| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 117km |
| Difficulty | Fairly easy except the last 30km |
| Terrain | Rolling |
| Blog |
16th Dec - La vie est un long fleuve tranquille |
| Gallery | Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang |
The ride
It was a great scenic ride on the northern road to Wiang Chai and Phaya Meng Rai, rolling through small villages with no traffic. There were fewer food and drink stalls but enough to get by. The km markers were inconsistent - do not trust them! - and the road numbers didn't match the ones on our maps but it wasn't a problem. From 30km to 5km away from Chiang Khong the road became much rougher with broken seal, which wasn't fun at the end of the day. The road on the east side of the valley from Khun Tan looks more major and may be in a better condition.Chiang Khong has several guesthouses (all of which will arrange a boat ticket to Luang Prabang and a Laos visa), laundry, internet and banks - but only Monday to Friday so get dollars in advance if you cross the border at the weekend. The border crossing is open from 8am to 5:30pm. Passport processing cost B10 per person and the long tail ferry to Houay Xai was B20 per person and B20 per bike.
The room
PJ GuesthouseB150 for a double room with fan, bathroom with hot water.
Basic but OK.