Dirtbike Tours from Laos to Ho Chi Minh City (Viet Nam) 14 days

Upon your arrival at the airport, you will be welcomed and taken to your hotel for check-in. After a welcome briefing, you will meet the reliable horses accompanying you throughout your journey in Laos. Please let us know if you have any unique preferences or requirements, and we will accommodate them. Following this, we will take a test ride around Vientiane, the capital city of Laos. Vientiane has been the capital since 1563, following fears of a Burmese attack from the north. Like the rest of Laos, Vientiane has a relaxed and pleasant environment. In the evening, we will stroll along the banks of the Mekong River and have a cold "Beer Lao" or two before getting to know each other better over a fantastic welcome supper.

After breakfast, it's time to pick up our bikes and begin our trip to Vang Vieng, the mecca of all backpackers, is located in a magnificent karst landscape and, until recently, was the alcohol and drug capital of Laos. The road out of town is a compressed dirt track leading to the paved main road. Compressed dirt roads are familiar in Laos, so we will hit another one shortly after leaving the main road. Then, it’s a track and trail that the Ranger may not follow. We will arrive in Vang Vieng late afternoon and stop for lunch at a local spot.

After visiting the well-known city of Vang Vieng, we continued to a much darker chapter of Laotian history. The plateau around Phonsavan holds 2500 years of unresolved history and was a significant battleground during the Second Indochina War. After an early breakfast, we will head on the main road until we reach older, less-developed roads. There is a secondary, underused route, but a hydroelectric plant occasionally floods it. After lunch, we will embark on an off-road adventure through the lower parts of Phonsavan, exploring some secluded locations. Around twilight, we will get to a hotel and enjoy a local dinner in Phonsavan.

After breakfast, we'll ride to Site 1 of the Plain of Jars, a fascinating location steeped in history. The area is named after the hundreds of stone jars scattered around the landscape, ranging from 1 to 2.5 meters in height. The origin of these jars is a subject of much debate, adding an intriguing cultural element to our journey. After about 1.5 hours on asphalt, we will head deep into the off-road forests, leaving the Xieng Khouang province and entering the heart of the Borikhamxay province. We will climb hills and wind around mountains on freshly graded dirt roads, finishing the day on a delightful tiny track that leads into the settlement of Kong Lor.

We load our bikes into small wooden boats that will take us through a massive cave for 7.5km. After we reach the other side, we ride along a dirt road to see how the countryside changes, more karst mountains, and huge valleys before arriving in Na Kai Village. We will have lunch at a local restaurant overlooking the Nam Thern 2 Dam. Dead trees twist and bend out from the river like a post-apocalyptic scene. Beautiful as they may be, a post-apocalyptic scene is precisely what they are. When the Nam Theun dam was built, it flooded the valleys. Wildlife was crushed, and families had to be relocated. All that remains are these bare trees—a stark reminder of the constant destruction of Laos’ nature. On arrival at Nakhai, we will stay overnight on the lake. It’s a perfect place for a few cold beers surrounded by nature

We have a fantastic day ahead of us. Khammouane is the hotspot for Off-road Adventures in Central Laos, with trails that take all levels of riders into a carnival of dirt and mud. On two wheels, you can reach isolated villages, hidden waterfalls, and incredible caves. Our first task is to cross the outstanding fords of the Xe Bang Fai River. Depending on the season, it will draw your attention, and your feet may become wet. Our destination is Ban Boung. It’s a great stretch of the trail down into Ban Boung, and our overnight accommodation is in a local guest house

It is a big day, but the best day. First thing in the morning, we take a slight detour to check out the old Xepon, which was heavily bombed during the Second Indochina War. From there, we continue on a small but reasonable dirt road surrounded by bomb craters and pieces of UXO to get to a noticeable thing: a 300-meter Bamboo Bridge. National Highway 23 south to Salavan is evident on the map—the GPS disagreed. The rocky trail becomes potholed and ravine-ravaged, disappearing across the Xe Pouan River near the village of Tat Hai. Zigging and zagging in soft sand, hard rock, and mud, we dead reckon for 65 km, and then, magically, a sealed road appears for the final miles to Salavan.

Helmets on, back in the saddle, we head south into the jungle in remote Laos. Departure from Tadlo waterfall and drive to Pakse. The ride is on and off the trail and takes you through dense jungle and limestone karsts before arriving in Champassak. Here, we visit Wat Phu, the ruins of the only Khmer temple in Laos, which was built in the same style as Angkor. Later that afternoon, we took a picturesque drive and a ferry boat to Don Khong. Don Khong is best explored on a bicycle. A decent dirt road circles the island, offering a scenic way to experience and explore Khong Island. Overnight in Khong Island.

