Back from an incredible solo motorcycle trip in Laos.

[jonnymedia]

Hey man, as a director and motorcycle rider myself (who also owns a GH2!) that was perfect! Thanks so much for putting in the work to create that. Would love to do something like that. Really interested in the details of your trip!

Hi.. more than happy to answer questions as motorcycling is Laos (I feel) is really affordable, easy and very rewarding. I don't really have any offroad motorcycling experience, and although there were certainly times when I was a bit freaked out (steep mountain dirt roads), I was never afraid or felt like I was in over my head. There are of course roads and passes that would have required a more experience, but I enjoying myself and not rushing ever. But again, any specific questions, let me know.

[Rotten_Ronnie]

I'd be interested in hearing about the logistics, and costs you incurred.

[jonnymedia]

I'd be interested in hearing about the logistics, and costs you incurred.

I'll answer what I can.

A little context.
Although I believe this is certainly a trip anyone can do that's a smart rider and no-fuss traveler, I should add that I lived in Thailand for two years, and have visited South-East Asia many times. Although I had been in Laos before, it was only in Luang Prabang for a few days with a scooter. I do speak a VERY limited amount of Thai, which is understood in Laos, so the basics like numbers, asking for directions, greetings was not a problem for me. However, the limit of my conversational Thai ends after about 15 seconds.

I'm also not a big planner either. All I had planned was renting the motorbike and a flight out of Luang Prabang back to Bangkok. I had a general idea of the loop I wanted to do, but how I did it and how long I stayed at places was a day to day decision. I really don't mind getting lost, mainly because that means stopping an asking for directions, and I really love interactive with other cultures.

Costs & Accommodations:
Other than the flight, Laos is an remarkably affordable country. One of the cheapest for sure that I've visited. In the larger cities like Phenom Phen and Luang Prabang, there is a very wide range of accommodations available. I ranged in these such areas around the 20 to 40 dollar a night range, and these were very comfortable rooms with private baths. In some of the smaller towns would have very few options to stay at, in a lot of cases, only 1. These were perfectly fine for me, but they are very sparsely furnished. Electricity also in a lot of these towns only come on in the morning and a couple hours at night. And best of all, we're talking in the $5 dollars a night range.

There were also several days I was unable to reach a town with a guesthouse, either due to rain, or I made too many stops during the day. These instances always ended in the most amazing experiences. Without even a fuss, local were more than happy to find a place for me to sleep. They are incredibly accommodating, obviously giving me their mattress and mosquito nets, allowing me to join their family for meals, going hunting, fishing, etc.

The motorbike can be rented for 25 to 30 a depending on the length of the rental.

Food & Drink:
Again, in the major cities, you can probably get whatever you want for a wide range of costs. I love eating street food, so costs here are pretty much negligible. Beer Lao is refreshing, tasty and also cheap as hell. Perfect for the many rest stops. Of course, in smaller towns, you'll be eating a local. There were days I simply didn't have the time to eat, or discovered I was starving when I was far away from anything. Home purchased energy and granola bars came in handy. In addition, at the very least, there will be at least one small stall selling water, smokes, beer, snacks, etc. in even the smallest of villages. I was never out of fresh water, as I'd always have at least two strapped to the bike.


Navigation:
I purchased a map from GT-rider that was invaluable. However, the odometer on the bike wasn't working, so gauging my progress cause stress at the start, until I realized I had an amazing iphone app called motion-x. This app allows you to pre-download maps, in addition creates paths and waypoints showing where you've been and where you are. Therefore, when in doubt, I'd just power on my iphone (this app ate batteries quick). I did have one of those 12 volt powerlet adapters with me, but I wasn't able to gain access to the bikes battery. I tried, but failed.

Distances:
I soon discovered that the time required to get from one place to another was significantly longer than what people would say. On average, a 4 hour ride would take me about 7 hours, and a 6 hours would take around 10. I wasn't driving slow, just making many stops to absorb the incredible sights and sounds.

Luggage:
A wore a day backpack that was packed as light as possible with quick access items, like some energy bars, candy, first aid, etc. Everything else was in a duffel bag strapped to the back.

Traffic:
I wouldn't really worry about traffic that much. Even the capital city isn't a big deal. There are from time to time the bus that is flying around a blind bend on a narrow road, but there really is hardly any traffic once things get rural. I also never rode at night. That would have been dangerous (blinded by bright lights on narrow rodes). I also just had sun-glasses for eye protection.

Gas/Petrol:
You'll never run out you forget about getting it. Choices are stations, a shack with a drum and hose, or a rack of used-soda bottles.

I'll add some photos over time as I haven't had the time to sort through them all, but here's one that comes to mind.

Let me know if there's any other q's.

best,
jonathan

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www.jonnymedia.com

[Rotten_Ronnie]

That was exactly what I wanted, enough detail to know that it's possible and character to say it's worthwhile.

Revisit the thread and post up some pictures when it rains or snows, as I know I'd enjoy them.

[Crapalator]

WOW!,What can I say.Fantastic Jon,Thank you.I should sell it all,stuff the bike in a container,and just go!
Peace

[merrybob]

Oh wow! I'm thoroughly impressed buddy! Great cinematography! What kind of camera did you use to shoot the video?

