Thakhek Loop

The loop runs roughly four hundred and fifty kilometres out of Thakhek, east through the limestone country on Route 12, north to the Route 8 junction, and back down Route 13 along the Mekong. It became the standard motorbike trip in Laos because the road passes through the best of the Khammouane karst: cave after cave in the first stretch, the drowned forest and standing dead trees of the Nam Theun flooded area in the middle, and Kong Lor at the northern corner. Most people take three or four days and stay in Thalang and Kong Lor.

What you actually see

• The karst corridor - Route 12 running between limestone towers, with cave entrances along it.
• The caves - Tham Nang Aen, Tham Xieng Liap, Tham Pha Fa and others in the first fifty kilometres.
• The drowned forest - dead trees standing in the reservoir near Thalang, the loop's signature view.
• Kong Lor - the seven-kilometre river cave at the far corner of the circuit.

When to go

November to March is dry and the only sensible season on a motorbike. The wet months bring mud, landslips and rivers over the road. December and January are cool enough to ride comfortably through the middle of the day.

Honest expectations

Roads have improved but sections are still rough, and riders come off them regularly; a proper helmet and long sleeves are not optional. Travel insurance frequently excludes motorbikes without the right licence, which people discover too late. Fuel stops are far apart on the northern section.

Nearby

Kong Lor cave sits at the top of the loop, and Thakhek is the start and finish.