Overview
The territory north of Luang Prabang is some of the most visually stunning in Southeast Asia. From the valley that is home to the Mekong over to the Nam Ou River and the mountains in between, this ride a great insight into Northern Laos.
We ease into the adventure with a cruise up the Mekong River and then spend two days pedaling through the valleys of the north. We’ll enjoy another scenic boat ride, this time on this stunning Nam Ou river down to the lovely town of Nong Khiaw, and then we cycle down to Luang Prabang. The rides are all achievable on mostly rolling hills and no sustained climbing. This fantastic bike and boat journey offers the opportunity you to take in the beauty of northern Laos, meet some locals, and take some photos to remember your adventure.
245 Km riding. The road on this ride is all paved. In places this can be damaged and may have reverted to hard paced dirt, but there is no "off-road" riding in this trip. We aim for secondary roads wherever possible, but given that Laos doesn't have many primary ones to start with, we are somewhat limited in that regard. Main roads in Laos are actually like a backstreet anywhere else due to the low number of vehicles on the road which is consistent with the country's low population.
Peak Season Surcharge: For tours commencing from Dec 23 to Jan 3 there is a peak season surcharge of 15% on the price of this tour due to hotel rate increases at this time of year.
Highlights
Take a riverboat up the Mekong River for some great views of riverlife.
Pedal through scenic rolling hills and small villages where you can glimpse local daily life.
Enjoy the views from another small riverboat on the Nam Ou River.
Cycle a few small hills through picturesque greenery before making it to Luang Prabang.
Day to Day
A riverboat is our mode of transport today. We ride a comfortable, wooden boat known as "The Slow Boat" up the Mekong River. It's a full day cruising, so a good book, perhaps a pack of cards and all your best travel stories are on the packing list. Or you may enjoy just gazing out the window at the stunning landscape that awaits you at every turn. You'll see water buffalo being bathed, fish being caught and plenty of kids doing backflips into the small pools on the side of the river. If you are really lucky you might even see an elephant or two as they come down for a bath from the forest. We arrive into Pak Beng late afternoon. This is one of those mandatory transit hubs as boats cannot make the full distance between the Thai border town of Chiang Khong and Luang Prabang in a day, so everyone stops here for the night. We are in one of the better accommodation establishments where we can enjoy a drink overlooking that fascinating river while the sun bids us farewell.
As the mist lifts off the hills and the roosters are in full swing we set out on our bikes to pedal our way out of the valley and away from the Mekong for the time being. Through the day we ride through some lovely scenery of rolling hills which are forested or farmed for corn and punctuated by small villages where homes are often made only of bamboo and leaves. In some of these villages, the women practice the art of silk weaving as a way to supplement the family's farming income. After lunch, we drive to reach the trade town of Oudomxai. This town is located on the busy trade route from China and hence many cheap manufactured goods are for sale, and the traders can be found in restaurants serving Chinese favorites.
Today we have the satisfaction of riding door to door. After a couple of steep but relatively short hills to start us off, we find ourselves on a road that follows a small river. The beauty of this is that the road is one of gentle ups and down with more of the downs than ups. We pass through a number of small villages that have only just started to see regular passing travelers since the extension of the route into Vietnam has been completed. The small town that we call home for the evening was until quite recently almost a dead end and a very remote place. This is still evident and it is early days, so it's still just a small village on a nice river.
We awake next to the beautiful Nam Ou River. The hills will likely be shrouded in mist so it takes some time to heat up here. A boat awaits us (one of a smaller scale than our Mekong boat) and this will take us on our journey south-west along this beautiful river with a short van transfer to bypass Nam Ou dam's watergate.
We'll stop at Ngoy Village for our lunch, where is a beautiful view out over the Ou river, before continuing the journey to our final destination, Nong Khiaw. The afternoon is then yours to explore this picturesque village in the shadow of limestone karst cliffs.
A transfer is needed this morning to pass by a busy section of road. Then we hit the bikes and ride an undulating route that follows the path of the Nam Ou River. There are a few more challenging hills towards the end of the ride before we reach the lunch point. From there, the plan is to drive into Luang Prabang, but if you still have the energy, it is possible to ride the whole way in. The tour concludes at the door of your guesthouse or hotel in Luang Prabang.
WHAT MAKES US STAND OUT
GRASSHOPPER STYLE
Get off-the-beaten-path and enjoy some spectacular scenery as you explore northern Laos by bike. This tour brings you on challenging but rewarding bike routes through beautiful hills and by rivers for some of the best and most untouched views in Southeast Asia. You’ll pass through small villages where locals still live in the way they have for centuries, which will be an interesting cultural experience. Rest assured knowing we’ve taken care of all of the small details to provide you with a smooth and memorable ride through Laos.
