hi all
finally we did the trip by car (mazda cx-5 awd/xdl).
here a short report - click on the links to follow the daily tracks!
there are not all roads we did on google-maps - we use the whole trip the maps.me app with our iphone!
and the laos-map from www.motolao.com / www.laos-adventures.com
all photos from the trip you can see here on flickr.com!
https://www.flickr.com/gp/edhforever/rnP8Y4
currency exchange - we paid mostly in KIP (1 thai-baht = 250 kip) or in baht!
day 1: from maechan (chiangrai) to thung chang - Walkmeter - Autofahren - 21.02.2018, 09:45
stay 1 night at Nan Thailand - Siam Garden - Thung Chang - delicious pasta from marco and dao!
day 2: from thung chang (thailand) to huay xai (laos) - Walkmeter - Autofahren - 22.02.2018, 08:35
crossed the border easy in huai kon - no "fees" for immigration or customs! on arrival on laos-site - easy - friendly - fast! - insurance for the car just a few hundred metres after the immigration/custom offices - small restaurant with first fresh and cold laos-beer!
the first 60 kms after the border are paved and in good condition - then towards the mekhong-river - ferry over to the other side - and then along the mekhong to houay xai. ferry we paid 400 thaibaht - all dusty and very dusty road till about 15 kms before houay xai!
sleep at a small and clean hotel in houay xai!
day 3: from houay xai to xieng kok - great trip - all the way up to kapok-city (casino town under construction) is paved - after kapok-city about 20 km are under construction for a new huge highway along the mekhong!
after that is an allweather road mostly along the mekhong-river. we took the road over the hills to mueng-town - but there was no bed free this day, because it was a football-championship-party! - so we drove down to xieng dao - but there are no guesthouses! - so we had no choice - the last 30 kms along the mekhong to xieng kok is a very bad offroad-trek - luckely we have 4-wheel-drive - it was wet and slippery some parts - with motorbikes no problem - good fun - you pass some rivers - arrive in the dark in xieng kok and found a new chinese hotel for a good price (500 baht) - there is only one guesthouse left near the ferry-port - but this is very old and expensive!
Walkmeter - Autofahren - 23.02.2018, 09:31
day 4: we had a look at the friendship-bridge to burma - international border-crossing ;-) - the very friendly laos-immigration-staff told us - this will open soon in the future...!
so the mostly good all-weather-road to muang sing! - new chinese-hotel in muang sing for very good price (520 baht)
Walkmeter - Autofahren - 24.02.2018, 09:52
day 5: back to the future all the way down to luang namtha (actually they repair all the potholes...there are many of them...!) - and took the 13N to NAMO (all paved) - there turn left to BOUN-TAI (good allweather-road) - just 2 kms before arrive at the hotel a nice river-crossing - there is a small bridge - also for cars - but too expensive (200 baht!!!) - - old hotel in BOUN-TAI for 500 baht (VIP-room ;-)! food for dinner only at the chinese-hotel.
Walkmeter - Autofahren - 25.02.2018, 09:10
day 6:
from boun-tai up to phongsali - stay at the Viphaphone Hotel for 2 nights (400 baht/night)
Walkmeter - Autofahren - 26.02.2018, 10:10
day 7:
visit the 400 years-old-teatree-garden and the viewpoint jedi with great views!
Walkmeter - Autofahren - 27.02.2018, 11:43
day 8:
from phongsali in the morning with beautiful views (sea of fogs) down to muang la - the recommended "resort-hotel" on the riverside is due to flooding closed for ever...! - so we stayed for 2 nights at a new hotel nearby (320 baht/night without breakfast) - visiting the hotsprings.
Walkmeter - Autofahren - 28.02.2018, 08:56
day 9:
visiting the old tempel in muang-la and the restaurant on the riverside!
day 10:
from muang-la to the world-class resort (65 us dollars) - Namkat Yorlapa Resort and Hotel in Oudomxay, LAO PDR
Walkmeter - Autofahren - 02.03.2018, 08:59
day 11:
from this resort to muang hiam - just a short stop in nong kiaew - (we want to avoid all the "farangs" in laos ;-) - beautiful road over the mountains
Walkmeter - Autofahren - 03.03.2018, 08:24
after arriving at the hotsprings booked the brandnew room (200 baht) opposite the hotsprings (see my other posting)
day 12:
from muang hiam to phonsavan - stay at the Jennida Guesthouse for 320 baht
Walkmeter - Autofahren - 04.03.2018, 08:24
day 13:
from phonsavan to thakhek - mostly good roads
Walkmeter - Autofahren - 05.03.2018, 08:15
day 14:
from thakhek to savannakhet
Walkmeter - Autofahren - 06.03.2018, 09:12
stay for 3 nights in savannakhet - then over the bridge back to the future and via mukdahan-yasothon-roiet - pilok back home!
who wants more details - just PM me - or post it here!
here are some videos on youtube - recorded with the garmin-dashcam!
