Travel Gravel - Laos
Posted By Gravel Union
On 24 June 2020
Some places you should visit as a gravellista because the gravel riding is so great. Some you should visit because of the great coffee on tap in every village. Some you visit for the amazing weather. Some for the scenery. Etc Etc.
Laos [pronounced Low to rhyme with Ow by the locals], you should visit as a gravel rider for all the above. But, also for the super-friendly people, incredible culture, eye-opening history, delicious food and the amazing welcome. Of all the south-east Asian countries Laos is probably the least well known, but in our slightly-biased opinion, the best. Once the Covid19 pandemic is under control and travel is allowed again, if you are thinking about a long-haul destination for your next gravel adventure, then put Laos right at the top of your list.
In comparison to its much more famous (and hence more heavily visited) neighbours of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar (Burma), Laos visitor numbers were less than 5million in 2019 (compared to 40million to Thailand). What is this, a geography lecture, you might be thinking!? The reason that the visitor number is relevant is that Laos feels quiet, less developed and more authentic than its closest neighbours.
You can still find European food, lager on tap and casinos aimed at tourists if you go to certain areas (Vang Vieng, we’re looking at you and metaphorically rolling our eyes…) but the joy of travelling by bike, and especially by gravel bike, is that you can get away from the tourists and explore the off-the-beaten track places easily.
You won’t find “pure” gravel riding in Laos - there aren’t endless miles of perfectly graded gravel roads - but you will find incredible adventure riding – dirt tracks running beside the mighty Mekong, winding singletrack made by villagers walking from place to place and jeep trails leading into the jungle away from the paved roads. Even the paved roads in places are pretty agricultural at times – a combination of monsoon weather, remoteness and the and the low budgets of a developing nation means even the road riding can be pretty lumpy in places. On the positive side, once you’re out of the cities, the traffic volume is low and you’ll encounter a much higher proportion of mopeds/motorbikes than vehicles in most places.
In certain areas, particularly close to the border with Vietnam and the infamous Ho Chi Minh trail, it’s worth sticking to recognised and well used routes. During the 1960-70s Laos was the most heavily bombed nation on earth and despite the USA making vast reparations for the legacy of unexploded ordnance (UXO) it left behind, an estimated 30% are yet to be discovered. You might wonder why you would even consider visiting a country where there is a risk of coming into contact with UXO – luckily extensive clearance work has been done close to populated areas, transport routes, bigger villages etc, so as long as stick to recognised trails the risk is tiny.
The topography is essentially flat in the south and gets increasingly more mountainous as you head further north. Most non-overland visitors arrive in Vientiane at the international airport and then head north, aiming for the cultural capital Luang Prabang.
The further north you had, the more incredible the scenery becomes – karstic limestone spires around Vang Vieng, rolling grassland planes around Phonsavan and dramatic tree-covered mountains around Luang Prabang. If you are planning an extended trip, you could ride first in Vietnam and then enter Laos via the land border at Pa Hang in the north-east and then head south through Laos – just be aware that the north is mountainous so expect plenty of climbing!
The dry season is Laos runs from October until April (when the monsoon rains re-appear). Temperature and humidity rise from March onwards and high 30s C temperatures are common. You can find some great general travel information about visiting Laos here.
Of all of the south-east Asian countries, Laos offers gravel and adventure riders the best opportunity to really get away from the tourist masses. Climbing on twisty forest trails up to tiny highland villages, or tracking long boats down the Mekong, you’ll be sure to find adventure riding heaven.
If you’d like a bit more inspiration for some gravel travel in Laos, check out our video short here or this great blog about a bikepacking trip through Laos here.