Pakse, Laos as Southern Laos Biking Getaway

The key is to do as the locals do – taking pleasure in the leisurely pace of life, tasting a variety of snacks, from spicy dips with sticky rice, to crunchy rice cracker treats, to Pho or barbequed chicken, and washing it down with cold beer Lao while taking in he sunset on the horizon. (Pho is Noodle Soup chicken)

With this in mind, time spent in the city of Pakse could involve slow cruising speed thorough neighborhoods with colonial architecture, remnants from a period when the French used the city as an administrative center at the turn of the 20th century.

First I need to say I not like to promote commercial places, but the Champasak Palace Hotel is not only an accommodating place to stay, but is also a landmark in its own right. Its majestic structure is an eye-catching example of the type of grandeur commissioned by Chao Boon Oum, prince of Champasak during the late 1960's when Laos was still a sovereign Kingdom.

Laos is for most Thai bikers the easiest country to travel to, with the right papers from the Lao embassy it is just a piece of cake to cross the Friendship bridge a Khong Khai.

Back to my dreaming to a lost Kingdom, looking at the former palace incorporating traditional Laotian design, seen in the roofing, decorative objects, textiles (probably copied over the years), and indigenous plants of the landscaped ground. Okay I been a bit skeptic, but the panoramic scenery from the 7th floor rooftop is worth the visit, as is a languorous meal or afternoon tea on the garden terrace.

If you travel to Laos be aware that some signs at the gasoline stations are just to look modern, fuels like gasohol and E20 of what ever are just popular names to be cool for smaller gasoline stations.

One another architectural site to visit is Wat Luang, a Buddhist temple on the western en of town. Basically if without motorcycle you could visit it by walking, but it is a few minutes away at the western end of town. The style here is a departure from the Champasak Palace hotel, featuring religious motifs and sculpted stone ornamentation modeled after mythological characters. The region is home to Champasak Sangha College, a center for Buddhist studies, and also considered a form of higher education for men.....

Touring this region of Laos is so relaxed, even the people who clearly are interested in our foreign bikes keep a acceptable distance. The national drink with men is beer Lao, and it is easy to make friends... one bottle (630cc) of the golden liquid costs about 26 Baht.