Laos - Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Northern Thailand - page 630

BIKING IN LAOS

Thanks to improved roads and quality bike operators it's now possible to travel Laos on sturdy, well-
maintained motocross bikes with peace of mind; Laos' competent mobile-phone service and the avail-
ability of handheld GPS devices also help. With drop-off and luggage-forwarding facilities, it's easy to
tackle a slice of your holiday on two wheels.
Hire a bike from Jules' Classic Rental ( Click here ) for the week to take in the north or central Laos,
riding through the mountains to Vang Vieng for a few days, before moving on to Luang Prabang and
the rest of the north and leaving your bike in Luang Prabang.
Alternatively you can bus it towards Vang Vieng and take a trip with Uncle Tom's Trail Bike Tour
( 020 2995 8903; [e-mail] ; Blue Lagoon Resort, Ban Theua, Ang Nam
Ngum; 2-night trip per person US$110) based at the Blue Lagoon resort on the nearby Ang Nam
Ngum. Tom can teach you riding skills before taking you on a tailored one-day tour.
If you're thinking of doing Khammuane Province's 'Loop', forget skidding off the road on a
wobbly scooter. Mad Monkey Motorbike ( Click here ) has just opened in Tha Khaek, and rents new
250cc Honda dirt-bikes. Better still the owner, DC, can come and get you if you run into trouble in the
boonies. Tha Khaek is an excellent base from which to do the Loop and mythic Tham Kong Lo.
And, finally, thanks to the Midnight Mapper ( 020 5865 6994; [e-mail] ) ,
who's spent the last 10 years tirelessly mapping Laos, you can buy a satellite map off the website and
plug it into your GPS gadget (US$50; you'll be mailed the SIM card). Alternatively, you can rent one
of his Garmin handheld GPS devices for US$10 per day and plug in your coordinates, so you'll never
get lost!

In Town

GUESTHOUSE $

Champa Lao
MAP GOOGLE MAP
( 020 5823 4612; r with/without bath 100,000/ 70,000K, tr 130,000K; ) This heavily wooded
traditional Lao house has basic fan rooms with mosquito nets, and the ambien tgarden res-
taurant casts off heavenly aromas. There are also bungalows down the bank by the river.

Khamphone Guest House
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( 023-511062; r 80,000-120,000K; ) Peach-coloured Khamphone's three buildings offer
good-value en suite rooms; the 120,000K options with TV, air-con and fridge are best.
Check out the roomier newer building.

GUESTHOUSE $

Nam Song Garden

GUESTHOUSE $