Riding The Thakhek Loop - The Ultimate Guide
A motorbike loop set in the heart of Laos, the Thakhek Loop takes riders through incredible landscapes of limestone karsts, past flooded forests, famous caves and stunning waterfalls. The Thakhek Loop of Laos has flown under the radar for many years but is now gaining popularity amongst adventure seeking backpackers eager to leave behind the tour groups and crowds. The pinnacle of the loop is the jaw-dropping caves and caverns at Konglor. Now rising in popularity, the Thakhek Loop is an essential experience for backpackers travelling through Laos.
The Thakhek Loop (also known as the Konglor Loop) is recognised as one of the most fun, accessible and exciting motorbike loops anywhere in Asia. Easier to ride than Vietnam’s famous Ha Giang Loop, the Thakhek Loop attracts all kinds of riders. From those with decades of experience on 2 wheels to those riding for the very first time.
This is our complete and exhaustive guide to the Thakhek Loop. We’ve covered everything from hiring your motorbike, suggested itineraries, routes, a custom map to essential tips, tricks and packing information. If you’re looking for something specific, check out the contents page below, but if you’re interested in the Loop generally and don’t want to miss out on some of its lesser known gems, we’d recommend having a read of the whole guide.
Make sure you save our custom Google Map which has all the attractions, accommodation and routes marked.
In This Guide:
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
What Is The Thakhek Loop And Where Is It?
The Thakhek Loop is a motorbike / scooter route that leaves the town of Thakhek, travels through the Laotian countryside past caves and viewpoints towards the Vietnamese border before curving back into Central Laos. Passing by incredible viewpoints, waterfalls and natural swimming pools, the route winds down to the Konglor Caves before arching back along a main road into Thakhek town. The Loop starts and ends in the town of Thakhek which you can find on a map here.
How Long Is The Thakhek Loop?
The normal loop is a 450 km round trip. We recommend a couple of extra excursions which take the total length up to about 470 km of driving.
You can spend as long or as little time as you like exploring the Loop. It’s possible to drive the whole thing in just 2 days if you really wanted to - although we would not recommend this. We think the ideal time to spend on the Thakhek Loop is between 3 - 5 days. We took our time and enjoyed extra days in a couple of places and spent 5 days (4 nights) on the Loop. You can easily fit in most of the “main attractions” with only 2 nights but it would involve a lot of driving and not much time off of the bikes!
For most people 4 days (3 nights) would be an ideal compromise between seeing the best of the Loop and ensuring you have enough time to see the rest of Laos.
Which Way Round The Loop Should I Drive?
There is no right answer to this. You can do the Loop in either direction. The more popular route is to leave Thakhek and travel anti-clockwise with the last day being spent on the main road back to Thakhek.
You could easily do the route the other way round and get the main road over with at the beginning.
We travelled and would highly recommend the traditional way round. The itineraries we suggest below would work whichever way round the Loop you choose.
The Thakhek Loop - Routes, Itineraries And Map
There’s so much to see and do on the Thakhek Loop that it might be a little overwhelming. We took our time on the Loop and visited practically every attraction and sight along the way and have come up with some itineraries and routes to give you the best experience whatever your schedule.
For all of our recommendations, attraction locations, accommodation stops and Loop information we will be referring to the Google Map we have created, make sure you check it out and save your own copy below!
All the locations we mention, along with their map references will be in our “what to see on the Loop” section of this guide.
Thakhek Loop - Complete Map
To save a link to this map, click here.
Thakhek Loop recommended itinerary - 3 to 5 days (2 to 4 nights)
This is our recommended itinerary. You can see all the sights in 3 days but if you have enough time in your Laotian schedule, we’d recommend adding an extra day or 2 to your Loop to relax in some amazing places.
This itinerary allows you to take your time, see everything, stop at swimming spots and not rush through the gorgeous scenery.
Day 1 - Thakhek to Sabaidee Guesthouse / Thalang Village - 107 km not including detours
Start early in the morning (most motorbike rentals in Thakhek open from 7.30am) and head from Thakhek to Elephant Cave (stopping at B96 Cafe for coffee).
From the Elephant Cave drive the quick and scenic “Mini Elephant Cave Loop” (see map).
Optional stop - Drive towards the cave at Tham Nong Pa Fa there is also a lake and cave here but it was closed when we visited.
Optional stop - Drive the main road to Xieng Liap Cave.
Turn off the main road again and head to Thafalang. This could actually be your first accommodation stop if you are doing 4 or 5 days on the loop, otherwise it is a fun swim and lunch spot.
Drive “The Thafalang Mini Loop” (see map).
Drive back down the main road to Phaya In Cave.
Visit Tham Nang Ene Cave.
Take the long drive to Pha Katai Viewpoint.
Come off the main road and drive down the gravel path alongside the lake to Song Sa Waterfall - another good place for a swim.
Optional stop - visit the abandoned boat restaurant and lakeshore - the town of Nakai has plenty of restaurants.
Drive out of town through the mountain roads to the Orchid Path Trail and Viewpoint.
Stay overnight at Sabaidee Guesthouse in Thalang village (if Sabaidee is full there are other accommodation choices available - see later on).
You can see why you may want to split this itinerary over 2 days. If you want to see all the stops we’ve listed above, you have a lot to fit in!
If you want to follow our example and have the time, we did all the caves and sights up and around Thafalang on day 1 then stayed the night at Thafalang Resort. We then set off the next morning and did everything on this list up to and including the Pha Katai Viewpoint. As we hadn't booked any accommodation for that night we then made a beeline to Sabaidee Guesthouse. We made it to Thalang village a little after 1pm, grabbed a room and doubled back and did the rest of the sights (Song Sa Waterfall, the abandoned boat and the Orchid Path Trail). Our stay at Thafalang meant we could fit all of this into one day and not feel rushed - also the road between the dam, Nakhai and Thalang village is stunning and great fun to drive - doing what we did meant we could ride its curves 3 times! Doing this itinerary also meant we had plenty of time to swim at both Song Sa Waterfalls and Thafalang.
Day 2 - Sabaidee Guesthouse / Thalang Village to Konglor Cave - 150 km not including detours
Leave Sabaidee early and drive through the Flooded Forest (Google Maps viewpoint is randomly placed, just pull over and admire the view wherever - it is all stunning).
Stop and admire the carved Sandstone Buddhas.
Plough on to Lak Sao and grab a coffee from LAKXAO Coffee (and some breakfast noodles from the lady next door).
Drive to Dragon Cave and explore its caverns and amazing viewpoint.
Take a detour to the Cool Pool and chill out / take a dip / grab a snack from the nearby restaurant.
Drive all the way to Na Hin before turning off the main road and taking the long beautiful stretch to Konglor Caves.
Find a guesthouse in Konglor village - we recommend Konglor Eco Lodge.
Optional Day - Konglor Village
We chose to spend 2 nights in Konglor and really, really recommend it. It was one of the best and cheapest rooms we have had in Laos, with a beautiful balcony and hammock overlooking green fields and towering mountains. The town has a few different places to eat so we did not get bored with the food and there are also a couple of places (other than our balcony) to enjoy a cheeky beer. Staying an extra night in Konglor also meant we could have a relaxed day off of the bikes and explore the enormous cave system whenever we wanted to.
If you are not taking this optional day remember the last cave boat leaves late afternoon - Google says 5pm but we have heard it is seasonal and can be quite a bit earlier. The caves open at 8am so you could always just get up and visit Konglor Cave the next morning.
There are also 2 more caves to discover and explore - Tham Nam Non Cave and the ominously named Skull Cave. We did not get to these, let us know what we missed in the comments!