[jonnymedia]

Oh wow! I'm thoroughly impressed buddy! Great cinematography! What kind of camera did you use to shoot the video?

Thanks Bob.

I shot it with the Panasonic Lumix GH2 with two lenses, a 20mm 1.7 (amazing) and the 14-42mm it came with (not so amazing, but has stabilization). The best option out there, in my opinion, for SLR quality image but without the weight and size that usually had to come with that.

[Lax]

amazing. video very well put together, thank you for sharing your experience.

[Burnout]

Amazing! Great video. My gf and I had already said that our next major trip (we're going to France for a month) is going to be Laos....and your video makes me want to do it all the much more. Great idea...I will definitely look into renting a bike there too! Thank you!

[Niki]

Spectacular! I want to get on a plane now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May I ask if you have any ideas how it would be for a woman riding through Laos alone?

[Burnout]

btw, do you use an international license to ride in Laos, or do you have to apply for their local license? I remember reading somewhere that Cambodia doesn't accept international licenses.

[jonnymedia]

Spectacular! I want to get on a plane now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May I ask if you have any ideas how it would be for a woman riding through Laos alone?

Hrm.. that's a really difficult question for me to answer, but I would would not hesitate to say that I would feel it's safer in Laos than in Thailand for example. Not taking in account traffic or anything (which would be much worse in Thailand). However, at the end of the day, I think it's all about the vibe you convey. If you're an experienced traveler, feel confident and enjoy the challenge of cultural and language differences, and just generally a positive person, I think you'll do fine. I never at one point felt any security issues, even walking around at night. But, I am a tall Asian male, so all of my experiences are different as a result perhaps. Try the forum Golden Triangle Rider, perhaps somebody there could offer more accurate perspective.

[jonnymedia]

btw, do you use an international license to ride in Laos, or do you have to apply for their local license? I remember reading somewhere that Cambodia doesn't accept international licenses.

I did bring my international license, but it was not required. I certainly didn't need a local license. It's pretty hassle free. I did hand over my passport before taking off with the motorcycle. (I had a photocopied version that worked fine for hotels/guesthouses/etc.

I was also never once hassled by the police or anything like that. In Bali, this is a different story, and an International License is recommended by a lot of other travellers as the police there love to shake you down, but again, I was lucky and never had that experience.

[Niki]

Thanks!
Had never heard of the Golden Triangle Rider forum...will check it out!

[jackiejai]

amazing camera work and editing buddy!

[biglandfarm]

hi Johnny, I am leaving for Laos from China Kunming in a few days, on the 30th i will be renting the same bike from Jules.....I did book the bike online, and emailed him my request for the bike to be picked up in Luang Pranbang on the second or third day of my rental....

My question is, does Jules respond to emails and requests?

and Do you think I can make it from Vientiane to Luang Prbang in one day given that I do a moderate amount of site seeing and touring?

thank you

[FitzR6]

Great work man, thanks for sharing!!!

[jonnymedia]

Hey there!

How exciting.. you'll have the time of your life. To answer your questions.

1. Jules (although that is actual not his name, that's his sons name which I didn't learn until I got there) does respond to emails and requests, but yes, I recall there were a few times where it took several days to get a reply. He is real. The company is real. The bikes are in good condition, and I got the feeling that he genuinly cares about the your safety and enjoyment. His shop is also pretty easy to find in Vientianne.

2. Vientiane to Luang Prabang in one day. I never did this directly. However, I went to Vientiane to Vang Vieng, which is I believe is considered a halfway point. At any rate. I did this in a day. I did get a bit turned around trying to leave vientianne, so maybe I lost about an hour or so, plus I also made a several stops, but short ones. But I left Vientiane early in the morning, and arrive in Vang Vieng maybe around 4. Like I've said in other posts, the time it actually took me to get places was always a lot longer than what other people would say. I was going at a good speed in my opinion, but never really gunning it. I would say that this ride is possible, but in my humble opinion and marginally educated guess, I think you'l be spending your time focusing on chewing up the miles rather than having more flexibility to explore. However, if you're short on time, you'd want to spend more time in Luang Prabang than Vang Vieng if this is your first time to the area. Vang Vieng is quite pretty, but it's got a lot of young backpackers. It's a scene for sure and was worth just a evening stop over for me, but Luang Prabang has a lot more to offer for the fist time visitor.

Hope that helps. Feel free to shoot over any other questions. And if you do Vientianne to LP in one day, I'd love to hear how it went.

best.

hi Johnny, I am leaving for Laos from China Kunming in a few days, on the 30th i will be renting the same bike from Jules.....I did book the bike online, and emailed him my request for the bike to be picked up in Luang Pranbang on the second or third day of my rental....

My question is, does Jules respond to emails and requests?

and Do you think I can make it from Vientiane to Luang Prbang in one day given that I do a moderate amount of site seeing and touring?

thank you

[vkhamphi]

Nice to see people's excitement about going to Laos. I was born in Laos but going back isn't high on my list.