The beginning of October must be one of the most beautiful times of the year to ride into Laos.
A 5 month build up of precipitation peaking in September is now subsiding, there is still a little rainfall about for October,
but not enough to dampen a riders spirits.
The farmers of Northern Thailand and Laos are soon to reap the rewards for the crops they have sewn 5 months earlier,
but before the rice turns to head the rice excretes a fluorescent green glow, adding this to the background drops of
cloud cladded mountains, limestone cliff's, rivers and villagers the scenery is spectacular




Our journey was to begin in Chiang Mai, 5 mates would take a day ride to Chiang Khong the gateway in the North of
Thailand to cross the Mekong River into Houei Xai in Laos. Here David and Rex would head home to Chiang Mai. Myself,
Pikey and Marcus would carry on and take the ferry boat across the Mekong into Laos.

The boys riding Along the Mekong River coming into Chiang Khong David leading followed by Pikey then Rex





Exporting and importing the bikes from country to country takes a little time, we started the process at 9:30 am and
where on the road heading out of Houei Xai on Hwy 3 to Luang Nam Tha by 1pm.

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Hwy 3 is a joyous road of Mountain corner switch backs which last for 2hrs until we reached Luang Nam ThaRiding these Laos
roads you had better be able to ride with only 1 hand on the bars, as the other hand will be busy waving to the hundreds of children
that run out to the side of the roads to greet you.


Pikey on the Triumph Bonni






Roadworks is Hard Yaka in Laos

Pikey coming into Luang Nam Tha making his way through the hundreds of school children on bikes with umbrella's


Our next days ride would be From Luang Nam Tha to Luang Praubang but along the way we would do a short 40km detour
to Boten a tiny city on the skirts of the Chinese border where the Chinese have built a casino and run customers from
China to try there luck every day.
Pikey and Marcus with a proof of location photo

The Chinese have a acquired taste for food, this was the menu at a restaurant we chose not to eat at

Hwy 13 for the first lets say 140km to near Song Cha is rough and run down with short exposed sections of dirt, you can
expect to average around 45-50km per hour here, passing through the villagers seeing the peoples simple way of living and
waving to the kids smiling faces will keep you entertained through this section, sometimes the smiling faces can
turn to fear if you stop to take a photo they may disperse and sprint for their life
Marcus tackling a little mud on his Honda XR 250

roadside market






It seemed on this trip every time we went above a altitude of 800m above sea level we would hit the drizzle and rain, not
that i minded it just seemed to add to the atmosphere
The road improved coming up to Song Cha at 1200m above sea level. We sat on a 70km average pace down the other side of
the Mountain to Pak Moeng, following the Nam Ou, then the Mekong river into Luang Praubang.

Nam Ou notice the fisherman throwing a net in the lower r.h.s. corner



Marcus takes a beer on the banks of the Mekong 15km north of Luang Praubang

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