If you don't have the time for an extra day in Konglor you can still easily do the caves, the last day doesn't have as many stops as the previous couple so you don't have to rush around. The only instance where you may have to be a little wary of the time is if you are doing any of the zip-line excursions from The Rock (see later).
Konglor is a lovely village and worth a little of your time. Also it was nice for our behinds to have a day not riding the bikes!
Final Day - Konglor Village to Thakhek - 190 km.
Today is a long drive so get up early. Start at Konglor and visit the caves if you haven’t already - the caves take around 3 hours to visit.
At this point, if you are feeling daring, you could load your bikes onto boats and float them through the caves before riding back along the loop. This would avoid the long ride on the main road - Check out the later section on bringing your bikes through the cave! We didn’t know this was an option so continued on the route below.
Drive up to “The Rock Viewpoint” - this is an adventure activity park and you could easily spend half a day here (see later on for more details).
Drive down the mountain road before rejoining the main road which leads back to Thakhek.
Along the way stop for lunch - we’d recommend the Lea Noodle Shop at Hinboun.
Optional stop - pull over and have a quick peek at the “Giant Wall”.
Cruise back into Thakhek.
450+ km ridden - Loop completed!
Thakhek Loop 2 day itinerary
If you are short on time and happy to do a lot of long rides, you could do the loop in 2 days - spending only 1 night on the loop. You would not get to see everything and would have to have some very early mornings, but it can be done. Just be aware that you have to get all the way to Konglor Cave before 3pm if you want to do the cave tour that day!
If you’re doing the shorter itinerary, it makes sense to do the Loop in a clockwise direction and have Konglor Caves be your first stop after an early start in Thakhek.
If you look at the 3-4 day loop itinerary there are a lot of places you could skip if you are in a real hurry. For a 1 night 2 day loop you will need to either stay at Konglor Village or, for a more balanced but very hectic itinerary, you could split your journey at Sabaidee Guesthouse at Thalang Village. If you choose to do the loop in 2 days you will need to drive over 200 km each day. This may or may not be an issue depending on which bike you rent but it will involve long days either way.
Day 1 - Thakhek to Thalang Village
Thakhek - Konglor - Start the route clockwise - eastwards (the opposite way to most loopers). Set off early and drive the main road all the way to Na Hin and down to Konglor to do a cave tour as early as possible in the morning.
Konglor - Sabaidee Guesthouse / Thalang Village - Drive back up to Na Hin then over the mountains. If you are making good time (and are not done with caves yet!), stop at the Dragon Cave and viewpoint. Continue on past the turning to the Vietnamese border at Lak Sao and down through more mountains, past the Sandstone Buddhas, the Flooded Forest and to Thalang Village and Saibadee Guesthouse.
If you have the time you can go on and explore the Orchid Viewpoint Trail. Make sure you do not leave it too late, you do not want to be finding your way back down in the dark. If you do not have time today you will be driving past it the next day.
Day 2 - Thalang Village to Thakhek
Start as early as possible. Ride south out of the Flooded Forest. If you didn’t do the Orchid Trail the previous afternoon, you can do so now. Continue out of the mountains and take a quick look at Song Sa Waterfalls. Ride over and past the dam and resevoir and pass the turning to the border at Gnommalat.
Take in the view at the Pha Katai Viewpoint and power down towards the string of caves outside of Thakhek. Depending on your speed and what time it is you could visit: Phaya In Cave, Tham Nang Ene Cave, Elephant Cave and/or Xieng Liap Cave. If you are early enough to squeeze in a quick swim and a meal, you could head to Thafalang. Before driving victoriously back into Thakhek
As you can see the 2 day, 1 night itinerary is very hectic and will involve a lot of long drives, but it can be done. If you have a larger motorbike as opposed to a scooter it wouldn’t even be that uncomfortable to do the distances involved. Just get up early and see as much as you can with the time you can spare!
Even on a shorter itinerary, you’ll still be treated to incredible roadside views!
Longer / Alternative Thakhek Loops
You can of-course spend as long as you like riding the Thakhek Loop. There are many more villages to explore, caves to find and even an entire National Park that we could not fit into our itinerary.
The Hin Nam No National Park loop would take you off our route before the Pha Nakai Viewpoint, loop you around the National Park through waterfalls and on a boat through a cave. From there the route would join the Ho Chi Minh Trail and take you past trekking routes and caves to rejoin the main Thakhek loop along the border road to Vietnam. If you do this route please let us know how it was in the comments, we’re gutted we didn’t get to try it!
Taking your bike through Konglor Cave
There is also another way of doing the Thakhek Loop. From Konglor Cave it is possible to load your motorbike or scooter onto a boat, sail it through the caves and disembark at the village of Natane. From here you can ride down through the valley reconnecting you with the main loop road between Nakhai and Thalang Village.
To take your bike through the Konglor Cave, it will cost between 30 & 35 USD per scooter. This would be a fantastic adventure, we are sad we didn’t know it was an option until too late. We were told it wasn’t running anymore and that the road between Natane and the Loop was in terrible shape. We have now met travellers who have confirmed that it is still running but that the road back is definitely a difficult ride.
Several of the rental companies will request that you do not do this route as they feel the way back is too dificult for novice riders. Be aware that if you do come unstuck you will be responsible for any repairs!
We are so annoyed we did not know this was an option when we rode the Loop. We would have loved to do the route through the caves and ride the Loop in reverse. It would make for a phenomenal adventure and would actually skip the long main road drive back to Thakhek.
Stops On The Thakhek Loop - What To See And Do
These are all of the stops and attractions you can drive to on the Thakhek loop. They are all marked on the map but we have also included individual map location links. You do not have to do all of these places, all though if you have the time they are all worth a stop!
We have arranged them in the order you would encounter them in our suggested 3-5 day Itinerary.
Elephant Cave
Depending on whether you’ve stopped for breakfast or coffee beforehand, this is usually the first stop you’ll make on the Loop.
Head through the ornate temple gate and up the stone stairs to find a small shrine in an impressive high ceilinged cave full of colourful flags. At the top of the cave you’ll find a large seated golden Buddha and a secret shrine to the right.
Ticket price: 10,000 kip per person.
Elephant Cave Mini Loop and Kuan Cow Cave
After Elephant Cave turn left as you exit and take a short route through local villages, past limestone karsts and paddy fields. If you have time you can stop at Kuan Cow Cave.
Check out the map for a clear route.
The ride is easy on compacted dirt roads with a slightly dusty gravel section leading back to the main road. See our map for the exact route. We highly recommend this short detour as it was very pretty and we didn’t see any other “loopers” on our ride.
Tham Nong Pa Fa
A short detour off of the main road through stunning scenery brings you to a dusty car park lined with tourist shops.
Just follow the raised pathway to reach the cave!
Exit to the right to find Tham Nong Pa Fa Cave. Inside the cave is a jewel box of Buddha statues, shrines and offerings. Outside, at the base of the cave a beautifully clear lake flows out of the mountain. In different seasons boat trips may be available.
You will need to take off your shoes to enter the cave and there is strictly no photography allowed inside. If you’re a female you’ll be asked to wear a sarong. These can be borrowed for 5000 kip.
Ticket price: 5000 kip per person and 6000 kip parking.
Tham Pa Sueam
Accessed via the same car park as Tham Nong Pa Fa, Tham Pa Sueam was closed for renovations when we were there but it may have reopened by the time you visit. There is a large lake and cave to explore. Let us know in the comments if this has reopened.
Xieng Liap Cave
Down a very short path off the main road are two car parks either side of the river. It doesn’t matter which you park in, just head to the ticket booth and walk the short way down to see the cave.
