Cycling in Laos

Explore rural Laos by bike

Laos, known as the land of a million smiles, boasts stunning mountainous landscape and a laid back atmosphere, the result of a long isolation from its neighbours. Our route takes us through some spectacular scenery, from narrow roads shaded by jungle vines to shimmering rice paddies and mountains which are home to a mix of ethnic groups. Out of the saddle, we walk through villages and bamboo forest and visit Luang Prabang with striking colonial buildings, tree-lined avenues and colourful temples. We finish our trip in bustling Bangkok. The cycling is demanding at times, but our reward is to have roads almost to ourselves in South East Asia's friendliest and least known country.

People, Places & Planet

We work hard to create trips which improve life for the people and places we visit, and look after the planet we explore. Find out more about our sustainable travel ethos and practice here, and find out about the work of the Exodus Travels Foundation here.

Some sustainable travel highlights of this trip include:

People

How this trip helps improve life for local communities.

• The use of a local guide means our customers will be well informed about local traditions, and cultural and social sensitivities. fairly. During the trip we use separate leaders so that clients have a Thai leader in Thailand and a Laotian guide in Laos.
• This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally-owned hotels and restaurants, the emphasis on eating locally produced food and support of other local enterprise.
• We visit the Luang Prabang Traditional Arts and Ethnology Center, where customers have the opportunity to purchase fair trade souvenirs and handicrafts whilst learning about their authentic methods of production. Through their livelihoods development program, ethnic minority artisans produce and sell handmade textiles, clothing, toys and accessories using handspun and natually dyed cottons, silks, hemp, bamboo and banana fibre. Currently, the program supports supplementary livelihoods for over 500 manufacturers and their families, primarily women, in 12 provinces of Laos.
• The Exodus Travels Foundation has launched the Community Kickstart Project to help our destination communities recover and rebuild following the impact of COVID-19. In Laos, we’ve contributed to the School Essentials by Boat, more details can be found here.

Places

How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.

• By travelling in a small group, led by a local guide, we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment. On this trip, some parts of the itinerary stay in smaller towns using accommodation outside of busy cities.
• Customers are encouraged to visit the Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre in Luang Prabang, which was established by the Free The Bears Fund in 2003 with the aim of rescuing the animals and educating the public about animal welfare issues. Most of the bears at the centre are Asiatic Black Bears (Moon Bears) that were illegally captured from the wild as young cubs – it is likely that they were destined for use in the traditional medicine trade. By visiting the centre, visitors can opt to donate or purchase goods during their visit which go towards the upkeep of this facility.
• Our trips adhere to ABTA’s industry-leading animal welfare guidelines to ensure the best possible practices with regard to working animals and wildlife viewing. Our animal welfare policy can be found here.
  
• We work with our partners on the ground to proactively eliminate or reduce waste, for example eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles and instead providing refills for re-usable bottles.

Planet

How we seek to keep the carbon footprint of this trip low.

• Read about Exodus Travels’ Planet Promise here, including our rewilding and carbon compensation commitments for every customer who travels.
• We choose to travel on the overnight train to Bangkok as opposed to taking a long private minibus transfer.
• Accommodation and restaurants in the itinerary use locally-sourced food which has not been transported long distances.
• Vegetarian and vegan options are available at majority of accommodation and restaurants.

Tips for sustainable travel on this trip

• Leave no trace: We do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish behind in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, we’d ask you to consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.
• Plastic waste reduction: Please bring your own re-usable water bottle on this trip; filtered water will be provided where tap water is not drinkable.
• Cultural respect:
  • Please remember that you will be expected to cover your legs and arms (to the elbow) during visits to temples and sacred sites so packing a sarong or other suitable clothing is recommended. Also remember to remove hats when visiting a sacred site.
  • Do not rest your chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice as this symbolises the burning of incense (which is usually reserved for times of mourning).
  • One should not show the soles of their feet or touch someone’s head, both are considered disrespectful.

