January 8, 2025 – Savannakhet – 0 kms – Savan Villa Hotel
January 9, 2025 – Savannakhet to Xaybuly on Highway 13 – 61 kms – Souklamphan Guest House
January 10, 2025 – Xaybuly to outside of Thakhet – 64 kms – Nana’s Bungalows
January 11, 2025 – Nana’s to Ban Sangkeo – 68 kms
Ruth: We passed under the Friendship Bridge north of Savannakhet instead of crossing into Thailand on it. The previous day we had decided to head further north to do the Thakhet loop through an area of limestone mountains full of caves and other karst features. We are now on day one of this amazing loop.
We started at Nana’s Guesthouse just up from the intersection of Highway 13 and 12. At Nana’s we were already getting close to the hills and walking distance from the Elephant Cave.
The landscape is incredible here, but our first day was not the day to really enjoy it. For much of the day we had a screaming headwind with gusts that knocked me off my bike and made it difficult to take pictures without shaking the camera.
The day was longer than planned because the guesthouses along the way were either closed or full. I had a moment when I was ready to flag down a truck to take us to the next town, but fortunately we found our current guesthouse before that was necessary. I would not have made it without being able to tuck in behind Gord and draft. I am now safely nestled into a very basic but friendly guesthouse drinking oolong tea and feeling grateful. These guesthouses are primitive to us, but for the majority of Lao villagers they would be a palace.
There is a storm hitting Vietnam that not only caused today’s winds, but is also bringing much cooler temperatures. Tomorrow the wind will be better, but it will be 8 degrees when we wake up in the morning. For the local people, who basically live outside, this is extremely cold. I will start the day wearing all of the clothing that I brought, but I should warm up on the 400 metre climb that begins in a few kilometres.
Gordon: It was difficult to take pictures of the spectacular scenery today without including some power lines. Laos is the self-described “battery of Southeast Asia” by virtue of its many hydroelectric stations. We were following a highway that crosses into Vietnam (we are only 55 kms away) and some of the high voltage lines were probably taking power there. Add in myriad local distribution lines, and every view was full of them. We ultimately just shot some pictures through them. Call it “photo verité”.
I’ve also included photos of a couple of bomblets that tastefully decorated our lunch restaurant. I believe they’re real. We are quite close to the former Ho Chi Minh Trail, and a lot of bombs were dropped in the area.
Yes, that limestone country is spectacular! Are you detouring to Tham Lot Kong Lo, the large cave with a river that you can boat all the way through? I went there in 2002, a less developed time for Laos, when I cycled the length of the country from south to north, https://arizonahandbook.com/ThaiLao3.htm
Yes the cave is in our plans! It sounds amazing.
You would notice a lot of changes in the country since your time here. When we were in Laos in 2016 it was very different. Now there are palaces being built in a number of towns we have passed, and the jungles are unfortunately much more diminished.
But the old standard Lao guesthouses are still here basically unchanged, although there are now nicer options sprouting up in tourist places.
a little bit disconcerting to hear that you have to just count on luck to find accommodation.
was that just that one day or is it typically a busy time (that many places would be full up. though if it was a busy time of year, why would places also be closed?)
the one downside of cycling is that you can’t just press on another 20+ kms to find an available place to say. and if you do find a place in the early afternoon, you don’t want to cut your day short by 20+ kms because you are anxious there might not be something else further up the road.
Peter, we found a place 3 kms past the town. There are lots of places and lots of towns. Accommodation has been pretty simple. That was the only day I was a bit worried, because the next town was after a huge climb.
though the photos of Nana’s Bungalows look very nice to my eye.
https://shorturl.at/Y5rtN