I like challenges and I like going on motorbike drives around so a 615km drive from Da Nang to Thakek in one day sounded like fun and challenging enough.
Getting up at 6am in Da Nang I set out for my first drive to Hue, nothing unusual and a drive I've done many times back and forth. The views over the Hai Van pass were as usual great and make this always a great drive.
After sorting out a few things and having breakfast in Hue it was time to continue and head to A Luoi for another quick coffee break and my last break in Vietnam.
After A Luoi I went on the very nice and scenic drive to Khe Sanh and Lao Bao where I crossed the border without any problems on my bike. I did take this section a bit too easy though and lost a bit more time than I wanted.
Once I was across the border in Laos, I kept driving all the way to Xepon for my last coffee break of the day. The road on the Laos side is very dusty and very boring but at least it wasn't too hot this time and I didn't feel like driving through an oven.
After Xepon I took it a bit too slow again and lost time on the very god section of the road, only to end up at all the road works and bumps when it started to get dark.
I made it all the way to Xeno despite the bad roads and road works just after it got dark but still had about 90km to go to make it to Thakek.
Driving when it's dark is never easy, it's more difficult and time seems to stretch and it feels you drive for hours without making any progress. Still, driving about 80km/h over the bumpy but not terrible roads (despite not seeing very much) meant I made it to Thakek right before 8pm and just in time for dinner and a few beer Lao.
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