
Laos
Three weeks door to door, hiring motorbikes and exploring northern and central Laos. Basically following the backpacking route but with the flexibility of exploring on the way and staying in better-than-budget accommodation.
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When: October/November or early December to miss the rainy and hot seasons
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Where: fly in and out of Vientiane, hiring bikes from there
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Riding: dirt/trail/adventure bikes to give us maximum flexibility for exploring
itinerary​
Possible itinerary to help with planning​, assuming a 2026 trip
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Sat. 14 Nov: leave London, overnight flight to Vientiane
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Sun 15 Nov: arrive Vientiane, overnight for one night
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Mon 16 Nov to Thu 3 Dec: pick up rental bikes and head for the hills
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Fri 4 Dec - arrive back in Vientiane, return what's left of the bikes
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Sat 5 Dec - leave Vientiane
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Sun 6 Dec - arrive London
more detail of possible itinerary in Google Sheets
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​costs
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flights​
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London - Vientiane (one-stop) return: £800​
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motorcycle hire (examples for 19 days hire)
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​Kawasaki KLX 230S: ($679​) £500
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Honda CRF 150: ($428) £316
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fuel: £1/lt @ 40km/lt = 40km/£1 x 2,500km = £65
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accommodation
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Vientiane - 3 nights @ £25 = £75​
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on the road average - 19 nights @ £15 = £285
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food and drink: £25 x 21 days = £525
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activities: £150​
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travel insurance: £100
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visa: £30
total: £2,530
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​resorces
youtube
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LAOS: The beauty of Southeast Asia - recorded during the road trip around Northern Laos
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Motorbike Trip Across Laos - travel documentary by Paddy Doyle
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Now in Lao - Australian chap's youtube channel
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15 Things You Should Know BEFORE Visiting Laos - by Travels on Toast
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Motorbike Laos South To North | Travel Documentary - by Travels on Toast
bike hire and tours
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Style Motorcycles - bike rental, used by Jammy Gits
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Ride in Laos - bike rental
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Offroad Laos - offroad tours​
articles
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Thakhek Loop - three to four day adventure motorcycle route through rural Laos
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The North Eastern Loop - off the tourist route for motorbikes - 780km​
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Luang Prabang - what to see and do
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Nong Khiaw - countryside with amazing viewpoints
Long Cheng - Secret CIA airbase
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Long Tien - Wikipedia article
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How To Find a Secret CIA Base in Laos (don't tell anyone) - youtube travel documentary by Mike Okay
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The Most Secret Place on Earth, The CIA's covert war in Laos - documentary from 2009
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Long Cheng to Vang Vieng via ferry - youtube episode by Jammy Gits - part of their trip around Laos
maps​
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Ho Chi Minh Trail 12 day tour - Ride Expeditions dirt bike tour
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Laos and Cambodia off-road tours - Ride Expeditions dirt bike tours
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David's Laos Google Maps - points of interest collated by David
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