TIMELESS VIETNAM, LAOS & THAILAND

In the morning we start our adventure from the hotel in Chiang Mai. For most of the day the roads are rural with low traffic density. There are nice bends and a pleasant riding environment the whole day. In the afternoon we arrive in Sukhothai which literally means “Dawn of Happiness”, capital of the Sukhothai Kingdom in the 13th and 14th centuries. Don’t miss to visit the Sukhothai Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city walls form a rectangle about 2 km east-west by 1.6 km north-south. There are 193 ruins on 70 square kilometres of land. There is a gate in the centre of each wall. Inside are the remains of the Royal Palace and twenty-six temples, the largest being Wat Mahathat. We overnight in Sukhothai.

After breakfast, we depart Sukhothai toward Phu Ruea, following Road 12 and 2013 near Nakhon Thai for lunch. The ride takes us on an enjoyably twisty road toward Lom Kao, where we climb up the mountain and pass through Phu Hin Rongkla National Park. Stop for a coffee at the viewpoint just after the park exit. The day is filled with scenic mountain landscapes, perfect for motorcycle touring. In the afternoon, we arrive in Chiang Khan, a charming town along the Mekong River. We’ll overnight in Chiang Khan, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.

First part of the day we ride in eastern direction along the Mekong River. After lunch we clear Thai border formalities, we cross the Thai – Lao Friendship Bridge. On the Lao side our Lao tour guide greets us, helps us 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!

Vientiane where we will stay for overnight. In the evening there is time to explore this delightfully friendly capital, studded with crumbling French mansions, bougainvillea-blooming streets and steaming noodle stalls. Vientiane is somewhere between a big town and a diminutive city. Enjoy a Beer Lao at sunset by the river! We stay for the night in Vientiane.

Leaving Vientiane behind, we continue to follow the Mekong River in eastern direction to the small town of Vieng Kham. We make a stop at the Buddha Park, also known as Xieng Khuan. It contains numerous religious images. The name Xieng Khuan means "spirit city".] The park contains over 200 Hindu and Buddhist statues. From Vieng Kham we leave the Mekong River and climb up the mountain to Phou Hin Boun National Protected Area, an uncharted world of ancient karstic forests, breath-taking views, and endemic wildlife in Central Laos. Immerse yourself in one of the largest limestone forest in all of Asia. Overnight at The Rock Lodge.

After leaving Phou Hin Boun behind, we stop for a coffee in Lak Sao, a quiet mining town, before riding up the mountain toward the Lao – Vietnam border at Nam Phao. This area was part of the "Ho Chi Minh network of roads" during the Vietnam War. We’ll continue our journey along the legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail, a must-do for any Vietnam motorcycle tour enthusiast. Our final destination for the day is Cua Lo Beach, one of the most stunning stops. Known for its beauty, Cua Lo is a popular weekend getaway for Hanoi locals, rivaling spots like Sam Son Beach and Sapa. Whether you're seeking a scenic or the perfect location for motorbike tours, Cua Lo offers it all. We’ll overnight on the beach, soaking in the views and preparing for tomorrow's ride along some of the best motorcycle routes in Vietnam.

Today’s ride is a bit longer, mostly on four-lane roads, so be prepared for traffic lights and trucks. We make a stop at Tam Coc for lunch and a break. This charming town, full of guest houses, coffee shops, restaurants, and souvenir shops, offers a great chance to pick up affordable Vietnamese handicrafts. Tam Coc is also home to limestone caves and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Once the ancient capital of Vietnam, it’s a fascinating spot for both history lovers and motorcycle touring enthusiasts. After our break, we continue on our way to Hanoi. As we get closer to the capital, the traffic becomes denser, and the final stretch into the city is an experience in itself. Hanoi, with a population of 8 million and a vehicle population of over 10 million (including 7 million motorcycles), is known for its busy streets. We’ll follow our support car for the last 50 km into the city, park our motorcycles a bit outside the old city, and take a local transfer to our hotel. We’ll be staying in Hanoi's Old Quarter, a vibrant area filled with restaurants, bars, and shops, making it perfect for evening exploration. Overnight in Hanoi.

Today we offer you two options;

Option 1;

 Take a Hanoi city tour, visiting the main landmarks of the city, such as the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, Temple of Literature, Hoàn Kiếm Lake, and the Hanoi old quarter. Our local tour guide will show us around. If you're up for it, you can also enjoy a traditional puppet show. The tour starts at 8 AM from your hotel and you will return around 4 PM. The price is USD 40, which includes transportation, an English-speaking tour guide, lunch, water, and entrance fees.

Option 2;

 Explore Hạ Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The name Hạ Long means "descending dragon." The bay is famous for its thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various shapes and sizes. Covering an area of around 1,553 km², it includes 1,960–2,000 islets. The limestone here has been formed over 500 million years under tropical wet climate conditions, creating a fascinating landscape for any motorcycle tour or nature enthusiast. You will visit Sung Sot Grotto, Luon Cave, Ti Top Island, and enjoy kayaking on the bay. A buffet lunch will be served aboard the cruise. This is a full-day excursion, leaving the Hanoi hotel at 7 AM and returning at 9 PM. The price includes transfer from Hanoi and back, National Park entrance fee, 8-hour cruise, buffet lunch, and activities like cave visits and kayaking. Estimated cost: USD 100.

