Encounters With The Hill Tribes

A vehicle will pick you up at 8:00 am at your hotel. After having a coffee with the team, we ride our bikes to discover the surroundings of Luang Prabang. Riding along the Nam Ou River we will discover one of the most remote river valleys of northern Laos and have lunch at a local restaurant. To manage the distance, we will take occasional stops traversing the breathtaking countryside. The mountains, jungle, and small villages along the way will guide us to the charming town of Nongkhiaw. Here we will enjoy a nice homestead with the local people.

Today is truly an off-road Laos adventure! Ride your motorbike to explore the wonderful area of Muang Khua mountains near the Vietnamese border. Cruising along the river, we stop to visit a local Kamou villages to experience their lifestyle. Local families will invite us to spend some time with them all along the way. The countryside awaits us with magnificent views of the mountainous summit that make you feel like you are soaring above the clouds. The entire day will take about five to six-hours, ample time to relax in the quiet atmosphere of Muang Khua in the late afternoon.

Another wonderful Laos motorcycle tours day offers us new dirt tracks along the Chinese border. Ride on the most remote roads of Laos where you will meet the Akha ethnic group, who are still not familiar with foreigners. Keep your distance and don’t flash your camera as villagers will become frightened. The late afternoon is free; have a few some beers in a town where a mix of Chinese, Lao, and Vietnamese communities meet.

Lots of mountain landscapes as you venture to a northern region rarely seen by tourists. You will ride mainly on off-road trails with many chances to meet various remote hill tribes. The Akha, the Tay Lue, the Tay Dam, and the Kamou are all here. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before hitting the trails again and heading towards the small local city of Nale. Arrive in the late afternoon and settle into your guesthouse. This is not the most comfortable guest house of your trip but the feeling of complete isolation will be unforgettable.

Right after your breakfast, your Laos motorbike tours continues off-road track for around two more hours. Make a few stops in several local villages of the Kamou, Tay Lue, and Lanten ethnic groups. The trail down is not used regularly, so be ready for rocky technical single tracks. Join a wide valley road with stunning views overlooking the green hills all around you. Prepare for a bit of traffic on this is the main road linking China and Thailand. The mission this afternoon is reaching Houay Sai upon the Thai border. Settle in your hotel for a well-deserved rest complete with a massage and a glass of wine.

Leave Houay Sai in the morning by connecting to our next full-day trail. An easy-to-follow route takes us along the Mekong towards Pakbeng through many, primarily Kamou, communities. Reach a small town along the river to reach your hotel… you might even find a place for a massage.

After breakfast, our last day will be on road riding upon ridges rising 1,000 meters above the sea. Riding at your own pace, enjoy breathtaking views while stopping in a few ethnic villages along the way. Enter Luang Prabang via ferry crossing the Mekong river and head back to our offices. Our Laos motorcycle tours comes to an end as a tuk-tuk drop you at your hotel. The hotel is not included in this program but can be added later or booked by yourself.