views over Laos rugged, mountainous landscape. I
spent a good hour savoring the views, resting up & devouring my spring
rolls. Lots of Thai’s & Laos came & went & it was indeed a popular
rest spot.
A wonderful freewheel
downhill to Na Hin & arriving at 1pm I considered pushing on to Lak Sao. One
voice was telling me “it’s too early to stop for the day” whilst another was
saying “it’s too bloody hot to tackle another 600 meter climb & why do you
want to rush through such spectacular scenery anyway.”
Having a look around the
village I checked the rooms in Phamarnview Guesthouse & instantly decided I
was stopping here for the night. A lovely room with A/C, fridge, hot shower, TV
(Thai/Laos channels only) & good Wi-Fi for $10 was exactly what I was
looking for.
Cycling along the main
road you hardly notice Na HIn but once you come off the main road & into
the village proper it’s actually a vibrant little town with at least a dozen
guesthouses, a few restaurants & a small local market, there’s even a few
foreigners wandering around. One restaurant attached to a popular guesthouse
had an English language menu but seemed extremely expensive by my benchmark.
It’s been another
fantastic days cycling albeit fairly difficult in parts. A mountainous
landscape with dense jungle encroaching right to the roadside, ancient trees,
birdsong & insect choirs providing a soundtrack as butterflies danced
around me & timeless villages came & went. 
The climbing started
immediately & I found myself in granny gear before I’d even warmed up.
Climbing to around 300 meters I rested up at Viewpoint 2. Like yesterday this
viewpoint offered up spectacular views over rugged, mountainous terrain with
thick jungle dwarfing the few settlements around. 
As I was sitting there a
Laos family arrived & set out a picnic. As with most hospitable Laos when
they saw me sitting alone they invited me to join them. It was a tempting offer
but noting they had scare food for such a large family I declined although the
laap & sticky rice looked really tempting. 
Unlike yesterday the
viewpoint does not sit at the summit & I still had 200 to 300 meters of
climbing to endure. Finally at a height of around 500 to 600 meters I reached
the top & began a wonderful freewheel downhill. Once again it was a steep
descent & I was glad my brakes were fully operational. 
The road descends to an
idyllic little village which did have one guesthouse, the last guesthouse I was
to pass until Lak Sao. Still I was glad I’d decided to stop over in Na Hin
yesterday. More wonderful scenery as I
continued on a primarily flat road with only a few steep, if not prolonged
undulations, until I hit another significant climb (100 to 150 meters) around
14km outside Lak Sao. 
Passing through Tha Bok, a
place I’d thought to push onto yesterday & it was a sleepy little village
in an absolutely stunning location set on the edge of a river with towering
mountains all around but there was no guesthouse & only very basic
services. I did manage to get some grilled fish & sticky rice which wasn’t
very good but kept me going until Lak Sao. 
I was fairly tired by the
time I reached Lak Sao & so didn’t waste too much time looking around for a
room, quickly settling for a $7.50 fan room with hot shower. It’s Ok but I’m
sure there’s better value in town, I just couldn’t be bothered looking around.
This was another fantastic
days cycling although it was slightly spoiled by bad decision making on my
part. 
5km outside of Lak Sao the
road deteriorates & for the next 30km I was cycling over a surface of sharp
stones, potholes & muddy puddles, by far the worst surface I’ve been on in
a long time. The 1st 20km is flat before hitting a 200 meter high
hill, getting up & over wasn’t easy with a rocky, crappy road surface to
contend with. 
The morning’s scenery was
fairly ordinary & it wasn’t until I reached Thalang (around the 50km mark)
that awesome scenery returned with untamed jungle & majestic mountains once
again dominating the countryside. 
Dropping 500 meters
through twisting jungle lined roads with wonderful views of Laos’s mountainous
landscapes was a spectacular ride & one I wished I’d saved for tomorrow
morning. 
I was getting a bit
desperate when I got to Mahaxay at 6pm with darkness descending. There are no
guesthouses in the town centre but 2 options 2km before you get into town. I
took the 1st I looked at & at $7.50 for a basic bungalow it was
OK but there was no key or padlock hasp & no way to secure the room. It
meant cycling into town fully loaded where I got lovely pork fried rice &
few beers in a very friendly, busy restaurant. 