1) in the dust:
2) crossing a bridge:
3) through the jungle:
finally we did the trip by car (mazda cx-5 awd/xdl).
here a short report - click on the links to follow the daily tracks!
there are not all roads we did on google-maps - we use the whole trip the maps.me app with our iphone!
and the laos-map from www.motolao.com / www.laos-adventures.com
all photos from the trip you can see here on flickr.com!
https://www.flickr.com/gp/edhforever/rnP8Y4
currency exchange - we paid mostly in KIP (1 thai-baht = 250 kip) or in baht!
day 1: from maechan (chiangrai) to thung chang - Walkmeter - Autofahren - 21.02.2018, 09:45
stay 1 night at Nan Thailand - Siam Garden - Thung Chang - delicious pasta from marco and dao!
day 2: from thung chang (thailand) to huay xai (laos) - Walkmeter - Autofahren - 22.02.2018, 08:35
crossed the border easy in huai kon - no "fees" for immigration or customs! on arrival on laos-site - easy - friendly - fast! - insurance for the car just a few hundred metres after the immigration/custom offices - small restaurant with first fresh and cold laos-beer!
the first 60 kms after the border are paved and in good condition - then towards the mekhong-river - ferry over to the other side - and then along the mekhong to houay xai. ferry we paid 400 thaibaht - all dusty and very dusty road till about 15 kms before houay xai!
sleep at a small and clean hotel in houay xai!
day 3: from houay xai to xieng kok - great trip - all the way up to kapok-city (casino town under construction) is paved - after kapok-city about 20 km are under construction for a new huge highway along the mekhong!
after that is an allweather road mostly along the mekhong-river. we took the road over the hills to mueng-town - but there was no bed free this day, because it was a football-championship-party! - so we drove down to xieng dao - but there are no guesthouses! - so we had no choice - the last 30 kms along the mekhong to xieng kok is a very bad offroad-trek - luckely we have 4-wheel-drive - it was wet and slippery some parts - with motorbikes no problem - good fun - you pass some rivers - arrive in the dark in xieng kok and found a new chinese hotel for a good price (500 baht) - there is only one guesthouse left near the ferry-port - but this is very old and expensive!
Walkmeter - Autofahren - 23.02.2018, 09:31
day 4: we had a look at the friendship-bridge to burma - international border-crossing ;-) - the very friendly laos-immigration-staff told us - this will open soon in the future...!
so the mostly good all-weather-road to muang sing! - new chinese-hotel in muang sing for very good price (520 baht)
Walkmeter - Autofahren - 24.02.2018, 09:52
day 5: back to the future all the way down to luang namtha (actually they repair all the potholes...there are many of them...!) - and took the 13N to NAMO (all paved) - there turn left to BOUN-TAI (good allweather-road) - just 2 kms before arrive at the hotel a nice river-crossing - there is a small bridge - also for cars - but too expensive (200 baht!!!) - - old hotel in BOUN-TAI for 500 baht (VIP-room ;-)! food for dinner only at the chinese-hotel.
Walkmeter - Autofahren - 25.02.2018, 09:10
day 6:
from boun-tai up to phongsali - stay at the Viphaphone Hotel for 2 nights (400 baht/night)
Walkmeter - Autofahren - 26.02.2018, 10:10
day 7:
visit the 400 years-old-teatree-garden and the viewpoint jedi with great views!
Walkmeter - Autofahren - 27.02.2018, 11:43
day 8:
from phongsali in the morning with beautiful views (sea of fogs) down to muang la - the recommended "resort-hotel" on the riverside is due to flooding closed for ever...! - so we stayed for 2 nights at a new hotel nearby (320 baht/night without breakfast) - visiting the hotsprings.
Walkmeter - Autofahren - 28.02.2018, 08:56
day 9:
visiting the old tempel in muang-la and the restaurant on the riverside!
day 10:
from muang-la to the world-class resort (65 us dollars) - Namkat Yorlapa Resort and Hotel in Oudomxay, LAO PDR
Walkmeter - Autofahren - 02.03.2018, 08:59
day 11:
from this resort to muang hiam - just a short stop in nong kiaew - (we want to avoid all the "farangs" in laos ;-) - beautiful road over the mountains
Walkmeter - Autofahren - 03.03.2018, 08:24
after arriving at the hotsprings booked the brandnew room (200 baht) opposite the hotsprings (see my other posting)
day 12:
from muang hiam to phonsavan - stay at the Jennida Guesthouse for 320 baht
Walkmeter - Autofahren - 04.03.2018, 08:24
day 13:
from phonsavan to thakhek - mostly good roads
Walkmeter - Autofahren - 05.03.2018, 08:15
day 14:
from thakhek to savannakhet
Walkmeter - Autofahren - 06.03.2018, 09:12
stay for 3 nights in savannakhet - then over the bridge back to the future and via mukdahan-yasothon-roiet - pilok back home!
who wants more details - just PM me - or post it here!
here are some videos on youtube - recorded with the garmin-dashcam!
1) in the dust:
2) crossing a bridge:
3) through the jungle:
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