Cycling reports from Cambodia, Laos & Vietnam

MAP OF MY ROUTE - HERE

LIST OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

29/10/15 – Vientiane to Phonhong – 95km (approx) – Medium

30/09/15 – Phonhong to Vang Vieng – 84km – Medium

02/10/15 – Vang Vieng to Kasi – 59km – Medium

03/10/15 – Kasi to Phou Khoun – 44km – Difficult

04/10/15 – Phou Khoun to Kiew Kacham – 50km – Medium

05/10/15 – Kiew Kacham to Luang Prabang – 87km (approx) – Medium/Difficult

08/10/15 – Luang Prabang to Pak Mong – 110km – Medium

09/10/15 – Pak Mong to Nong Khiaw – 32km – Medium

11/10/15 – Nong Khiaw to Pak Mong – 32km – Easy

12/10/15 – Pak Mong to Oudomxai – 82km – Difficult

14/10/15 – Oudomxai to Boten Junction (Nateuy) – 80km (approx) – Medium

15/10/15 – Boten Junction to Luang Namtha – 40km – Easy

17/10/15 – Luang Namtha to Muang Sing – 60km – Medium

18/10/15 – Muang Sing to Luang Namtha – 60km – Medium

19/10/15 – Luang Namtha to Vieng Phouka – 60km – Medium

20/10/15 – Vieng Phouka to km180 (Ban Namdua) – 90km – Difficult

21/10/15 – km180 to Huay Xai – 30km – Easy

23/10/15 – Huay Xai to Chiang Khong (Thailand) – 25km (approx) – Easy

CONCLUSIONS & OVERALL COSTS

RECOMMENDED JOURNALS

INTRODUCTION

I’m always delighted if people take the time to read or dip into this blog but have to admit for Northern Laos the following resources are far more useful;

HERE – Dan Dru’s excellent journal with extremely useful elevation profiles & Garmin stats.

HERE – Hobo Map’s proved to be an invaluable resource not least knowing where the peaks were & where I could find guesthouses on route.

29/09/15 – Vientiane to Phonhong – 95km (approx) – Medium

I’d cycled road 13 to Vang Vieng in August (details HERE) & decided to use road 10 this time around. It proved to be a pleasant cycle on good roads with light traffic & reasonable, if undramatic scenery.

The initial 20km was fairly boring as I cycled through Vientiane’s urban sprawl getting held up at every bloody traffic light on route. It wasn’t until I crossed the bridge at Tha Ngon where traffic volume dropped, fertile green farmland & roadside trees replaced the urban sprawl & I began to enjoy some peaceful cycling. Not long after the hills of Phou Khao Khoay came into view & made a pleasant backdrop to my journey.

A week of no cycling & soft living combined with a blisteringly hot day were taking their toll on my energy levels & I was happy to use the new bridge at Toulakhom as a shortcut to Phonemy & eventually Phonhong.

The scenery was pleasant enough today but my main memories are of the school kids cycling back to school around 1pm often 2 & occasionally 3 to a bike the eldest holding a brolly aloft to shield everyone from the sun. Everyone gave me a cherry “sabaii dii” as they passed by.

Arriving in Phonhong my 1^st stop was for some food – pork, basil, chili over rice with a fried egg ($3) before heading to Thavisay Guesthouse for a really nice fan room with hot shower & fridge ($10). It’s on the Northern outskirts of town & well worth seeking out, not least a really cheery, friendly owner despite his lack of English.

Feeling a lot more tired than I should do I couldn’t be bothered strapping on lights to cycle back into town at night & thought to just grab some beers from a local shop & make do with some provisions in my bag.”The best laid plans of mice & men aft gang astray” as I encountered a group of men in the local shop who absolutely insisted I join them for some beer, Lao Lao (rice whisky) & banquet of deep fried insects. The deep fried grasshoppers were nice but the grubs (or maggots) & fried water beetle – well let’s just say it must be an acquired taste.

I’ve found no one can count around here. On paying for my 80,000 Kip room with a 100,000 Kip note I got 30,000 change; I must admit I kept it reasoning $8.50 is enough for a fan room no matter how nice. Buying 4 beers for 36,000 Kip I paid 40,000 & got 14,000 Kip change on which occasion I pointed out the error & returned the excess change.

30/09/15 – Phonhong to Vang Vieng – 84km – Medium

A very comfortable night in Thavisay GH & I enjoyed my usual slow start to the day before heading back out on road 13. 10km along the road there’s 2 petrol stations with A/C mini marts, perfect for resting & fueling up in before the 100 meter climb which comes immediately after. Sweating my way to the top I stopped to enjoy extensive views of the Laos lowlands before a lovely freewheel downhill.

An undulating road to Hin Hoeup where I stopped for a lovely pork fried rice & bowl of broth for $2.50 (taking a left just before the bridge there’s 2 guesthouses & restaurants, the one on the right does good food at reasonable prices, no English menu though). The problem with stuffing myself on another blistering hot day is I find it hard to get going again & really just want to find some shade & have a nap.

The following 50km found the road undulating, at times quite severely & coupled with the heat I found it hard going at times, indeed needed fairly lengthy water breaks every hour or so.

The scenery got better & better as the day wore on & the road passed through lush green countryside, thick impenetrable jungle, heading towards fairly majestic mountains & finally Vang Vieng’s dramatic limestone karst topography coming ever closer.