A river flows out of a huge opening full of jagged rocks. The cave goes deep into the mountainside but the path when we visited (dry season) only wound down into the mouth. You can explore further if you have a torch and don’t mind getting a bit wet.
There are high-wired bridges, climbing nets and other adventure activities on offer here as well as a zip–line and accommodation.
Ticket price: 10,000 kip per person plus 5000 kip scooter parking. If you want to do the zipline activities it is an extra 293,000 kip per person.
Thafalang
A short way off the main road you’ll find a large car park serving Thafalang Restaurant and Resort. This is a great place to stop and cool off. Floating on either side of a turquoise, fish-filled river are bamboo booths where you can just dive off and swim in the refreshing water. Food, drink and accommodation is available (we actually stayed here - see more in the accommodation section). The location is stunning with the resort and river restaurant being sandwiched between mountain peaks. We can also confirm that the sunsets here are phenomenal.
We had a brilliant afternoon relaxing in the sun, swimming in the river and eating a delicious feast of fish.
Ticket price: It’s 50,000 kip to use one of the floating huts or free if you’re staying the night. Food is a little bit more expensive than elsewhere but very, very good.
The fish at Thafalang are very inquisitive!
The Thafalang Mini Loop
After Thafalang, continue on the road away from the main road and take a short 15-20 minute loop along pretty small roads, through villages and down a valley lined with impressive jagged mountains. It is a dirt road but compacted and well maintained. We set off in the morning and hardly saw another person, just beware of rogue cows!
The loop brings you out only 10 minutes down the road from the 2 caves that you will then need to double back to.
Check out the map for a clear route for this mini loop.
Phaya In Cave
Next to the main road is this small, and when we visited, under-construction cave shrine.
Marked by a curtain of colourful flags, the entrance winds down into a beautiful cavern. In the centre sits a lake reflecting the colourful bunting above and the orange and gold wrapped stalactites.
Ticket price: Free when we visited.
Tham Nang Ene Cave
This is the largest cave on the first portion of the loop. Drive a short way off a well signposted turning on the main road and enter the huge car park. The cave itself is stunning, a cathedral of enormous stone spaces with amazing rock formations, stalactites, stalagmites and columns of sparkling stone. The whole cave is sat above and around a river that flows deep into the dark of the mountain. The cave is lit by multi-colored neon lights (for some reason) and you can do a circular walk on stone paths and raised walkways. There are also boat trips available that take you further into the cave.
This one doesn't look like much from the outside, with its neon lights, dutch windmill on the entrance and cheesy looking car park, but it is 100% worth a stop.
There are toilets, fast food and a coffee shop on site. There is also a zipline available but we did not try it out!
Ticket price: 50,000 kip per person 120,000 kip to hire a boat.
Pha Katai Viewpoint (Rabbit Cliff Viewpoint)
Turn off the main road into a bizarre abandoned resort and waterpark, if you see the restaurant with the replica ship you have gone too far! The “car park” for the viewpoint is a flat piece of land directly next to the stairs up to the viewpoint. A lady will magically appear on a scooter to sell you your ticket.
The viewpoint is up a precarious rusty-looking metal staircase somehow attached to the mountainside - we questioned how it ever got built! The stairs are, in places, quite far apart so it is not one for vertigo sufferers. The viewpoint however is worth the climb. At the top, over some shoddily repaired walkways, is a stone forest of sharp grey rocks and an incredible view over the mountains and plains all the way to the border with Vietnam.
The climb was not long but was quite steep. We are no mountain goats but we were up in 15 minutes.
Ticket price: 10,000 kip per person
Just look at that walkway - the views more than make up for any vertigo!
Song Sa Waterfall
Just after the Nam Thuen 2 Dam is a turning onto a wide gravel road. The road doesn't stay wide for long but gets much “gravely-er”. Following the waters edge the road winds around the lake before turning in and upwards to a small car park. The last approach to the car park is very rocky and gravelly and a bit steep, but nothing our small scooters couldn't handle - just take care!
The waterfall is hidden up behind some huge boulders, but unfolds up the mountain in a cascade of falling waterfalls and inviting swimming holes. This is a great place for a swim! There are many layers to the waterfall and you can clamber, wade and swim all the way up to the top. Thick green forest covers either side of the falls and it is a stunning place to relax. It is one of the most popular swim stops on the loop so it is also a good place to regroup or meet fellow loopers. However the car park is small and it wouldn’t be a great place to be stuck in a traffic jam!
There is a small shop / restaurant onsite.
Ticket price: 10,000 kip per person.
Our photos really don’t do justice to Song Sa Waterfall - you have to see it for yourself!
Abandoned Boat Restaurant and Lake Shore
If you take a detour through the town of Nakai towards the National Park office you will come to the shore of a massive lake. Sitting next to the road on a windswept beach is a huge old wooden boat.
It is not some tragic shipwreck but the remains of an old restaurant abandoned and left to rot. The local youth have taken it to be their new hideout, makeout spot and general selfie and tik-tok centre. The view across the lake is spectacular, you do not realise how big the area flooded by the dam is until you either look at a satellite photo or stand on the edge of the lake!
Just park where the road runs out after the National Park office. To get to the boat, just find the hole in the fence near the shoreline.
Ticket price: Free.
Mountain Roads and Amazing Views - Nakai to Thalang Village
The roads between Nakai and Thalang Village are stunning. They wind from the waters edge into the mountains, curve through incredible forests and ravines, up into what could pass for the Highlands of Scotland! This road was one of our favourites from the whole loop and we actually rode it 3 times (see our itineraries)!
The road has some sharp (fun in our mind) twists and turns and it climbs and falls steeply. The road is very well maintained for Laos with minimal pot holes and a smooth surface.
Orchid Path Viewpoint
This is an overlooked stop and easy to miss from the main road, DO NOT MISS THIS! The Orchid Path Viewpoint was probably our favourite stop on this leg of the loop!
From the main road look out for a small dirt turning. Down a short path is a small fenced in place to park your bikes. You will know you are in the right place as there is a small boarded up hut at the end of the car park.
Getting to the trail can be a little confusing but, again, it is worth it! If you are facing the hut in the car park, take the steep scramble up the hill to the right, then follow the overgrown path until you find the gap in the fence on the right. When we were here it was marked with cut logs. Push through the gap in the fence and you should find yourself on the trail.
There are not many signposts on the trail but just head right at any turning that doesn't lead downhill!
The trail climbs its way gently up the hill through bamboo, thick forests and over rocks until finally opening up into a huge rocky hillside and one of the most incredible views of the whole Thakhek Loop!
A sweeping panorama over the flooded forests, lake, islands and blue mountains ringing the horizon. It is absolutely stunning and worth the short hike!
We highly recommend Maps.me for this hike as the map shows the trail pretty accurately.
The trail took us only 15 minutes to reach the viewpoint. We did the hike in the late afternoon and the whole landscape was burning gold, with the shadow of the mountain creeping up the lake. We would not recommend doing this hike for sunset as the trail is not very clear and you could easily lose it in the dark!
Ticket price: Free
The Flooded Forests and Mountain Passes
From the mountain onwards, through Thalang Village and up until the road curves away into the valleys are the Flooded Forests. Vast lakes of water punctured by the skeletal remains of old forests. The leafless trunks stick out of the lake water and it is easy to see why the area is also called “The Ghost Forest”.
The Google location above is kind of arbitrary, there are fantastic views of the Flooded Forest on either side of the road throughout this stretch, just pull over wherever you like.
We left early in the cold morning from Thalang Village and had the whole road to ourselves. As the sun rose we were treated to the vast forests, their dead boughs crowned with white birds. It is an uncanny but magical landscape.
