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4 Dec 2017
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Location: RTW, From Vancouver BC 2012
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We got to the summit and there was a long line of trucks parked to the right and s we rounded the corner we could see why the road can be closed at times. There is a 300 m section of muddy steep road and when we arrived a minivan was making another failed attempt to get up the hill. Dan went down to see how tricky it was and reported back that it was not too slippery for the downhill and we would be ok once the minivan backed down out of our way. There was an even bigger line of vehicles waiting to get up. It was wet and steep and muddy, but not slippery going down. Once we passed this there was another 2 sections of dirt and now mud of 200 m each to pass, but we did with no trouble.
 FILE3568 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
Then the rain started in earnest and we pulled over for the over suits. We had gotten a bit wet, but we would have been soaked otherwise. We continued on down hill and out of the clouds and rain about 15 minutes later and we could pull over and get the suits off so we could dry out underneath.
 FILE3576 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
The rest of the ride back down to the 13N was uneventful and then we had 57 km left to go south from Kasi.
 Laos Border & Luang Prabang-28 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos Border & Luang Prabang-29 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos Border & Luang Prabang-30 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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8 Dec 2017
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Contributing Member
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Vang Vieng is a smaller, but very touristic town and mobbed with young kids. We stopped for some lunch and checked online for our options. We settled for a quiet inn off the main road with excellent parking. We managed to get some rest and then walked down the road to a local Bbq place for some grilled fresh fish and chicken. This is not really a very nice spot to be and Trevor does not recognize it at all from his good memory of his last visit.
 IMG_0525 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_0527 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_0524 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos Border & Luang Prabang-31 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos Border & Luang Prabang-32 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos Border & Luang Prabang-33 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos Border & Luang Prabang-34 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos Border & Luang Prabang-35 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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8 Dec 2017
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Contributing Member
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: RTW, From Vancouver BC 2012
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Today the forecast is for rain and we have some time to kill anyway and so we will stay another day. Trevor will head south to Vientiane tomorrow and fly to Phenom Pen Cambodia to get our TVIP sorted and we will head north.
 IMG_0533 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_0534 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
As predicted it poured, but only for an hour and the sun came our in time for us to have a small tour in a long boat up the river.
 Laos Border & Luang Prabang-27 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos Border & Luang Prabang-36 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos Border & Luang Prabang-37 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos Border & Luang Prabang-40 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
And then some  s!
 Laos Border & Luang Prabang-41 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos Border & Luang Prabang-42 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos Border & Luang Prabang-43 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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9 Dec 2017
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9 Dec 2017
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Contributing Member
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9 Dec 2017
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This route is all curves and heads up into the clouds and mist over the mountain. At times it was a bit hairy with the wet road, sharp curves, and almost zero visibility. Luckily on the down side the road was dry and the curves continued.
 FILE3776 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 FILE3799 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 FILE3819 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos Phonsavan-7 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 FILE3835 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 FILE3840 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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9 Dec 2017
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We only stopped once for 30 min for a Laos noodle soup lunch and it still took 5 1/2 hours to get to our hotel.
 Laos Phonsavan-8 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos Phonsavan-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
The last 60 km we got some speed up and managed to get out of 3 rd gear. We had booked into a guest house located off the main road and not too far from the “plain of Jars” sites that are the attraction here. Dinner was treat as there is an Italian Chef here with a place 400 m from us and we had very nice red wine and very delicious pasta for dinner. There are very few tourists here and no backpackers.
 IMG_0542 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_0544 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_0546 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_0548 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
There are a lot of reminders of how much this county was bombed.
 Laos Phonsavan-11 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos Phonsavan-12 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos Phonsavan-13 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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10 Dec 2017
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Today the weather in much nicer and we rode the 10 km to the Plain of Jars Site 1 after our banana french toast.
 Laos Phonsavan-14 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
At the site foreigners pay 15000 Kip to enter and 3000 Kip to park. The jars are on one of the most heavily bombed regions of the country.
 IMG_0563 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_0564 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_0565 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos Phonsavan-15 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos Phonsavan-16 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos Phonsavan-19 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos Phonsavan-20 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos Phonsavan-21 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos Phonsavan-22 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos Phonsavan-23 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos Phonsavan-24 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
We also did a bit of a ride around the city and found a nice local place for a noodle soup lunch (note more ditch weeds). Fingers crossed Trevor is at the ministry of transport in Phenom Pen today to try to get our authorization letter to enter Cambodia with the bikes. This will be a major problem for us if we can not get them this week.
 Laos Phonsavan-25 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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10 Dec 2017
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Contributing Member
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We stopped for a Laos noodle soup about 1030. We love the Asian soups and the bowls of “ditch weeds” they always serve along side to add some flavors.
 IMG_0591 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
This is THE main road, but there is almost no traffic. Several times we thought the road might be closed as we had not seen another vehicle for over an hour. After “breakfast” the road is straighter and we made better time.
 FILE4007 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 FILE4022 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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10 Dec 2017
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Contributing Member
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After 320 km we were just passed Na Hin (which has a lot of guest houses, but is not a nice place) and we stopped for fuel. There was a sign here for a resort near the Konglor cave in 45 km and so we decided to see how the road was (mostly paved).
 Screen Shot 2017-10-28 at 10.05.34 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 FILE4048 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 FILE4055 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 FILE4066 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 FILE4068 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 FILE4077 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 FILE4078 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 FILE4099 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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16 Dec 2017
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Contributing Member
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The attraction here is being on the river, paddling up into the lagoon, and to visit the Konglor cave. This is a huge pitch black cave where you ride on a long boat 7.5 km thru the cave twisting and turning guided by the driver using spot lights. We opted to also take a 45 min long boat ride from the resort up the river to the cave entrance.