First negotiating our way out of Hanoi, we stop at the 1500 year old village of Duong Lam. With banyan trees, water wells, communal courtyards, temples, winding village roads, small alleys, old wooden houses, and walls. Leaving Duong Lam behind, we ride on country roads. Passing endless villages and tea plantations. Our end destination of today is Nghia Lo, a sleepy town and the gate way to the beautiful rice terraces and Sa Pa. Overnight in Nghia Lo.

After an early breakfast we depart follow the NR12 through the Sin Ho Valley and Muong Lay. This is rural Vietnam, populated by hill tribes and ethnical minorities. We stop at the Sin Ho Market, which is more lively and crowded if we arrive early.

In Dien Bien Phu, we visit the historical battle ground at A1 before reaching our hotel.

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu was the climactic confrontation of the First Indochina War between the French Union's French Far East Expeditionary Corps and Viet Minh communist-nationalist revolutionaries. We can visit the Dien Bien Phu Museum, the notorious hill A-1 battlefield, and a captured tank.  Overnight in Dien Bien Phu. 

Not much is happening at the Lao / Vietnam border, that said, it can still take some time to work through the paperwork. Our Lao guide will wait for us at the Tay Trang border crossing and together we will ride to Oudomxai. You will notice how things have changed once crossing into Laos, different landscape, less people, villages & hardly any traffic.

From the border we descend down the mountains towards At Pak Nam Noy. This is a remote area of Laos, not many villages & the scenery is spectacular. In the afternoon we ride along the Nam Phak River. Passing Oudomxai we ride out into the countryside and to our beautiful eco resort in the rainforest. The resort offers several activities, e.g. canopy walk, zip lining, waterfall abseiling, cycling etc. You can also relax by the pool. Overnight outside Oudomxai.

Leaving our jungle resort behind, we cross over the Song Cha mountain range. A couple of years ago this 120 km stretch took the whole day (sometimes longer). Now there is a new road snaking its way over the mountain. Today it’s an absolute pleasure to negotiate the curves and enjoy the scenery. Before reaching Luang Prabang we ride along the Nam Ou River, a pleasure to ride this road with its gentle curves. 

Luang Prabang with its gleaming temple roofs, fading French architecture and stunning mountain backdrop has been claimed by the UNESCO to be ‘the best-preserved city in South East Asia’. In the evening we will enjoy a well-deserved dinner in the old quarters of town. Take the opportunity to visit the night market. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

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. By giving food to a monk you make merit, which should augur well for your next life. 

You may also want to visit the beautiful Kuang Si Waterfalls. It’s possible to swim in the lagoons so take your swimming gear. We leave at 9 am from our hotel and will return around noon. There is a small entrance fee to the waterfall.

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. Another great optional activity is to sample a traditional Lao massage and herbal sauna. Along the walking street you find plenty of antique shops, bakeries, bars etc. Our local tour guide will show you around. Leaving from hotel at 3 PM.

Another option is a boat ride cruising, 2-3 hours including food on the Mekong River to the Pak Ou Caves. Shorter sunset boat tours also including food, two hours, are also available and we can arrange any of these for you. Price from USD 80 to 100. Starting at 4 PM from the hotel.

We will discuss through the options in more details. For the one’s who want, city walking tour and transport to Kuang Si Waterfalls will be arranged.

Whatever you choose - Enjoy!

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. By giving food to a monk you make merit, which should augur well for your next life. 

Once on our motorcycles we take the ferry over the Mekong River and ride the new road over the mountain towards Hongsa. The road snakes its way over mountains. The scenary is beautiful, not many people are living in this part of Laos. At Hongsa were we enjoy lunch. Last part of the day we ride to Pakbeng. Pakbeng is a colorful 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 mainly back packers traveling by boat on the Mekong river between Luang Prabang and Huay Xai. Enjoy the view from the hotels infinity pool. Overnight in Pakbeng.

Today is our last day in Laos. First part of the route takes us back in the direction to Hongsa. We cross into Thailand at Huai Kon border point. 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  south towards Bo Kluea. At Bo Kluea (salt well) we stop for lunch and visit the salt well where we will experience old traditional salt extraction. Back on the road we continue a great windy and scenic road towards Nan, the capital of this province. This is the bet motorcycle riding Thailand has to offer. 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. Overnight in Nan.

Leaving Nan behind we ride in western direction. First stretch is over a small mountain range. You will just love the way the road snakes its way over hills and through valleys. On our way to Phayao we pass endless villages. In Phayao we enjoy lunch by the lake. From here we first follow the shore of the lake and then make our way towards the road leading to Mae Khachan and further to the nearby hot springs. Here you can dip your toes in the hot water. From here we have the last stretch to Chiang Mai and our Service center. Expect arrival by 5 PM, followed by transfer to your hotel. Farwell dinner in the evening. Overnight in Chaing Mai.

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

Farewell & Thanks from the BTA Team !