Asia Step 10 - Laos 4 days loop w/ Manson from Thakhek

We arrive in Thakhek for dinner time, starving and tired (as usual after a long bus ride). We eat and stay at the famous loop hotel, the Travel Lodge.

After a good night, the first day of the loop starts well with a beautiful view from our balcony.

Let's begin a new adventure ! Let's ride a new loop !

But before starting our crazy loop experience, let me introduce you the bike who makes it possible, she kills the road, it's Manson.

First Day Loop

.

.

.

The Buddha Cave

Unfortunately you're not allowed to take pictures in the cave. It's nothing but a hole in the mountain where several Buddha' statues listen to the prayers of some locals. I would say it's not really worth it to see the cave in itself, but the landscape around is pretty amazing.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Tham Nang Aen Cave

We find Tham Nang Aen randomly, seeing the sign near the road, and decide to visit it. We follow a guide inside the huge cave, take a boat first and walk then. It's super impressive and some paths are kind of scary. As it's completely dark inside, with some colorful lights it's almost impossible to take a good picture of the cave itself.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Sabaidee Guesthouse I guess this accommodation is THE one where you have to sleep for your first loop night. Cool bungalows are waiting for you in the back of a garden, behind a super chilled terrace-restaurant where you can eat good Laotian or Western food. The main dish seems to be a big barbecue that everybody savor at a same big table in the garden. The owner is adorable, which is a real bonus (especially in Laos).

Second Day Loop

.

.

.

.

.

.

We do not find the hot springs

Mr. Ku (owner of the bike rental service) recommended to Tobias to drive near the Vietnamese border, after Laksao village, to reach some beautiful hot springs. As it sounded worth it, we head there. On the road from Laksao to the border, we're scrutinizing every signs we cross, searching for the springs. In vain.

Thankfully, on the way, we go through spectacular nature and views.

.

.

.

We can not reach the cool springs

After we failed to find the hot springs, we're more than motivated to reach the next spot, Moreover, the cool springs are, with Kong Lor Cave (later), the must-see of this round trip.

We are released when we finally catch sight of the sign. We did it !

We drive along a red earth road, and arrive in a field with few earth paths, probably done by other loop bikers. We know the cool pools are right at the mountain and from the field it doesn't seem so close.

Anyway we keep on driving, until realizing that it's really not our lucky day. Indeed, in our enthusiasm we forgot something or even didn't think about it at all... The rainy season.

Because of the rain what should be a field is now more looking like a pond. And we can not cross it with the bike.

Yes, we tried... (In vain).

.

.

.

At this stage of the adventure, we are still upset to say that nothing went on as scheduled. Something happened on our way and changed our loop experience (one week instead of 4 days), changed our Laotian trip, changed us, I guess.

The real third, fourth and fifth days of this trip from Thakhek will be written in the next post. Waiting for it, let's keep on enjoying the loop.

Third Day Loop

.

.

.

Kong Lor Cave

On the third day we make ourselves ready to go through 7 Km, under a mountain, sailing on a river with a pirogue.

It's super impressive. Despite the total darkness inside, you can perfectly imagine how this cave is huge, deep and kind of nightmarish. We can hear nothing but plenty of water drops falling from some limestone, the noise of our boat going sometimes fast sometimes slowly through the different tunnels and the ear-splitting bat screams.

Half way, the boat lets us walk for few minutes, before taking us back. Our way lit up by some colorful spotlights, we walk through rocks, stalactites, some kind of spiders... We're just about to say to each other that it's kind of freaky, also because our front torch is shitty, that suddenly ... Lights out.

Here we are, alone in the heart of a 7 kilometers long cave, without almost no light (judging the quality of our torch, I should say frankly no light). We try to call our guide, screaming helplessly in the emptiness. As we receive no answer, as everything is as silent as death, we start to panic.

Thankfully, after few long minutes, a distant voice search for us.

We finally reach the pirogue again and understand that as we are the last ones inside, the staff simply turned out the electric system.

At least, we lived it to the fullest.

When the cave comes to an end, we're happy to enjoy the day light for few minutes, among electric green nature, before going back in the dark.

Fourth Day Loop

.

.

.

The long way back

The next morning Manson has an hard time, as she has to drive us back to Thakhek, which means around five hours driving on a shitty road under the rain.

Exhausted by our week, the arrival in Thakhek is hardly restful as well. We give back our Manson, and directly book a public bus Thakhek-Vientiane (6 hours).