Our most requested company photo, which pretty much

sums up what adventure biking and A.M.A is all about. This is the trip that got me totally hooked on motorcycle touring in Asia. Perhaps one of our tours will do the same to you. Here we are crossing the Mekong River into Laos. Photo by Chris Stowers.

After entering Laos for a bit, these are the 1st people we see. They're hunting with antique muzzle-loading rifles, but it was smiles all around. Stowers

Viengphoukha is a particularly neat & tidy town lying in the crook of a pretty river. Tigers and bear still roam round the surrounding forests. Stowers

Main road into Laos from Thailand, optimistically called National Route # 3 on maps. Fantastic off-road riding if you like it down and dirty. Stowers

The jungle on a misty morning, enjoying the scenery of this seldom- visited part of our world. Total silence when you shut your engine. Stowers

Another off-road riding shot in Laos. There are a few paved road segments in an around the capital Vientiane and surrounding Luang Prabang. The rest of the country's roads look like this. Stowers

Rush hour, Laos. The rush is to make it to the border town of Huay Xai before the sun goes down, where we know cold beers are available after our last day's ride inside Laos. Stowers

A pretty stream wanders through a pretty village. From the top of this bank, we watched the daily life of this town unfold.

At the bottom of every mountain valley are wet rice paddies like this one. Stowers

Primitive villages like this one are interspersed along our route. Some we stop and visit. Others, due to time, we have to ride right through. Stowers

This hill tribe lady is collecting opium. First she scores each bulb. A sap seeps out, dries, and then she scrapes it off. That is what one smokes. Stowers

In Luang Prabang, the locals are very curious about our convoy. We had just pulled into our hotel and attracted a very colorful crowd.

This is what we looked like at the end of a Laos Tour. A cold beer never, ever tasted better. Stowers

It's always a good idea to check out the morning markets, but you better do it early. Here a lady food vendor is selling tadpoles, chipmunks and big land crabs, all freshly caught. Yummy.

This is the largest intersection in northern Laos. To the left is the Chinese border. We turned right, eastward to Luang Prabang.

Thankfully the hill tribes are not shy around a camera. The hard part is keeping the group size reasonable and getting the little guys in front.

Caught these boys taking in the commotion caused by our arrival. We become the village's entertainment, as they became ours. A fair trade?

Like kids everywhere, they love to sit on our bikes. No one has ever seen a motorcycle before. They will relish this encounter for many, many years.

Mother and child.

Interior of a hill tribe hut. It was so dark inside I couldn't see what I was shooting. I was pleasantly surprised after developing this photo.

Group shot at the Nam Oh River, north of Luang Prabang. This was the most scenic drive on the tour, as well as the best road--Vietnamese built.

The hill tribe women make all their own clothes, from spinning the fibers, to dying it, and then weaving the cloth. They will also decorate their clothing with intricate embroidery.

You can tell which hill tribe each person  belongs to by the style, color, and decorations of their clothing, headwear, and hairstyle. Notice the stripped sleeves of this old lady.

Northern Laos is filled with mountains and river valleys, making for great riding. This is the Nam Oh river valley.

One of several river crossings we have to negotiate.

This young monk stopped to check out our convoy and gladly posed for a few photos. In Buddhism, all men, at one time or another, usually just temporary, entire the monkhood.

The convoy at the top of a mountain pass and heading down the other side.

A graded dirt road section cutting through the mountains makes for very enjoyable trail riding. You have to be very careful because there are no guardrails and it is a very long drop.

Entering a hill tribe village. Once we stop and get off our bikes, we always receive a very warm welcome from these gentle and curious people.

Riding through a hill tribe village.

More unsealed riding in Laos.

This beautiful temple is on the grounds of the Luang Prabang museum. The town itself as been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Group photo in Huay Xai at the very end of the tour.

We get a bit dirty riding off-road in Laos. Here is a close-up of Erich Hollander in Huay Xai at the end of his tour.