Ticket price: Free
The Sandstone Buddhas
You’ll know when you’ve reached the start of the carved Buddha’s when you start to see small shrines and offerings left on the side of the road. Pay attention to the cliff faces and you’ll quickly realise you’re being stared at and down on by carved images of the Buddha.
Around the corner from these smaller carvings is the famous sandstone Buddha head. A large serene image stares out across the road and down the valley, next to a reclining Buddha and many more rock carved images.
The small statues are easy to miss but can be found just before the turning with the large head. The main sculptures are impossible to miss from the road!
Ticket price: Free
Dragon Cave
Another of the loops crowning jewels, this cave sits just on the main road after the junction with the Vietnamese Border at Lak Sao. The cave is split into 3 parts.
An overhanging temple shrine sits to the right of the cave entrance through a beautiful forested garden.
The main cave is humongous and stretches deep into the mountain side. Inside the cave, take the left path over the bridge, loop round and admire the stalactites and stalagmites before climbing the metal staircase that leads up.
Follow the staircase and rocky path which will take you out of the cave, over boulders through smaller caves and eventually up to a fantastic viewpoint. At the top you’re rewarded with sweeping views across the craggy, grey-toothed mountainscape, farmers paddy fields and the winding road below.
Ticket price: 50,000 kip per person including a free bottle of water. If you’re travelling with a backpack you can store this at the ticket counter.
Cool Pool
A dusty road leads away from the main road and down through spectacular scenery to yet another gorgeous swimming hole. Looking for all the world like a cenote you’d find in Mexico, the Cool Pool is a crystal clear, turquoise lake surrounded by boulders and forests.
It’s a beautiful place to take a dip and there are plenty of rocks to sunbathe on surrounding the pool. There are toilets on-site and a small restaurant close to the entrance.
Ticket price: 40,000 kip per person.
The Bomb Boats Viewpoint
You can make a quick stop on the bridge over the Namkading River and catch a glimpse of some Laotian ingenuity.
Below on the river are some odd-shaped crafts. If you look closely you can see that these boats are made up of repurposed bomb casings and aircraft fuel tanks.
If you have time, nearby there is also the Kai Waterfalls. We didn’t get to check these out this time, so let us know what we missed in the comments. There are also plenty of restaurants in the village if you need a bite to eat!
Phra That Jedi Si Pho Xai
An optional stop on the way to Konglor Village, this pretty gold, red and green painted stupa rises up out of the flat valley floor.
You won’t need long at this colourful temple, but it’s a good place to stretch your legs after a long drive from the ‘Bomb Boats’. From here it’s just over 32 km to reach the village of Konglor (around a 45 minute drive).
Ticket price: Free.
Konglor Caves - The crowning jewel of the Thakhek Loop
This is the big one, the highlight of the whole Thakhek Loop. In fact, the other name for the Thakhek Loop is the Konglor Loop. The village of Konglor hides an incredible, subterranean secret. The river that flows up the whole valley, spills out from what looks like a gaping maw cracking through the foot of the mountain. The water is crystal clear and fast flowing, but even this impressive entrance does not prepare you for the sheer scale of the Konglor Caves.
The only way to explore these mammoth caves is by hiring a boat and driver to navigate you through the dark waterways under the mountain. 7.5 km of river wind and carve their way through the heart of the mountain and out the other side to the village of Natane.
On the way are vast cathedrals of stone. Caverns hundreds of feet high, lit only by your head torch as you float by. A few times you’ll get off the boat and explore incredible caverns, vast and stalactite studded. There is no way for us to properly explain the scale of the Konglor Cave system. It’s like a flooded city under the mountain - serious Mines of Moria vibes.
The person really gives you an idea of scale!
The halfway point of the tour sees you rocket out the darkness on the other side of the mountain at Nantane. Full of tourist shops and craft stalls you’ll have a 30 minute break here to buy drinks, food or souvenirs before getting back on your boat and re-entering the caves.
We’d also like to acknowledge the near supernatural ability of the boat pilots. In near total blackness, lit only by head torches, they weave and slalom around rapids, shallows and bends guiding the boats down and through the flooded labyrinth.
Konglor really lives up to its reputation as the jewel in the crown of the Thakhek Loop. It is an unmissable stop.
Outside the cave is a gorgeous stretch of beach lining a bend in the river that is perfect for swimming. A great way to chill out in the sunshine after your subterranean adventure.
For those looking for an alternative adventure you can actually load your bikes onto boats for a different route on your Thakhek adventure - make sure you’ve read our itineraries above for more information.
Ticket prices
200,000 kip per person this includes boat and driver as well as a headtorch. The tour takes around 2 hours including the stop at Natane. Ticket price also includes the loan of some flip flops if you come wearing trainers.
We’d recommend packing and wearing your own flip flops and expect to get a little wet!
Opening hours
The cave is listed to be open between 8am and 5pm but the tours will stop running earlier than this. To get the most out of the experience, arrive well before 3pm.
The Rock Viewpoint
Sitting at the peak of the mountains between Konglor and the main road back to Thakhek is the “Rock Viewpoint”.
This sprawling adventure park sits stradling the “Stone Forest”. An amazing geological feature of jagged, stone pillars, branches, ravines and peaks. All studded with trees clinging impossibly to the sides of the mountains.
You can do ziplines, trekking, rope walks and spider nets in the area with everything from a short walk to full day experiences available.
We opted for the ‘Stone Forest Walk’ a short 20 minute loop on raised boardwalks that takes you down through the crevices and canyons of the stone forest - we highly recommend this. We were the only ones on the walk and it was beautiful and serene especially compared to the busy ziplines above.
If we weren’t so budget conscious we definitely would have done the 2 hour ziplining session.
Ticket prices
Tickets for the ‘Stone Forest Walk’ cost 50,000 kip per person.
Tickets for the ‘Rock experiences’ are as follows:
2 hours - $30 USD
Half day - $120 USD
Full day - $180 USD
Opening hours
Open everyday from 8AM to 4PM.
The Giant Wall
This is definitely an optional stop and lies just outside Thakhek town on the main road. The entrance is very easy to miss and in a very poor state of repair. Look out for a small sign and a small broken road leading off the main road. A short, very bumpy and very gravelly ride brings you to the Giant Wall.
As its name suggests it is literally one large rockface, however below this giant wall is what looks to be an abandoned open air church or meeting hall. Slightly overgrown pews sit facing an altar and stage, set in the shadow of the wall. It may be the time of day we visited or the oppressive atmosphere and whine of mosquitoes but it had a very unsettling vibe. It felt like we were on the set of some cult horror movie!
That all being said it’s literally 5 minutes off of the main road and we’re not sad we visited.
Ticket price: Free - If you’re planning a stop here it’s full of mosquitoes, so wear protection.
We felt it was the perfect setting for a horror movie!
Where To Stay On The Thakhek Loop - Our Accommodation Recommendations
The Thakhek Loop is becoming increasingly popular. With a limited number of rooms available on the traditional stops, we would highly recommend either getting to your overnight stops early (like we did) or booking them in advance online. You shouldn’t be stranded anywhere, but if you leave it too late you may have to go one town over or one town backwards to find some accommodation. This is especially true of Thalang Village and Sabaidee Guesthouse. When we were there, by 6pm the place was absolutely rammed and the owner was getting out tents for the overflow.
Lots of older blogs tell you just to turn up at the guesthouses and not to book in advance. This sort of worked for us, but only because we had set off so early. For Sabaidee Guesthouse we actually drove straight there, past all the stops and viewpoints, to secure a room before doubling back to see the sights. We did not want a tent! We would say that, if you want peace of mind - book in advance. The Loop is getting busier and busier.