Today, we have a chance to relax a little. After a leisurely breakfast and refreshments, we take a boat trip downstream to Done Khone. The boat cruise offers scenic natural landscapes and interesting riparian life. Visit Done Khone with the old railway station, the locomotive, and the boiler car built by the French earlier. Lunch at a local restaurant. Further boat cruise to join our vehicle for the road trip to Khon Pha Pheng Falls, the biggest one in Southeast Asia. Arrive back to the hotel in the afternoon

After a rest day on Khong Island, we will continue the tour to Cambodia with a 230-kilometer ride through jungles and dirt roads. We will cross the Mekong River and ride to Stung Treng. From there, we'll travel to Beng Meancheay via a complex, risky, unclean jungle-like road that passes through some rural areas. During the tour, we will visit Preah Vihear Temple, a historic Hindu temple built during the Khmer Empire. The temple was constructed atop Pey Tadi, a cliff in Thailand's Dângrêk Mountain range, which serves as a natural boundary with Cambodia. It is located close to the Thai border and was once inhabited by Thais. Recently, it has been given the UNESCO World Heritage status. We arrive at the next overnight stop late afternoon with a welcoming pool and time for a chilled beverage.

Anlong Veng is nestled along the mountainous Thai border and served as Pol Pot’s residence and the Khmer Rouge’s final stronghold until the government finally regained control in 1998. After breakfast, we ride off-road and spend some time on the paved road, which slowly deteriorates into red dirt, to Anlong Veng. Along the road, we will visit the significant attraction, Pol Pot’s house, where Pol Pot was hastily cremated. As we arrive at the center of Anlong Veng, we pass the shallow lake – a few blackened dead trees jut toward the sky, and the grey waters look utterly devoid of life. Ta Mok, “The Butcher,” one of the Khmer Rouge’s top leaders, had the fields flooded to produce an artificial lake, a permanent monument to the death and misery of the KR reign. It will be an excellent time to reveal the history of Cambodia in Khmer Rouge.

After breakfast, we will guide you off-road, in villages, and on some of the roads through the local farms, such as rubber plantations. Lunch in Kbal Spean Restaurant, and continue to ride off-road near the foot of Kulen Mountain before reaching Siem Reap. Siem Reap is a popular hub for travelers from around the globe who have come to visit the incredible Angkor Wat complex. It is a maze of streets and laneways filled with cafes, bars, craft markets, and night markets! All this seems surreal after our epic adventure tackling Cambodia's most incredible rides. Cold beer could be just the thing, a dip in this pool...or both.

After a long ride on challenging and risky roads, taking a rest day to relax is essential. Siem Reap has always been destined for glory, and one of its must-see attractions is Angkor Wat. It's time to get into the local 'tuk-tuks' for the trip into the surreal landscape home to incredible temples that rival the pyramids of Egypt in size...and blow them away in construction complexity. You’ll be amazed! Enjoy the sites and sounds of Siem Reap with its street stalls, markets, cafes, and bars, with plenty to see and do!

Day 13: Siem Reap - Phnom Penh Back in the saddle, we head south on jungle and open plain trails, passing rural towns where traditional farming methods involving ox and horse-drawn carts are still practiced. Counting down the miles as we head towards the big smoke of Phnom Penh, tracing the Mekong River's banks and navigating old bamboo bridges and sandy pathways. Eventually, we'll cross the 'Japanese Bridge' and enter downtown Phnom Penh. There is no better way to finish the day: sit by the Mekong River with beers, munchies, and your comrades when the sun sets and the excellent warm colors of twilight invade the skies. Our night will be spent in a hotel on the banks of the Mekong River in Phnom Penh.

8 am, kitted up, and with our bags packed and loaded, it's time to venture through the hustle and bustle of some morning traffic as we make our way to the Moc Bai border, with a mixture of roads and trails passing small villages and rural farming life. We are on the final leg of this incredible journey across Cambodia with our final destination, Ho Chi Minh City. A big celebration dinner awaits us to say our farewells and share contacts. Vietnam Adventure Team is always available to assist you with your ongoing travels. …OR For those who have taken the EXTRA BONUS TOUR, rest up, as we have lots more epic trails and hidden gems to discover!