| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 58km |
| Difficulty | Moderate/easy |
| Terrain | Rolling |
| Blog | 15th Jan - An internet cafe - finally! |
| Gallery | Vientiane to Lak Xao |
The journey
This was a good ride. Immediately beyond Nahin is a 10km gradual climb of about 500km followed by a steep descent for 3km. There are a few cafes and food/drink stalls immediately after the hill. The road is rolling and gently rising until 12km before Lak Sao which sits in a wide plain. The road is excellent and brand new. There's a Buddha cave 19km before Lak Sao called Mang Kone, which is overgrown and broken down but right beside the road so worth a look. There are hot springs 15km east of Lak Sao.There are several guesthouses in town. Vongsouda 100m north of the crossroads looked smart; there's another with chalet bungalows on the road east of the crossroads. Thipphavongxay restaurant is now next door to Phouthavong guesthouse (don't ask for a boiled egg - they brought us a warmed up raw egg.) Only One restaurant had a large group of businessmen doing karaoke when we were there and the chicken was very tough. There are several cafés and restaurants near the bus station. There's also an extensive market with goods from Vietnam that you can't get elsewhere in Laos. Don't rely on the post office being open: it was closed on Saturday morning when it was supposed to be open.
The room
Souriya HotelK70,000 for a twin room, bathroom with bathtub and hot water, TV (no movies but discovery channel), balcony onto street.
Clean and good standard. We took the last room - it's popular with coach tours.