This caution also applies to Thakhek town itself. We definitely recommend booking your bed before and after the loop. Sometimes you may not know exactly when you’re going to return from the Loop but as soon as you do, you should book a room asap. The hostels sell out extremely quickly!
A room with a view on the Thakhek Loop!
Thakhek Town accommodation
KFG Guesthouse
This super budget friendly guesthouse is cheap and cheerful. Offering everything from private en-suite rooms to dorms, KFG is always super popular with backpackers setting off or arriving back from the Loop. The owners will look after your main bags whilst you're on the loop and can provide you with loads of information. They can book buses and onward travel as well as renting motorbikes.
We have stayed there twice at either end of our loop. Once in a budget private with shared bathroom and the second time in a private en-suite room. Both rooms were great with a brilliant balcony to chill out on in the evening.
Book your stay at KFG Guesthouse here.
Inthira Thakhek
We treated ourselves to 2 nights at this historic hotel. Housed inside an old colonial mansion, it’s a good deal more luxurious than we’re used to on our backpacking budget. The star of the show was our large private balcony with views out over the city shrine and down towards the river. It was a great place to hang out and treat yourself to a few beers in the evening.
If you’re looking for something a little more luxurious than a hostel, Inthira is in a great central location, has a fantastic breakfast included and super comfy beds. The hotel has a restaurant serving food and drinks all day.
Book your stay at Inthira Thakhek here.
Storing your luggage whilst riding the Loop
Wherever you choose to stay in Thakhek town, the accommodation will almost definitely be able to store your luggage whilst you do the Loop. Just check in advance if you’re worried.
Thafalang area
Thafalang Resort
Sat alongside and, for some rooms, floating on top of a river, Thafalang is a beautiful place to spend an afternoon and a night.
You can stay in either a floating room or one of the large triangular bungalows with views over the mountains. We decided to end our first day of the Loop at Thafalang and spent an afternoon swimming in the river and eating really good food at their restaurant.
Our room was one of the bungalows on land and was simple but comfy with a good shower and large verandas at both the front and back. In the morning we had a delicious included Laotian breakfast of pork rice soup delivered to our bungalow.
We couldn’t find a way to book this online so we simply rocked up and booked a room. It costs more than the accommodation usually does on the Loop but it is well worth it as a unique one night stay, plus it means you can spend the whole afternoon sipping a beer in paradise!
One night in the triangular bungalow with breakfast included, cost us 450,000 kip. The floating bungalows were much more expensive at 900,000 kip per night.
Green Climbers Home
If you’re looking for some serious adventure on the loop, Thakhek is also home to a large portion of Laos’ climbing trails. Green Climbers Home is exactly what it sounds like. A hub, meeting point and accommodation for climbers and travellers looking to scale the limestone peaks.
Private bungalows cost between $20 to $35 USD per night and dorms are $11 to $12 USD a night.
You can book online with them here.
You can of-course stay here even if you don’t intend to climb any mountains!
Thalang Village area
Sabaidee Guesthouse
Location - Please see our map - google tries to take you on a long detour around the village when you can just turn off the main road!
An institution of the Thakhek Loop, Sabaidee Guesthouse is the most popular place to stay for loopers going to or from Konglor Cave. It makes an ideal first or second day stopping location and is full of fellow bikers and backpackers.
Offering private rooms and dorms, there’s a restaurant on-site as well as its legendary nightly bonfire and BBQ - more about this in the where to eat section.
It’s a really sociable place with everyone sitting around the fire drinking Beer Laos and swapping stories about their ride. If you’re looking to join a group for the rest of your Loop, this would be the easiest place to do so.
To make a booking, either head there early the day like us or contact them via their Facebook page - this is by far the most popular place to stay on the Loop so if you really want to stay there contact them early.
As Sabaidee Guesthouse is such a popular stop we would highly recommend getting up and leaving early in the morning. Otherwise you may find yourself riding in a traffic jam / convoy of scooters. We left about 7AM and although it was freezing cold, it was beautiful and we had the roads all to ourselves.
If Sabaidee is full, there are a couple of other places to stay in Thalang Village. Check them out here.
Konglor Area accommodation
Konglor Eco Lodge Guesthouse and Restaurant
Location - There are two locations either side of the road, we stayed on the left hand side in Konglor Eco Lodge 2.
This was our favourite place that we stayed on the whole Konglor Loop. We literally pulled up, walked into the room and instantly extended our stay.
A spacious wooden bungalow with a massive double bed, a really good hot power shower and, best of all, a beautiful balcony - The back of our room opened up to a hammock and chairs overlooking green farmers fields sitting underneath the towering mountains. It really was a special little place.
We just drove up and paid 200,000 kip per night for the room (one of the best “cheap” accommodations we’ve had), however if you want to secure your place and book in advance, you can book your stay at Konglor Eco Lodge here.
Make sure to request a room overlooking the fields!
There are loads of guesthouses, hostels and hotels to stay in Konglor Village. Check out some of the other options here.
The Rock Lodge
The Rock Lodge sits in the mountains to the north of Konglor Cave. This completely unique lodge boasts incredible “pod” rooms hanging over and looking out across the amazing mountain views and the “Stone Forest”.
It’s a little more pricey than everywhere else on this list, but we spoke with other travellers who said that it was worth the expense - they said the sunset was worth the price alone. After stopping at the Rock View Point and walking the Stone Forest Trail we can certainly agree this would be an incredible place to stay.
Book a unique stay at the Rock Lodge here.
Where To Eat And Drink On The Thakhek Loop
Places to eat between Thakhek and Thalang Village / Saibadee Guesthouse
Thakhek to Sabaidee Guesthouse
B96’ Coffee and Tea
This small coffee shop on the side of the main road is just outside of Thakhek and makes for a perfect first stop if you want a caffeinated pick-me-up before you get to the Elephant Cave. We had fantastic espressos here after an early start from Thakhek.
Thafalang
If you’re after proper Laos style dining, along with a cold Beer Laos and a view, Thafalang is perfect. It also has the massive advantage of floating on a beautiful river that you can literally dive straight into before or after munching.
Serving Laos salads, grilled and fried fish as well as soups, laabs and fried rice and noodles, there’s something for everyone on the menu. The food here was great!
We treated ourselves to a big Laos fish feast for lunch which included a slab of sticky rice, a big deep fried fish with garlic, stir-fried cabbage and pork and a spicy green bean salad. It was a perfect lunch and a great reward for our first day's exploration on the Loop. If you just want to just have a drink and a swim you can do this but you’ll need to pay 50,000 kip to borrow one of the floating dining huts.
Roadside Noodles near Pha Katai Viewpoint
If you’re looking for a no-nonsense lunch after climbing the Pha Katai Viewpoint this locals only noodle shop fits the bill. We just pulled up and ordered 2 bowls of Khao Piak (noodle soup) and were quickly presented with 2 massive steaming bowls of pork and nood-ly goodness.
Super local and super cheap and no frills - just how we like it!
Each bowl cost 35,000 kip, a true backpacking bargain.
Food between Saibadee Guesthouse and Konglor Village
Sabaidee Guesthouse BBQ
Location
Every night Sabaidee Guesthouse fires up its huge bonfire and charcoal BBQ to create a massive all you can eat BBQ feast. Meat skewers, vegetarian kebabs, trays of deep fried goodies, baked pizza and salad are laid out and descended on by the hordes of hungry backpackers. The food is simple and good, but be prepared to queue. At the end they even bring out slices of apple pie for everyone.
The BBQ is not super cheap at 150,000 kip per person but is almost compulsory as part of the Sabaidee Guesthouse experience.