Arriving in town feeling pretty damn knackered I headed straight to Dokkhoun Guesthouse for a no nonsense fan room @ $7.50. It’s been a struggle all day & I really need to shake off this lethargy if I’m going to make it to Luang Prabang. The really bad news is my backside was agony from 40km onward & the new cycle shorts I bought in Thailand just aren’t much good.

02/10/15 – Vang Vieng to Kasi – 59km – Medium

I’d enjoyed my stay in Dokkhoun Guesthouse until last night when it was invaded by a mass of Chinese truckers shouting to each other down the corridors, slamming doors & Laos hookers giggling & screaming all over the place. I put up with it until around midnight before going out & telling them to “SHUT THE **** UP”. The tone & volume of my rant must have transcended language barriers as all was quiet thereafter, well except for bedsprings squeaking all over the place.

I still managed to be up & off by 9am, an early start for me as I headed out into torrential rain. Stopping at the bus station for a fried egg baguette & watching the rain bucketing down I almost turned back to wait for a better days weather, I’m glad I didn’t as once the rain cleared it’s been an almost perfect days cycling through wonderful countryside.

The 1^st 20km was mostly flat or on a gentle upward gradient & I kept looking back at great views of Vang Vieng’s mountainous landscape. Soon thereafter a climb of around 500 meters began, occasionally on a testing gradient that had me right down the gears & sweating profusely. Mercifully there were respites as the road leveled off for a time & then resumed climbing.

The views were ample compensation for all the hard work with lush green countryside, dramatic mountain ranges & lots of thick green jungle. Occasionally I passed through forlorn, somewhat desolate villages with all the kids giving me cheery “sabaii dii’s” the braver ones lining the roadside to “high five” me.

A lovely freewheel downhill before stopping for a prolonged break to watch local life going on. The roads were full of kids cycling back to school; the girls elegantly dressed in locally woven sarongs a brolly shielding them from the sunlight. Middle aged women carrying excessive loads the weight taken by a strap on their foreheads. Suspicious glances from the old folks passing until I gave them a cheery “sabaii dii” whereupon they would give me, an often toothless, smile & return the greeting. I love being able to linger & not feel the need to rush anywhere or put in those extra km’s.

Finally rearing myself away it was a nice, easy final 15km into Kasi which I took really easy as I savored the views. Arriving with lots of time I cycled around checking if any guesthouses had a Wi-Fi signal. Somchit Guesthouse on the Northern edge of town fit the bill & with a spacious fan room with hot shower for $7.50 I was more than happy. The wi-fi didn’t work in the fan block but sitting outside the A/C block I got a good signal.

A wander around town in the late afternoon & Kasi’s a friendly, if pretty boring little town. I picked up some snacks from the local market before stopping at a point & order restaurant for stir fried pork & vegetable over rice ($2). Not great but I was hungry enough to enjoy anything.

It’s been a really enjoyable day, not only the cycling through lovely scenery but having time to linger & really get a feel for Laos village life. I’ve a short but hard day tomorrow which I’m simultaneously looking forward to & dreading if that makes any sense.

03/10/15 – Kasi to Phou Khoun – 44km – Difficult

Somchit Guesthouse was a lovely place to stay & everyone, owner’s family & fellow guests were very friendly & welcoming. It was also nice to have access to decent Wi-Fi at night in what was a fairly boring town. A breakfast in their restaurant was good value & tasty before I set out on a short but difficult days cycling.

5km of blessedly flat road before the climbing started & I found myself twisting & turning up the mountainside to around 600 meters. Generally the gradients were moderate but on occasion they became extreme & found me laboring in my highest gears. A freewheel downhill & I passed the hot spring resort, I’m glad I didn’t push on here yesterday as it looked very isolated with nothing in the area except the resort restaurant.

It had been a difficult enough 20km but proved to be a precursor for the days real work as the road began to weave its way up to 1,400 meters. It was 20km of pretty much constant inclines, mostly modest gradients but on occasion I gave up & just pushed the through the more extreme inclines. Slow, ponderous going & I really struggled at some stages; thankfully with only 44km to cover I could take it easy & enjoy lots of rest stops.

I have to say when I read blogs of people who cycle the whole 100km from Vang Vieng to Phou Khoun in a day – “I salute you” – OK you probably don’t smoke 40 cigarettes a day & most of you don’t seem to drink to excess, none the less; sincere respect to you all!

Around 12k outside Phou Khoun a torrential downpour found me laboring uphill & being absolutely battered by rain. It took me around an hour before I found shelter at Pieng Fa Rest stop where I’d been intending to stop anyway & enjoy the (apparently) spectacular views but today they were completely obliterated by the wall of rain. I felt a bit sorry for busloads of tourists coming & going & seeing nothing but a misty haze. When the rain eased off I was well rested & soon climbed the last few km’s before freewheeling down to Phou Khoun.

All day the scenery has been fairly spectacular & I’ve been surrounded by majestic mountain ranges, thick jungle & lush green countryside. As the day wore on & I began to look down on the surrounding mountains & forested valleys it became ever more sublime. It’s unfortunate that the rain masked the best views towards the end of the day.

Arriving in Phou Khoun I cycled around checking if any guesthouse had a wi-fi signal to no avail & finally settled on Xayphavong Guesthouse with a basic $7.50 room & cold shower. I couldn’t face the icy cold shower & fashioned a warm mandi from a few empty water bottles & 2 cups of hot water (at 1,400 meters cold showers mean icy cold).

