If you are a keen motorcycle traveller and looking for the best motorcycle trip, contemplating your next adventure, the next new horizon to ride, the next culture to experience, motorcycle friendly cities (or all of above !), you can find a great solution by experiencing riding in these SE Asia countries. Simply some of the best places to visit on a motorcycle.

• Thailand
• Laos
• Vietnam
• Cambodia
• China / Tibet

1. Thailand

One of the best places to live for motorcycle riders.

The northern regions of Thailand can be best accessed by basing yourself in the ‘Rose of the North’, the beautiful and relaxed city of Chiang Mai. This is an ideal location for motorcycle riding as the city lies at the foot of the Himalayan Mountain range and there's great mountain to valley riding in every direction. The area boasts some of the best motorcycle roads in the world.

The Thai people are friendly, service-minded, and food-obsessed.

Adored around the world, Thai cuisine expresses fundamental aspects of Thai culture: it is generous, warm, refreshing, and relaxed. Thai dishes rely on fresh, local ingredients – pungent lemongrass, searing chilies and plump seafood. A varied national menu is built around the four fundamental flavours: spicy, salty, sweet, and sour. Do your best to try it all, along with your best motorcycle tours.

Top Sightseeing & Motorcycle Road Trips: 

• The Mae Hong Son Loop: Experience this absolute bucket list ride including the famous road of 1,864 curves to Mae Hong Son, the chill town of Pai, Ban Rak Thai (Chinese village), Long Neck Hill Tribes, endless curves and stunning scenery. Ride your motorcycle to the peak of Don Inthanon, Thailands highest mountain.

• Roads Less Travelled: Head south from Chiang Mai along some of the lesser known motorcycle roads for a loop along one of the best motorcycle road trips available. Visit the largest and highest waterfall in Thailand, Thi Lor Su. Take the “road end” to Perkler, a Karen village at the Myanmar border. The roads are mainly rural two lanes with a variety of surfaces and wind through areas of spectacular mountainous beauty.

• Golden Triangle & Mekong River: Explore the back roads from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai, visit the famous White temple. Cruise through beautiful Phu Chi Fa region to meet the mighty Mekong River and Golden Triangle, the region made famous by Khun Sa, once one of the world’s most infamous drug kings, who even had his own private army. 

2. Laos

Laos is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in this region, reflecting its geographic location as a crossroads of Asia. Vivid nature, beautiful landscapes and a vibrant culture collide with a painful past and optimistic future to make Laos an enigmatic experience for one of the best motorcycle road trips. Laos cherishes many of the traditions that have disappeared in a frenzy of development elsewhere in the region.

It’s hard to believe the sleepy city of Vientiane is an Asian capital. Then there’s the timeless quality to rural life, where stilt houses and paddy fields look like they are straight out of a movie set. Expect to discover a country untainted by mass tourism and Asia in slow motion.

Top Sightseeing & Motorcycle Road Trips: 

• UNESCO World Heritage Ride: Embark on a multi day ride to experience unique landmarks of Laos that are both listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. From the jungles of the mid-north Oudomxai Province take the snaking roads south to Phonsavan and the “Plain of Jars” heritage sites to see the mythical stone ‘jars’ scattered amongst bomb craters, a confronting reminder to this peaceful land from the Vietnam-USA war. Further on towards the ancient capital of Luang Prabang which lies in a valley at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers and now heritage listed as the ‘best preserved city in SE Asia’. 

• Off-Road Adventures: If you like to have some dirt bike action mixed in with your touring then Luang Prabang is the mecca to arrange a custom off road motorcycle tour through truly remote jungle regions with all conditions to test the most adventurous dirt bike rider. Go with one of the local guiding riders for a day or a week, they can arrange the entire program for you or your group.

• Visit Vientiane via Vang Vieng: Quit a mouthful to say! but plenty of good riding to make the journey to the Laos capital city which is a must to experience for every motorcycle adventurer. Vang Vieng is a small town on the Nam Song River, surrounded by striking limestone mountains and caves. Vientiane is known for its laidback atmosphere, attracting those who enjoy a peaceful, relaxed vibe. The heart of the Lao capital is stacked with history, beauty and culture, which you can explore on foot, bicycle or tuk-tuk.

3. Vietnam

With its bustling cities and scenic countryside, Vietnam offers some of the world's finest motorcycle road trips. While navigating the vibrant urban centers is an adventure in itself, the true magic unfolds as you venture into the countryside, where rice fields, quaint villages, and everyday life create an unforgettable backdrop.

Vietnam is both exotic and compelling, influenced by three main religions — Buddhism, Taoism, and Catholicism — with a lifestyle inherited from both Chinese and French colonial periods. Diverse landscapes, staggering natural beauty and cultural complexities of dynamic cities and hill-tribe villages.