If you’re not into BBQ there is a menu you can order from as well as a few other restaurants in the village.
LAKXAO Coffee and Noodles
If, like us, you had an early start from Sabaidee Guesthouse, you'll definitely be hungry by Lak Sao.
You’ll have spent the morning dodging trucks and driving the windy mountain roads to the crossroads with the Vietnamese border. By the time you reach there, you’ll certainly be in the mood for some coffee and breakfast.
Lak Xao Coffee has the advantage of being one of the only coffee shops to show on Google Maps. This means it's always busy with loopers looking for a ‘Cup of Joe’.
We grabbed 2 americano’s from Lak Xao Coffee and 2 bowls of excellent noodle soup from the lovely ladies next door. The coffee was the rocket fuel we required and the noodle soups were great in the cold morning.
Konglor Village food and drink
We stayed 2 nights in Konglor Village and really enjoyed the food there. There’s plenty more than this list to choose from, but this is where we ate and drank during our stay.
Happy Bar Konglor
Every town with backpackers has one - the bar everyone descends on once the sun has gone down. Happy Bar is Konglor’s backpacker common room. Serving lots of comfort food, cold beer and coffee it was a great place to unwind after a day's ride.
Beef Noodles
Fantastic “boat noodle style” beef noodles. The best food we ate in Konglor.
Cheap and generously portioned, they are open early in the morning and make a very good big breakfast if you have a long ride to do.
We ate here twice and both times it was fantastic. Piled high with melting, tender beef in a rich, aroma-filled broth. Snappy and perfectly chewy noodles, paired with peppery beef balls and John’s favourite - a spoonful of chilli oil - it was perfect!
The Best One Restaurant
Cheap, cheerful and served in a unique dining room set on bamboo walkways above the owner's garden. The restaurant serves all the SE Asian favourites in great portions. Just bear in mind the restaurant is very popular and can be a little bit slow when busy!
Konglor to Thakhek food choices
The Rock Viewpoint Cafe
If you’ve left Konglor Village in the morning and are travelling back to Thakhek you’ll definitely want to stop and admire the view at the Rock Viewpoint. See our guide above for the activities on offer here. If you’re hitting the viewpoint in the morning you’ll probably be in the mood for a cup of coffee.
The cafe has fantastic views and an extensive menu with a full range of hot and cold coffees. We ordered 2 lattes which were okay, just bear in mind you’re paying for the view.
The cafe is a lot more expensive than any of our normal roadside offerings, but again… the view.
The restaurant also serves a full range of meals from breakfast to dinner.
Lea Noodles
This is where we decided to stop on the long straight main road back to Thakhek.
We had no particular reason for stopping here, but we are very glad we did. We ordered 2 crispy pork noodle soups and they were exactly what we needed after a long drive. Both bowls were generously topped with loads of cubes of crispy pork belly, deep fried shallots and general yumminess.
Each bowl cost 40,000 kip.
Eating on the main road to Thakhek
We chose to stop at Lea Noodle Shop in Hinboun but there were dozens of places to eat in every village and town all along the main road. Just stop whenever you’re hungry!
Hiring A Scooter Or Motorbike For The Thakhek Loop
You’ll obviously be starting the Thakhek Loop in the town of … Thakhek! This is the easiest place to rent and return a motorbike or scooter to. There are 4 main places in town to rent bikes from:
Mixay Thakhek Motor Rental - located here
Pokemon Go Motor Rental - located here
Wang Wang - located here
Mad Monkey Motorcycle (not affiliated with the hostel chain!) - located here
We used and would highly recommend Mixay Thakhek Motor Rental. We wanted peace of mind and to know that we were renting quality, new scooters. We paid the extra to rent 2 brand new Honda Clicks. These were more expensive than the normal offerings from other places, but they were perfect. Powerful enough for all the hills, fuel efficient, great brakes - they just never put a foot wrong! Mixay was brilliant. We reserved our bikes a day in advance and picked them up early in the morning with no hassle despite the queues. On the Loop, we were in contact with them via WhatsApp and extended our rental remotely twice with no issues and they even packed us snacks and water when we set off!
You can spend an awful lot less than we did on your bike rental but the bike you get may be very old! Trust us when we say, you don’t want to spend your time on the Thakhek Loop wheeling your bike to a garage or worrying that it may break down.
All the motorbike rentals in town will give you information about the loop, maps etc and can store your bags if necessary.
Police Checks on the Loop
One of the things we had read about and was worrying us before we set off, were police checkpoints in Thakhek. We read there were certain routes out of town you shouldn’t take and that generally there may be an issue with police stopping foreigners and fining them. These worries, for us at least, were completely unfounded. When we asked the lady at Mixay if we needed to be careful about the police she just laughed at us and said “nothing to worry about at all”.
The only explanation we could find about these rumours is that there is a traffic light just outside the police station that foreigners routinely wait for in the wrong road position leading to a fine.Throughout the whole of the Loop there were several police checkpoints and none of them showed the slightest interest in stopping us or any other looper.
This is of-course anecdotal evidence but we were worried about this before we set off so thought we’d reassure you!
Scooter rental prices
Rental prices did not seem to vary much across town and are set according to what bike you want to rent. You could spend as little as a 100,000 kip per day on an ancient 100cc semi-automatic or be like us, and rent brand new shiny 125 automatics at 240,000 kip. You will be responsible for upkeep, petrol and tyres on the loop so any mishaps will come out of your pocket. Again we recommend removing the worry and paying the extra for a bike in good condition.
Some of the rental places will also offer bigger, fully manual motorcycles or even cars and trucks, these will obviously be more expensive!
All rental prices will include a helmet! Be picky about the helmet, it should be comfortable as you will be wearing it for the next few days!
It really is worth renting a good scooter - you don’t want to be wasting time at a garage!
Deposits when renting a scooter
This is a sticky subject and one that is very fiercely debated online. There are plenty of people who will say that under no circumstances should you leave your passport with a rental agency. However, it is the norm to leave your passport on the Thakhek Loop.
Go with a reputable rental agency and there should be no issues at all provided you return the bike in the condition you borrowed it. The only alternative is to leave a huge amount of money as a deposit.
Just remember to video and photograph your scooter thoroughly when you pick it up - a good rental agency will ask you to do this. Note any scratches or damage to the scooter and you’ll be fine.
Mixay was great, before they even handed us the keys they asked us to go round and film our bike. They also did the same. We left a single passport for both bikes and it was handed back with no fuss after an inspection of both bikes at the end of the trip.
The Thakhek Loop is getting popular, especially during the peak, dry season. Make sure you arrange your motorbike hire in advance. When we were collecting our bikes at 7am in the morning there was a large queue and a lot of annoyed people who were finding they could not rent a bike from anywhere in town that day!
Automatic or Semi-Automatic, which motorbike to hire?
You can ride the Thakhek Loop on any kind of motorbike or scooter. Ignore anyone who tells you that you have to ride a semi-auto. Most loopers are on fully automatic bikes and they get up and down the hills just fine!
We would however recommend getting 125cc over the smaller bikes as they are much easier to manoeuvre and far more comfortable to drive on the larger roads. Honda Clicks are perfect, Honda Zoomers are less suited to long drives!
If you have a passenger, are heavier built or really suck at packing light, then make sure you get a bike that can handle the load. We saw a couple of little 50cc bikes on the Loop that were straining under their passengers!
If you like the feel of semi-auto’s, they are generally cheaper to rent, but they also tend to be 100cc rather than the 125cc of the autos.
Honda Clicks really can go anywhere!
Petrol and garages on the Loop
There is no shortage of places to fill up on the loop. As a rule we never let the tanks get below one quarter full. If you follow our lead you won’t run out of gas!