Later wandering around town I bumped into some people who were staying at Ampalvant Guesthouse & for $10 they had a room with hot shower & good Wi-Fi. I joined them for a noodle soup & some beers & with no TV, no Wi-Fi I’ve decided to drink myself to oblivion tonight.

POSTSCRIPT; - Phou Khoun actually turned out to be a really interesting place to spend a night & it’s quite a travelers crossroads with really interesting characters passing through. I met a Polish/Portuguese couple motor biking throughout Laos as part of a round the world trip (http://eastwego.com/motorcycle-diaries-laos/), a Swiss cyclist who’d cycled over from Vinh in Vietnam & a Croatian hitch-hiking his way around Laos. All interesting characters & it was great to have English speaking company for a change.

04/10/15 – Phou Khoun to Kiew Kacham – 50km – Medium

My usual slow start to the day as I enjoyed coffee on the street side balcony watching all the foreign & local travelers getting ready & heading off. As ever I seemed to be the last one to get loaded up & off. AN ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL DAYS CYCLING ENSUED.

First off a short, sharp climb out of Phou Khoun where a young German on a motorbike thought it would be a good idea to ride alongside & strike up a conversation (Note to motorcycle drivers; don’t try to strike up a conversation with cyclists struggling uphill & certainly don’t try it when he’s enjoying his well earned freewheel downhill – catch him on the straights if you want more than a grunt as an answer). Getting over the ridge (& rid of the motorcycle driver) I began a wonderful freewheel downhill, 5km of twisting & turning downhill through wonderful scenery.

The rest of the day was either climbing into the hills or freewheeling downhill with modest gradients almost all the way. Much easier & more pleasant than yesterdays exertions.

The scenery has been spectacular with majestic mountain ranges in view all day, jungle lined roadsides & passing fascinating hill tribe villages; I noticed life seems to centre around the communal well with everyone getting bathed, doing laundry or fetching water, women wander along with huge loads suspended from a strap across their foreheads, elegant sarongs & ethnic costumes everywhere, kids no more than 10 years old with their siblings strapped to them with a woven sling. Similarly mothers go about their daily work with infants securely strapped to their backs.

Cheery shouts of “sabaii dii”, more high fives & the occasional “I love you” (from the males). The villages were a definite highlight today & passing one on an uphill trajectory, 2 kids ran out & started pushing me uphill. It actually made a huge difference & their stamina was to be admired as they continued running uphill pushing me for more than a km. I wished I’d had some loose change to throw behind me – that sort of behavior needs encouraged.

Arriving in Kiew Kacham I took a room in Kiokajam guesthouse, for $10 it’s expensive for a basic room but does have a hot shower & lovely terrace overlooking the mountains. They have $7.50 rooms with shared toilets & there’s 2 other guesthouses nearby that MIGHT be better value.

Bounthan Restaurant had an English menu & I thought it would be nice to get away from constant noodle soups; unfortunately the chicken fried rice wasn’t very good. I didn’t realize it at the time but the viewpoint restaurants that all the buses stop at were only a km up the road where I could have got a decent “point & order” stir fry over rice or nice filled baguette.

Otherwise Kiew Kacham’s a pretty boring little village & its one time I wished I had a movie downloaded to my phone.

05/10/15 – Kiew Kacham to Luang Prabang – 87km (approx) – Medium/difficult

I must have looked ridiculous at the end of another wonderful days cycling but coming into Luang Prabang I was grinning like a lunatic & couldn’t help myself fist pumping & letting out yells of “YES, YES! – I’VE DONE IT”. One great thing about cycling is you genuinely stop caring if people think your eccentric & I was bursting with euphoria & just had to vent it somehow. It might not seem like much of an achievement for experienced cyclists but for me to have cycled from Phnom Penh to Luang Prabang I was absolutely elated & pretty damn proud of myself.

I awoke to find a fairly large morning market going on in Kiew Kacham. It was a surprise giving it’s such a small hamlet & I spent a while wandering around, soaking up the sights & sounds as the hill tribe people browsed the wears.

I finally got off around 9am & a sharp climb found me at the viewpoint restaurants. I’d eaten garbage whilst browsing the morning market (deep fried dough balls & skewers of processed meat) & if I’d known about these restaurants I’d have saved my appetite for a decent breakfast, not least they do lovely filled baguettes.

From there MY BEST EVER MORNINGS CYCLING ENSUED as I enjoyed a wonderful 20km freewheel downhill. Twisting & turning down the mountainside with every bend bringing more wonderful views of the surrounding peaks & lush green countryside. With the road devoid of any traffic, racing downhill listening to birdsong, insect choirs & watching butterflies dancing in front of my eyes; it was an absolutely magical 20kms.

Payback came at the 330km mark as a prolonged climb began & continued for the next 15km. Not long into the climb I stopped for a cigarette & water break, sitting by the side of the road I noticed big rocks littering the road & thought that’s careless of someone. It slowly dawned on me that I was actually sitting in the middle of a landslide prone area & it wasn’t the best place to take a break. Sure enough right around the next bend was a convoy of vehicles held up by a major landslide. Slipping through at the 1^st opportunity meant I could enjoy the next hour with no traffic as they remained waiting for the road to be cleared.

