Unveiling the Enchanting Thakhek Loop: A Motorbike Adventure in Laos
Get ready for an epic adventure as we take you on a wild ride through Laos! Our trip to this incredible country was an absolute blast, and one of the highlights was driving the Thakhek Loop. Brace yourself for jaw-dropping landscapes, heart-pounding moments, and the thrill of exploring the untamed beauty of Laos. Hop on your motorbike and join us as we navigate through mesmerizing limestone rock formations, visit mysterious caves, and soak up the authentic charm of Laos.
Thakhek Loop
The Thakhek Loop is a motorcycle loop that you can drive in two to four days. We would absolutely recommend driving for at least three days so you don’t have to rush. Rushing is always a bad idea, especially when driving. Just take your time to see all the beautiful nature on the way and take a stop for a swim to refresh or for a cave you want to visit! Don’t worry if you’re not an experienced driver, this loop is for everyone. Just drive careful and wear a helmet.
This iconic loop covers a distance of approximately 450 kilometres, taking you through some of the most stunning landscapes and hidden gems in the country. The Thakhek Loop is known for its numerous caves. The Konglor Cave is the most popular one as you can take a boat ride through its vast underground river for about 7,5 kilometres!
Planning
There are no rules for driving the Thakhek Loop. You can drive it just as you like! You can for example take three days of driving and drive the whole loop or you take four days of driving, drive to Konglor Cave and take the same way back. It’s all up to you!
Although we like to go with the flow, we would recommend you plan this loop beforehand. Plan how many days you want to drive and as soon as you know, you can already book your accommodation. There are not a lot of hotels, so the earlier you book the better. We ourselves booked our accommodation about a week beforehand, which was okay as it was low season during Christmas.
Have a look at all the caves you drive past and make a preselection of the ones you would like to visit. Visiting all the caves might be too much. Konglor Cave is the biggest of them all and you better schedule this one into your itinerary. It takes at least three hours to visit this cave, and depending on where you sleep, this might be a big detour on the loop. More about this later.
As the name says, the loop usually starts in Thakhek. There are multiple rental scooters available in the city and it was easy to rent a motor bike for multiple days. We found a scooter for 150.000 kip per day through our hotel and they delivered the scooter the morning we would leave for the loop.
Loop Options
Before diving into our own four-day experience, we want to give two other options we also created when planning our Thakhek Loop. It’s up to you to make your own personalised route. Option A covers everything in just three days, ensuring you complete the loop with a bang. If you prefer a deep dive into the thrilling side stops, option B, a four-day route will take you to all the adventures. Option B covers the same route on the first two days as in option A and gives extra time to discover it all, as you drive the most beautiful part of the loop twice.
Option A
Day One
Distance: 100 km
Driving time: 2 hours
Overnight in Nam Theun
Stops:
- Thafalang Swimming Hole
- Buddha Cave (Tham Nong Pa Fa)
- Xieng Liap (physical demanding)
- Tham Nang Aen
- Pha Katai Viewpoint
Day Two
Distance: 150 km
Driving time: 3 hours
Overnight in Kong Lor Village
Stops:
- Sandstone Buddha Rock Sculptures
- Dragon Cave
- Cool Springs Lagoon
- Thabak Bomb Boats
Day Three
Distance: 180 km
Driving time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Visit Kong Lor Cave in the early morning
Drive back to Thakhek and complete the loop
Overnight in Thakhek
Option B
Day One
Distance: 100 km
Driving time: 2 hours
Overnight in Nam Theun
Stops:
- Thafalang Swimming Hole
- Buddha Cave (Tham Nong Pa Fa)
- Xieng Liap (physical demanding)
- Tham Nang Aen
- Pha Katai Viewpoint
Day Two
Distance: 150 km
Driving time: 3 hours
Overnight in Kong Lor Village
Stops:
- Sandstone Buddha Rock Sculptures
- Dragon Cave
- Cool Springs Lagoon
- Thabak Bomb Boats
Day Three
Distance: 150 km
Driving time: 3 hours
Take the same road back to Nam Theun
Overnight in Nam Theun
Day Four
Distance: 100 km
Driving time: 2 hours
Overnight in Thakhek
Our Experience
Let’s immerse ourselves into the Thakhek Loop with our four-day experience, described day by day.
Day One
On your first day, we drove along some awe-inspiring limestone rock formations. Mesmerizing karst cliffs jutting out of the earth, creating a surreal and breath-taking backdrop. The first few kilometres of these majestic formations are the most breath-taking, so drive slow, wander and take a few photo stops.
