Our “buffalo tour at chicken price” is an alternative for those that wish to experience a truly extreme and challenging motorcycle adventure during their time in Laos. This tour is not for the faint at heart, as most days will be spent riding to the next destination.
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| Didn’t we just cross this river? | Incredible boat ride upriver |
Routes are planned with rest stops in mind, but there is very little “down time” during this extreme adventure tour overall. Guests that choose this option will be rewarded with experiences that are rarely obtained by the typical motorcycle traveler. Camping on your very own private jungle beach; be a guest in the home of a local village chief in a military encampment; travel by long tail boat on remote rivers surrounded by high canyon walls; traverse high mountain jungle passes used as trading routes by local villagers before road construction opens them to traffic of the 4 wheeled type. All of these gems await the savvy traveler that wishes to push himself and his bike to the very limits of adventure motorcycle touring in Laos. Still interested? read on…….
Day 1: VIENTIANE- PAK LEY We will follow the path of the Mekhong south and pass thru the Phou Pannang National Forest. Along the way the route will be partially sealed and under construction up until lunch. After the lunch stop, we will board canoes with our bikes and get ferried across the Mekhong, just a few meters south of the border with Thailand. After disembarking from the boat, we will follow a rarely used single track thru deep bamboo forest for the next 60 or so KM. Finally, we will end in the Mekhong and logging town of Pak Ley. Along the route we will see and pass thru some very remote villages and land and we are the only motorized traffic and one of a very small handful of people using this trail period. This day will be one of our longer ones, dependent on the trail condition after crossing the river.
Day 2: PAK LEY- XAYABURY This is and has always been a guests favorite. We will travel into the Nam Phouy National Park and wind along the border with Thailand, at times riding high mountain ridges keeping the border between neighbors. The track will offer every single type of riding available to our guests. We will have a few KM of tarmac, mud, singe track, sand, loose rocky trail with deep crevasses climbing up steep mountain paths, a few rivers to cross, and maybe a few surprises to boot. We will quite possibly see a wild elephant or 2. The untouched, dense forest offers bamboo stands as well a large old growth timber as well. There are no permanent settlements in the NPA but some ethnic villages on the North side we may be able to visit. There is some road improvement going on, so we can count on about 6 hours riding time.
Day 3: XAYABURY-LUANG PRABANG We will have a 100Km tarmac start to the day, or mostly so as it currently under construction and mostly complete this year. We wind high into the mountains and will have many picture perfect views of terraced rice paddy farms etc along the way. Our lunch stop will be in Hongsa, the elephant capitol of Laos. While we are there we will have a chance to interact with and view working elephants and their mahouts, doing the daily duties as they have for ages. The route thru to historic Luang Prabang is 100% off road, winds up and down thru some amazing mountainous areas all inhabited by ethnic hill tribes, mostly Khmu. Our day will end at the Mekhong once again, and we will cross by ferry into the UNESCO World Heritage City of Luang Prabang.
Day 4: LUANG PRABANG SITE SEEING AND RELAXING- Today we will have the option to take a boat or ride to the famous Pak Ou caves. Another UNESCO Site, these ancient caves are filled with 1000s of Buddha images, all brought to these holy caves in hopes of spiritual blessings. Situated on the Mekhong in a remote area, the faithful have been visiting these scenic caves for centuries. We will visit the most famous whiskey village in the area, Ban Xang Hai, and have the chance to taste Laos most famous spirit ( of the beverage sort). After the caves at Pak Ou, we will drive out the most spectactular waterfalls in the area, Kuang Xi. In a setting that just seems too good to be true, the crystal clear water cascades over cliff after cliff, creating refreshing pools to cool off and enjoy a swim. Bring your shorts!!
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| Dinner, anyone? |
Day 5: LUANG PRABANG-PHONSAVAN We will travel 90% off road today along the old supply line route used during the war to supply royalist forces in Luang Prabang and P-van. P-van is currently under consideration for UNESCO status as it is also home to the famous mystery known as the Plain of Jars, thousand year old stone vessels strewn across the land with no explanation as to use. P-van was the home to Royalist forces during the war and this earned them the distinction of being the most heavily bombed area of Laos. UXO and its reminders abound and we will have the chance to visit a few centers set up to tell the story and maybe meet a few of the victims along the way. More than 300 people per year are injured from UXO in this area.
Day 6: PHONSAVAN- VIENG THONG After about 1 and a half of tarmac, we again head deep into the off road jungles on leaving Xieng Khuan province and into the heart of Borikhanxi province. We will climb hills and wind thru mountains on fresh graded all road dirt and end our day on a nice small track leading into the village of Vieng Thong.
Day 7: VIENG THONG-KONG LOR CAVE We will continue along a nice remote dirt track to the the town of Thabok for our lunch stop. While we are here, we will visit and see some amazing structures made from spent bomb casing and fuel tanks from the war era. Boat hulls and other important structures have been made from war scrap and help these villagers live a more normal life today. We will drive mostly tarmac for the remainder of the day on one of Laos most scenic and winding highways.
Day 8: KONG LOR-PAKXAN We will wake early this morning to drive a few KMs to the entrance of the caves. From there we will board our own longtail boats for the journey into the caves. The river runs thru the cave system and it is completely dark save for our guides torches. After a 30-45 minutes journey on the inside, we will emerge from the system at an old village and enjoy a snack or lunch. After that, back into the boats for another darkness filled journey with a stop to photo some formation highlights thanks to an ample system of lighting. Once back on the bikes, a pretty straightgforward journey to Hotel Pakxane where we can enjoy on site massage and even casino gambling if you are interested1
Day 9: PAKXAN-LONGSANE A very remote track through the mountains and rivers or Borikhanxai Province. We will pass through old Hmong villages as we trek thru forests, fjord multiple rivers, and wind over the mountains dotting the area. Very long and challenging day with spectacular views.
Day 10: LONGSANE-VIENTIANE via PHOU KHOU KHOEY NATIONAL PARK The last day we will head North along the Mekhong on the tarmac’d route 13 for about 50KM. From there we will enter the Phou Khou Khouy NPA, a beautiful protected area set amongst reservoirs, damns, and lakes that give a “Swiss” atmosphere to the area as you look out at the lakes and reservoirs created in the valleys below. A real challenge for the off road lover, this is a great final farewell to the trails of Laos.
COSTS:
$2299.99 PER PERSON BASED ON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY, or;
$2499.99 SINGLE OR PRIVATE ACCOMMODATION
JUST A REMINDER…..THE ABOVE PRICES INCLUDE ALL COSTS, WITH EXCEPTION TO ALCOHOL. ALL MEALS, ALL PETROL, ALL LODGING, PARK FEES, EVEN WATER. IF YOU DON’T DRINK, DON’T OPEN YOUR WALLET!!!!!!