Given Vietnam's complex weather patterns influenced by monsoons, there isn't a universally recommended best time to visit. However autumn (September to December) is generally favourable, especially if you plan to travel across the country.

Top Sightseeing & Motorcycle Road Trips: 

• Ha Giang Loop: Embark on an epic adventure along the Ha Giang Loop, a 300-kilometer circuit in the northern mountains of Vietnam. Marvel at breathtaking landscapes, including towering limestone karsts, winding mountain roads, and vibrant ethnic minority villages.

• Ho Chi Minh Trail: Trace the historic Ho Chi Minh Trail, a legendary route that played a crucial role during the Vietnam War. Experience the country's rich history and natural beauty as you ride through dense jungles, mountain passes, and remote villages.

• Hai Van Pass: Ride along the iconic Hai Van Pass, a coastal mountain road that offers panoramic views of the East Sea and lush green mountains. Featured in the popular TV show "Top Gear," this scenic route is a must for motorcycle enthusiasts.

4. Cambodia

Being a small, less developed country with most of its population living in the countryside you will feel like you’re riding inside a museum. The main riding experience is passing by the endless villages and rice paddies. At each stop you will likely be approached by curious locals.

Cambodia offers a wealth of gravel roads. Even if you don’t have any off-road riding experience, you will appreciate riding some of the easier ones to be found here and experience the “real rural Cambodia”.

Among the many reasons to visit Cambodia is the incredible amount of history and culture. Also memorable is the amazing nature, ranging from the gorgeous National Parks to the coastline and islands.

The Khmers have been to hell and back, struggling through years of bloodshed, poverty, and political instability but they are working hard to prevail, relying on their seemingly unbreakable spirit and infectious optimism. No visitor comes away without a measure of admiration and affection for the inhabitants of this enigmatic kingdom

Top Sightseeing & Motorcycle Road Trips: 

• Vietnam to Angkor Wat: If adding Cambodia to your motorcycle riding road trip in Vietnam you can cross to Stung Treng. This part of the country is full of pepper plantations and a great stop is at Yeak Laom, a volcano lake then countryside becomes flat the last section to Stung Treng, meeting the Mekong River and winding through small villages to Siem Reap. Spend a day to take in the awesomeness of Angkor Wat. The sheer scale of the temple complex is mind blowing, still covered in lush jungle growth and creeping vines, the place is truly awesome.

• Coastline Delight: From Koh Kong beach following the Cambodian coastline riding many twisties and nice bends through great scenery to Sihanoukville which is lined with palm-fringed beaches, seafood restaurants and bars. Keep following the coast in the east direction towards Kep, traversing Phnom Bokor which is one of the most beautiful and mystical National Parks of Southeast Asia. It covers 140 thousand hectares of untouched mountain jungle and the biggest herd of wild elephants in Southeast Asia.

5. China / Tibet

China is vast - Off-the-scale massive. Wildly differing dialects and climates with topographical extremes it’s like several different countries rolled into one. Take your pick from the bazaars of Kashgar, a journey along the dusty Silk Road, or spending the night at Everest Base Camp Lhasa (the capital on the roof of the world).

Three decades of round-the-clock development make some parts of the country completely unrecognizable from their more humble beginnings. Serve it all up according to taste: collapsing sections of the Great Wall, temple-topped mountains, villages that time forgot, languorous water towns, sublime Buddhist grottoes, and ancient desert forts. China’s diversity is second to none and a great place to go on a motorcycle.

Top Sightseeing & Motorcycle Road Trips:

• Shangri-La - Gateway to Tibet: Visit the world heritage town of Lijiang with its charming ‘Old Town’ that is a maze of cobbled streets, canals, and stone bridges that date from the Ming Dynasty. Starting place for one of the best motorcycle road trips. Leave for ‘Tiger Leaping Gorge’ of the Yangtse River, the 3rd deepest gorge in the world. Climb up even higher to Shangri-La where the Tibetan and Chinese worlds meet. Riding on a new road through the mountain to the Tibet Plateau and reach Shangri-La, the gateway to Tibet. 

• Expedition to the Great Wall: For the true motorcycle traveller a longer expedition tour is always of interest… This 25 day itinerary takes in the best motorcycle tour of China-Tibet. Starting in the northern Thailand capital of Chiang Mai you quickly turn back time by crossing over Laos and then open the huge vastness of China. Tropical rain forest, towering sub-alpine gorges and valleys (including Tiger Leaping Gorge), high altitude Tibetan plateau to temperate arid semi desert. Traversing several of Asia’s largest rivers including the Mekong, the Yangtse, the Yarlung and Yellow rivers. On the way visiting 5 UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Now its time to make it happen !

That’s just the snapshot and hope it can inspire riders from ‘round the world to find out more and get out there to explore this unique region for one of the best motorcycle trips in the world.

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