DIRT ‘n’ SECRETS, it does what it says on the tin. This motorcycle tour of Northern Laos kicks off with a visit to an old CIA airbase – once the busiest runway in the entire World – which is known as "the most secret place on Earth".
Pricing
| For dates: | |
| November 11, 2023 - November 17, 2023 | |
| January 23, 2024 - January 29, 2024 | |
| per rider in shared twin/double room with own motorcycle (Only available for a booking of two persons. Single travelers need to choose the single room surcharge.) | $2,950.00 |
| per rider in shared twin/double room incl. rental motorcycle Kawasaki KLX 250 (Only available for a booking of two persons. Single travelers need to choose the single room surcharge.) | $3,422.00 |
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| per person single room (surcharge, only available with an additional selection of the basic price "per rider in shared twin/double room") | $338.00 |
| per person Motorcycle Damage Waiver (surcharge) | $189.00 |
Included
| Rental motorcycle: Kawasaki KLX 250 (dependent on booking) |
| Accommodation |
| Airport Pickup/Drop-off |
| Expedition Leader |
| Financial Protection |
| Fuel |
| GPS Tracking |
| Local Guide |
| Meals |
| Mechanic |
| Medical Support |
| Part Profits Donated to Charity / Rainforest & Wildlife Conservation |
| Support Vehicle |
| Welcome Pack |
| Everything not listed as included |
| Flights |
| Motorcycle Damages |
| Other Expenses: Alcohol; Laundry; Souvenirs; Any meals that are not mentioned in the itinerary; Recovery, oil, spare parts, labor or other indirect costs resulting from the damage or repair of your motorcycle; Emergency transportation; Any other item, optional excursion, activity or entrance fee that is not specifically mentioned as being included. |
| Personal Travel Insurance |
| Riding Kit |
More details
| Max Group Size: 12 Riders |
| Riding Type: Dirt Bike |
| Pillion Friendly: No |
| Terrain: 70% unpaved |
| Difficulty: 5/10 |
| Support: Local guide | Trip manager / 1st response medic | Support vehicle | Consulting doctor | Mechanic |
| Comfort: 6/10 |
| Average Daily Ride Hours: 5 - 7 |
| Total Distance km: 965 |
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| Accommodation: |
| Twin-share accommodation is included as standard – see ‘Optional Extras’ for single room pricing. On this tour, we stay in excellent 4-5* hotels & resorts in the 3 towns/cities and the best available guesthouses in the more rural locations. Please see the daily itinerary details for more info on each night’s accommodation. |
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| Airport Pickup/Drop-off: |
| You’ll be collected from Vientiane international airport (airport code: VTE) on the morning of the first day. At the end of the trip, we will arrange transfers from our final hotel to Luang Prabang international airport (airport code: LPQ). |
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| Expedition Leader: |
| Your tour will be led and managed by a highly experienced member of our team (trained as a wilderness first response medic). |
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| Financial Protection: |
| We are committed to customer satisfaction and consumer financial protection. At no extra cost to you, all our passengers are fully insured, and subsequently the balance of monies paid as detailed in your booking confirmation form. The policy also includes repatriation if required, arising from the cancellation or curtailment of your travel arrangements due to insolvency. During the COVID-19 crisis, every rider that requested a refund was issued a cash refund. |
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| GPS Tracking: |
| This motorcycle tour is accompanied by a GPS tracker that displays our live location and tracks history on an online map. We will provide you with the link and login details which you can then share with your family at home so they can track your progress throughout the trip. |
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| Meals: |
| Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are provided on most days. Please see the daily itinerary to see what meals are included on each day. |
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| Medical Support: |
| At least one member of the support team will have been trained as a Wilderness First Response medic. An extensive medical kit including a defibrillator (AED) & stretcher is carried in the support vehicle. We also have consulting doctors on call, 24/7, who are always ready to assist in the case of an emergency. Our doctors are fully briefed on all riders’ medical info prior to the tour, they know what we do, where we are riding, exactly what we have in our medical kit, and what training our medics have. Tours are accompanied by GPS trackers and a satellite messenger device so our doctor and office can see exactly where we are and can maintain communication. |
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| Motorcycle Hire (if selected): |
| If you have your own suitable & reliable motorcycle at the start point, you are quite welcome to use that for this trip. If not, we will provide a rental motorcycle for you… Please see the Dates & Prices section for available bikes. The cost of shipping the motorcycle to and from the start and finish destination is also included. |
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| Part Profits Donated to Charity, Rainforest & Wildlife Conservation: |