Although the gradient weren’t excessive by the end I had nothing left in my legs & the last few km found me pushing the bike uphill.

Another lovely freewheel downhill to Ban Pakhan where I was sorely tempted to stop for the night & with 4 guesthouses in town & lots of restaurants it wouldn’t have been a bad place to lay up. Stopping for a pork fried rice boosted my energy level & I decided to push on the extra 24km to Luang Prabang. The restaurant on the left just as you turn onto road 4 to Xayaboury did a really nice pork fried rice ($2.50).

Despite a full belly the last 24km to Luang Prabang was a struggle & I had nothing left in my legs at all until suddenly with 10k to go a feeling of euphoria enveloped me & I wanted to fist pump & announce “I’ve ****** done it, I’ve just cycled to Luang Prabang” indeed on the outskirts I couldn’t contain myself & let it all burst out, not caring if I looked like an absolute lunatic.

Arriving at 5pm pretty damn knackered despite my elation I didn’t spend too much time looking for a room. A Tee Guesthouse will do with a slightly overpriced $8.50 fan room, hot shower but no TV, I already knew my plan to look for something better tomorrow won’t happen as I really need a complete day off.

By night I knocked back a good few BeerLaos before heading to the night market for a huge bowl of fried potatoes supplemented with some local sausages.

08/10/15 – Luang Prabang to Pak Mong – 110km – Medium

I’d had a relaxing time in Luang Prabang & A Tee Guesthouse was comfortable enough if you like a home stay type experience but for me I find it oppressive when everyone knows your every move & I prefer the anonymity of a cheap dosshouse. Filling up on bowls of fried potatoes & fried eggs ($1.25) at the night market had been wonderful.

Initially my route took me through the suburbs & back lanes of Luang Prabang which was a mistake as the city & built up area ends suddenly & from then on I was cycling over muddy, potholed dirt tracks with little of interest around. It was painfully slow going & frustrating when I knew I had a long day ahead of me & I was really glad when I eventually picked up highway 13 again.

From there on it was another wonderful day cycling as the road followed the Nam Ou River, passing through magnificent mountain ranges, fertile green countryside, sleepy Laotian villages & greeted by smiles & “sabaii dii’s” all day long. Devoid of the huge climbs of recent days the road still undulated all day long & although the gradients were never excessive it was still a good workout (around 800 meters of climbing in total).

Stopping in Song Ha I had some freshly grilled pork, chili & spinach patties (3 for $1.25) & they were absolutely delicious, indeed one of the best treats I’ve had in Laos.

Not long after the rain arrived with a vengeance & lasted pretty much all day. It’s frustrating as it means I can’t capture any photos of the wonderful scenery but keeping my camera (& phone) dry remains a priority.

I thought about stopping around the km482 mark where there’s a good selection of guesthouses & restaurants but decided to push on to km488 where Hobo Maps picked out Sengphet Guesthouse as being “nice”. Upon arrival it did look nice but there were absolutely no services around & I decided to keep going until Pak Mong.

Arriving in Pak Mong around 5.30pm I checked a few guesthouses before settling on Arlan guesthouse situated just as you come into town with a $10 fan room with hot shower & excellent wi-fi (the only one in town with wi-fi as far as I know). It’s a strange old place with nice enough rooms but it has a deserted feel to it, indeed I kept expecting Jack Nicholson to come wandering down the corridor grinning like a maniac.

I had a wander into town at night & it’s a vibrant little transport hub with lots of restaurants servicing the passing buses. Unfortunately everything on offer looked fairly inedible although I did eventually find one restaurant that did a pretty decent pork, crispy basil & chili ($2.50 with rice).

It’s been another wonderful days cycling & I’m looking forward to a short day tomorrow, Indian food & having a day off in Nong Khiaw.

09/10/15 – Pak Mong to Nong Khiaw – 32km – Medium

Yet another wonderful days cycling began with the rain absolutely belting down. With lots of time to spare I hung around the hotel drinking coffee & pissing around on the internet until the weather cleared. Finally setting off, it was another day blessed with spectacular views as the road followed the Nam Bak river, lush green vegetation, thick jungle & magnificent mountains my constant companions. I passed through numerous villages with the kids yelling out their “sabaii dii’s” as they walked or cycled to & from school.

The constant undulations were never excessive & it was a much easier ride than I’d been expecting. I’d intended to stop in Nam Bok for some breakfast but couldn’t spot any promising restaurants so contented myself with a hand of bananas.

Stopping by a small Wat to eat them a very friendly young monk came out to practice his English. We spent a good hour chatting with an ever growing audience of child monks looking on & do love these shorter distances where I have time to take it easy & enjoy these chance encounters.

Pushing on, the scenery got ever more dramatic as the towering peaks surrounding Nong Khiaw came into view; absolutely magical scenery. I spent some time lingering by the riverside enjoying the splendor of my surroundings until finally with the afternoon wearing on I went in search of a room. Meexai Guesthouse is exactly what I was looking for with a $7 fan room, hot shower, good wi-fi & river view from my balcony.

By night I headed straight for Chennai Indian restaurant (one of two Indian restaurants in Nong Khiaw) for a meat thali & it was a wonderful change from bland Laos food. Otherwise I found Nong Khiaw to be fairly boring by night considering so many foreigners pass through & it could do with a central bar where everyone can socialize. I did manage to get roped into drinking Lao Lao (rice whisky) with some older Laos guys ensuring I awoke with a fair hangover on my day off.