A cycle back to my
guesthouse where I found the most god awful karaoke blasting out from the
attached restaurant, still it meant I could have a few late (& cold) beers
on my balcony. 
Yet another spectacular
days cycling with a flat road & short distance a joy to my weary legs. 
I had a good night’s sleep
once the karaoke died down just before midnight but awoke to heavy rain. I
hadn’t realized last night but the guesthouse was actually in a lovely setting
& was a nice place to enjoy my morning coffees as I waited for the rain to
abate. Stopping in town for a pork fried rice meant I wasn’t really underway
until 11am. 
There was a more dramatic,
even foreboding aspect to the mountains as mist lay on their slopes &
shrouded their peaks. It was lovely countryside to cycle through as soon the
roadside jungle gave way to vivid green rice fields. Locals out fishing with
ungainly nets manhandled on unsteady wooden frames made for picturesque
moments. 
High fives & “sabaii
dii’s” from the kids as I passed by, lots of thumbs up from motorbike pillion
passengers & sometimes a fist pump of encouragement from the younger ladies
riding pillion. I took it really easy, partly as my legs were weary but more
importantly I wanted to savor my final few km’s of this spellbinding scenery. 
A few hills on the way
into Thakhek came as a nasty surprise before I cycled around looking for a
room. A few false starts including one place that quoted me a rate of $68 “but
breakfast is included” she pleaded as I made a hasty about turn. I finally
settled on International Guesthouse with a $7.50 A/C room with a mildly warm
shower. It’s small & cramped but good value & the 1st time
I’ve had BBC on TV since Cambodia.
I kicked off the day with
a nice breakfast in Song Fang Khong restaurant a place I’d used for most of my
meals in Thakhek. They do some great Thai food along with a few Western dishes
at very reasonable prices. 
Shouts of “sabaii dii” “hello”
or “hi” were never far off and on one occasion an elderly gent said in perfect
English “Good morning sir, have a good journey” I was passed before it
registered & could only shout back “Good morning & thank you”.
My route map only covers
my journey as far as Keng Kabao as the new road (road 11) is not shown on
Google Maps. At Keng Kabao take a left & head for Xeno & after around
12km there’s a right turn onto road 11 which runs all the way to Savannaket. 
Arriving around 5.30pm I
was too damn tired & hungry to waste time looking for a room & headed
straight to Leena Guesthouse. $6 for a clean fan room albeit a bit cramped
& lacking furniture will do just fine.
I’m in a place called
Somboon according to Google Maps, the local signs & road markers call it by
another name which I omitted to take a note of & it’s not a bad place to
lay up for a night.
All day my legs have felt
leaden & devoid of any energy & I do find nowadays often a one day rest
up is just enough for fatigue & stiffness to set in. It didn’t help that
all day the roads undulated, it was never particularly steep or prolonged
inclines but once again their cumulative effect took its toll.
Around the 32km mark as
the road meets up with road 13 there was a fairly vibrant junction town with
lots of grilled chicken vendors, a few restaurants & at least 2
guesthouses. This was the last guesthouses I noticed until here in Somboon.
Arriving in Somboon I
didn’t know how far it would be until the next guesthouse & decided to stop
here for the night. There’s 2 guesthouses on the Northern edge of town, one of
which looked extremely nice from the outside ($12/night) & a few very basic
looking guesthouses in the town centre. I followed a sign for Kiengphavanh guesthouse
located about 1km up a road which passes the provincial Hospital (according to
Google Maps) where I got a nice fan room for $6 with a weak but serviceable Wi-Fi
signal. Their A/C rooms are $9.
26/08/15 – Na Hin to
Lak Sao – 56km – Difficult
It’s been another
fantastic days cycling albeit fairly difficult in parts. A mountainous
landscape with dense jungle encroaching right to the roadside, ancient trees,
birdsong & insect choirs providing a soundtrack as butterflies danced
around me & timeless villages came & went. 
The climbing started
immediately & I found myself in granny gear before I’d even warmed up.
Climbing to around 300 meters I rested up at Viewpoint 2. Like yesterday this
viewpoint offered up spectacular views over rugged, mountainous terrain with
thick jungle dwarfing the few settlements around. 
