6 Days Northeast Laos Ride
1300 km - Start and finish in Vientiane

Highlights

This ride begins and ends in Vientiane.  The general itinerary is Vientiane – Pak Lay – Luang Prabang – Phonsavan – Xaysomboune – Vientiane.  Road conditions will vary but are very manageable.  The eastern section of Laos is less visited and we also take in  some major tourism locations such as Luang Prabang and Phonsavan. 
6 days goes by so fast and you can add a few days on to this tour if you have time!

 Brief Itinerary

Day 1: Vientiane – Pak Lay
Day 2: Pak Lay – Xayaboury
Day 3: Xayaboury – Luang Prabang
Day 4: Luang Prabang – Phonsavan
Day 5: Phonsavan – Xaysomboune
Day 6: Xaysomboune – Vientiane

 
Day to Day Itinerary

Day 1: Vientiane – Pak Lay

Meeting Vientiane at 07:00 from the Remote Asia Office, we get an orientation on the bikes used for the trip and get our protective clothing in order.  We are taking time today to set the ride up with gear, how to load/pack your bike and some refresher information on riding a Honda Baja/XR.

We’re on the road by 08:30 and start riding east along the Mekong out of Vientiane.  We track along the Mekong River and have lunch along the banks. We cross the river by boat and turn north to Pak Lay for our first overnight.  Road conditions change as there is constant road work in some sections and others are finished.

Riding Time: 8 hours
Road Conditions: Dirt road, paved
KM: 220

Day 2: Pak Lay – Xayaboury

We leave Pak Lay early after breakfast and take the road through the Nam Phoun Protected Area and stop at remote villages along the way.  The ride is beautiful and remote and again we have a picnic lunch along the way in an isolated location.  We’ll try to wait out some elephants along the way and see some wildlife out in the protected area.  Our arrival in Xayaboury is late afternoon and check in to the guesthouse and dinner.

Riding Time: 7 hours
Conditions: Dirt roads, Paved sections
KM: 240

Day 3: Xayaboury – Luang Prabang

We depart and are headed to Hongsa for lunch and then over some excellent scenery on the way to Luang Prabang, arriving mid afternoon to allow you to have a wander around this World Heritage City.  Dinner tonight is on your own as Luang Prabang has many places to satisfy each taste.

Riding Time: 4 – 5 hours
Road Conditions: Dirt roads
KM: 220

Day 4: Luang Prabang – Phonsavan

Awaking early to silently see the monks morning offering procession, we witness a tradition that is a major draw for tourism in Luang Prabang.  Our participation is from slightly afar and discrete.  We return to the hotel for breakfast and are off early, headed south through the mountainous terrain.  We have lunch in Phou Khoum and then take a small excursion a bit further south to see some of the best road scenery.  We backtrack to Phou Khoum and turn east to arrive in Phonsavan for sunset at our hotel.

Riding Time: 8 hours
Road Conditions: Paved, mountain roads
KM: 275

Day 5: Phonsavan – Xaysomboune

We depart after breakfast and ride to the Plain of Jars Site 1 for inspection of the jars, make some conclusions on the massive vessels and then are riding south.  We pass Muang Khoune and stop a former Lao military base used in the Indochina War.  We start to track on some remote roads and then turn to Xaysomboune and overnight in the shadow of Phu Bia Mountain.  This area is sometimes difficult for us to drive in as it is controlled by the Lao Military and sometimes not open to foreigners riding motorcycles.  Before we leave Vientiane, we make the appropriate checks.

Riding Time: 6 hours
Road Conditions: Paved, dirt road
KM 160

Day 6: Xaysomboune – Vientiane

Today we take some less traveled roads south of Xaysomboune and wind our way down to Phou Khao Khouay National Protected Area.  The road is beautiful and we have a lunch stop in Ban Pako Resort and then continue on some smaller roads to slightly north of Vientiane.  We should arrive in Vientiane by late afternoon and check into the hotel, have showers and then go to Papaya Spa for a bit of muscle relaxation.  Dinner tonight is at the Remote Asia Office along the Mekong.

Riding Time: 5 hours
Road conditions: Dirt road, track, paved
KM: 150

Note on accommodation and services – Some locations we stay overnight are somewhat limited on services but we stay and eat at the best possible places.  All locations have been scouted by Remote Asia staff several times for quality and service.  A guest commented on an overnight stay to his friends at home he “was in a No Star Hotel but it was great to sit on the terrace and watch the cows wander around the town like they owned the place”.  Every hotel will have a comfortable bed and hot water for showers.  Meals will be large and keep your energy levels up for the day’s rides.