| Part profits from every motorcycle tour are donated to M’Lop Tapang – a local Cambodian charity dedicated to bettering the lives of young children & their families. Playing our part in rainforest & wildlife conservation and in an effort to offset our carbon emissions, we donate part of profits to the World Land Trust. |
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| Support Vehicle: |
| This motorcycle tour of Laos is accompanied by a 4×4 support vehicle with a trailer and spare bike, equipped to carry your luggage, an extensive medical kit + stretcher + defibrillator (AED), drinking water, snacks, tools, spare parts, and a satellite messaging device. |
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| Welcome Pack: |
| We’ll welcome you with a bag of goodies which will include a T-shirt, Baseball cap, Map, Stickers, Mug, Keyring, Neck tube. |
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| Flights: |
| You’ll need to book flights to arrive in Vientiane, Laos (VTE) on or before the morning of Day 1 of this trip. You will then fly out of Luang Prabang, Laos (LPQ) on the last day of the trip. It is important you either: |
| Book a flexible flight ticket that allows you to make amendments or cancel without penalty; |
| Have travel insurance that will reimburse you for out of pocket expenses incurred by a canceled trip; |
| Do not book your flights until we have notified you that this departure is guaranteed. |
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| Motorcycle Damages: |
| Please be aware that you are responsible for all damage caused to the motorcycle. If you don't want the potential hassle of being charged for motorcycle damage at the end of the ride, we offer our own damage protection plan. If you book the Motorcycle Protection Plan (see under prices), all damage to the motorcycle is then covered by us. Please bear in mind that this excludes damage caused by irresponsible riding (for example, a failed wheelie attempt). |
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| Personal Travel Insurance: |
| It is a condition of booking that you obtain appropriate travel insurance that covers you for riding the same capacity motorcycle that you’ll be riding on this motorcycle tour. The insurance must cover emergency evacuation, medical bills, repatriation etc. |
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| Riding Kit: |
| Enduro/summer weight adventure style kit is the way to go on this motorcycle tour, rather than a road riding kit. If you are opting for an enduro kit, we’d recommend you bring extra layers and waterproofs to keep out the wet stuff. You'll want some decent armored protection and please do bear in mind that we will sometimes be riding on the road... 'dress for the slide, not the ride!' |
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| Optional Extras: |
| Motorcycle Damage Protection Plan: When booking the Motorcycle Damage Protection Plan all damage to the motorcycle is then covered by us. Please bear in mind that this excludes damage caused by irresponsible riding. |
| Single Room Supplement: Single room accommodation is available every night of the trip. |
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| Language: This offer is usually suitable for English and/or German speaking participants. Please enquire for language options. |
| Mobility: The offer is not suitable for people with reduced mobility. Please contact us for more information. |
Description
And you’ve guessed it – we ride on a lot of dirt roads, tracks, and trails! North Laos is a stunningly beautiful place – it’s easy to see why the American soldiers felt they’d arrived in paradise when they were posted here during the Vietnam war. Karst limestone mountains, tribal villages, smiling faces, lush green forests, and snaking rivers. Pair this beauty with incredible riding, amazing food, heartwarming culture, and some of the most welcoming locals in the World, and you have a destination that is indeed a paradise for adventure motorcycling!
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TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:
- Start in the capital city of Vientiane, sitting on the banks of the Mekong River.
- Visit the UNESCO Heritage town of Luang Prabang.
- Stay at Long Chen, an old CIA airbase once known as the "most secret place on Earth"...We will have a BBQ right there on the runway.
- Ride through streams and across rivers.
- Ride high up into the hills, enjoying the breathtaking views of the surrounding karst limestone mountains.
- Explore remote minority villages that are still untouched and holding on to their traditional ways.
- Exhilarating dirt and tarmac riding through the mountains.
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TOUR ITINERARY:
DAY 1: Arrive in Vientiane - Welcome to Laos!
Accommodation: 5* hotel with a pool.
Included meals: Dinner.
You’ll be met at Vientiane International airport and transferred to your accommodation – a boutique French colonial-style hotel in the heart of the city.
We’ll get together in the afternoon for a trip briefing, followed by sunset drinks and dinner on the banks of the Mekong River, with views of Thailand across the water.
N.B. You’ll want to book a flight to Vientiane airport (VTE) on the morning of the welcome day & we will send a driver to collect you. If this is not possible then please arrive the evening before (we'll happily arrange the extra nights - accommodation for you, but please be aware there will be an additional cost for this).
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DAY 2: Vientiane - Long Chen, 250km
Accommodation: Guesthouse.