As I was sitting there a
Laos family arrived & set out a picnic. As with most hospitable Laos when
they saw me sitting alone they invited me to join them. It was a tempting offer
but noting they had scare food for such a large family I declined although the
laap & sticky rice looked really tempting. 
Unlike yesterday the
viewpoint does not sit at the summit & I still had 200 to 300 meters of
climbing to endure. Finally at a height of around 500 to 600 meters I reached
the top & began a wonderful freewheel downhill. Once again it was a steep
descent & I was glad my brakes were fully operational. 
The road descends to an
idyllic little village which did have one guesthouse, the last guesthouse I was
to pass until Lak Sao. Still I was glad I’d decided to stop over in Na Hin
yesterday. More wonderful scenery as I
continued on a primarily flat road with only a few steep, if not prolonged
undulations, until I hit another significant climb (100 to 150 meters) around
14km outside Lak Sao. 
Passing through Tha Bok, a
place I’d thought to push onto yesterday & it was a sleepy little village
in an absolutely stunning location set on the edge of a river with towering
mountains all around but there was no guesthouse & only very basic
services. I did manage to get some grilled fish & sticky rice which wasn’t
very good but kept me going until Lak Sao. 
I was fairly tired by the
time I reached Lak Sao & so didn’t waste too much time looking around for a
room, quickly settling for a $7.50 fan room with hot shower. It’s Ok but I’m
sure there’s better value in town, I just couldn’t be bothered looking around.
A wander around at night
& I couldn’t find anything particularly exciting for tea. I finally settled
for some grilled chicken & sticky rice along with more delicious fresh
spring rolls. Later my plan was to enjoy some beers on my veranda but a persistent
hooker wanting to give me a massage (& presumably some “extras”) just
wouldn’t take no for an answer & I ended up drinking in my room instead.
27/08/15 – Lak Sao
to Mahaxay – 105km (approx) – Medium/Difficult
This was another fantastic
days cycling although it was slightly spoiled by bad decision making on my
part. 
5km outside of Lak Sao the
road deteriorates & for the next 30km I was cycling over a surface of sharp
stones, potholes & muddy puddles, by far the worst surface I’ve been on in
a long time. The 1st 20km is flat before hitting a 200 meter high
hill, getting up & over wasn’t easy with a rocky, crappy road surface to
contend with.
I was glad to get back to
a decent road surface around the 35km mark & thereafter the road undulates
all the way to Nakai. The inclines were never excessive but meant forever
running up & down the gears & their cumulative effect took its toll on
my legs.
The morning’s scenery was
fairly ordinary & it wasn’t until I reached Thalang (around the 50km mark)
that awesome scenery returned with untamed jungle & majestic mountains once
again dominating the countryside.
Passing through Nakai I
really should have stopped & looked for a guesthouse, I’ve since read
there’s lots of accommodation options off the main road & some decent
restaurants in town. Looking back it was obviously a major town & the
obvious place to stop overnight but I was trusting Google Maps which had Nakai
12km further on. Suddenly I found myself on the most wonderful freewheel
downhill, too late to turn around & climb back to Nakai.
Dropping 500 meters
through twisting jungle lined roads with wonderful views of Laos’s mountainous
landscapes was a spectacular ride & one I wished I’d saved for tomorrow
morning.
Thereafter I spoiled some
wonderful scenery as I was racing to find a town & guesthouse before dark.
I hate rushing through such wonderful landscapes & really wished I’d
stopped in Nakai & saved them for a leisurely cycle tomorrow.
I was getting a bit
desperate when I got to Mahaxay at 6pm with darkness descending. There are no
guesthouses in the town centre but 2 options 2km before you get into town. I
took the 1st I looked at & at $7.50 for a basic bungalow it was
OK but there was no key or padlock hasp & no way to secure the room. It
meant cycling into town fully loaded where I got lovely pork fried rice &
few beers in a very friendly, busy restaurant. 
A cycle back to my
guesthouse where I found the most god awful karaoke blasting out from the
attached restaurant, still it meant I could have a few late (& cold) beers
on my balcony.
I really wished I’d
stopped in Nakai & not had to rush through the spectacular scenery that the
latter half of the day served up but it’s still been a wonderful days cycling
& I’ve found a bed (& cold beers) for the night so all’s well.
28/08/15 – Mahaxay
to Thakhek – 40km – Easy
Yet another spectacular
days cycling with a flat road & short distance a joy to my weary legs. 
