Phonsavan to Vang Vieng via Xiasombone

[brian_bkk]

Hi Guys,

Reading some mixed reports on getting to Vang Vieng via Xaisombone.

We have ridden the tarmac before.. although it is a lovely ride we would really like to try a little bit more off the beaten track..

We plan to make this ride around Dec 10 ish.. So should be dry then.. just the rivers a little high.

What is the road like and how about the river crossings?
Anything we should be aware of ? Understand we may get stopped by the military or police but usally allowed to move on..

Would you recommend taking this route or suggest sticking to the tarmac?

Appreciate any advice, tips.

Thanks
Brian

 

[mactbkk]

Brian

Doable, if you don't get blocked on the E-W road from Tha Vieng to Xaysomboun, and if you don't mind a boat ride.

-- South from Phonsavanh to Tha Vieng, actually just a bit further on, to the suspension bridge at 19-13'-10.70" x 103-21'-22.32", cross over and head west to Xaysomboun,if the let you through.

The Moung Om valley, which you'll pass through, is really nice, pretty prosperous, lots of cattle that they export to Vang Vieng and Vientiane, and probably to Phonsavanh, too.

Towards the west end of the M. Om area you'll pass the Tham Lo Elementary School, large blue sign on your right, at: 18-56'-25.27" x
103-13'-2.04". Note the new furniture in the three-room bamboo school building, our small group from the U.S. funded that for about $2,500. Sunee & I were up there on 29 September just to check on it, looks good. FYI, previously the kids were double-shifting in the ADB funded school building as no furniture in the building the villagers built themselves. Happy now, single shift for school.

On to XSB and RON at the relatively nice Phu Bia Hotel, at least there's hot water, sit-down crappers, and Sat TV (TV not always working). Eats at the morning market. Restaurant at the end of the row of shops is run by the guy and his wife who manage the Phu Bia Hotel, nice folks, but we kind of got in the habit of eating at the place next door to it. Lady there does a good sort of rolled scrambled eggs with onions (khai kuea sai hom hua nyai) for breakfast.

On to VV!

Ex XSB and on to the Phu Bia Mine area at Nam Ngone-Huey Kham-Phu Kham, depending on whom your talking to, this is at the junction to the road on to Long Tieng and the PDJ. FYI, really nice guest house just down the hill on the left from the junction, if you happen to want to RON there rather than XSB. Walk back up to the first eatery on the right for dinner, overlooking the lake to the south.

Then it's 10 km on west to the East side of the Nam Ngum 2 lake. Here's my note from December 2010 trip:

East Boat Landing, Nam Ngum II Lake, Tha Na Tu boat landing, WP 086, 020-380-9052, 020-265-0123, long tail boat, charter for kip 250,000, kip 50,000 to either KM 24 or the Houei Xai landing on west side of lake, about 1.5 hrs ride. Larger boat ETD KM 24 landing at 0900 & 1400 hrs.

Haven't been back since December so things might have changed, but since people do have to go back and forth, should still be boats there. Do go a bit early, tho.

West Boat Landing, WP 078 (18-58.413 x 102-39.702, 1257 ft el), good roads from here down to Rt 13N, just north of Huey Mo.

Note, you can also get off the boat on the west side of the lake at a point near PBM's Houei Xai gold/copper operation. Same roads to Rt 13N.

Be nice if Google Earth had more recent imagery of the area.

Good luck!

Mac, glug gluging it at Klong 10 on Hwy 305 east of Rangsit

 

[KTMphil]

Great information Mac - Thankyou

I hope you don't have to evacuate the Rangsit house, my wife has friends there that have been forced to leave for hotels.

 

[Midnitemapper]

Great info Mac,

Any one attempting to pass this road, (Road 5) Ta Vieng to Saysombone, should be prepared for a Police interview, and the high probability of be sent "back to were ya came from".
On going "security issues" makes travel in this area a gamble!

Having said that, the road was graded in 2011 and the views to the karsts and on the North side of this road are stunning. Early December the the entire valley seems to be covered with yellow flowers!



Road to no where, Nam Ngum II


Nam Ngum bridge

 

[Midnitemapper]

View of roads in this area

The Big Hole, once full of gold!

