HCM Trail Laos
Conquer the Infamous Blood Road
Ho Chi Minh Trail Laos
9 Day Motorcycle Tour Down the Original Ho Chi Minh Trail
- southern Laos
- 9 days, 10 nights
- 1,520 km
- 3 hotels, 3 motels and 4 boutique hotels
- 250cc Honda CRF
- mixed on road and off road
- unsuitable for pillion riders
- off road experience required
This adventure is only suitable for experienced dirt bikers who want to test their skills on the original cobblestoned Ho Chi Minh Trail through impoverished regions still blighted by unexploded ordnance. All adventures guided by Digby Greenhalgh, whom the BBC has hired two times to guide film crews down the Ho Chi Minh Trail on both sides of the border.
- A bomb pockmarked route littered with UXO
- Original Trail cobblestones, deep, in sometimes-intimidating jungle, close to the Vietnamese border
- Reading a 100 page booklet compiled by Digby concerning all aspects of the blood-soaked history of the Trail
- Challenging trails north of La Hap, south of Sepon, south of Bulapaha, south of Ban Laboy, south of Kaleum, north of Attapeu, and south of Nong
- Mu Gia, a dramatic pass where the Vietnamese trucks entered Laos. Code named ‘The Dog Box’ by US pilots because over 40 aircraft were shot down there
- Ban Phanop, a ‘live’ Trail village, which is littered by war material such as bombs, a US Phantom jet wing, and bullet-damaged helmets
- Ban Phanop Valley, where the war’s most dramatic pilot rescue took place
- The crater-ridden Road 20, called ‘Quet Thang’ (Guts or Glory) by the North Vietnamese
- Ban Laboy, an infamous river crossing, deemed the most bombed place on earth
- ‘The Chokes’, a series of natural bottlenecks that the US Airforce targeted in an unsuccessful effort to shut down the Trail
- Hidden caves that still contain Vietnamese supply materials such as bullets, barrels and truck tyres
- Sepon ruins, which mark the catastrophic US/South Vietnam failure to cut the Trail during the brutal Lam Son 719 Invasion
- The actual tunnel HQ ruins of the North Vietnamese 559 Engineering Corps
- An incredible 200-m-long bamboo bridge
- Ruined tanks, surface to air missiles, and armoured personal carriers
- 340 km
- hotel
- Mekong River sunset at charming former French colonial Thaket
A day to cover some ground blasting on tarmac south along the Mekong River to the charming former French colonial town of Thakek.
- 190 km
- motel
- Mu Gia Pass and Ban Phanop Valley
A day that starts with lovely tarmac cruising through dramatic karst limestone peaks that leads to the base of the Mu Gia Pass. Explore Ban Phanop village and valley before following the cobblestones to the remote village of Bualapha.
- 180 km
- motel
- Ban Laboy Crossing, Route 20, The Chokes and caves filled with war material
A challenging day to tackle single tracks in the jungle and explore the cobblestoned trails and caves near the infamous Ban Laboy Crossing. This is the real deal.
- 15O km
- boutique hotel
- tunnel HQ of the NVA leadership that controlled the Trail and caves with petrol tanks
Drive through the ‘Nail’ towards the the former HQ of the 559 Corps, which is a tunnel complex hidden in the forest. Then strike towards the Vietnamese border to discover a supply cave that houses enormous petrol tanks. Digby will show you the mountain where he was contracted to use a drone to find the crashed F-104 Super Sabre fighter bomber flown by Forrest Fen.
- 160 km
- boutique hotel
- military museum at Ban Dong, Sepon ruins, challenging single track
Challenging riding over cobblestones and single track in the jungle escarpment above Sepon.
- 210 km
- motel
- Nong bamboo bridge, infamous Oscar 8 battle site and the mighty Sekong River
This is a long day so a dawn start is essential. It is also a very challenging day riding the sections of the Trail that are still littered by bullet ridden North Vietnamese truck remnants. You’ll cross a 200-metre long bamboo bridge, and negotiate steep inclines, deep sandy tracks and fast running rivers. Best/worst of all, Digby will ply you with beers before you see the ‘motel’, because it’s rough, to put it mildly.
- 180 km
- hotel
- ruined tanks and SAAM missiles
Tackle small cobblestone trails through dry, sandy forests, past ruined tanks, surface to air missiles, and very remote hilltribe communities, who will probably run away when they see you.
- 110 km
- boutique hotel
- sunset over the Mekong River
A catastrophic dam collapse wiped out the remnants of the Trail in this area, so we’ll take a lovely cruise up and over the mild Bolivan Plateau, leaving us plenty of time to get a luxurious massage before we toast our adventure with ice-cold Beer Lao while devouring a steak or pizza (or both) while watching the sun set behind the immense Mekong River.
- 450 km
- boutique hotel
- visit the COPE rehabilitation centre in Vientiane and Mekong River sunset celebration
Catch a morning flight back to Vientiane while our battered bikes follow us in trucks. Visit the COPE Rehabilitation Centre to deliver our donation towards the essential work they provide to the Laotian people whose lives are blighted by UXO. Toast the adventure at sunset by the banks of the Mekong River.
You’ll be riding a 250cc Honda CRF.
All fuel is paid for by your guide.
On tours of six riders or more, a support vehicle carrying tools, extra fuel, more medical supplies, excess luggage and sometimes a spare motorcycle, is included as standard. If your group has fewer riders than six riders, you can choose to be accompanied by a support truck for an additional charge of US$150 per day.
Just note that sections of this tour are inaccessible for anything other than a motorcycle—sometimes, your support vehicle will have to break off and take an alternate route.
Enjoy a private room throughout and a night in Vientiane both before and after the adventure.
Each day you will be provided with breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Each adventure will be accompanied by a Western tour guide and a local Laotian guide/mechanic.
Included in the price is a US$50 donation to COPE, a local charity which lends assistance people afflicted by unexploded ordinance (UXO). Click here to learn more about COPE.
To save you the ride back from Pakse to Vientiane at the end of your tour, we’ll load your motorcycle onto a truck and you can relax by taking a flight back to Vientiane.
We’ll arrange airport transportation to and from your hotel in Vientiane.
If your tour runs through areas that require permits or tickets for entry, such as national parks and border areas, these tickets are included in the cost of your tour.
On tours of six riders or more, a support vehicle carrying tools, extra fuel, more medical supplies, excess luggage and sometimes a spare motorcycle, is included as standard. If your group has fewer riders than six riders, you can choose to be accompanied by a support truck for an additional charge of US$150 per day.
Just note that sections of this tour are inaccessible for anything other than a motorcycle—sometimes, your support vehicle will have to break off and take an alternate route.
| TOUR PRICE PER RIDER | |
| 1 Rider (Private Accommodation) | US$3,099 |
| 1 Rider (Shared Accommodation) | N/A |
| Pillion | N/A |
| OPTIONAL EXTRAS | |
| Support Vehicle | US$1,500 |
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