Bolaven Plateau Bike Loop

We did a 4-day motorbike loop through the Bolaven Plateau, which took us to some extremely rural parts of Laos. If you have the time, and enjoy exploring by motorbike, we recommend this, but if you have limited time, think about skipping it.

How to get there?

We took the most amazing night bus (our most comfortable yet) from Vang Vieng to Pakse. There were mattresses, pillows, blankets.. it was basically like traveling on a business/first class flight but on a bus!

Travelers Tips

When we arrived in Pakse, we went straight to Ms. Noi’s Motorbike, where we rented our semi-automatic bike from. The owner took Charlie out and quickly taught him how the bike worked, because he’d never driven one before. They also gave us a map and thoroughly explained the routes and different options we had. We also left our big bags there, and brought small backpacks for the 4-day journey. We definitely recommend Ms. Noi’s, and if you’re in Pakse, stop by La Boulange for some of the best bread/breakfast you’ll have while traveling. (The owner is from France and the bread is INCREDIBLE – worth the money)

Make sure to take cash out in Pakse, you probably won’t be able to find an ATM during this route. Also, always lock up your bike every time you stop anywhere during this journey. We were informed by Ms. Noi’s that there were a few instances where traveler’s bikes were stolen.

Our favorite stops along the way:

Mr. Vieng’s Coffee Tour: This was our first stop, where we toured the coffee plantation and learned about the coffee-making process. Mr. Vieng was super friendly, and the coffee was strong and fresh.

Mr. Hook Tour: This was a tour of an extremely rural, traditional Lao tribes people. The village has no real connection to the modern world, still participate in animal sacrifices, and live completely off the land. It was super interesting to witness and learn about this way of life, and we left so surprised and still curious about everything we heard. (Pictures are not allowed, and women make sure to dress respectfully)

Tad Fane Waterfall/Ziplining: A twin waterfall that’s 220 meters high (the tallest waterfall in Laos!), not only is it super picturesque, there’s a zipline course that goes across the top of the falls! If you’re an adventure junkie, we definitely recommend this. This was one of the highlights of our trip in Laos. We booked through the hotel, Tad Fane Resort, and if you stay there you get 20% off. In total, it cost around US$40/per person.