Plan Your Trip Outdoor Adventures - Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Northern Thailand - page 65

Motorbiking
For those with a thirst for adventure, motorbike trips into remote areas of the region are un-
forgettable. The mobility of two wheels is unrivalled. Motorbikes can traverse trails that
even the hardiest 4WD cannot follow, and put you closer to the countryside - its smells,
people and scenery - compared with getting around by car or bus. Just remember to watch
the road, even when the passing scenery is sublime. Motorbiking is still the mode of trans-
port for many Mekong residents, so you'll find repair shops everywhere.
Motorbikes are widely available for rent throughout the region. Daily charges start at
US$4 to US$10 for 100cc bikes and rise to US$15 to US$50 for 250cc dirt bikes or road
bikes. One-way bike rentals are often available in Laos and Cambodia (for an extra fee of
course!).
Specialist motorcycle touring companies can organise multiday trips into remote areas
using the roads less travelled. Costs for these trips range from US$50 up to US$150 a day
or more for the premium tours, depending on accommodation.
Based in Vientiane, the Midnight Mapper ( Click here ) is a new GPS service that hires
out satellite navigation machines with your route especially programmed in.
Hiring bikes in Thailand usually requires a licence. You rarely need to show a licence to
rent a bike in Laos, Cambodia or Vietnam (although actually driving a bike technically re-
quires one). However, in all four countries you almost always need to leave a passport to
hire a bike. This can cause problems if you get into an accident in remote Laos or Cambod-
ia and need to be evacuated out of the country (usually to Thailand or Vietnam) to receive
adequate medical care. An alternative is to leave a several-hundred dollar deposit to cover
the value of the bike.