Our first stop was Tham Nang Aem Caves. It’s not the first cave on the loop, but the one we chose to visit. We’ve seen many caves in the past weeks and thought this one was special. Inside the cave, you can take a tiny boat that will bring you deeper. At the end of the underground river, you can exit the boat to explore more of the cave. There is even a rope bridge inside the Tham Nang Aem Caves. If you don’t have the time to see everything, we would still recommend visiting this one.
Back on the road, we stopped aside for lunch. Finding a place where we could have lunch was not easy, so if you pass some kind of restaurant, stop and have lunch.
In the afternoon we walked up Orchid Path to Reservoir Viewpoint. First, we couldn’t find the path at all but two friendly dogs guided us up the hill. From this viewpoint we we’re almost at our accommodation for the night located in Nam Theun.
We stayed at Mind House Bungalow which is (at the time of writing) one of the two options at Nam Theun. The other option is Sabaidee Guesthouse and we feel like they have the same quality and price rating.
Day Two
We woke up at the crack of dawn on our second day, ready for an exhilarating adventure. Embracing the early hours grants us ample time to explore, rather than scrambling in the darkness in search of an accommodation. Starting from Nam Theun, we soon drove past Flooded Forest Kompong Pluk which is a very unique landscape. Only a bit further down 1E street, some sandstone Buddha Rock Sculptures guide the way.
Before lunch we stopped at Dragon Cave and found ourselves to be the only visitors at the awe-inspiring cave.
We continued the road and had some nice views along the way. We already arrived at Ni Hin at noon and found some local lunch in the village. Instead of staying the night at Na Hin, we drove further up until SpringRiver Resort & Restaurant, located almost at Konglor Cave. Here, we secured a two-night stay to really experience the marvelous nature and make our own Christmas cheer.
Day Three
Waking up at this picturesque place, what more could we possibly desire on this extraordinary Christmas day. Via the accommodation we booked a boat taxi to Kong Lor Cave, so, no scootering today.
The boat taxi was a very nice experience which added up to the whole Kong Lor Cave experience. Arriving at Kong Lor Cave, the taxi driver waited for us and we had all the time to explore Kong Lor Cave. A stream flows through the cave for 7,5 kilometres. Be ready to take a boat tour and through total darkness.
At the other side of the cave, you can visit Natane village. We felt like this was more of a touristic village instead of authentic, but we had some noodles while watching the local women weaving. Then, it was time to take the boat all the way back through the cave.
As you journey onward, you pause at various points within the cave, marveling at the colossal stalactites and stalagmites that tower above you. They’re absolutely massive! And, people are still discovering more and more of the cave. Who knows what incredible discoveries await in the years to come? You might soon witness an even grander spectacle as the cave reveals more of its hidden treasures.
Back at the hotel, Marnick seized the opportunity to unwind and update our blog while I hopped into a kayak provided by the hotel to go on a solo adventure exploring the river. As the day drew to a close, we reunited to have a Lao Christmas dinner.
Day Four
After we enjoyed some fresh breakfast with a gorgeous and peaceful view from the restaurant of the hotel, we both took a kayak from the hotel. We went out to see the lagoon, located just a few minutes away. How nice is it to have such a calm morning like this. Later on, it was time to continue the route and head back to Thakhek (185 more kilometres to go).
The first part of driving is the same as the last part of day two, all the way back to Na Hin. From there we continued to loop, so drove to the west. Soon, we arrived at The Rock Viewpoint where we also had lunch. Even if you’re not hungry, this is a must-see on your loop. The landscapes you see from this viewpoint are just from another world.
From the viewpoint, we continued on road 8 up until Vieng Kham, which led us through some more gorgeous landscapes. At Vieng Kham, we turned left once again on road 13. We can honestly say that this was quite a boring part of the loop. All the road constructions didn’t really help to get through this long and big road to Thakhek. Now, we totally understand why people opt to go back and turn right at Na Hin to take the same route instead of continuing the loop. But, we put on some music and had a scooterpoolkaraoke instead.
In the serenity of Laos, we embarked on a thrilling four-day journey through the Thakhek Loop. From the freedom of driving through mesmerizing landscapes to the breathtaking taxi boat ride to Kong Lor Cave, this journey captured the essence of exploration. Each twist and turn revealed stunning views that left us in awe. This memorable experience is just another highlight of the fascinating country of Laos.
Best Time to Drive the Thakhek Loop
You can drive the Thakhek Loop all year round. The best time to drive the Thakhek Loop in Laos is during the dry season, which typically spans from November to March. The dry season offers favourable weather conditions with mild temperatures and lower humidity. During the dry season there is significantly less rainfall compared to the rest of the year. This means you are less likely to encounter heavy downpours or muddy road conditions, ensuring smoother and safer travel.