Petrol is cheap in Laos, around 60,000 - 75,000 kip for a full tank in a 125 Honda Click.
In a pinch, look out for local shops selling petrol from plastic bottles. You will be able to see orange colored two litre bottles for sale everywhere!
We would always recommend keeping a mental note whenever you pass by a bike mechanic, there is one or more in every town and you never know when you may get a flat tyre. We were lucky on the Thakhek Loop but when we rode the Bolaven Plateau, Ellie needed a whole new tyre, this only cost 30 minutes and 450,000 kip!
Road Conditions - What To Expect Driving The Thakhek Loop
Laotian roads are, in general, an assault course. Potholes, gravel, unexpected cows and dogs sunbathing, the roads have a hundred hazards to watch out for. Thankfully the main roads of the Thakhek Loop were actually in pretty good condition! That is not to say there were no potholes (or mischievous goats) but they were in much better condition than we had been warned about. The main hazard was other road users, both inexperienced loopers and the large lorries charging to and from the border.
We have split the roads into sections so you can see what the conditions are like for each part of the Loop.
Thakhek to Thalang Village / Sabaidee Guesthouse
The roads out of Thakhek were quiet in the morning, there was a little construction work on the edge of town but nothing bad. Most of the caves, Thafalang and the “mini loops” are down local, gravel or dirt roads, but the surfaces were firm and not difficult to drive on.
The traffic and trucks got more and more frequent as we travelled down Road 12. The trucks got worse and worse until we reached Gnommalat and the junction to the Vietnamese border.
The trucks were basically road trains, huge thundering beasts with massive fully laden trailers attached. They always have the right of way! They also, unfortunately, had a penchant for overtaking each other on blind corners so beware! This was probably the busiest stretch of road we experienced on the whole Loop. The traffic was definitely made worse as we were travelling just after the cassava harvest. Every village and farm was having their produce picked up and shipped in huge open-topped lorries.
After Gnommalat the traffic was light to non-existent all the way to our overnight stay at Sabaidee Guesthouse. The mountain roads on this route were also some of the most stunning and fun to drive of the whole trip - We drove them 3 times as they were so epic!
The Song Sa Waterfall is down a long loose surfaced gravel and dirt path. It was definitely the “worst” road of the day and has a bumpy steep section near the final carpark. Not something to worry about but something to be aware of.
Thalang Village to Konglor Cave
We set off early in the morning (ok 7 o'clock so not that early!) and had the roads through the Flooded Forest and National Park all to ourselves. The roads were good with only a few potholes and random dogs. As the morning wore on the traffic increased with a few more trucks and other people on the roads. As we approached the border crossroads at Lak Sao we were joined, overtaken or passed by more and more trucks but, just like the previous day, as soon as the border was behind us, so was the traffic.
The Dragon Cave sits on the main loop road so was no issue to get to. The next stretch of the road winds its way around beautiful mountains, but was also the section where we saw two accidents. One happened just in front of us where a pod of loopers took a corner and came off on a pothole (everyone was fine) and the other a car on its roof. We have absolutely no idea how it got itself in that situation. Just be careful! The Cool Pool was set a little distance down a gravel road. Not an issue if you are confident, if you are less experienced just take it slow and easy!
The road between the Cool Pool and Na Hin (the turning off point for Konglor Caves) is currently infamous due to a huge road construction project in the mountains. We were dreading this section. We had heard that the road would close for large portions of the day and when it reopened it would be a melee of cars, bikes and trucks travelling through a debris filled construction site! This was all a huge exaggeration. The road surface was loose and unfinished but we cruised through the whole construction area with no issues. We did get lucky and arrived during a break in the work but it was nowhere near as bad as the horror stories had suggested. The construction work is meant to be completed by May 2025. It is also worth pointing out that the views from this section of the road were amazing!
The majority of the roads on the Thakhek Loop are well tarmacked!
At the town of Na Hin the road splits and we left the main road to go down to Konglor. This stretch of road is very long, very straight and very unique. We had come down from the mountain and were now in a vast valley, a huge flat plain sandwiched between massive peaks. It wasn’t “fun” like the twisty mountain roads, but had something of an “American road trip” vibe to it - just with added water buffalo and rice paddies. There were a few more potholes and the road gets dustier and gravelly-er as you approach Konglor.
There are also a few wooden bridges to drive over. They look scary as there is a small set of flat planks to drive over, but once you are on the bridges, they are no problem at all!
The only “issue” with the roads on this stretch is the local livestock - cows, water buffalo, dogs, chickens, goats you name it they’re all free-ranging wherever they fancy! At one point Ellie’s journey was rudely interrupted by 3 goats. The goats had, somehow, managed to get stuck in, then uproot a whole section of fence. Displaying an amazing lack of teamwork the goats proceeded to block the whole road in a spiralling, bleating mess of hooves and fence-wire. Laos’ roads always keep you on your toes, but also entertained!
Konglor to Thakhek - The main road day
Leaving Konglor you have an epic drive back to Na Hin, up a winding mountain road to the Rock Viewpoint and down the other side. The roads are good but there are quite a few potholes on the corners in the mountains.
We were dreading the long slog on the main road back to Thakhek but it turned out to be completely fine. It is a long, straight, wide road so all the traffic has plenty of time and space to pass you by safely. The only issue we had on this stretch was when John was overtaken by a cassava lorry and had to spend 20 minutes being peppered by loose shards of vegetable!
This section may have been a lot more miserable on a lower powered bike. Our swanky new Honda Clicks could comfortably cruise at motorway speeds all day, but if you were on a little Zoomer or lower powered bike it might be uncomfortable.
As you get closer to Thakhek and the Laos / Thai Friendship Bridge the traffic gets heavier and heavier until you’re in full “city traffic”. We had avoided the Thakhek traffic on the way out as we had set out in the early morning but coming in the afternoon it was certainly a busy city.
Safety - How Dangerous Is The Thakhek Loop?
Accidents happen everywhere and, when you put a lot of inexperienced riders on mountain roads, gravel tracks and dirt paths, you can expect there to be more than a few mishaps. The Thakhek Loop is only as dangerous as you make it. The Loop is predominantly on maintained, paved roads and as long as you drive sensibly and don’t exceed your confidence or skill limits you will be absolutely fine.
There have been deaths reported on the Thakhek Loop but these, thankfully, appear to be very uncommon. We saw 2 accidents (neither serious for those involved) on our ride of the Loop: One was a preventable scooter slip on a potholed bend in the road (do not ride in packs if you are in a group!) and another was a local car that had somehow come unstuck. In both cases everyone was fine.
The Loop is not some closed track for tourists to enjoy, neither is it some extreme test of endurance and skills, it is a road, a paved way for getting people around! Treat it like you would any road and you should be fine!
That all being said there are a couple of pointers it is worth thinking about. We are in no way motorbiking or safety experts, but here is our list of common sense tips tempered by our experiences on the road:
Laos drives on the right hand side of the road.
Don't be an idiot! Do not treat the real life roads of Laos as a race track. You will be driving along the main roads linking Laos to Vietnam. The large lorries travel at 80 kmph, and cannot stop on short notice.
Remember that out here “might is right” the big lorries have right of way and may not even notice you on your tiny scooter.
Use your mirrors all the time!
Check your tyres every time you set off.
Test the brakes before you hire the bike. Make sure you’re happy and familiar with how it handles.
If you are asked to padlock your bike by the rental company - do it.
Insist on a proper, well fitted helmet and wear the helmet at all times.
If you are riding in a group do not ride side to side! Single file lets others see and pass you. You don’t want a truck to turn a blind corner and suddenly find your phalanx of scooters taking up the width of the road.
