Thinkeo to Vongkham Eco resort

Monday October 30, 2017, 52 miles (84 km) - Total so far: 1,320 miles

(2,125 km)

We took the side trip to the lake - highly recommended, it's really beautiful and will ease yearnings you may have for ocean views! The hill is a bit unfriendly but the steep bits are pretty short. Lots of places to grab a coffee or some food. And you can take a boat trip, it's even possible to go right across. We met a guy who said he'd take some German cyclists across only yesterday!

Then it was back on route 10. There's a reasonable hill but it was actually a nice break form the monotony of the otherwise flat road. It's super quiet until Ban Keum, and very rural. It gets progressively busier, but it's nice to see the river a couple of times, and there are tons of guesthouses and restaurants along on the route. We had an excellent fried rice lunch.

We were going to stop for the day at Ban Hadkieng, but the cycling was so easy we've come all the way to Vongkham Eco resort, just 20km or so from Vientiane. It's a slightly random spot - we are here while they're doing building work though. It's run by an English guy, his Lao wife and her family, and they are definitely still figuring things out, He's super friendly and kind, and has apparently been in Asia for long enough that the whole place feels pretty Asian ;) 90,000 kip for a bell tent with two double mattresses, fan and shared bathroom. They also have ensuite huts, but they're tiny, and air con rooms, there's a huge raised deck with wifi, a restaurant and beers in the fridge. They are planning to ditch some of the aircon rooms in favour of dorms. A great spot!