11/10/15 – Nong Khiaw to Pak Mong – 32km – Easy

I could easily have spent more time in Nong Khiaw , the perfect place to relax & do nothing but with time on my visa ticking away I tore myself away sooner than I really wanted to. Meexai guesthouse was a great place to stay & the Wi-Fi worked well throughout my stay.

Today’s ride was the reverse of my cycle recorded on 09/10/15 only it seemed much easier today perhaps due to a days rest in my legs. With a short distance to cover & wonderful scenery to enjoy I took it really easy stopping often to enjoy the views & village street life.

My arrival in Pak Mong coincided with a couple who had just cycled from Oudomxay. Stopping for a chat they confirmed the road is in a bad condition with lots of roadwork’s & extremely muddy sections but still passable. I enjoyed a long chat with them about their cycle trip through Mongolia & China, it’s a feature of cycling in Laos; you do meet really interesting fellow cyclists with wonderful tales to tell.

I eventually returned to Arlan Guesthouse for an overpriced $10 fan room but at least it has decent Wi-Fi, a definite bonus in boring
little towns like Pak Mong.

12/10/15 – Pak Mong to Oudomxay – 82km – Difficult

IT’S BEEN A BLOODY HARD DAYS CYCLING FOR SURE!

Knowing I had a rough day ahead I forced myself out of bed early & didn’t linger over my morning coffees as I usually do. I did stop in Pak Mong for an early breakfast of fried pork, lemongrass & chili over rice ($2.50) which aside from some biscuits kept me going all day.

The initial 8km was fairly easy going as the road undulated on mild gradients. Thereafter the real work begins as the following 20km is mostly uphill rising around 800 meters. Although the gradients were never excessive 20km of constant climbing still takes its toll & by the end it was ponderous, energy sapping work to put in the final few km’s.

I did find Hobo Maps to be strangely misleading today, showing peaks at 510km & 518km when all I wanted to know is when the bloody climbing finished (km 225). I found Dan Dru’s elevation charts to be much more accurate & useful today.

At km 225 the road finally began to descend. There is a Hhmong restaurant at the peak which advertises rooms available if you want to freeze for a night at 1,400 meters.

Getting over the summit it’s the first time I’ve not really enjoyed a freewheel downhill as I was confronted with a potholed, unsealed road which had me constantly jamming on the breaks & losing all momentum. It was absolutely freezing; especially my fingers which turned numb right off & breaking became ever more painful. Just to add to the pleasure of an icy cold descent on shitty potholed roads the rain decided to arrive & although not torrential it was enough to add to my discomfort.

Unfortunately the rain was to remain with me most of the day, masking most of the scenery & precluding any photo opportunities. I’d thought about overnighting at Hor Nam Nga Guesthouse at the km 548 mark but on passing it looked very basic & there wasn’t much services in the area. I decided to push on for Oudomxay instead.

It meant another 400 meter climb before another freezing cold descent, initially over a fairly rough road surface. It wasn’t until 4pm with 15km to go; all downhill on a good road that I was confident I’d make Oudomxay by nightfall.

It’s been a difficult days cycling & really hard work & it’s frustrating when the best of the scenery is masked by a blanket of rain but there’s always that sense of achievement which comes with completing another challenging route.

On the outskirts of Oudomxay I stopped to chat to a young German. Initially I thought he was lost & looking for the town centre but he explained he was looking to hitch a lift to Nong Khiaw. 5pm just didn’t seem the best time to start hitching anywhere but it seemed to work for him.

Pushing on to the centre of town & I took the 1^st room I looked at in Visian Guesthouse with a $10 A/C room. There’s probably better value rooms in town & I certainly don’t need A/C at 600 meters but I was just too tired to hunt around & was desperate for a hot coffee & hot shower.

I tried Souphailins restaurant at night which seems popular on lots of cyclists blogs but a simple fried noodle with chicken ($2) took more than 1 hour to arrive & wasn’t anything special & certainly not worth the wait.

14/10/15 – Oudomxay to Boten Junction (Nateuy) – 80km (approx) – Medium

No shoulder indeed a 2 foot drop to
a drainage ditch

I considered stopping at Souphailins restaurant for breakfast but her food always takes at least an hour to arrive. Instead I tried a noodle soup stall where I spent some time standing around as the owners studiously avoided acknowledging my existence; my final try was a baguette vendor who wanted $2.50 for a filled baguette. In the end I made do with a hand of bananas for breakfast.

The initial 10km was easy cycling on a gently undulating road which passed through dusty, nondescript villages until the 12km mark which signaled a 100 meter climb & then a pleasant freewheel back down. Around the 15km mark the road began to ascend on fairly mild gradients & over the following 15km gained around 600 meters. The gradients were always mild & there was frequent respite as the road flattened off for a time. Scenery of rolling green hills, vibrant green countryside & passing through picturesque villages with bamboo & thatch cottages clinging to the hillside wasn’t really inspiring me today & perhaps I’ve become too accustomed to Laos mountainous scenery.

Just before the summit I met an American couple cycling to Oudomxay, it was a great place to meet in that we could both wish each other an enjoyable descent. The weather was with me today, dull & overcast for the morning climb & just as I reached the summit the sun came out & warmed my descent.

