Lao 24 on crf 250 l

[Alexander Muliar]

January 2024 Lao 20 days tour::
Into Lao from Chiang Khong to huay xai #3
lounge namtha#17
mouang sing17A
#green triangle# khankamback down# 13N oudom xainambak#1C nong khiouwviangkhamalong north Nam xeng river pakxaeng up back samsoum road to#1Csoplao #6/1C south Muang kham#7 ponsavan #1D south Muang koune (old capital) 1D thathom 1D viang thong, thabak#8 /13S pakxan road 11along Nam mekong vientiane capital #11C all along mekong river xanakham #11 paklay #??? phakeo /phu Doo border back into uttaradit/thailand....

Not mentioned sideways, sidesteps
20 perfect days

Trip details, road conditions, sleep places to follow

Sandy

 

[DavidFL]

Sounds good. I love reports like these with solid info. Bring it on.

 

[Alexander Muliar]

The "" green triangle"- the Lao, burma, China border triangle. Might not been there anybody before, except a few Chinese in a little village at the end of the road

From Muang Sing to kahnkham, heading north is 60km long. halfway wide, dust, sometimes deep weed, some bridges, one river crossing, through water (( take the left when go up - more shallow)), a few villages, couple of sugarcane trucks approaching give you a nice yellow cover

Last eat and Benzin possible in ban MUM, about half way, 30ks, after it winds up into the hills, smaller road, no trucks anymore ! It's a beautiful part, great views, but There comes nothing, 2 or 3 tiny hilltribevillages..!!! follow the electricity only to junction saying :: ban buakkhou 4km.!!!

Don't go straight further the cables .
turn left at samjeek into an already very small road, more a path... Sometimes wet, even in dry season, in January...

From there about 10ks, and ::: from a few house village u already look down to him ::the all mighty Nam khong, the mekong. A little Chinese style settlement, a pier. That's all

U made it, it's worth a swim and a rest - but don't forget your time, 60ks back to Muang sing might take u 2 to 2.5 hours
So, it's more or less a daytrip from/to Muang sing, as it makes quiet tired
(((I left at near 4pm, that was tooo late. Going back in dust with the highbeams of the cars the last 30 minutes - my mistake)))

It's worth to do it if u are near, best on smaller bike, crf250 is mine, perfect.
Would been scared with a bigger bike

Once u done it you were at the "" green triangle""

Guess, you'll not come again

Have fun

Sandy

Ps::Muang sing has a few gh, homestays
Mine was named DANNEAU 2 GH, big yard, safe, locked at night, many rooms - 180.000 kip.... Even a tiny good massage place some 300meters to walk .. Stayed there 2 nights

 

[Alexander Muliar]

Stage one
The tremendous #1C mountainridgeroad muangmouay to soplao will be next..... Then

 

[Alexander Muliar]

Stage 2 :::

The "samsoum loop"-I'd call it from Road #1C back to# 1C ::

You leave 1C in viang kham right before the bridge, if u Come from north, just at the bride go steep down, 10m, pass by some houses, or go in behind the Unitel telephone shop, no steep, and you enter a great 120km loop

60ks along Nam xeng river, you'll not find in any report I guess, downstream to pak xeng, cross the bridge, go through tiny town of pak xeng (have petrolstation, eatplaces, guesthouses--in case u are late) - and continue 60ks again up, (((. first 2 or 3 kms really steep, and maybe deep sand, like weed, sometime - but easy and fun to take))) the pak xeng /samsoum dirtroad back to #1C.....

A great 120km loop with everything but cars & trucks, empty, wonderful views, u see your yellow red dirtroad even kms ahead, some (3 or 4) tiny mountain villages, road in very good, dirt, conditions (I did it a few times in the last years, it's always same soil, no changes due to seasons)...

On crf250L,......

THE PAKXENG /SAM SOUM LOOP

Stage 3 Muang mouay to soplao- then


Enjoy the ride

Sandy

 

[Alexander Muliar]

Sawadee

"" Samsoun/pak xeng loop"" you see double ?

Don't worry, it's written double
As I was out and off the GTR forum for a long while, I thought that all comments since 2020 are gone, as they didn't show up anymore........
So I came back only a few days ago as a" new member "-actually I entered gtr in March 2020.
And as I see today, March 7th 2024, all the older messages are back
So :: that's why u might see/read about the loop twice (2020 & 2024)

Mea culpa

Sandy

 

[Alexander Muliar]

Highway 1C
from Muang mouay to sap Lao to Muang kham :::
Pls note first : when come back from pakxeng loop onto 1C,at samsoum junction expect 30ks of rocky, shaking, slow moving roadpart-30ks to Muang mouay.
But then :::!!!!!
about 125km to sap Lao another 90ks to Muang kham.
More than 200 ks of pure joy on 1200m or more high all through. great paved, curvy, nearly no holes or cracks, road on top. on the ridge.
Only 2 times you come down to valleyhight owns.
the bigger one is vieng tong (offers everthing: hot spring, hotels, shops, restaurants, gas, river to swim in-a place to take a break) and sap Lao. (Tiny town some curves down : gh, market, gasoline) after it's raising up up up again continuing to be one of the best sealed, curvy, and 4 shure the best views till now, as you ride the 1C ridgeroad passing various mountainvillages - - watch out ::more kids than dogs, looking deep down, left and right.
After sap Lao same up up up continued #1C /#6 on gtr map, stunning views over dozends of kilometers (... very different from Maehongson... ) make a stop in ban keo lerk and visit the waving in this remote hillvillage, further south to Muang kham junction. Just before, don't miss to see
TAM PIU, the piu cave, with a very sad history, only 2ks from main road, good signed at a roundabout, cannot miss it - - take u time and stop over there. Walk up and into, you'll be impressed what happend there, when 374 people seeked for shelter and on 24 Nov 1968 a US fighter plane dropped a missile and hit the hiding place.

A quiet stopover, has eat place at the parking, when I was, I was alone, no people, no tourists... Mystic somehow

Then a bit further to
The crazy, dusty, busy,dirty truckslittered hgwy #7 going west to phonsavan....

.... to be continued

DON'T MISS #1C

accommodation in Sop Lao was keomixay gh, 150.000kip