Do not take on more than you are capable or comfortable with - this is Laos, you do not want to be in a serious accident. Some of the attractions on the loop are down gravel or mud track roads. There is no shame in bowing out if you are not comfortable driving somewhere. You can always park up and walk.
Take hills and curves carefully, you never know what's on the other side of a corner.
We've mentioned it above in the road conditions, but Laos is full of potholes, dogs, children and sudden chickens. Keep your wits about you!
The majority of travel insurance will not cover you to ride a scooter if you’re not qualified to do so in your home country.
Animals are a constant hazard on the Loop - watch out for buffalo, chickens, dogs, cats and goats on the road!
Riding The Thakhek Loop As A Group / Riding Solo
Whether you want to ride the loop as a larger group, just as a couple or even go it alone, is all down to personal taste. We just rode as a couple, without anyone else. As a couple we could always look out for each other. John was used to riding slightly faster but we arranged it so that we would always check on the other (visually or with a stop) every so often. On the longer drives we would have designated stop points where we could wait for each other. We loved doing it this way as we could always stop whenever or wherever we wanted and could get back on the road again quickly. There is nothing wrong with riding in a group but they can take forever to get going. On one occasion, we had the whole of our lunch and coffees whilst an 8 strong group tried to get ready to leave!
We wouldn’t necessarily recommend solo riding but at the same time wouldn't write it off. We felt very secure knowing that we had one another if anything went wrong. If you are solo, you would be very alone if there was an accident or your bike broke down. However, it would be a fantastic adventure to drive the Thakhek Loop by yourself! If you stop at Sabaidee Guesthouse you won’t be alone for very long anyway, it is bursting with other travellers on the Loop, all gathered around the bonfire swapping stories.
Groups are definitely the most common way to ride on the Loop, it is an amazing experience to share with friends and a great way for the less confident traveller to push themselves into seeing areas of Laos they may not otherwise have gone to. If you are travelling in a group just remember the following:
Travel as fast as your slowest and least confident member. It would be horrible to be left behind by your friends if you were already nervous.
As mentioned in the safety section, do not travel as a pack or side by side. You should always drive in single file and keep your distance between riders in front and behind. You want to make sure you have enough room to brake when a chicken darts in front of you!
Remember you will get a little split up from time to time; a few of you will be able to overtake the slow farm cart but, the larger your group, the more split up it will become. Set points on your route to wait for each other.
As a group you have more negotiating power than solo or couple travellers and may be able to agree better rates for rooms. On the flip side you may want to bite the bullet and book your rooms in advance if you all want to stay together. It is more expensive but stops you finding out that there aren’t enough beds!
What To Pack For The Thakhek Loop
You’ll want to pack as light as you can, ideally one small backpack per person. Remember that at the stops you’ll probably be taking your bag with you. Make sure you are happy with the bag on your back not just when you’re sitting on a bike but when climbing up a viewpoint.
These are our packing essentials for the Thakhek Loop:
Thakhek Loop Packing List
Pack light!
Bring layers. It is COLD in the mornings up in the mountains and on the reservoir. Not freezing but it feels that way when you are driving at speed on a scooter! We wore light trousers and a hoodie and it was not quite enough. It would have been better to bring a lightweight windbreaker or some kind of long sleeve under-layer.
Pack a wet coat - you don’t want to be soggy on a bike!
Swimwear / towel
Scarf / snood - helpful for the dust as well as the early morning chills. You may want to bring a face mask if you’re sensitive to dust / fumes.
Flip-flops - great at the end of the day to give your shoes a breather. Also you’ll need them for Konglor Cave
Trainers / closed toe shoes - no one wants road rash on their toes!
Sunscreen - do not skimp on this. Your face, hands, arms and legs are going to be out in the scorching Laotian sun from morning to evening. If you ride visor-up with sunglasses like we did, you will feel sandblasted by the wind and dust by the end of the day.
Sunglasses - do not ride a scooter without good sunglasses or a good visor down. John was hit in the glasses by a dragonfly at 70 kmph and thought he had been shot! Also, fun fact, dragonflies are very juicy when they explode.
Water and snacks - you never know when you might get snacky!
Lanyard for your phone - this was useful for photos as well as directions.
Download Maps.me, Google Maps, translation apps and set them all up for offline use.
We packed everything we needed in our two trusty Salkan daypacks!
ATMS - Cash On The Loop
As with the whole of Laos cash is king on the Loop. Where places do accept cards, they will charge at least 3% extra.
We took out cash in Thakhek beforehand and in the town of Nakhai, just before Sabaidee Guesthouse. There are also ATMS in the bigger towns of Lak Sao and Na Hin but none in Konglor or Thalang Village - plan and withdraw accordingly.
When To Ride The Loop - Weather In Southern Laos
The Thakhek Loop is definitely best enjoyed in the dry season. Lots of the side roads and attractions would be very unpleasant to drive to in the mud and rain of the wet season.
Laos’ dry season runs from October to April with the wet season starting in May.
If you do attempt the Loop in the wet season, let us know how it goes. We’ve only driven it once and it was perfect hot, sunny weather every day so it would be interesting to hear how it is in different conditions.
Alternatives To Riding The Loop - What To Do If You Cannot Ride A Scooter
If you’re interested in the Thakhek Loop but don’t want to or can’t ride a bike / scooter there are some options where you can still get to see the incredible sights:
You can join a group as a passenger, lots of people ride the Loop on the back of someone else’s bike. Ask at hostels or post online.
If you want to have a local drive you around on the back of a bike, Mad Monkey Rental offer “Easy Rider” tours and most tourist offices could arrange one.
You can take a bus from Thakhek to Konglor Cave or the cave strewn area around the Green Climbers Home.
Your can do the Thakhek Loop by car! Cars are available for rent from Thakhek Town. Renting a car is obviously more expensive but makes sense if you have a group of friends who don't want to ride bikes. We saw several groups doing the Loop this way. KFG Guesthouse has information on renting cars as did most of the bike rental agencies.
You can do an organised tour of the Thakhek Loop or any of its major attractions. Check at any hotel, hostel or guesthouse and they will be able to work out a tour itinerary for you or join you up with an existing tour.
Thakhek Or Pakse / Bolaven Loop - Which Is Better?
There is no way to really answer this question. The Loops are completely different in character, length and attractions. We would say the Thakhek Loop has more fun driving and generally (although not always) better views from the road. However, the waterfalls and scenery of the Pakse / Bolaven Loop are amazing. The Bolaven Loop is shorter and much flatter so it is easier to drive for those lacking confidence, but the twisting mountain roads of the Thakhek Loop are one of the most amazing parts!
Ultimately we cop-out with our answer - do both! We did and we loved it. Doing the two scooter-borne loops has whetted out appetite and made us start looking for more bike-based adventures!
Also, watch this space as we will be posting our complete guide to the Bolaven Loop soon!
Final Thoughts - Was The Thakhek Loop Worth it?
Without exaggeration, the Thakhek Loop was one of our favourite experiences in our 3+ year backpacking adventure! It had everything. Incredible landscapes, amazing caves, fantastic cheap accommodation and above all, it had the adventure, freedom and thrill of the open road. Hiring a little scooter and just setting off into the mountains of Laos is an experience we’ll never forget.
So much travel and especially modern “backpacking” is a curated, guided and pampered affair. The Thakhek Loop really felt different - it was the excitement and anxiety of actual freedom.
Go make your own adventure!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
If you’ve enjoyed reading this article, why not save the pin below?
For all of our Laos adventures check out our articles below:
If you’re found this blog helpful, entertaining or you just fancy supporting us, please click the button below!
