Lone Rider
Blokes Who Can
Road and Off-road trip to Laos: Houayxay to Vientiane via Hongsa, Paklay and Vangvieng
Matt and myself had been talking about this trip for quite some time but never found the opportune time for a joint trip. However, finally in early May we made it as I would be going to laos for a mapping trip and Matt had 2 weeks in between jobs. The plan was as much ofroad as possible but this did not always work out the way we intended due to various reasons. We left Chiangmai on May 3 and spent our first night in Laos in Houayxay before starting the trip in earnest.
Ready to cross into Laos over Friendship Bridge No. 4
Getting ready for the trip
The route taken during the first 4 days
Big thumps up for the owner and staff of the Oudomphone Guesthouse who insisted that we unload our stuff at the back of the truck as they were afraid that it would be stolen while the trucks were parked at their premises. In the end the staff unloaded our stuf, stored it in their kitchen and the next morning they had loaded our trucks before we even came down for breakfast.
The reception of the Oudomphone Guesthouse after the upgrading of the premises (coordinates N20.27817 E100.41111)
The plan for Day 1 of our trip was to head south along the Mekong on the east side, cross the Mekong to the westside and explore the new roads in the Mueang Khop/Xienghone are before heading to Hongsa for the night. Just a bit south past the Friendship Bridge 4 on Rd. 2201 a stupa appears on the other side of the Mekong. This stupa part of Wat Phrathat Doi Mae Ya Mon on the Thai side of the Mekong.
The long straight from Ban Danthin to Ban Xaichaleun
At Ban Paktha we headed south over the Nam Tha river and continued along Rd. 2202 where a bit further on you can take the ferry (coordinates N20.08369 E100.59525) to the west side of the Mekong
On the dusty road 2202
Waiting for the ferry (Coordinates N19.82961 E100.57770) to cross to the westside of the Mekong at Ban Kontum
The Mekong is flowing quite fast here
Ready to hit the road again which quickly changes from dirt to a nicely paved road
A bit further is the local border crossing from Laos to Thailand (Ban Huak, Phayao Province) - coordinates N19.67420 E100.44315 - which hopefully will become an International Border Crossing Point
The junction (N19.69965 E100.55301) at Mueang Khop - to the right (Rd. 3604) goes to Mueang Xienghone and straight on (Rd. 3603) goes to Ban Pakkhop and Ban Kontum
Another junction at N19.57809 E100.75892 which goes to another local border crossing with Thailand and Ban Mai Chai Daen/Song Khwae at Rd. 1279 in Thailand
Preparing dinner at Hongsa at the end of Day 1.
Stocking up with essential supplies at what was once the Jumbo Guesthouse in Hongsa at the start of Day 2 to Mueang Saisathan and Xayaboury.
Ban Sala - N19.43773 E101.26687 at the junction with Rd. 3601
Mueang Saisathan - picture copyright Khemphone Phomnouinh
The district administration of Mueang Saisathan - picture copyright Thanaphon Chantharas
We arrived early in Xayaboury and decided to continue to Ban Nampouy (Mueang Phieng) in order to have an early start the next day when the plan was to take the offroad track through the Nam Pouy National Park. While at the Agriculture and Forestry Department where we went to ask about the road condition we were told that trucks would not be able to go through the National Park as there were several single track section so only motorbikes would be able to make the trip.
Motorbikes can go - picture copyright Gone911
But cars can not go through the Nam Pouy National Park as the track is a bit narrow - a picture from 2014 - copyright Fritz O.
Unfortunately, no Nam Pouy National Park for us so we decided to head straight to Paklay for an overnighter there at the Anousone 2 Guesthouse.
Sunrise over the Mekong
The Paklay bridge is still not open so it was the ferry again o the other side of the Mekong
Matt enjoing one of the small river crossings
Todays trip was a bit of a disaster - it started of nice and sunny with interesting tracks (Rd. 4502) with some small river crossings north of Xanakham. However, later on it started to rain and the red clay tracks became extremely slippery and we both had some very scary moments with the truck just sliding sideways, backwards, etc. At one time my truck came to within 6 inches from going over the side of a small cliff. Don't know how I managed to get control again over the truck but it stayed on the track but only till the next hill where I went again almost off the road. Sorry, no pictures except for the next picture nor videos (we both had the dash-cam running) as we were to busy to keep the trucks on the track.
We decided to wait till the rain would stop and the track would dry out a bit before making another attempt to reach Mueang Mad (Met) another 20 km. further to the north. After an hour or so we decided to go for it as the people informed us that a few hundred meters further on the road builders had added gravel to the road surface which made keeping the truck on the road much easier for the next 60 km. till we reached tarmac on Rd. 13N. From here it was an easy ride to Vangvieng for our 3rd night on the road as well as good food and cold beers.
On the road to Vangvieng
Day 4 would bring us to Vientiane via Hinheup, Mueang Fueang and on Rd. 4501 to Ban Vang and from there on Rd. 11 to Vientiane.
Early morning in Vangvieng
Wildlife on sale along the road
Just after turning west at Hinheup we were stopped by the police. They could not find anything wrong with our paperwork so they started to ask for beer money. After some joking with them we managed to drive of without contributing to their beer fund.