Just prior to a 4 hour interview, caution: this can ruin your day!

 

[KTMphil]

Great info and pichers, thanks Don.

 

[Pounce]

Hey Don,

What's the process with the 4 hour interview?
What do they ask for, talk about, imply and the like?
How often has it happened & is it more prevalent in certain areas?
Does Tea Money work in Laos or is that a total no no?

Might be handy to know how to conduct ourselves when Chris, Phil & me get pulled up, 'cause even though I'm quite good looking & clean cut, the other two are rather dodgy looking.

 

[Steve Canyon]

Hey P, It's Phil you have to worry about....

You see the bird he had on his bike the other night..

:LOL

Ps, nice to see the Mapper out again, great shots..

 

[Midnitemapper]

Pounce,

The good ole days of ignoring checkpoints with a wave and twist of the throttle, are gone with the common sight of Cell towers and Handphone advertisements.
All those checkpoints have phones and their buddies at the next one, do as well.

I once had an interview with a very friendly high ranking military officer who asked me to write my own details, in the ledger. He invited me to stay in his town as there was a new "Guest House" and "entertainment". (Maybe he owned it?) Me, sow lai lai!

I explained I only had a few days remaining on my visa and had to press on. So on continued, over mountain and trail, till the next checkpoint waved me down. I handed over my passport and papers. This group was not so friendly and the seized my passport and took off with it on a motorcycle. I chased them down and a rather unpleasant exchange took place. Where I finally got my passport returned a little before midnight.

Well there are more stories like this to be told, I recently heard of a group having their bikes packed into a truck and hauled to the next town to wait overnight for the authorities.

So if you wander into these "security areas" be prepared. This could be you.

 

[Steve Canyon]

Midnight do they look at your GPS?, all those military sites would surely attract there attention??

Think we should bypass these area's, It could turn into a really bad day if we turn up on the wrong day?

Worth considering...as we are on Holiday..

 

[Pounce]

Where's your sense of adventure Chris?

As my Thai & Laos language skills consist of Hello, Thank You & Omelette, it may be prudent to try & avoid them though.
It might be hard to know where to avoid so the best thing to do (?) is as soon as they say turn around, you do just that?

 

[Midnitemapper]

The brutal murder of Chinese crew members - their tongues were cut out and eyes gouged out - has compelled some people to say that the killings were an act of revenge against the countries that have launched anti-crime crackdown on the Mekong waterway

Quote from a recent article about crime on the Mekong!

The point being, well you never know what situation you may run into,

thats what makes it an Adventure!

 

[Midnitemapper]

Chris, Good question,

Amazingly no one has ever questioned the electronics on the handlebars!

Your camera is a different story.
Almost always you will be asked to reveal your photos. Which is a good indication of what you have been up to and to make sure you are not a journalist!

 

[Steve Canyon]

Where's your sense of adventure Chris?

If I had not read this post I would have never known that this would be a area that you may get stopped and questioned, so I would have happily travelled in that area, but knowing changes things?.....

I was travelling in Mexico and was told to stay away from certain places, I ignored the advise and ended up being detained by some rather scary local drug dealers.....Needless to say we went a diffrent way on the way back....

Good advise is hard to come buy.....and ignorance is bliss...

I'll will not bring my media pass.... :LOL



If we can expect to get stopped, why bother.......?if it's a case of might then lets have a look


:RO

 

[Pounce]

No, I'm with you on that hence the rest of my post.

As my Thai & Laos language skills consist of Hello, Thank You & Omelette, it may be prudent to try & avoid them though.
It might be hard to know where to avoid so the best thing to do (?) is as soon as they say turn around, you do just that?

 

[Steve Canyon]

We have already been warned...

restricted-areas-in-laos-t429.html

 

[Midnitemapper]

Singapore and Malaysia,
This concept has not made it's way to Laos yet.
No need to be able to read the sign the message is dead clear!

 

[BWG950S]

A picture is worth a thousand words...No matter what language.