I had a good night’s sleep
once the karaoke died down just before midnight but awoke to heavy rain. I
hadn’t realized last night but the guesthouse was actually in a lovely setting
& was a nice place to enjoy my morning coffees as I waited for the rain to
abate. Stopping in town for a pork fried rice meant I wasn’t really underway
until 11am. 
There was a more dramatic,
even foreboding aspect to the mountains as mist lay on their slopes &
shrouded their peaks. It was lovely countryside to cycle through as soon the
roadside jungle gave way to vivid green rice fields. Locals out fishing with
ungainly nets manhandled on unsteady wooden frames made for picturesque
moments. 
High fives & “sabaii
dii’s” from the kids as I passed by, lots of thumbs up from motorbike pillion
passengers & sometimes a fist pump of encouragement from the younger ladies
riding pillion. I took it really easy, partly as my legs were weary but more
importantly I wanted to savor my final few km’s of this spellbinding scenery. 
A few hills on the way
into Thakhek came as a nasty surprise before I cycled around looking for a
room. A few false starts including one place that quoted me a rate of $68 “but
breakfast is included” she pleaded as I made a hasty about turn. I finally
settled on International Guesthouse with a $7.50 A/C room with a mildly warm
shower. It’s small & cramped but good value & the 1st time
I’ve had BBC on TV since Cambodia.
Thakhek’s a friendly
little place (isn’t everywhere in Laos) with pleasant riverside scenery &
views across the Mekong to Nakhon Phanom. There are cafes with riverside
seating & reasonable priced restaurants (by Laos standards) & it will
do me just fine for a much needed day off.
30/08/15 – Thakhek
to Savannakhet – 125km (approx) – Medium
MAP of part of today's journey HERE (new road 11 not on Google Maps)
 |
| Interesting battle (the gecko lost) |
Thereafter I embarked on a
lovely, peaceful days cycling. Of course the scenery wasn’t as breathtakingly
awesome as the “Thakhek Loop” but I’ve cycled through small towns &
villages with a snapshot of sleepy, somnolent Laos life, stretches passed
through vivid green paddy fields before turning back to the Mekong with its
riverside scenery & views of the Thai mainland.
Shouts of “sabaii dii” “hello”
or “hi” were never far off and on one occasion an elderly gent said in perfect
English “Good morning sir, have a good journey” I was passed before it
registered & could only shout back “Good morning & thank you”.
Around 36km into the day I
passed through Nong Bok, a fair sized town with 2 guesthouses on the outskirts
& one fairly fancy hotel slap bang in the middle. (For a report from a couple who stayed in Ban Nong Bok click HERE). It would make the perfect stopover coming from
Savannaket to Thakhek, if like me you don’t enjoy 100+km days. This was the
last accommodation I noticed until 16km outside Savannaket where Leena 2
guesthouse & restaurant appeared out of nowhere (& indeed in the middle
of nowhere with no other services around).
My route map only covers
my journey as far as Keng Kabao as the new road (road 11) is not shown on
Google Maps. At Keng Kabao take a left & head for Xeno & after around
12km there’s a right turn onto road 11 which runs all the way to Savannaket.
My plan had been to stay
in Keng Kabao but it wasn’t even much of a village with just a few houses
scattered around & certainly no guesthouse. My backup plan was to push on
to Xeno but coming to road 11 decided I might as well put in the extra km’s to
Savannaket.
Arriving around 5.30pm I
was too damn tired & hungry to waste time looking for a room & headed
straight to Leena Guesthouse. $6 for a clean fan room albeit a bit cramped
& lacking furniture will do just fine.
Realizing it was my
birthday I had a wander around looking for old bars & restaurants I used to
frequent but they are sadly all long gone except Xok Xay restaurant which was
still churning out excellent value, tasty food. A few too many Beerlaos in the
adjacent night market means I won’t be going anywhere tomorrow.
01/09/15 –
Savannaket to Somboon – 75km – Medium
I’m in a place called
Somboon according to Google Maps, the local signs & road markers call it by
another name which I omitted to take a note of & it’s not a bad place to
lay up for a night. |
| Roadside vendor |
Initially the scenery was
pleasant enough passing through thick woodland with views across vivid green
rice fields but later in the day it became monotonous with long, straight roads
& boring featureless scenery. I’d slip into a daydream only to be awoken by
an enthusiastic “sabaii dii” or “hello falang” from some friendly locals.
