BEAUTIFUL NORTHERN THAILAND & LAOS MOTORCYCLE TOUR

In the morning we start our Motorcycle Tour of Thailand & Laos. The first part will be on the main road, an enjoyable ride with nice twists and bends, perfect to get the feel of your 'new' motorcycle. We ride in the NE direction, passing the Doi Luang National Park, hot springs.  In Chiang Rai, we will visit the White Temple, one of north Thailands' main attractions. In the early afternoon, we ride along the magic Mekong River (mother of all rivers), which in this area makes the border between Thailand and Laos (We will meet the Mekong River often during our tour!). Towards the end of the day, we arrive at Chiang Khong a town on the river and our destination for this riding day. We park our motorcycles and enjoy the river view and Laos on the other side. Overnight in Chiang Khong.

(300 km)

We start today with the short ride to Thai Immigration office where we process the vehicles and opurselves to leave Thailand. After clearing the Thai border formalities, we cross the Thai – Lao Friendship Bridge. On the Laos side our Lao tour guide greets us and assists with the border formalities. The immigration and customs procedures are always an experience. It simply just takes time, so relax, be patient.

Don’t forget! In Laos, we drive on the right side of the road! 

Immediately in Laos you will notice (and feel) the change of pace and surrounds compared to Thailand.

We have lunch at a local restraunt with great views  and then continue the remaining stretch to Luang Namtha . The road is quite good and the mountain scenery is great. Also we are passing through a couple of villages, where  the local children are always smiling and waving at the "big" bikes.

(190kms)

Today we have a shorter riding distance  than average. This is planned for 2 reasons:  The road today is more provincial, with plenty of curves and villages. Part of this stretch can have many trucks so we allow time to navigate some possible extra traffic and road damage. The other advantage of the shorter riding day is we arrive at our lovely overnight accomodation just outside the city of Oudomxai with time to enjoy the relaxing tranquility of this unique jungle resort.

(135 kms)

From Oudom Xai we cross over the mountain on the newly built road towards LPB. Not so long ago this stretch took the whole day to cover but today it’s a pure pleasure to negotiate the curves and enjoy the scenery. There are plenty of great photo opportunities, nature, villages, people, children, animals, rice paddies etc.

After our lunch stop we ride along the Nam Ou river with spectacular views of both the river and mountains on the other side. Finally we arrive into the relaxed vibe of Luang Prabang, now a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site as a “unique and remarkably well preserved architectural, religious and cultural city”.

(210Km)

This is a rest day to enjoy at your own pace.

In the morning you will have the option to rise early to view the procession of monks on their daily outing collecting alms, a practice that dates back centuries. It is done early, as the monks cannot eat anything after midday.

You may also want to visit the beautiful Kuang Si Waterfalls. It’s possible to swim in the lagoons so take your swimming gear. 

Another option is a boat ride cruising a couple of hours on the Mekong River to the Pak Ou Caves. Shorter sunset boat tours are also available and we can arrange any of these for you.

In Luang Prabang city you can visit the major temples, including the magnificent Wat Xieng Thong, which nestles at the meeting of the Mekong and the Nam Khan Rivers, and Wat Wisunalat, which is the oldest temple in the city. Along the walking street you find plenty of antique shops, bakeries, bars etc. 

Whatever you choose - Enjoy! We stay another night in Luang Prabang.

Today we must leave the lovely LPB and first up we board the vehicle ferry close by out hotel and cross the river. From the other side we start riding in southern direction to Xayaburi. The road heralds the start of a 170 km stretch of highway along steep ridges and around hairpin bends, with headlong views of rugged valleys and remote mountains as far as the eye can see. From Xayaburi we take the narrow and winding local road passing a couple of remote villages to Hongsa were we enjoy lunch. Last part of the day we ride to Pakbeng. Pakbeng is a colourful village situated at the junction of the Mekong River and the smaller Beng River, hence the town’s name ‘Pak’ meaning ‘mouth’ in Lao. The scenery is stunning, the pace is slow. The town is a transit point for many backpackers travelling by boat on the Mekong River between Luang Prabang and Huay Xai. Enjoy the view from the hotel's infinity pool. Overnight in Pakbeng.

(280 km)

Today is our last day in Laos on our motorcycle tour. We back track down the mountain top hotel road and only a short ride to the Huai Kon border point with Thailand. Normally the border formalities leaving Laos and entering Thailand are rather straight forward. Once in Thailand, we are in Nan province, one of the few remote areas left in Thailand. Enjoy the road 1081 south towards Bo Kluea. We have several lunch options along the way, depending on ow long the border crossing took us. Back on the road, we continue a great winding and scenic road towards Nan, the capital of this province. For centuries Nan was a separate, autonomous Kingdom with few relationships to the outside world. Now, the city is a beautiful town with many well-preserved temples. For local bikers, the area is a treasure of perfect mountain curves. Overnight in Nan.

(220 km)

After breakfast, we ride from Nan in a western direction. We once again will cruise hilly roads via Phayao to Chiang Mai. In Phayao we enjoy lunch by the famous city lake before we take the final scenic riding sections and arrive back at Bike Tour Asia Service Center (Chiang Mai) in the afternoon. Transfer to your hotel and get ready for our farewell dinner. 

We end the day together with our new friends, sharing good riding memories and pictures from our adventures. overnight in Chiang Mai.

(310 km)

This amazing trip ends with transfer to the airport or your holiday extension. 

Enjoy the memories !

Farewell & Thanks from the BTA Team