Cycling in south Laos

Pakse

Cycling in south Laos is not very difficult as long as you stay on the main roads. The Bolovan plateau is different with bad roads and hard though never long climbs. It's a little visited area in Laos.

Coming from Chong Mek, the Thai border town Pakse is an easy ride. The town itself doesn't offer much more then a convenient overnight stop. There are good and cheap guesthouses available but if you insist, more expensive hotels are easy to find too.

Pakse is a small provincial town. The town has a big and busy market just outside the town which is the central market for the whole south of Laos. If you cycle from (or to) Thailand you will pass it.

Champasak

Champasak is a small village on the west border of the Mekong river. You will be able to cycle to Champasak from Pakse in day. It's even possible to cycle from Chong Mek to Champasak in a day, if you insist.

Near Champasak there's Wat Phu, a good preserved Khmer temple of about 1000 years old. Wat Phu is a still active temple in south Laos for the Lao Buddhists. The temple is not as beautiful or as big as you can find in Cambodia but worth a visit. The location on a hill slope gives excellent views over the surrounding flat lands. Wat Phu was a northern outpost of the Khmer empire.

4000 islands

The 4000 islands in south Laos are a long way cycling. The best way probably is to take the boat to the 4000 islands and cycle back to Champasak. The boat goes downstream and will be faster then the other way around.

The 4000 islands are an oasis of peace in the middle of the Mekong river. Don Det is the centre of all activities but some of the other islands have facilities too. There are not really 4000 islands but at low tide, many sandbanks will fall dry. On many sandbanks people have build houses on poles and live on the fish the river offers together what they grow on the land.

Going north: Savannaketh

Cycling in south Laos means basically cycling on highway 13. From Pakse it's a two days ride north to Savannaketh, the second biggest town in Laos. You can camp on the way (like I did) or ask some locals if you stay them.

Savannaketh is a nice city with wide open streets at the Mekong river. You can cross the river here to Mukdahan (a much smaller town on the Thai side). If Vietnam is your next destination, you have to follow highway 9 from here which leads you east to Vietnam. Don't expect excellent road conditions but it's not too bad.

Savannakhet has some excellent and cheap guesthouses and hotels. The town is in Laos quite famous for it's French pate. Together with the Lao (French) banquettes it is an excellent breakfast. The city breathes a French atmosphere, much more then for example Vientiane. Here you can still feel a bit of the French colonial history.

Pakse street life

Savannakhet to Vientiane

Going further north requires a stop in Thakek ( Muang Khammouan). This little dirt village is the junction for highway 12, which eventually leads to Vietnam. As far as my knowledge goes, there's no border crossing possible. A few kilometers on highway 12 you can visit some waterfalls and caves.

Paksan is the next obvious stop. This town on your cycling journey has nothing much to offer then a convenient overnight stop. There are a few good and clean quest houses in town. Maps do suggest there is a road north going to Phonsavan. This road used to exist but even the entrance of the road is more or less forgotten. And locals will tell you it's a dangerous road too. That area of Laos is still not safe for foreigners and even locals to travel.

Vientiane is your next stop. Near Vientiane you can visit Wat Xieng Khouang, also called Buddha park, a strange collection of Buddha statues. The park is worth a visit while you are cycling in south Laos. It's just 25 km away from Vientiane.

By now you will arrive in the busy capitol of Laos. The road will get busier and you will be happy to reach the Lao version of the Arc the Triumph which can be seen in Paris.

The total journey from Pakse to Vientiane can be done in 5 days assuming you cycle a daily distance of around 100 km. But since it's all flat it won't be too difficult.

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