Matt testing out the brakes of his truck
A small lake and a market along the road
Stop along the Mekong river with Thailand on the other side
Matt and myself had been talking about this trip for quite some time but never found the opportune time for a joint trip. However, finally in early May we made it as I would be going to laos for a mapping trip and Matt had 2 weeks in between jobs. The plan was as much ofroad as possible but this did not always work out the way we intended due to various reasons. We left Chiangmai on May 3 and spent our first night in Laos in Houayxay before starting the trip in earnest.
Ready to cross into Laos over Friendship Bridge No. 4
Getting ready for the trip
The route taken during the first 4 days
Big thumps up for the owner and staff of the Oudomphone Guesthouse who insisted that we unload our stuff at the back of the truck as they were afraid that it would be stolen while the trucks were parked at their premises. In the end the staff unloaded our stuf, stored it in their kitchen and the next morning they had loaded our trucks before we even came down for breakfast.
The reception of the Oudomphone Guesthouse after the upgrading of the premises (coordinates N20.27817 E100.41111)
The plan for Day 1 of our trip was to head south along the Mekong on the east side, cross the Mekong to the westside and explore the new roads in the Mueang Khop/Xienghone are before heading to Hongsa for the night. Just a bit south past the Friendship Bridge 4 on Rd. 2201 a stupa appears on the other side of the Mekong. This stupa part of Wat Phrathat Doi Mae Ya Mon on the Thai side of the Mekong.
The long straight from Ban Danthin to Ban Xaichaleun
At Ban Paktha we headed south over the Nam Tha river and continued along Rd. 2202 where a bit further on you can take the ferry (coordinates N20.08369 E100.59525) to the west side of the Mekong
On the dusty road 2202
Waiting for the ferry (Coordinates N19.82961 E100.57770) to cross to the westside of the Mekong at Ban Kontum
The Mekong is flowing quite fast here
Ready to hit the road again which quickly changes from dirt to a nicely paved road
A bit further is the local border crossing from Laos to Thailand (Ban Huak, Phayao Province) - coordinates N19.67420 E100.44315 - which hopefully will become an International Border Crossing Point
The junction (N19.69965 E100.55301) at Mueang Khop - to the right (Rd. 3604) goes to Mueang Xienghone and straight on (Rd. 3603) goes to Ban Pakkhop and Ban Kontum
Another junction at N19.57809 E100.75892 which goes to another local border crossing with Thailand and Ban Mai Chai Daen/Song Khwae at Rd. 1279 in Thailand
Preparing dinner at Hongsa at the end of Day 1.
Stocking up with essential supplies at what was once the Jumbo Guesthouse in Hongsa at the start of Day 2 to Mueang Saisathan and Xayaboury.
Ban Sala - N19.43773 E101.26687 at the junction with Rd. 3601
Mueang Saisathan - picture copyright Khemphone Phomnouinh
The district administration of Mueang Saisathan - picture copyright Thanaphon Chantharas
We arrived early in Xayaboury and decided to continue to Ban Nampouy (Mueang Phieng) in order to have an early start the next day when the plan was to take the offroad track through the Nam Pouy National Park. While at the Agriculture and Forestry Department where we went to ask about the road condition we were told that trucks would not be able to go through the National Park as there were several single track section so only motorbikes would be able to make the trip.
Motorbikes can go - picture copyright Gone911
But cars can not go through the Nam Pouy National Park as the track is a bit narrow - a picture from 2014 - copyright Fritz O.
Unfortunately, no Nam Pouy National Park for us so we decided to head straight to Paklay for an overnighter there at the Anousone 2 Guesthouse.
Sunrise over the Mekong
The Paklay bridge is still not open so it was the ferry again o the other side of the Mekong
Matt enjoing one of the small river crossings
Todays trip was a bit of a disaster - it started of nice and sunny with interesting tracks (Rd. 4502) with some small river crossings north of Xanakham. However, later on it started to rain and the red clay tracks became extremely slippery and we both had some very scary moments with the truck just sliding sideways, backwards, etc. At one time my truck came to within 6 inches from going over the side of a small cliff. Don't know how I managed to get control again over the truck but it stayed on the track but only till the next hill where I went again almost off the road. Sorry, no pictures except for the next picture nor videos (we both had the dash-cam running) as we were to busy to keep the trucks on the track.
We decided to wait till the rain would stop and the track would dry out a bit before making another attempt to reach Mueang Mad (Met) another 20 km. further to the north. After an hour or so we decided to go for it as the people informed us that a few hundred meters further on the road builders had added gravel to the road surface which made keeping the truck on the road much easier for the next 60 km. till we reached tarmac on Rd. 13N. From here it was an easy ride to Vangvieng for our 3rd night on the road as well as good food and cold beers.
On the road to Vangvieng
Day 4 would bring us to Vientiane via Hinheup, Mueang Fueang and on Rd. 4501 to Ban Vang and from there on Rd. 11 to Vientiane.
Early morning in Vangvieng
Wildlife on sale along the road
Just after turning west at Hinheup we were stopped by the police. They could not find anything wrong with our paperwork so they started to ask for beer money. After some joking with them we managed to drive of without contributing to their beer fund.
Matt testing out the brakes of his truck
A small lake and a market along the road
Stop along the Mekong river with Thailand on the other side
