About 450 km – Travel time (suggested) at least 4 to 6 days.

In case you haven’t gotten to reading Part 1 of out motorbiking trip through Laos, please read it beforehand :)

After Thalang, the road started getting really bad so we filled up our motorbikes with petrol, bought some bottles of water and a few bananas – just in case.

Along these 60 km to Lak Sao, the roads lead through pristine rainforest. Nature is still stronger at this part of the world and we doubt that the road will be paved soon since the terrain is simply too difficult. Anyway, so on the roads we sometimes had our little chases with the logging trucks which at some points were a bit harrowing but nobody could drive very fast in this area.

After we passed a couple of real jungle villages (where provisions are really hard to get), we were relieved to arrive in Lak Sao. On that evening it was so chilly and even the locals had little makeshift stoves running to get their hands and feet warm. A hot soup was the only food available (which was perfect anyway) and a tiny little room with a hot shower helped as well. Lak Sao is a town close to the Vietnam border and therefore the market has a lot of activity. All sorts of insects, scorpions and bush meat is for sale. Cockfight along the road (with heavy betting) topped our great impressions of the area. Lak Sao has a lot to offer and it’s a town that should be explored more thoroughly … next time.

To Ban Nahin (the crossing to Konglor cave), the road goes along a beautiful area, with karst-like mountains and rice paddies in between. In Ban Nahin we found a very beautiful lodge called “Somsanhai Resort”, which was a well deserved place after 3 days on the motorbike. The owner knew what foreigners long for; nice soft beds, a superb restaurant and lots of information about the area and Laos itself. Overall it was an absolutely pleasant stay.

The market in Ban Nahin is also very interesting (as pretty much every market has something to offer). Again with lots of bush meat, strange vegetables and an outdoor hairdresser near the bus station. It got a lot of attention while we washed and blow-dried our hair … we obviously we helped him to boost the business.

Résumé.

We were there in January 2012, so things may change during rainy season! As far as we’re concerned, it was a great trip. Laos itself is beautiful but life is very slow there. Other countries and cities are more “action-packed” but it was a good change for once :) There are so many little things to discover, so take your time and you will not regret it.

About 450 km – Travel time (suggested) at least 4 to 6 days.

We already arrived in Tha Khek by motorbike, but I can definitely suggest to rent a motorbike directly in Tha Khek (if you don’t have that much time). Mr. Ku from the Tha Khek Travellodge – situated about a few 100 meters from the roundabout direction Eastwards on the left side with only a small sign – is the right man for motorbikes. The lodge is a pleasant hotel, with big rooms and a garden, despite the industrial area surrounding it.

After spending a night in Tha Khek, dining at one of the nice restaurants along the Mekong river and visiting the big market with all sorts of strange food, our journey started north-bound from the roundabout.

Ready, Set, Go!

The paved road was excellent and you can visit a few caves (at km 15 is a very large one) along the way. We didn’t get very far because right at km 12 to the right was – without sign – the German run Green Climbers Lodge crossed our way.  This is an absolutely stunning place with pleasant stilt bungalows, a cave in the back, a swimming hole, great food and the opportunity for people (who know how to do it) to climb up the karst walls. Keep in mind that it’s only open from September to March, due to flooding.

We stayed the night and left early next morning. We were told that the entire way to Konglor was paved but we still wanted to have buffer just in case. Turns out that we needed that buffer, since the road isn’t paved all the way. Still, it was a smooth drive up to Nakai where we passed a weird looking landscape due to the building of a giant dam. It left us wondering if this was really the right thing for an otherwise beautiful jungle area. Villages were relocated and are now neatly arranged 50 meters in the back of the tarmac road, one house near the other.  It’s interesting to drive through these villages (most tourists don’t bother to do so). The kids loved it and we were happy to shoot some great photos with us. There was no screaming for pens or lollies (like in other parts of Asia) because people here seem to have enough. We were told that nobody in Laos starves and if you are smart you can achieve a lot…

Here’s part 2 of our motorbiking trip through Laos.

Motorbiking the Loop in Laos.

Ready, set, go! The Loop in Laos would would be one of our great motorbike adventures of the year.

Bugs (Lethocerus), frogs & other dead animals can be found at the markets in Laos.

The vegetable at the markets in Laos looks really fresh (& it tastes amazing too).

The Green Climbers Lodge in Laos is a beautiful place to spend the night.

For this kind of climbing in Laos, you should know what you’re doing…

Dam building leaves strange-looking areas in great parts of Laos.

Dam building for electricity supplies leaves this behind…

The kids in Nakai village were happy to pose for us.