 

[Nightrider70]

I was stopped and held for a ransom of 400 baht in Xiasombone. I was heading to the plain of Jars from Thabok. Almost made it through and then got held up by some commis with their soviet AK47's. They said it was for my safety, there are "terrorists" in the area who would rob me the commis said. They "escorted" me at gun point back in to a "police station" where they checked my camera for some imaginary people they said I was travelling with. They asked if I was spying for Vietnam!!! Before they finaly let me go they robbed me of 400 baht to get my passport back. None of them would give out their name. Not one second passed when I did not wish the yanks had incinerated every single commi. I also had to double back so I never went to the plain of jars. I suppose the "terrorists" are the people being exterminated.

Conclusion: Fuck all communists and bless the brave Hmong who still resist the commi occupation.

I understand that this post will not sit well with the marxist 68 hippie retards but it is not my fault they believe in "the communist paradise".

 

[Steve Canyon]

I was stopped and held for a ransom of 400 baht in Xiasombone. I was heading to the plain of Jars from Thabok. Almost made it through and then got held up by some commis with their soviet AK47's. They said it was for my safety, there are "terrorists" in the area who would rob me the commis said. They "escorted" me at gun point back in to a "police station" where they checked my camera for some imaginary people they said I was travelling with. They asked if I was spying for Vietnam!!! Before they finaly let me go they robbed me of 400 baht to get my passport back. None of them would give out their name. Not one second passed when I did not wish the yanks had incinerated every single commi. I also had to double back so I never went to the plain of jars. I suppose the "terrorists" are the people being exterminated.

Could you not have gone another way to the POjars? ..........did you know it was a special area?

I have a similar problem of being robbed for £8 when I go into central London...

Now I go the other way...

 

[Nightrider70]

I was in the national park just north of Thabok so to take another road would be 3 times longer on roads I already driven. I like to try new roads. I had the GT rider map that said permission is not always granted or similar. I figured if they don't let me in it is not a big deal because the killing zone ("special area" in marxist new speak) starts pretty much at the northern end of the park. The gates were all open until I got to the other side.

When I was in the "police station" a younger guy was talking to some higher ranking communist on the phone and the younger one kept asking why they held us because we had not done anything wrong. The young guy was obviously a rookie not yet up to speed on what communism is.

 

[brian_bkk]

Thanks guys for the feedback.. We will not take this route for this trip.
We need to be closer to Vientiane that night for the train back to Bangkok the following evening.
Can't afford any delays and scramble to Vientiane.. Will do this the next trip.

Cheers
Brian

 

[Steve Canyon]

"We need to be closer to Vientiane that night for the train"

Hey B, where can I get some info on them trains..

Thanks

 

[Lone Rider]

Should be tons of information out there on the WWW but http://www.seat61.com/Thailand.htm gives you quite a bit of information on train travel in Thailand.

 

[Steve Canyon]

Thanks LR.....got it.

 

[brian_bkk]

"We need to be closer to Vientiane that night for the train"

Hey B, where can I get some info on them trains..

Thanks

Hi Chris,

You can go to the SRT website or call the phone number and make a booking.
http://www.railway.co.th/home/Default.asp?lenguage=Eng

If you do the phone booking you will need to go to the station and pay with in 2 days of booking.
There is now a facility to book online also.. The only problem with that is.. You can't tell if that train can take bikes or not unless you speak with the person.. That is OK if not a busy weekend. I prefer to book with SRT over the phone and send a messenger to collect the tickets.

A few things I have learnt from phone booking:-
- You can't book until 60 days before your trip.. Even if you want a return.. you have to wait until 60 days before your return date.
- The SRT line is open at 8:30am for bookings.
- Check that the train can carry a bike.. Not all of them can.
- If you can't get a first class sleeper. Buy a 3rd class ticket and fly up and meet the bike in the morning (Around 200 baht) You are suppose to travel with the bike so don't tell them you will not.. Every one does this.
- Don't worry about being at the train to meet your bike.. We have left it a few hours before and they are chained up waiting for us.. Just pay 100 baht and you are done.
- Cost for the bike one way is around 1,200 baht.. approx.

You can get off at Nong Khai.. The train coming back is around 6:20pm to Bangkok from Nong Khai.

Cheers
Brian

 

[Steve Canyon]

Thanks B, great info...

Have a great trip........ :MJ