From Hue to Thakek

My Vietnam to Laos road trip started off grey, drizzly and cold but I knew this would not be the case once I cross into Laos so it was just getting past the first 150km.

The plan was to drive the 150km from Hue to Lao Bao, hopefully cross into Laos without problems, and then continue on for another 310km on to Thakek.

The border crossing was no problem at all this time as I just ignored the first two guards on the Vietnamese side who never want to let motorbikes cross. Once I was at the actual passport checkpoint it was no problem at all and nobody cared about my bike parked right in front of them.

It's funny how the scenery, climate and everything changes as soon as you cross the border. Laos is hot and very dusty, it's almost like the dust gets stopped at the border as it doesn't seem to get in to Vietnam at all.

Another thing that changes are the roads, which are better and newer in Laos with less traffic to boot. Speaking of traffic, the traffic in Laos is much better as people actually look and respect at least some of the road rules.

There were some road works on the way and some bumps but overall the ride in Laos was smooth and despite some roadside stops, I made the 460km from Hue to Thakek before it got dark.

It was my third time in Laos and I liked it a lot more, especially Thakek. Maybe it was different expectations or me knowing what to expect but this time I found Laos a lot more relaxed and interesting.