Our
LAOS MOTORCYCLE
TOUR is the epitome of two-wheel adventure travel and the crown
jewel in the ASIAN
MOTORCYCLE ADVENTURES
touring schedule. If you've ever dreamed about taking a hard-core motorcycle
journey into a rarely visited part of the world, this is
the tour. Each ride into Laos is unique--every one filled with new sights
and experiences. A motorcycle tour in Laos is a drive back through
time, observing a way of human existence that has nearly disappeared from
the face of the earth.
Only recently has Laos been reopened to outsiders after 300 years of nearly continuous warfare, but the country is becoming increasingly popular with tourists because of its pure and undiluted culture, pristine nature, and outstanding natural beauty. But still the numbers of people who visit Laos is actually quite small, and they can only reach a selected few destinations because of the decrepit transportation infrastructure in place. And none of these visitors can stop in the small and isolated villages that are off the beaten track like we can do on a whim, thanks to our motorcycles. This keeps the countryside nice and empty for our forays. A support vehicle carries all our belonging, so your motorcycle stays light and nimble. A local tour guide will explain all he knows about the culture and history of this region and will help you to understand the hilltribes remarkable relationship with their land.
Only hardy souls who can tolerate rough riding and Spartan living conditions should consider participating on this LAOS MOTORCYCLE TOUR. As Laos develops, sections of roadway are currently undergoing improvement and many are being sealed. But major portions still remain jungle trails that cross rivers and climb mountains that aren't even named. I will venture a guess that in five years' time, regular road bikes will be able to tour through significent parts of the country. So if you want to experience Laos before these improvements take place, I would suggest riding with us sooner rather than later.
All participants
must be in decent physical condition and have a moderate amount
of off-road motorcycle riding experience. Novices might find themselves
in over their heads, so if you want to come, better start practicing
now! Pillion riders are not permitted on this trip, but there might
be an extra seat in our support vehicle for a non-riding travel
mate. All participants who sign up for this Laos Tour should be
accustomed to "roughing it", have a spirit of adventure, and everyone
must have a tolerance for minor snafus, because for sure we will
have to deal with unexpected and unforseen occurances as we travel
around the countryside. |
plumbing. But there are a few gems along the route of this motorcycle tour where your stay will become most memorable.
Food will be plentiful and nutritious, and at most
occasions we will dine quite well. However, we may sometimes be forced
to settle for some unimaginative meals in the really
remote regions. But on those occasions, you will never have eaten food
that is fresher--just picked produce, mountain-grown rice, wild plants
and seasonings picked from the forest, and chicken, pork, and fish that
moments before were still breathing.
What
a world we will enter after we cross the Mekong and drive a few miles
into the hills. Immediately centuries willbe erased from the calendar.
This tropical,
land locked country is around the size of England. 80% of their 4.7 million
population survive on what the jungle provides or on what they can grow.
Laos is at the bottom rung of economic development. According to their
latest statistics of 2000,
per capita
|
income
was US$260. Total national exports amounted to US$336 million, or
barely enough to cover Tiger Wood's endorsement contracts. 26% of
people survive on less than $1 per day. But progress is coming.
Telephone numbers have expanded to six digits, up from four only
recently. And their postage stamps now have glue on their backs.
Not a single mile of railroad track exists in the country. Skyscrapers
in Laos are four-story buildings. A life expectancy of 53.5 years
is among the lowest in the world for any country not suffering through
a protracted war. Their major cash crop, until very recently,
was listed as Papaver somniferum, or the opium poppy.
The LAOS MOTORCYCLE TOUR stays in the mountainous and
cooler nothern regions and
takes us right up to the
borders of Burma, China, and Vietnam,
an extremely remote area sparsely populated by dozens of hill tribes.
|
We depart from
CHIANG MAI.
The first day features some enjoyable driving across North Thailand's
Golden Triangle area, and we stop for photos at the exact point where
Thailand, Laos, and Burma meet. The quiet town of
CHIANG KONG
is our first destination.
We cross the mighty Mekong River
and enter Laos in
HUAY XAI.
An old French Legionaire fort sits atop a promontory whose cannons once
controlled all the river traffic passing by. Just watching river life
on the Mekong floating slowly by is entertainment enough. You will never
forget this scene.
There
is but a single road that bisects the entire province of Huay Xai. We
take it north into the jungle and mountains and have our first encounters
with the Lau Soong ethnic group, who are as curious about us as we are
about them. Foreigners stopping in their village are as rare as snowflakes.
Never have they seen motorcycles like ours, and never have you imagined
a village such as theirs.
We pass through several
hilltribe settlements every day on this tour. One Kamu village tradition
forbids the use of metal. Other
hilltribes you will become familiar with are Lahu, Akha, LaHoy, Lamet,
Lü, and Meo. Montagnards
also dwell in this area. They were once feared warriors and were
hired as mercenaries by the French, and later by the Americans, when war
ravaged this region.
