Road in the north of Laos
Routes
Map of Laos
Road conditions
Most of the main roads are tarred. The route from Luang Namtha - Huay Xay (border town to Thailand) is in very poor condition, especially in the rainy season.
getting there
You can travel to Laos by bike via the following border crossings:
- Ban Boten - Bohane (from China)
- Huay Xay - Chiang Khong (from Thailand) Ship
- Vang Tao - Chong Mek (from Thailand) Visa on arrival
- Nong Khai - Vientiane (from Thailand) Visa on arrival
- Stung Treng (of Cambodia)
- Ban Nameo (from Vietnam)
At most border crossings, the visa can be obtained in advance from a Laotian embassy.
Bike transport
- Ship: No problem on the Nam Ou and Mekong rivers, sometimes longer price negotiations are necessary if the first price is not to be accepted.
- Bus: It is safe to take bicycles with you in buses and minivans, but here, too, it is a matter of price negotiation.
Water / food
- In the cities you get everything you need.
- There is often water in the villages in small shops / village shops. Also one or the other biscuit.
- Often only sticky rice is available in restaurants. After 6:30 p.m. there is nothing left in very small towns.
- There are also baguettes in tourist places.
Traveling expenses
accommodation
- Tent / Camping: Not recommended because of the risk of mines. However, on the outskirts of a village, you can stay overnight in a tent.
- Hotel: Hotels are only available in large tourist areas such as Luangprabang or Vientiane.
- Guest houses: There are also guest houses in small villages, some of them at simple crossroads. They are not always written to.
- Private: In remote villages it is almost always possible to stay with the locals. Money is usually not asked for, but a donation is expected. But if you go tracking in tourist areas, you also have to expect fantasy prices.
Documents
security
bicycle
Own bike
It is not a problem to bring your own bike to Laos.
Bike rental
Bicycles can be rented in tourist resorts. However, these are only suitable for local transport and not for longer tours.
Bike purchase
To buy a bike you have to go to Thailand.
Bike shops
There are no bike shops in Laos. (possibly in Vientiane)
Special equipment
cards
- Laos (1: 600,000) world mapping project. (Publisher: Reise Know-How) ISBN 3-8317-7111-1
literature
- Laos - Travel manuals: Jan Düker, Annette Monreal (Dumont Reise Verlag) - ISBN 978-3770161423
- South East Asia. The Mekong region. - Travel manuals: Jan Düker (Dumont Reise Verlag) - ISBN 3-7701-6152-1
- Cycling Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia: Nick Ray, Ian Duckworth (Publisher: Lonely Planet) - ISBN 978-1864501681
- Lonely Planet Laos: Cummings Joe, Burke Andrew (Publisher: Lonely Planet), - ISBN 1-74104-086-8
