Vientiane Hostel
Hostel, homestay or tent, shared
8 days, planned by Two Stroke Society
Eight days on the Thakhek loop and up to Vang Vieng — limestone karst, a seven-kilometre river cave, and the emptiest riding in Southeast Asia.
| LANDMARKS |
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| Pha That Luang |
| Mekong riverside |
| Patuxai |
The expressway would do it in half the time and shows you nothing. Route 13 is the ride.
| LANDMARKS |
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| Route 13 |
| Nam Song |
| Vang Vieng karst |
Vang Vieng spent a decade as a byword for tubing and drink, and the bars were closed in 2012 after a run of deaths. It is a climbing and caving town again now.
| LANDMARKS |
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| Tham Phu Kham |
| Blue Lagoon |
| Nam Xay viewpoint |
Nine hours and no way round it — the loop starts at Thakhek and Thakhek is a long way south. Both operators offer to truck the bikes if the group would rather.
| LANDMARKS |
|---|
| Route 13 |
| Mekong |
| Thakhek |
The Nakai reservoir flooded a forest in 2008 and the dead trunks still stand out of the water. It displaced over six thousand people.
| LANDMARKS |
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| Nakai plateau |
| Drowned forest |
| Limestone cliffs |
| Tham Xang |
The river runs straight through the mountain for seven and a half kilometres and you go through it in a longtail with a head torch. It is completely dark for most of it.
| LANDMARKS |
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| Konglor cave |
| Nam Hin Boun river |
| Karst gorge |
The western side is the emptier half and the surface is worse. Both operators ride it in daylight only.
| LANDMARKS |
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| Route 8 |
| Karst valleys |
| Thakhek |
Six hours. An overnight in Vientiane before an international flight is the safer plan and both operators will arrange it.
Day 1 · Fri, 18 Sept, 2026
Most of these can be added to your booking later — the operator confirms within a day.
Published by the operator. Nights on the ground can move with weather and permissions.
Hostel, homestay or tent, shared
Hostel, homestay or tent, shared
Hostel, homestay or tent, shared
Hostel, homestay or tent, shared
Hostel, homestay or tent, shared
7 breakfasts and 6 dinners across 8 days, at camp. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 8.
13 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered; Jain, gluten-free and allergies on notice at booking
“The same rides for people bringing their own machine”
Support, route and permits for riders on their own bikes. No rentals, no pillion seats, and a hard line on riding experience at handover.
8 days of proper riding. The support vehicle was never far when someone needed it. Good value for what's included.
Machines were well maintained and the daily briefings were short and useful. Solid operator.
Central Laos on two wheels is the way to see it. No complaints about the organisation. Nothing fancy about the beds, and nothing wrong with them either. Simple food, well made, and enough of it.
Route planning was the strong point — long days, but the stops were in the right places. Hostel nights are basic but clean, and that's what the price says. Worth every rupee.
Appreciate the honest feedback; we're looking at the pacing on that section.
Machines were well maintained and the daily briefings were short and useful. Good value for what's included.
Days were longer than advertised and we arrived after dark more than once. Whoever planned the days knew what they were doing.
Thank you for travelling with us — glad the route worked out.
Machines were well maintained and the daily briefings were short and useful. Nothing fancy about the beds, and nothing wrong with them either. Would send friends their way.
Route planning was the strong point — long days, but the stops were in the right places. Nothing fancy about the beds, and nothing wrong with them either. The lead was calm and knew when to slow the group down. Solid operator.
The eastern side is sealed and fine. The western side between Konglor and Thakhek is patchy, with gravel sections and potholes that hide in shade. In the wet season parts of it are mud and the loop is genuinely unpleasant, which is why this runs November to March.
One other operator runs this ride. See all 2 side by side →