Around the 32km mark as
the road meets up with road 13 there was a fairly vibrant junction town with
lots of grilled chicken vendors, a few restaurants & at least 2
guesthouses. This was the last guesthouses I noticed until here in Somboon.
Arriving in Somboon I
didn’t know how far it would be until the next guesthouse & decided to stop
here for the night. There’s 2 guesthouses on the Northern edge of town, one of
which looked extremely nice from the outside ($12/night) & a few very basic
looking guesthouses in the town centre. I followed a sign for Kiengphavanh guesthouse
located about 1km up a road which passes the provincial Hospital (according to
Google Maps) where I got a nice fan room for $6 with a weak but serviceable Wi-Fi
signal. Their A/C rooms are $9.
I had a wander into town
at night, enjoyed a few Beerlaos & found a lovely little stall selling take
away food. A bag of sweet & sour chicken, one of pork green curry & a
bag of rice came to $2 in total. I borrowed some bowls from my guesthouse &
had an absolute feast along with a few more Beerlaos.
Setting out into
torrential rain I stopped for breakfast at the small bus depot in Somboom &
had a serious urge to put myself & my bike on a bus to Pakse. It’s the
first time this urge has came upon me & it must have been a premonition of
what a disastrous day was about to unfold.
Fighting off the urge to
use a bus I set out & endured 85km of tedious cycling over continuously
undulating roads. Long straights with uninspiring scenery & torrential rain
just put me in an absolutely miserable mood & when a truck passed with the
passenger leaning out the window to give me the finger & an emphatic “fuck
you” it just seemed to sum up today’s ride. 
It had been a good
decision to stop in Somboom last night not only because I found a comfortable
guesthouse & good food but also it was 35 to 40km before the next
guesthouse near some services appeared.
3pm, just as I was
thinking I could ease up & enjoy the last 20km to Muang Xhongxedon I got my
first puncture of this trip. I couldn’t find any shelter & had to set about
changing tubes in bucketing rain only to find the side wall of my tyre was
ripped & the new tube just bulged through. Reassembling everything &
resecuring my soaked luggage I set about flagging down a lift. My only good
luck today was that the first bus I waved down stopped & was happy to take
both me & the bike to Pakse; the $4 fare seemed very reasonable.
As I helped the conductor maneuver
the bike onto the bus & up the aisle the Laos passengers good naturedly
made way but a couple of foreigners began grumbling about my filthy, sodden
bike being brought inside. I’d had a really bad day & when I shot them a
look that contained all today’s frustrations they had the good sense to shut up
& go back to playing with their phones. 
I got him to drop me at
Sedone guesthouse with a very basic but roomy $6 fan room & a lovely,
peaceful riverside terrace to relax on. Just to top off an absolutely shit day
the strap on my sandals has broke & I’ve just noticed a serious crack on
the bracket of my back rack.
02/09/15 – Somboom to
Pakse – 85km + 85km by bus – Medium
Setting out into
torrential rain I stopped for breakfast at the small bus depot in Somboom &
had a serious urge to put myself & my bike on a bus to Pakse. It’s the
first time this urge has came upon me & it must have been a premonition of
what a disastrous day was about to unfold.  |
| Straight boring roads |
It had been a good
decision to stop in Somboom last night not only because I found a comfortable
guesthouse & good food but also it was 35 to 40km before the next
guesthouse near some services appeared.  |
| Baby scorpion in my room. I was a bit worried where Mum & Dad were |
 |
| My riverside terrace |
Frustratingly, although
the bus passes through Pakse it doesn’t stop until a bus station 10km outside
of town. It meant getting a shared jumbo back into the town centre ($2.50 for
me & the bike) which I was amused to see I’d be sharing with the same 2
foreigners who’d began grumbling about my bike going on the bus earlier.
I got him to drop me at
Sedone guesthouse with a very basic but roomy $6 fan room & a lovely,
peaceful riverside terrace to relax on. Just to top off an absolutely shit day
the strap on my sandals has broke & I’ve just noticed a serious crack on
the bracket of my back rack.