 IMG_0598 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos-14 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos-15 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
At Konglor park headquarters you buy your cave ticket and the driver takes you across the river as it is a 200 m walk to the navigable entrance to the cave. 100 m inside the cave itself you step into one of the boats moored there.
You ride about 5 min and then get out for a short hike thru the lighted area with stalactites and stalagmites. You meet your boat on the other side of the short hike and continue the journey on the river.
 Laos-21 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos-22 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos-23 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos-24 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos-25 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
There are some rapids at the far end that you must walk up, but get to ride down on the way back! The ticket is for the return ride as well.
 Laos-27 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos-31 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
Last edited by saralou; 17 Dec 2017 at 14:21.
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16 Dec 2017
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Contributing Member
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The next day we lazed about all day until Vicki told us we really needed to do something! So we borrowed a canoe from the hotel and paddled up the “spring”. This is the smaller waterway that joins the river and starts deep in a cave that is now collapsed, but you can see the water welling up at the entrance.
 Laos-46 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos-38 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos-44 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos-10 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos-12 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos-35 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Laos-36 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...
2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.
"Ultimate global guide for red-blooded bikers planning overseas exploration. Covers choice & preparation of best bike, shipping overseas, baggage design, riding techniques, travel health, visas, documentation, safety and useful addresses." Recommended. (Grant)
Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance™ combines into a single integrated program the best evacuation and rescue with the premier travel insurance coverages designed for adventurers.
Led by special operations veterans, Stanford Medicine affiliated physicians, paramedics and other travel experts, Ripcord is perfect for adventure seekers, climbers, skiers, sports enthusiasts, hunters, international travelers, humanitarian efforts, expeditions and more.
Ripcord travel protection is now available for ALL nationalities, and travel is covered on motorcycles of all sizes!
What others say about HU...
"This site is the BIBLE for international bike travelers." Greg, Australia
"Thank you! The web site, The travels, The insight, The inspiration, Everything, just thanks." Colin, UK
"My friend and I are planning a trip from Singapore to England... We found (the HU) site invaluable as an aid to planning and have based a lot of our purchases (bikes, riding gear, etc.) on what we have learned from this site." Phil, Australia
"I for one always had an adventurous spirit, but you and Susan lit the fire for my trip and I'll be forever grateful for what you two do to inspire others to just do it." Brent, USA
"Your website is a mecca of valuable information and the (video) series is informative, entertaining, and inspiring!" Jennifer, Canada
"Your worldwide organisation and events are the Go To places to for all serious touring and aspiring touring bikers." Trevor, South Africa
"This is the answer to all my questions." Haydn, Australia
"Keep going the excellent work you are doing for Horizons Unlimited - I love it!" Thomas, Germany
Lots more comments here!
Diaries of a compulsive traveller
by Graham Field
Book, eBook, Audiobook
"A compelling, honest, inspiring and entertaining writing style with a built-in feel-good factor" Get them NOW from the authors' website and Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk.
Back Road Map Books and Backroad GPS Maps for all of Canada - a must have!
New to Horizons Unlimited?
New to motorcycle travelling? New to the HU site? Confused? Too many options? It's really very simple - just 4 easy steps!
Horizons Unlimited was founded in 1997 by Grant and Susan Johnson following their journey around the world on a BMW R80G/S.
Read more about Grant & Susan's story
Membership - help keep us going!
Horizons Unlimited is not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown what started as a hobby in 1997 into a full time job (usually 8-10 hours per day and 7 days a week) and a labour of love. To keep it going and a roof over our heads, we run events all over the world with the help of volunteers; we sell inspirational and informative DVDs; we have a few selected advertisers; and we make a small amount from memberships.
You don't have to be a Member to come to an HU meeting, access the website, or ask questions on the HUBB. What you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. Contributing Members and Gold Members do get additional features on the HUBB. Here's a list of all the Member benefits on the HUBB.
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helps answer the question - Why Go? Inspirational stories by veteran travellers Greg Frazier (5 times RTW), Peter and Kay Forwood (193 countries), Tiffany Coates (Mongolia Mayhem) and Rene Cormier (University of Gravel Roads).
Get Ready! covers planning, paperwork, medical and many other topics! "Inspirational and Awesome!" See the trailer here!
What stuff do I need - riding gear, clothing, camping gear, first aid kit, tires, maps and GPS? What don't I need? How do I pack it all in? Lots of opinions from over 150 travellers!
break down language barriers, overcome culture shock, ship the bike and deal with breakdowns and emergencies."Just makes me want to pack up and go!" See the trailer here!
Grant demystifies the black art of Tire Changing and Repair to help you STAY on the road! "Very informative and practical." See the trailer here!
Ladies on the Loose! For the first time ever, a motorcycle travel DVD made for women, by women! These intrepid women share their tips to help you plan your own motorcycle adventure. They also answer the women-only questions, and entertain you with amazing tales from the road! Presented by Lois Pryce, veteran solo traveller through South America and Africa and author of 'Lois on the Loose', and 'Red Tape and White Knuckles.'
Cotton or synth sweat-wicking t-shirts with the cool Horizons Unlimited graphic on the front and a snappy slogan (changing every year) on the back.
Show your route on your panniers. Great conversation starter when you meet people on the road!
Motorcycle and travel books to inspire and inform you!
The definitive guide to planning your motorcycle adventure! This insanely ambitious 2-year project has produced an informative and entertaining 5-part, 18 hour video series. "The ultimate round the world rider's how-to!" MCN UK.
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