| Cycle Touring Routes > Laos > Vientiane to Savannakhet > Map > Day |
| Day 1 Vientiane to Thapabat Kilometers 96 Miles 57.6 |
Ride/Road - Hwy 13 south. Road sealed the entire way.
Shoulder would appear and disappear. Low to
non-existent traffic. Not a very exciting ride but comfortable.
Slight/minor headwind at beginning of ride.
Facilities/Food - No too many food choices. Gasoline
stations scattered throughout with toilet. Plenty of bushy
areas to have a private pee.
Hills - Undulating parts, but no major hills or climbs.
Weather - Cool, crisp in the morning. Cool in the evening,
but not as cool as the morning. Dry, humidity. Comfortable
riding weather. Sun does get strong after 10:00 a.m.
Riding Sick as a Dog - This was the first time I have cycled
sick. I had no idea I was sick until kilometer 36 south of
Vientiane. Rich had been sick while we were in Vientiane
and I thought I had escaped the illness. I ended up with a
fever, chills, aching body, nausea and light-headedness
during the ride. I was unable to hold down food or water.
Thinking that I needed to eat something I actually forced
food in hoping it would somehow give me strength to
complete the ride. I ended up throwing up everything I ate
by the end of the day and I felt so much better for it.
Other accommodations along this ride - Around Ban Na on
Hwy 13, about 62 kilometers south of Vientiane, there is a
guesthouse. Well signed, 200 meters off the hwy on the left
if coming from the north.
It may be a place for special encounters, but we met a very
proper British couple on bikes that stayed there. They said
it was not luxurious, but okay for 1 night. The turn-off is just
before the gas station and the sign is well-posted on the
highway.
Thapabat is a small town with a small central market and
few open air restaurants. Not much here. Basically a good
point to break a long riding day. Food, water and decent
shelter are all here.
One restaurant looked very nice south of town. The local
market is small, a bit shabby along the river on the north
side of Hwy 13. Unusual array of items for sale such as
fresh fruit and vegetables and some that we don't usually
see in a market. Squirrels, rodents, dry fish.
Slept - Quest House. May have another name but Quest
House is the top line on the sign.
Cost - 60,000 kip ($6.00)
Location - First sleeping option on the left as you enter town
from the north.
Amenities - Nice looking bungalows, attached in sets of
two. Basic, concrete cube, tile floor with one double bed
with foam mattress. En suite bath with western toilet and
cold shower. The bungalow price matches the room.
Locked the bikes inside the bungalow. Plenty of room for
everything.
Other accommodations in town - The T&M Guesthouse is
right next to the Quest House guesthouse. It looked nice.
But have no idea price or look of rooms.
Shoulder would appear and disappear. Low to
non-existent traffic. Not a very exciting ride but comfortable.
Slight/minor headwind at beginning of ride.
Facilities/Food - No too many food choices. Gasoline
stations scattered throughout with toilet. Plenty of bushy
areas to have a private pee.
Hills - Undulating parts, but no major hills or climbs.
Weather - Cool, crisp in the morning. Cool in the evening,
but not as cool as the morning. Dry, humidity. Comfortable
riding weather. Sun does get strong after 10:00 a.m.
Riding Sick as a Dog - This was the first time I have cycled
sick. I had no idea I was sick until kilometer 36 south of
Vientiane. Rich had been sick while we were in Vientiane
and I thought I had escaped the illness. I ended up with a
fever, chills, aching body, nausea and light-headedness
during the ride. I was unable to hold down food or water.
Thinking that I needed to eat something I actually forced
food in hoping it would somehow give me strength to
complete the ride. I ended up throwing up everything I ate
by the end of the day and I felt so much better for it.
Other accommodations along this ride - Around Ban Na on
Hwy 13, about 62 kilometers south of Vientiane, there is a
guesthouse. Well signed, 200 meters off the hwy on the left
if coming from the north.
It may be a place for special encounters, but we met a very
proper British couple on bikes that stayed there. They said
it was not luxurious, but okay for 1 night. The turn-off is just
before the gas station and the sign is well-posted on the
highway.
Thapabat is a small town with a small central market and
few open air restaurants. Not much here. Basically a good
point to break a long riding day. Food, water and decent
shelter are all here.
One restaurant looked very nice south of town. The local
market is small, a bit shabby along the river on the north
side of Hwy 13. Unusual array of items for sale such as
fresh fruit and vegetables and some that we don't usually
see in a market. Squirrels, rodents, dry fish.
Slept - Quest House. May have another name but Quest
House is the top line on the sign.
Cost - 60,000 kip ($6.00)
Location - First sleeping option on the left as you enter town
from the north.
Amenities - Nice looking bungalows, attached in sets of
two. Basic, concrete cube, tile floor with one double bed
with foam mattress. En suite bath with western toilet and
cold shower. The bungalow price matches the room.
Locked the bikes inside the bungalow. Plenty of room for
everything.
Other accommodations in town - The T&M Guesthouse is
right next to the Quest House guesthouse. It looked nice.
But have no idea price or look of rooms.