Today all the hilltribes have reverted to being peaceful farmers once
again.
NAMTHA,
MUANG SING, PAK
BENG, AND UDOM XAI, are names
of places that certainly have no meaning for you now. But you may be rest
assured each of them will stay vivid in your mind way into
the future. Then, after
five days of tough
but thrilling biking and touching encounters with alien cultures, we return
to a civilization of an entirely different sort,
LUANG PRABANG.
This beautiful but isolated city, once so difficult to reach (but which
now handles several flights per day), was once the royal capital of the
dominant ancient Lanna kingdom which once spread into parts of Thailand,
Burma, and China. Luang Prabang is now a protected UNESCO World
Heritage Site because of its historical and social importance for the
entire human race.
Many fine examples of old French colonial
architecture survive, and this compact town on a spit of land at the confluence
of two rivers is filled to overflowing with dazzling Buddhist temples
and soaring stupas. The food in Luang Prabang is supurb, and is fused
together wonderfully with classic French cuisine. The most delicious dining
experiences on the trip awaits for us here. The handicraft market in Luang
Prabang is vibrant and no visitor can possibly walk away empty-handed.
After two delightful nights in Luang Prabang we
turn around and head back to Thailand, stopping off at some of the villages
we passed by on the way into the interior. By this time in the tour,
everyone's off-road riding skills should be significantly improved, and
the ride back home will be even more fun than on the way in.
Click for LAOS map.
You might also consider, if you have the time to spare, our 1-Month
Thailand-Laos Motorcycle Tour Expedition offering.
TOUR
DATES:
LAOS
MOTORCYCLE Tour. Northern Laos.
Off-road riding experience is MANDATORY! No pillion riding on this tour.
There might be passenger space available in the support vehicle. Inquire
for availability.
(ATV's are now available for those who can not ride a motorcycle.)
2007:
LAOS MOTORCYCLE TOUR
Pillion price-all dates:
USD1,395.00.
October 3 through Oct. 12, 2007. Low
Season Special Price:
USD 2,395.00.
October 17 through Oct. 26, 2007. Low
Season Special Price:
USD 2,395.00.
November
7 through Nov. 16, 2007.
USD2,695.
November 21 through Nov. 30, 2007. USD2,695.
December 5 through Dec. 14, 2007. USD 2,695.
December 12 through Dec. 21, 2007. High
Season Price: USD2,895.
2008: LAOS
MOTORCYCLE TOUR
Pillion
price-all dates:
USD1,395.00.
January 2 through Jan. 11, 2008. High
Season Price: USD2,895.
January 16 through Jan. 25, 2008. USD 2,695.
February 20 through Feb. 29, 2008. USD 2,695.
March 5 through March 14, 2008. USD 2,695.
March 19 through March 28, 2008. USD 2,695.
April 2 through April 11, 2008. USD 2,695.
April 16 through April 25, 2008. USD 2,695.
April 30 through May 9, 2008. Low
Season Special Price:
USD 2,395.00.
May 14 through May 23, 2008. Low
Season Special Price:
USD 2,395.00.
May 28 through June 6, 2008. Low
Season Special Price:
USD 2,395.00.
June 11 through June 20, 2008. Low
Season Special Price:
USD 2,395.00.
October 1 through Oct. 10, 2008. Low
Season Special Price:
USD 2,395.00.
October 15 through Oct. 24, 2008. Low
Season Special Price:
USD 2,395.00.
October 29 through November 7, 2008. USD 2,695.
November 12 through Nov. 21, 2008. USD 2,695.
November 26 through December 5, 2008. USD 2,695.
December 10 through December 19, 2008.
High
Season Price: USD2,895.
December 24 through Jan. 2, 2009.
High
Season Price: USD2,895.
2009:
LAOS MOTORCYCLE TOUR
Pillion
price-all dates:
USD1,395.00.
January 7 through
Jan. 16, 2009. High Season Price: USD2,895.
January 21 through. Jan. 30, 2009. USD 2,695.
February 4 through Feb. 13, 2009. USD 2,695.
February 18 through Feb. 27, 2009. USD 2,695.
March 4 through March 13, 2009. USD 2,695.
March 18 through March 27, 2009. USD 2,695.
April 1 through April 10, 2009. USD 2,695.
April 22 through May 1, 2009. USD 2,695.
May 6 through May 15, 2009. Low
Season Special Price:
USD 2,395.00.
May 20 through May 29, 2009. Low
Season Special Price:
USD 2,395.00.
June 3 through June 12, 2009. Low
Season Special Price:
USD 2,395.00.
June 17 through June 26, 2009. Low
Season Special Price:
USD 2,395.00.
Questions / requests / feedback:
info@asianbiketour.com