http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20130910-the-laos-motorcycle-diaries

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The jungle-rich,three-day odyssey known as the Loop twists its way sinuously through jungle,paddy fields and karst country to one of the country’s most spectacular sights.

By Richard Waters

13 September 2013

Landlocked Laos,fortressed by mountains and dissected by the mighty Mekong River, is besttravelled by road; its dramatic routes twisting sinuously through jungle, paddyfields, mountains and karst country.

Normally seen fromone of the country’s wheezing buses, there is an exciting alternative for thoseeager to drive through Laos’ stunning panoramas. Over the last 10 years – in avoracious desire to create speedy supply routes to trade neighbours Vietnam,Cambodia and Thailand – China has invested heavily in widening and sealing theLaos’ roads. This, combined with affordable satellite navigation technology,has made the country a new favourite for amateur motorcyclists. After all,wouldn’t you rather be the architect of your journey with the wind on yourface, than stuck in the back of a decrepit bus beside a cage of bats?

In 1975, after theVietnam War and parallel Laotian Civil War, the communist country slammed itsdoors to the outside world until 1991, meaning that Laos has had far lessexposure to the West than some of its neighbours. Beyond its main cities –Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Savannakhet – four-fifths of the population liveoff the land, including its more than 100 ethnic tribes; and the country isstill thickly carpeted in forest that harbours tigers and leopards. To bestexplore this mysterious world, hire a speedy motorbike to tackle the roughtrails and mountain roads. You can arrange to have your bags forwarded to yourdestination and even drop the bike off at the end to avoid doubling back onyourself.

Start your journey inthe languid capital of Vientiane, whereThe Midnight Mapper (ask for Don Duvall) hires handheld Garmin GPS devices to help you safelyfind your route in the most remote of Laos’ backwaters. If you already have adevice, an excellent digital GPS map is also available via sim card. Thanks toDuvall’s slavish obsession to detail – taking 10 years to map every corner ofthe country – the possibility of getting lost in the jungle is now nearlyimpossible.  

Before you leaveVientiane, spend a few days soaking up its French restaurants, bakeries andspas, before heading toJules Classic Rental, a Western-run outfit in the centreof the old town. They have well-maintained heavy-duty dirt bikes for hire and asolid reputation to match.

From Vientiane it isan easy 340km ride south on Highway 13 to the pretty colonial town of ThaKhaek. The road is generally flat, with Thailand on your right across theMekong River and dramatic jungle rearing up like a dragon-green tsunami to theeast. Given that dusk comes around 6 pm, try to travel early, before thevampish dangers of night increase your chances of colliding with an errantwater buffalo. Also many Lao lack bike lights, and dogs have a suicidal leaningto sleep in the centre of the road. An hour of this nocturnal Russian roulettewill fray your nerves.

In Tha Khaek, stay atthe delightful Inthira Hotel,the town’s only boutique accommodation. While this former colonial outpost ispretty enough with old French houses, Chinese merchants shops and localsplaying pétanque under the tropical sun, its main purpose is as a base fortravellers who come to tackle the jungle-rich, three-day, 500km odyssey knownas the Loop;the highlight of which is the country’s most spectacular cave, Kong Lor.

Up until now,travellers attempting the Loop had to rely on unreliable narrow-wheeledscooters to take them over demanding terrain, from passing trucks throwing upthick dust to sheer mountain roads with gravel surfaces. Not surprisingly,fatalities occurred and casualties were myriad. Fortunately a new professionalmotorcycle hire company, Mad Monkey Motorbike (Fountain Square; 020-2347-7799), has set up in ThaKhaek, making it possible for you to rent one of their regularly servicedmotorbikes, safe in the knowledge that if you break down inthe surrounding backwoods the friendly German owner will come and get you.

Day one of the Loopheads 140km northeast from Th Khaek toward Vietnam, surging through lush jungleand along unsealed roads past lunar landscapes of flooded valleys. From thereit rears west from the logging town of Lak Sao back into Khammouane Province.Lak Sao might not be much to look at, but you will be glad of its acceptablehotels, street food and ATMs to accommodate your first night.

The second day seesbetter conditioned roads as you motor 100km west to Kong Lor Village throughextraordinary karst country, the triple canopy rent  by forbiddingcharcoal-black cliffs, visible for miles around. Amid this surreal topographyare lethally tight switchbacks that snake through clouds of fluorescent butterfliesand past roadside tribal folk with antique guns slung over their shoulders. Itis best to overnight in Kong Lor village and see the cave early the nextmorning, giving yourself plenty of time to ride back to Tha Khaek before itgets dark.

Less than 1km fromKong Lor Village, your first view of Kong Lor cave is that of a dark mouthleering at you from the base of a towering limestone mountain. From its raggedteeth flows the Kong River, which you have to board a stuttering longtail boatto navigate. With its stalactites and stalagmites twisting in the church-highdarkness, Kong Lor cave looks like a backdrop from a Star Trek movie. As theriver flows quick and dark through the heart of the mountain, it is just you,your feeble torch and the boatman, puttering into the Stygian gloom.

The trip through thecave takes about 40 minutes, the boat emerging mole-like into the sunshinewhere you stop by a smallban (village) for a cold drink. The relief is short-lived, however, as youhave no choice but to return back the way you came. At 7.5km long, this eeriecave is surely one of Laos’ most unforgettable experiences.

After the cave, grabsome lunch before travelling the last 180km of the Loop, back to your pressedlinen sheets and rain shower at the Inthira Hotel.

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