Visa

Laos

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally need a visa to enter Laos. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/laos
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/laos
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/laos/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Laos.html

A visa can be obtained on arrival for most nationalities, though not all and not at all entry points. The cost depends on nationality and you will require at least one passport photo. When you enter Laos, make sure you get an entry stamp in your passport. Not having a legitimate entry stamp could lead to arrest or a large fine.

Thailand

Visa requirements vary depending on your nationality and often change. It is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/thailand
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/thailand
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/thailand/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Thailand.html

Vaccination

Laos

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for hepatitis A, tetanus, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, rabies and tuberculosis. There is also a slight risk of malaria. Please confirm the best course of action on all the above with your doctor or travel clinic.

Additionally, dengue fever, a tropical viral disease spread by daytime biting mosquitoes, is a known risk in places visited. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available; therefore, we recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Thailand

There are no required vaccinations. However, recommended vaccinations include tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, rabies, tuberculosis and typhoid. You will also need a yellow fever vaccination certificate if you're arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission or transiting for more than 12 hours through a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. Please confirm all the above with your doctor or travel clinic.

Dengue and zika, both viral diseases spread by mosquitoes, are a known risk in places visited. There are currently no vaccines or prophylaxes available, so take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Eating and Drinking

All breakfasts and 1 dinner are included. 

The food on this trip is a real highlight. The national staple of Laos is sticky rice which is served with all meals and is often used as a scooping device to pick food up as meals are traditionally eaten with hands and not utensils. Typical dishes to accompany the rice are laap (or larb) which is a salad of any kind of minced meat; mok pa, which is fish steamed in a banana leaf; grilled chicken, pork or fish; and jaew, which are dips that might be made from roasted aubergine or tomatoes. Undertones of lemongrass, chilies and ginger are everywhere, imparting spicy and sour notes that bring heat and layers to dishes. Noodle dishes are common and the sweet offerings tend to focus around the abundance of fresh fruit available – be sure to seek out the mangosteen, the sweet segments are a local favourite and unlike any other fruit.

Western food is readily available almost everywhere. Vegetarians are well catered for but please inform us before departure of any special dietary requests. Please note that in SE Asia the availability of certain specialised products for restricted diets, e.g. gluten-free or dairy-free, is minimal or non-existent and we strongly recommend you bring these items from home. You may find it beneficial to bring some 'cycling snacks' with you from home; high energy snack bars are not readily available locally. For snacks and drinks during the rides, a kitty is normally arranged (see Extra Expenses in the trip notes) and these snacks tend to be a combination of nuts, fruit and biscuits.

In the more remote areas the food is likely to be basic and the breakfasts will be simple.

Weather

For most of the year in Laos the weather will be hot and humid throughout with temperatures during the day between about 28ºC and 34ºC. It is a little cooler at nights and can be cold from November to March in the mountains with temperatures occasionally dropping as low as 10ºC. 

The region is mostly dry between October to April and the rainy season is from approx. May to September when it tends to come in short heavy bursts with bright sunshine in between. In Thailand you should expect year round temperatures from 23-32ºC. The rainy season will normally run from May to October when you should expect short sharp showers.

Weather Charts

Is this trip for you?

This trip is rated Activity Level 4- Moderate/Challenging and classified Road.

10 days cycling, average 57km/day (35 miles), 90% vehicle support.

Terrain and Route:

Surface almost all decent tarmac with the occasional unsurfaced section. Routes follow main roads, but Laos lacks the heavy traffic of other Asian countries. Laos is mountainous and there are some tough climbs and long downhills, but vehicle support is available 90% of the time. The heat can make the going tough. The majority of riding is away from traffic, but you should be comfortable riding in some traffic on the approaches to the main towns. To cover the distances involved, there is some driving on winding mountain roads.

Trip Profile

This trip ventures into remote areas of Laos where the accommodation and some restaurant options will be basic. In order to see places that are not frequently visited by tourists, this is one of the sacrifices that you must be prepared to make.

Transfers

There are some vehicle transfers but journey times are usually 1-3 hours maximum, these are outlined in the itinerary. 

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.