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
We’ll hit the road early, starting with 70km of paved roads that lead us away from the city. Then, it’s onto the dirt! 60km of small dirt roads and singletrack trails will lead us through Phou Khao Kouay National Park. There are some challenging trails on this section, so if you didn’t fuel up enough on breakfast or if you’re not feeling too confident on the bike, we can split the group so you can ride the easier dirt road!
Steep rocky trails will through pine forests up to approx 2,000m above sea level. We’ll stop for cold drinks at a h’mong tribal village (which is where we’ll regroup if we did split the group) before descending on the trails with stream crossings and small bridges.
We’ll meet our support vehicle for lunch and then cruise winding tarmac roads through the hills to Long Chen – an old CIA airbase surrounded by karst limestone mountains. We’ll finish the day with cold beers and a BBQ on the runway that was once the busiest in the world. This is an incredible place and it’s quite a strange feeling to sit on this runway, enjoying the peaceful village surroundings, thinking about what was happening in this very location some 50-60 years ago.
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DAY 3: Long Chen - Muang Hiem, 255km
Accommodation: Guesthouse.
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
We’ll start the day with a final ride along the runway, before cruising the dirt & gravel roads that snake up through the mountains. We’ll stop in h’mong villages en route and you’ll be amazed to see the amount of war remnants still laying around – it’s not uncommon for us to come across a pile of old cluster bomb casings, just laying around or used as stilts for the local houses. Waste not, want not!
We have 35km of paved roads either side of lunch in Phonsavanh, then it’s back onto dirt roads. These dirt roads get narrower throughout the afternoon and the views get even more stunning. We ride steep tracks through forests of bamboo and cross the Nam Khan river on a bridge made out of the same stuff!
To round the day off, we’ll dine in a rustic local ‘hot pot’ restaurant and if you’re willing, visit the local karaoke bar! It’s always a great (optional) experience – depending on who’s singing!
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DAY 4: Muang Hiem - Muang Ngoi, 190km
Accommodation: Riverside guesthouse.
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
We start with a relaxing cruise on paved roads that snake through the beautiful Nam Et Phou Loue National Park. We then branch off onto the dirt and head north towards the Vietnam border.
The afternoon will serve up some exhilarating singletrack trails through the hills, passing through tribal villages as we go. It gets quite steep as we descend towards the Nam Ou river, but it’s sublime riding and the views of the surrounding limestone mountains are sensational.
We finish the day in a beautiful village on the banks of the Nam Ou River. Sunset beers on the water’s edge will be the perfect way to round off another epic day!>
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DAY 5: Muang Ngoi - Nong Khiaw, 110km
Accommodation: Riverside resort with a pool.
Included meals: Breakfast and lunch.
We’ll backtrack for 20km before branching north, tackling some challenging singletrack trails through the hills. We cross the Nam Ou River at one of the new Chinese dams and get back onto small dirt roads. The views up here are amazing and we’ll have the tracks to ourselves – apart from the occasional local family on a scooter or roaming buffalo.
The villages are stunning and there’ll be plenty of opportunities to stop and meet the locals. If you’ve not already fallen in love with Lao people, this will be the day that makes that happen! Oh, and if you want to buy 1 kilo of fresh tobacco for $8, you’ll have the chance too… Although we’d suggest a handmade wall hanging might be easier to get through customs!
We again finish up on the banks of the Nam Ou river, with our accommodation dwarfed by the towering limestone mountains across the water.
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DAY 6: Nong Khiaw - Luang Prabang, 160km
Accommodation: 4* hotel with a pool.
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Enjoy an excellent breakfast while enjoying the views across the river before we throw our legs over the Hondas for the final riding day of the trip.
We kick off with a fantastic paved road that snakes up through beautiful countryside. We then turn to point our bikes in the direction of Luang Prabang and ride a stunning road high that seems to traverse a mountain ridge with breathtaking views in every direction. More beautiful villages and more excited locals… you’ll be sad the trip is now coming to an end!
The ancient capital of Luang Prabang made the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1995 – sitting on the banks of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, it’s a beautiful place. We’ll roll into town in the afternoon, stopping for a celebratory riverside beer before dismounting our faithful steeds for the final time as we reach our hotel.
We’ll enjoy a farewell diner in town and quite possibly a few more celebratory beers!
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DAY 7: Departure
Accommodation: Not included.
Included Meals: Breakfast.
After a fantastic buffet breakfast at the hotel, we’ll say our goodbyes. We’ll arrange transport to the international airport. Until next time!