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Best motorcycle trip- Tha Khaek or Pakse
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| Motorcycle rental in Pakse ... By scomoore1 on 5 Mar 2008 | 26 | 10128 | 1 Dec 2009 |
djkeith
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Hey,
I've heard you can rent a motorbike and ride from either place in around three or four days doing a big loop.
Has anyone done either loop, and if so which would you say was the better.
Thanks
#1 Posted: 19/4/2012 - 04:56
caseyprich
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Did the Bolaven Plateau Big Loop and then down to Champasak and had a fantastic time, top on my recommended things to do in SE Asia list.
http://www.travelfish.org/feature/10
http://www.travelfish.org/feature/83
83 has a nice accompanying map
#2 Posted: 19/4/2012 - 05:09
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千里之行，始于足下
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Mike89
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Hey,
I did both the Bolaven Plateu (not all of it - Pakse to Pakson, then Pakson to Tad Lo I believe) and the Thakek "The Loop".
I loved both, but I'd recommend the loop. Go to the Thakek travel lodge, meet up with a group then do it. You can get bikes in town from cheaper if you go to the 'square' near the Mekong (there's a place with a big red LAUNDRY sing that rents them for almost half the price).
If you've already got a group together, the Bolaven plateu is a great trip too but harder to find a group.
Enjoy!
#3 Posted: 27/4/2012 - 05:45
JvC
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I didn't do the trip through Pakse, but I did do the loop. And from what I heard from people who did both, the Tha Khaek loop is better.
I personally loved it and the scenery was amazing. There is about 60km of road that's absolutely brutal to travel over with those scooters, but just keep your focus and you'll get through it... it takes about 4 hours or so I'd say.
I went with someone I met from Vang Vieng and we had an awesome day. It took us 4 days to get through it, although if you get rained out you may have to wait around another day.
Another tip a friend gave us, was to go anti-clockwise, but that you can decide when you know if you're going to do it or not.
Happy riding either way!
#4 Posted: 29/4/2012 - 07:29
caseyprich
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What did they say was better about it? The ride or scenery or things to do along the way?
I'd had a blast on the B. trail, and included a trip down to Champasak which added a nice touch.
#5 Posted: 29/4/2012 - 09:04
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千里之行，始于足下
JvC
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I think a little bit of everything, the ride, the sites and the people along the way. There's also an amazing cave you can get to Kong Lor. Absolutely massive and beautiful. But, I can't entirely remember the differences between the two.
#6 Posted: 29/4/2012 - 10:52
dene_aus
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Tha Khaek (konglor cave) loop is brilliant, definatley one of the highlights on my trip in 2010! Just be careful on the main road (the last part if you go anti clockwise) as it was a bit hairy at times!
I definatley recommend doing it! enjoy!
#7 Posted: 30/4/2012 - 00:24
Mike89
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Agree with JvC on all counts. I didn't meet many people on the Bolaven plateu (which I did solo)... only one couple in Pakson, but there were quite a few at Tad Lo waterfall. Had 4 other people in my group (who I first met in Thakek) on The Loop and met plenty along the way.
), but the 60 km stretch of rough road on The Loop is worth it (has amazing scenery so you won't be going fast anyway!)
The bolaven plateu is still a great ride though, and all of the waterfalls are amazing. The cave at Kong Lo was definitely a bigger highlight for me though, so if you can only do one my money is on the loop. If you're really uncomfortable riding, the bolaven plateu offers better roads (so long as you avoid the 'bad' road - all maps mark it
#8 Posted: 2/5/2012 - 07:06
caseyprich
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The 'bad' road has been under heavy construction since I was there in February 2011 as well - though that has the best waterfall by far. We actually got 'waterfall fatigue' while we were on the Bolaven, but the differences in elevation and town-type broke the trip up nicely. Tiny Tad Lo, the middle of nowhere grid layout of Sekong, Attepeau's border town feel, and the wild west (cool nights) of Paksong made for a very diverse experience.
Really, it was extremely easy to get a bike and a map and get on the way - but since I've done that, I'm very interested in 'the Loop' now, and may have just figured yet another reason to skip Angkor Wat again and go back to Laos.
#9 Posted: 2/5/2012 - 07:56
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千里之行，始于足下