I cheered myself up with a
visit to Jasmine Indian restaurant, downing a good few Beerlaos & devouring
a chicken tika massala & garlic naan ($3.20). It’s great when you can get a
lovely Indian meal for little more than Laos charge for a basic noodle soup.
I had a quick breakfast in
Jasmine Indian restaurant before crossing the Laos/Nippon Bridge & then cycling
out into typical Laos countryside. My final 40km in Laos was pleasant enough
with green fields, trees dotted around, rolling green hills, sleepy villages with
colourful local life & lots of “sabaii dii’s” as I passed by. 
Arriving at Laos
immigration I threw a bit of a tantrum when they charged me $1.25 “overtime fee”
I told them they were a bunch of cheating ****’s & cycled through to
Thailand. Stamped into Thailand I stopped in Chong Mek for a quick pork fried
rice before setting off for Phibun Mangsahan.
06/09/15 – Pakse to
Phibun Mangsahan – 95km – Medium
I had a quick breakfast in
Jasmine Indian restaurant before crossing the Laos/Nippon Bridge & then cycling
out into typical Laos countryside. My final 40km in Laos was pleasant enough
with green fields, trees dotted around, rolling green hills, sleepy villages with
colourful local life & lots of “sabaii dii’s” as I passed by. 
Arriving at Laos
immigration I threw a bit of a tantrum when they charged me $1.25 “overtime fee”
I told them they were a bunch of cheating ****’s & cycled through to
Thailand. Stamped into Thailand I stopped in Chong Mek for a quick pork fried
rice before setting off for Phibun Mangsahan.
Some fairly serious
undulations found me continually dropping up & down gears as I passed by
pleasant green scenery with views over Lake Sirindhorn much of the time.
There were lots of Thai
style resorts (detached or adjoined bungalows in a garden setting) on the way
into Phibun & after a quick look around I found a nice room at Phu Luang
Resort. $6 fan or $8 A/C rooms with hot shower, good wi-fi, clean, quiet &
a very friendly family. It’s located down a lane directly opposite the Big C
supermarket & there’s signs directing you from the main road.
At night I bought way too
much food & just enough beer from the Big C.
RECOMENDED JOURNALS
HERE;- A report of cycling the Thakhek Loop
HERE;- David Holmes in Southern Laos
HERE;- Kerry & Martin Riddell rode through Southern Laos at almost the same time as me.
CONCLUSIONS
My abiding memory of this
trip was the 4 days cycling the “Thakhek Loop” & what an absolutely
spectacular ride it was – indeed one of the best routes I’ve ever cycled. There
were parts of this journey, especially south of Savannaket where undulating
roads over fairly barren, boring scenery became tedious & in future I’d
consider using a bus between Savannaket & Pakse.
The people have been
friendly & hospitable in that laid back, unobtrusive Laos way & it’s
great to have calls of “sabaii dii” & “hello falang” ringing in your ear
all day. Cheap accommodation ($6 to $8) is available almost everywhere in Laos
but often it is “cheap accommodation” with absolutely no frills & at times
even $6 seemed too much for a grotty room with stained mattress & bucket
shower.
Out with the main towns I
found the food was generally bland, unappealing & overpriced in comparison
to neighboring countries. Indeed I found instant noodles & tins of tuna
more nutritious & certainly better value than eating in budget Laos
restaurants.
OVERALL COSTS
I spent $578 in 23 days or
$25.13/day. Very approximately my daily costs were;-
Room - $7 to $8
Food - $6 to $7 (see note
1)
Beer - $7
Water - $1.50 to $2 (see
note 2)
Misc - $1 to $2
(cigarettes, soft drinks, toiletries etc)
Visa costs - $1.50/ day
NOTE 1 - $6 to $7 is somewhat scrimping on food in Laos
which I found expensive & generally unsatisfying. Often I would just fill
up with instant noodles, sticky rice & tins of tuna. To eat well in Laos
you would need at least $10/day.
NOTE 2 – Water was expensive in Laos & generally cost 62
cents for 1500ml. Cycling in blistering heat it’s easy to race through $2 or
more in water every day.
RECOMENDED JOURNALS
HERE;- A report of cycling the Thakhek Loop
HERE;- David Holmes in Southern Laos
HERE;- Kerry & Martin Riddell rode through Southern Laos at almost the same time as me.
