Thakhek

A day in Thakhek, then three or four on the Loop

Most visitors come to Thakhek to ride the Loop, a three- or four-day motorbike circuit through Khammouane's karst. Spend a day in town first, at the market behind the roundabout and among the French villas of the old streets, testing rental bikes and stocking up, then set off early next morning.

Spend the first day in town. In the morning, explore the market behind the shops at the roundabout opposite the Lao Development Bank, where narrow lanes open onto a big produce hall and the odd stall selling snake or bat; eat noodle soup in its covered middle section. After lunch, walk the old streets for the French villas and official buildings, and look for remnants of the abandoned Thakhek to Tan Ap railway that was meant to climb through the Mu Gia Pass into Vietnam. In the evening, choose your rental bike and test it before dark.

Days two to four belong to the Loop, almost 500 km of road through Khammouane's limestone country. Head east first, through karst valleys towards Lak Sao, sleeping in simple village guesthouses. Plan the second night close to Kong Lor so you can take a longtail boat through the cave early, before day-trippers arrive; the river runs several kilometres through the mountain in total darkness. Ride back to Thakhek on the final afternoon, aiming to arrive before dusk, and return the bike while the shop is still open.

Fountain Square pork baguettes and market noodle soup

Thakhek eats early: kitchens wind down after 9 pm, so plan dinner before then. Riverfront cafes serve simple Lao and Thai plates with a view to Nakhon Phanom in Thailand, noodle soup in the covered middle of the market makes a fast, filling lunch, and stalls near the fountain square sell pork baguettes.

Thakhek eats early. Kitchens wind down after 9 pm, and by 9.30 pm finding a hot meal is a real hunt, so plan dinner before then.

For lunch, two cheap options stand out. At the stands near the new fountain square at the end of the main road, vendors stuff pork into hot baguettes, the best takeaway for a day in the saddle. After dark, the other end of the road has night stalls frying pancakes and steaming pork buns under battery lamps.

Two places break the routine. Kyoto Restaurant serves carefully made Japanese food from an owner who has lived in Laos for over two decades; allow plenty of time, as the experience is a peculiar one. Rendez-Vous, on the road leading to the river, is the liveliest bar in the evenings, popular with locals and with a snooker table at the back. Cold Beerlao is everywhere.

Riding the Thakhek Loop by season

Ride the Thakhek Loop between November and February, when roads are dry and days are comfortable. July and August each average over 540 mm of rain, more than Vientiane's wettest month, and dirt stretches turn to mud, so add a spare day and ask the rental shop about road conditions before setting off.

Khammouane gets a ferocious monsoon.

November to February is the riding season. Rain all but stops (December averages about 3 mm), daytime highs sit around 29 to 31C and nights cool to between 16 and 20C. That is pleasant on a bike, though early starts can feel chilly at speed, so pack a light jacket.

March to May is hot, with April averaging 35C. Ride early, rest through the middle of the day and carry plenty of water, since villages on the remote stretches are far apart. Whatever the month, inexperienced riders should think about hiring a driver instead: a fall far from Thakhek is a serious problem.