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The Thakhek Loop, also known as the Kong Lor Loop, is one of the best things to do in Laos. The Thakhek Loop is a 450km motorbike journey across beautiful Laos countryside.
Every stretch reveals colossal karst mountains, lush green rice fields and deep dark caves. For travellers intrepid enough to venture to Laos.
The Thakhek Loop is a perfect way to get even further off the beaten track. This fantastic 450 km motorbike loop features towering karst cliffs, stunning mountain views and, most notably, magnificent cave systems.
Most people will spend either three or four days on The Thakhek Loop. One of the incredible things about
this journey is that the route isn’t prescriptive. Sure you’re following a large, roughly circular route, but there’s so many places to divert and explore, the experience can be unique to you.
Renting a motorbike in Laos without a license isn’t illegal. In fact, most people in the country drive without a license. That doesn’t mean you should avoid carrying yours though. The police are sometimes out to catch travellers off guard.
In Thakhek town there’s a police skam running. On the main street with the Thakhek City Shrine, the polic
e hang out to randomly fine Westerners 50,000 Kip ($6 USD) for using a motorbike.
Albeit a small fee, it’s still a street to avoid. ‘Escape’ town on a back street. Once out of Thakhek, the roads mellow.
Traffic certainly isn’t a problem in this part of the world. The loop can be completed in 3 days, but we suggest a minimum of 4 days. If you have more time or don’t want to spend a lot of time
riding each day, you could easily entertain yourself for 5 of even 6 days on the loop.
The Thakhek loop starts and finishes in the quiet provincial town of Thakhek. Besides riding the loop, there’s really not anything else to do there, so most people don’t linger around too long.
Though it’s called the Thakhek loop, many people (including us) decide to not complete the loop, but turn around after visiting Kong Lor cave and drive back to Thakhek the way they came. The reason for this is that the way between Kong Lor cave and Thakhek is mostly a 1
00 km stretch of highway.
