Loop and Motorcycle

Both Pakxe and Thakhek have a so-called Loop. Behind this is a circular route into the hinterland of the mentioned cities, which can be tackled with a scooter or motorcycle.

The 'original' driving distance on the road of the 'Loop' from Pakxe is just under 200 km, and the 'Loop' from Thakhek is about 230 km. However, by choosing different routes, the respective circuit can be extended or shortened.

In both cities, the motorcycle rental companies have already adapted very well to this. For example, you can store your large luggage there and only take what you need for three, four, or five days.

On both tours, you drive through magnificent landscapes, past caves and waterfalls. In the small villages along the route, you can find accommodation options. However, according to reports, these are clean but very simple and without any comfort. This, and the need to sit on a motorcycle in the blazing sun for four or five days in a row, deterred us from taking on one of the routes. However, these tours are very popular among young backpackers.

In Pakxe, we drove the shortest possible route of the local 'Loop' as part of a one-day sightseeing tour with a minibus, which is of course faster than a small moped.

In Thakhek, we rented a scooter for one day (8 € and a passport as a deposit), with which we drove the first 20 kilometers of the Loop to various caves. The road was in a quite good condition and the traffic was very low. Therefore, we had a lot of fun on this day trip, but also sweated a lot on the scooter, as the wind felt like a hairdryer on high heat and the sun relentlessly burnt down on us.

(We have already written a blog about our visit to the cave 'Tham Nang Aen'.)