More roadworks

I’d planned to stop in Ban Na Mor at km632 where there’s at least 3 guesthouses but arriving at 1pm I decided I’d plenty of time to push on to Boten Junction. It meant another climb of around 200 meters, once again on very gentle gradients. The final 15km was extremely enjoyable as thick vegetation & pristine jungle lined the roadside with birds singing, butterflies flirting around & the insects making an absolute cacophony of noise; it was the best 15km of the day by far.

Arriving at Boten Junction shortly after 3pm, I was expecting a more vibrant little town but was confronted with a few dusty shop houses, some noodle soup shops & little else. It crossed my mind to push on to Luang Namtha but I didn’t know what the next 40km entailed, plus I’d been existing on a hand of bananas & some biscuits all day & really needed a proper meal.

I had a look at Kham Fong Cha Lern Phon Guesthouse located about 1km out of town on the road to Luang Namtha & it had spotless, big, well furnished rooms in a lovely setting for $12. Going with the cheaper option Choysouda Guesthouse & a very basic $8 room with hot shower was a mistake. It’s bloody noisy with kids screaming, the family TV blaring & tinny phone music blasting out. I can’t concentrate to write these notes & wished I’d spent the $12 for a nice quiet room.

Absolutely famished, I headed into town for some food but there really wasn’t much on offer & I settled for a bland noodle soup with a few slithers of chicken in it ($2). Thankfully I’ve a few emergency supplies left in my bag for later tonight. Returning to my guesthouse there were 4 Thai cyclists just unloading. Having started in Chaing Mai their plan was to cycle to Sapa in Vietnam, an extremely ambitious & difficult route to undertake. Good luck guys & I hope it all went well!

15/10/15 – Boten Junction to Luang Namtha – 40km – Easy

Choysiuda Guesthouse was extremely noisy both at night & in the morning & I didn’t particularly enjoy my stay there other than last night which I spent drinking beer & chatting to the Thai cyclists. With little on offer except more noodle soup I skipped breakfast & once again existed on bananas & biscuits as yet another absolutely wonderful days cycling unfolded.

A few minutes earlier & I'd have been
caught up in this landslide

With only a couple of minor hills to climb the rest of the way was flat or downhill as the road drove towards or around forested hills. With thick jungle lining the roadside birdsong, insect choirs & butterflies were my constant companions. Knowing I’d a short distance to cover & with such wonderful scenery I took it really easy & stopped often.

Around the midway point a landslide was just taking place & I’m damn glad I didn’t get caught in it. It took around an hour for the Lorries & diggers to arrive & clear a path through, the convoy of waiting vehicles getting ever longer. It would have been a boring wait except an Austrian couple arrived on touring bikes & so I had good company for the hour. Being of the same mind as me to take today really easy we cycled the final 20km into Luang Namtha together, indeed checked into the same guesthouse, Amandra Villa with a clean $10 A/c room (no discount for fan only).

Stefan & Alexandra race ahead.
They do have youth on their side.

I joined my new companions Stefan & Alexandra for some food at Lai’s Place & it was great to have English speaking company, especially fellow cyclists on an adventurous journey (www.radschlag.at/en). Later I had a wander around Luang Namtha’s dusty streets, it’s a lot less vibrant than I expected & actually quite a boring little town. I managed to make a complete arse of myself when I somehow fell off a bench in the local market resulting in a skint backside & torn shorts, much to the locals amusement.

I was to have a few false starts & disappointing, overpriced meals until I found Lao Lao restaurant which did really nice stir fries over rice for $2, far better than any of the mainstream restaurants. Coming down the main road take the side street opposite Laos Development bank kiosk & after 50 to 100 meters you will come across it. Generally packed with locals, English language menu, great food & extremely reasonable prices.

17/10/15 - Luang Namtha to Muang Sing – 60km – Medium

Yet another wonderful day cycling through picture postcard scenery!

It was a late start as I said my farewells to Alexandra & Stefan who were heading off on a trekking & kayaking adventure then stopped for breakfast at Lao Lao restaurant; a good move as there wasn’t much food available on route.

Straight out of Luang Namtha the road drove up & around forested hillsides the views spectacular with vibrant green countryside all around, forest, jungle, mountains & all the time following the Nam Tha River. Once again superlatives fail me & it’s difficult to explain just how wonderful the scenery in Laos is almost 100% of the time.

It was an undulating road but always on an uphill trajectory though the gradients were mild & I rarely needed my highest gears. It peaks around the 36km mark & the final 24km is mostly downhill, twisting & turning through spectacular green countryside.

Knowing I’d a short, fairly easy day I took it really easy with lots of breaks on route (I don’t know when I started thinking a 60km ride with 700 meters gain was “fairly easy” but cycling the hills of Laos for a period does that to you).

I’ve memories of Muang Sing as a vibrant little transport hub with hill tribe people wandering around in their ethnic costumes but today I was confronted with a quiet, sleepy little town with little appeal. Whether my memories playing tricks with me or there’s been a huge change since I last visited I don’t know but the town itself was a distinct disappointment.

I wasted too much time cycling around trying to rekindle memories that just aren’t there anymore & eventually checked into Dan Neau 2 Guesthouse. It’s OK with an $8.50 fan room, I’m sure there’s better, cleaner rooms in town but I couldn’t be bothered looking.

