We had been thinking of putting the bikes on a slow boat to
Houay Xai to avoid the dirt and gravel roads on the way to Luang Namtha that
many have warned us about taking, but we decided to drive to a new land border
crossing at Muang Ngeun/Huai Kon which would take us into Nan province in
Thailand. I can’t believe that we
hadn’t heard of this before – it was great and only 2 days from LP-CM!
(Hwy#13-4-4a in Laos)
4a was a narrow twisty mountain road with frequent patches
of gravel construction that kept the speed down but the scenery was
beautiful. The last 30km was on a
wide, smooth, paved road from a new coal power plant in Hongsa right to the Thai
border (Thailand gets 80% of the power generated). The border was simple and
small – took less than 1 hour! Driving
in Nan Province was exceptional. Hwy#101
is a great new road with stunning scenery of rolling hills and lots of panorama
views while winding along the crest of mountains. We passed many big trucks carrying huge loads of lumber out
of Laos. We were told that it is
exported by Chinese companies who then stockpile it just across the border
until it is legal to take to Bangkok and then by boat to China. Companies always find a way to evade
environmental protection policy at the expense of poorer countries…so sad to see.
Stayed at Siam Garden Bungalows with hosts Dao & Marco
in Thung Chiang – great place!
Laos: 4 hrs - 228 km ; Thailand: 1 hr - 50 km
Total: 5hrs - 278km
Total: 5hrs - 278km
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| Landslide road collapse in Laos |
Sat, Nov 28: Thung Chiang – Chiang Mai
On the final home stretch today we started on twisty
mountain roads in Nan Province, stopped for lunch by the lake in Phayao and
finished coming in on Hwy #118 where we could finally get back up to cruising
speed. Nice to be home on our
quiet little soi where everything seems to be in order.
Driving time: 6 hrs
Driving time: 6 hrs
Distance: 348 km
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| Rolling hills in Nan Province, Thailand |
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