At night, for the 1^st time in Laos I found communication difficult as everyone was speaking Laos or Chinese & hence didn’t expect & therefore didn’t listen to my Thai. It was a struggle but finally I got one restaurant to understand I wanted pork fried rice; it was pretty dreadful but will keep me going tonight.

18/10/15 – Muang Sing to Luang Namtha – 60km – Medium

Dan Neau 2 Guesthouse was comfortable enough & non intrusive although noisy in the morning with neighborhood chickens, pigs & dogs making a racket.

Today’s cycle was the reverse of yesterday except constant rain masked much of the scenery. I’m glad I saw it yesterday in its full glory otherwise I’d have thought this route was a bland, boring ride to undertake.

At the turnoff to Xieng Kok I really felt taking the turn & heading to the Burmese border but with time on my visa ticking away & unsure if or how often the boats run between Xieng Kok & Huay Xai I opted to play safe & return to Luang Namtha.

Despite taking things really easy I arrived in Luang Namtha around 2pm & my first stop was Lao Lao restaurant for a lovely curried fried rice with pork ($2) before returning to Amandra Villa for a $10 room. There’s better value, less intrusive places in town but I wanted to catch up with Stefan & Alexandra to see how their trek went & I knew Amandra had good Wi-Fi, my priority tonight being to follow the Scotland v Australia rugby match.

19/10/15 – Luang Namtha to Vieng Phouka – 60km – Medium

Saying goodbye to Stefan & Alexandra

I said my farewells to Stefan & Alexandra who were having a day off to explore Luang Namtha before stopping at Lao Lao restaurant for a lovely curried fried rice with pork ($2). This wonderful restaurant had been a great find especially for a budget conscious traveler like me.

Cycling out of Luang Namtha & it wasn’t long before the road began to ascend. It was mild gradients but prolonged enough to make it fairly hard work. Around the 50km mark a sudden steep climb began & at over 10% gradient I saved energy by dismounting & pushing the km or so uphill. An equally steep freewheel downhill tested my brakes to the full before the road began to undulate. Once again the gradients were relatively mild but some of the ascents were prolonged enough to have me right down in granny gear at times. The final 10km was mercifully flat or downhill.

Throughout the day traffic was generally light but there were occasions when I was glad to have a small shoulder as convoys of huge trucks passed by. It’s the 1^st time I’ve felt traffic to be slightly oppressive my whole time in Laos.

It’s been another day passing through lovely countryside with forested hills, jungle, sporadically cultivated fields & picturesque bamboo & thatch villages. Once again lots of “sabaii dii’s” as I passed by.

Arriving in Vieng Phouka just after 2pm I had a cycle around & ended up at Thongmyxai Guesthouse with a basic riverside bungalow including squat toilet & bucket shower for $5. There’s at least 4 other guesthouses in town some with hot showers & presumably less basic than my bungalow. I spent the afternoon on my terrace drinking tea, watching the locals ford the river, doing laundry & casting nets as I recovered from a harder days cycling than I’d expected.

With no TV & no wi-fi it’s another night to drink myself into a stupor.

20/10/15 – Vieng Phouka to Km180 (Ban Namdua) – 90km – Difficult

I fully expected a long, hard days cycling but nothing (including Hobo Maps & Dan Dru’s elevation charts) prepared me for just how difficult today was going to be.

Noted these charms/ signs outside
most villages

I thought I was off to a good start as foregoing an icy cold shower & shave meant I was packed & off by 08.30am, an incredibly early start for myself. It was all wasted as I hit the first hill just outside Vieng Phouka & whilst trying to shift gears my chain slipped off the largest cog & jammed itself into the spokes. I wasted around one hour trying to prize it out to no avail & had just given up & decided to look for a lift to Huay Xai when 2 Laos guys offered to help. Instead of using brute force as I had been, they instead used 2 sticks to gently coax the chain out from the bottom up. I was amazed but it worked & within 5 minutes I had a fully functioning bike once again.

Initially I was delighted & thanked them profusely until it slowly dawned on me that I no longer had an excuse to use the bus & would indeed have to cycle it instead.

Finally setting off on a long hard cycle ride at 10am wasn’t ideal, especially as I still hadn’t any breakfast inside me as yet. The rest is a bit of a haze & if I remember right the 1^st 10km was relatively flat & enjoyable before the hard work begins with a series of difficult climbs uphill, often on fairly steep gradients & freewheels downhill often on equally steep gradients.

The whole days been fairly extreme cycling, whether uphill or downhill with almost no flat sections & it’s one of the hardest rides I’ve tackled in a long time. I’m sure the scenery was spectacular but to be honest much of the time I was just concentrating on the road & grinding out more km’s. Additionally Laos’s mountainous landscapes, forested hills, untamed jungle & picturesque villages have started to become commonplace & no longer as awe inspiring as it was when I first started cycling Northern Laos. It’s high time I had a complete change of scenery, indeed change of country.

Lots of fellow cyclists on the road today, one German couple who I later befriended & spent time with in Huay Xai. A French couple who cycled faster than me but also rested up more often & so we were forever passing each other & one guy in a recumbent heading for Vieng Phouka.

The last hill was an absolute killer, perhaps it was just psychological but between km167 & the peak at km168.5 took me 40 minutes of pushing & resting & I really was completely exhausted by the time I reached the summit (meeting up later with the French & German cyclists everyone had found the last 2km of climbing exhausting). A final, well earned, freewheel downhill & I thought about stopping in Ban Phomsin around the 175km mark where there looked to be a couple of basic guesthouses (Laos sign only) & a few restaurants. I made a mistake & decided to push onto km180 where Hobo Maps indicated Latsamee Guesthouse was located in the hope it would be a good place to rest up.

Arriving at km180 & Latsamee Guesthouse it was an absolutely way overpriced shithole. $8.50 for a really crappy room with squat toilet & bucket shower is by far the worst value I’ve ever had in Laos. I was too exhausted to cycle back to Ban Phomsin but for the first time in Laos really do feel badly cheated & it’s such a disappointing end to an extremely hard days cycling.

Determined not to give them one cent more I ignored the guesthouse restaurant & found a nice little restaurant nearby that did a decent pork fried rice ($2) then picked up a bag of beers for the room. Returning to the guesthouse I found the French cyclists had checked in & I enjoyed a good night drinking beer & swapping tales with them.

21/10/15 – Km180 to Huay Xai – 30km – Easy

It was a nice short, relatively easy 30km to Huay Xai which I was grateful for as I really didn’t have much left in my legs after yesterday’s exertions. For the 1^st time that I can remember in Northern Laos the scenery was fairly bland & boring, that is until a couple of elephants & their mahouts came trundling up the road. On the outskirts of Huay Xai I caught up with the French & German cyclists & we ended up with a fair convoy heading into the town centre. It’s been a feature of cycling in Laos, bumping into fellow cyclists almost every day & generally they make extremely interesting company.

A search around town & eventually settled on Xainakone Guesthouse which is good value at $8.50 with a hot shower & it’s the first time I’ve had English language channels on my TV (including BBC & Al Jazera). The family are very friendly but I’m a bit too close to their living quarters & there’s really not much privacy.

23/10/15 – Huay Xai to Chiang Khong (Thailand) – 25km (approx) – Easy

I had a hellish day yesterday as a full on fever arrived & I had no energy to do anything other than sit around my room, drinking tea & feeling crap.

I didn’t really feel like cycling anywhere today & if I’d had a more private, less intrusive guesthouse I would have stayed & waited out this fever. Eventually I decided if I was going to load up & look for a new guesthouse then I was as well to put in the km’s to Chiang Khong.

A 12km cycle to the border where I was confronted with one of the quietest border crossings I’ve ever been at. Perhaps because it was around midday but it took 20 minutes for an immigration official to arrive & stamp me out of Laos.

Exiting immigration they wouldn’t let me cycle over the bridge & insisted I had to use the shuttle bus. I was about to try & argue my case by pleading a morbid fear of traveling by bus but remembered I was carrying 5 cartons of cigarettes (4 over the limit) into Thailand & that it made sense to keep a low profile. $3 (100 baht) for me & my bike which went into the aisle fully loaded.

On the Thai side the immigration officer was really chatty & wanted to know all about my trip & where I planned to cycle in Thailand. A nice change from the usually efficient but uncommunicative Thai officials.

A short cycle to Chiang Khong where I spent a long time looking for a room. I finally opted for Chiang Khong Palace with an $11.50 A/C room with fridge, hot shower & English movie channel. Being on the top floor I should have some anonymity & hopefully it will be the perfect place to wait out this fever.

It does feel great to be back in Thailand with its 7’11’s, Tesco Lotus & wonderful Thai food, although I don’t know if it’s just Chiang Khong but the people do look haggard & careworn after the carefree, content Laos expressions I’ve become used to of late.

CONCLUSIONS & OVERALL COSTS

What an absolutely wonderful country to cycle! Every day I’ve been blessed with spectacular landscapes & stunningly beautiful countryside. The locals have been a delight; friendly, hospitable & helpful & the kids yelling out their “sabaii dii’s” & high fiving me as I passed through their villages was part of an amazing experience.

It’s a very affordable country to travel in with cheap rooms pretty much everywhere, beer is cheap & good but the food was wanting & tested my belief that “anything tastes great when your cycling” to the maximum. There were days when I existed on bananas & biscuits rather than face another bland, tasteless noodle soup.

One great thing about cycling Laos, especially the main Northern route is you meet a lot of fellow cyclists, many of whom have been on the road for years & prove extremely interesting company.

There’s no other country where I’ve had such a series of consistently wonderful cycle rides, some of which I found extremely challenging. It’s worth noting I’ve not had any punctures on this whole route which is extremely unusual with my cheap tyres & tubes.

OVERALL COSTS

I spent $625 in 26 days or $24.04/day. Very approximately my daily costs were;-

Accommodation - $7 to $8

Food - $6 to $7 (see note 1)

Beer - $7

Miscellaneous - $1 to $2 (water, cigarettes, soft drinks etc)

Visa costs - $1.40

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, bananas, sticky rice & tins of tuna. To eat well in Laos you would need at least $10/day.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
HERE Dan Dru's excellent journal including elevation profiles & Garmin stats.
HERE Hobo Maps of Northern Laos, designed with cyclists in mind.
HERE Travelling Two did a good write up on cycling in Laos although it's getting a bit dated nowadays.

Cycling reports from Cambodia, Laos & Vietnam

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

INDEX PAGE

SOUTHERN LAOS INCLUDING THE THAKHEK LOOP

North Laos