Getting Transport

Getting Transport

Summary

Alright, so you’ve decided to join the Loop club, great! The next logical question; how to get around the Loop?? Fortunately for us, there are many rental choices for getting wheels. In this article we want to give a bit of advice on choosing a scooter or motorcycle, and also go over a few of the rental options available in Thakhek. We definitely recommend doing your own research as in Laos, as in many other countries in South East Asia, the situation on the ground is constantly shifting, but we hope that the general pointers we give here are enough to get you started.

General tips for renting wheels in Laos

If this is your first time renting a scooter in Laos or generally in South East Asia, you will probably find that the situation is quite different from what you have previously experienced. Here are a few considerations when deciding which scooter or bike to rent.

What to rent

There are 3 considerations here: full vs. semi-automatic, scooter vs. motor/dirtbike, and power level. Choices here are up to preference, but if you don’t have much experience on a scooter we would recommend an automatic as it is simpler to drive. We would also recommend taking at least a 125cc scooter (we had a Yamaha Filano 👌), as you will be going up some steep hills and the extra power makes you not feel like you’re about to start rolling backwards. Also, such a scooter can very conveniently fit a backpack between the driver’s feet, something we did constantly during our time in Southeast Asia 😊.

What to expect

Here are a few things you can expect when renting a vehicle.

  1. If you know when you will be arriving in Thakhek, take a few minutes to message the shops a day or two before to ask about availability. Whatsapp is very popular in Laos, and the phone numbers you can find on google for the agencies (or hotels, or restaurants) are often Whatsapp numbers, with the owners being very responsive. It can save you a lot of time day of to know already who has a bike available, and it is possible they will be willing to reserve your preferred scooter for you.
  2. Don’t expect a brand new vehicle. In fact, unless you are an experienced rider, you probably don’t want a vehicle in pristine condition. We would estimate at least 1 in 4 Loop riders fall at some point on their ride, and having a vehicle with a few scratches on it already means you don’t have to worry about being the first to mar a new bike. If having a brand-new bike is important to you, your best bet is probably Mad Monkey Motorcycle (see below), but if you don’t mind a few scratches, just make sure to check the essentials before you pull away (see also below.)
  3. Get ready to leave your passport as collateral. This is the norm in Laos (and a throughout a lot of Southeast Asia) and is the case for every one of the 4 main scooter rental companies listed below. This is one reason to always check the reviews, but fortunately in this case it seems that the companies in Thakhek are upstanding and will not extort you via your passport. Mad Monkey was is the only company at the time of writing with any negative reviews related to passports; we certainly had zero problems at Wang Wang.
  4. When you rent your bike, don’t expect the agency to ask to see your driver’s license. This doesn’t mean you don’t need one though; if you are stopped by the police without an international license with the proper box checked (A1 for scooter and A for motorbike with >35kW power), expect a fine.

What to check

When getting your bike make sure to check at minimum the below points:

  1. Check the mirrors for cracks and damage.
  2. Check the condition of the front and back wheel treads. The colloquialism in the US is that Abe Lincoln’s head on a penny shouldn’t be visible if placed within the tread; you probably won’t have a penny, but make sure the tires are in a reasonable state.
  3. Try to visually check the brake pads as much as possible. Google what new and used brake pads look like and compare. Drive the scooter a meter and slam on the brakes; it should stop immediately. Check the front and back brakes separately.
  4. Make sure the left and right blinkers work, and the front headlights.
  5. Take pictures of the bike from all sides and closeups of scratches and cracks in the plastic. Also, take pictures AFTER returning the bike but BEFORE leaving the shop; we’ve read more than a few stories of shop owners chasing down renters claiming that they caused damage that was clearly committed after returning their bike. Have evidence of your bike’s condition upon return.
  6. Check the google reviews! Sort by best comments and worst comments, and look for trends in particular. There will always be some one stars, but it is most concerning when there are consistently the same complaints, particularly in relation to safety and honesty.

Where to rent your bike

Fortunately, there are several good scooter/bike rental shops in Thakhek to choose from. The four listed below stand out in particular.

Wang Wang Motor Rental

The positive:

  • We rented our bikes at Wang Wang and were very satisfied with our experience. Both the owner and employees were polite and helpful. They warned us about a police trap one intersection over that many people have run afoul of.
  • They are generally very fair; we had a fall on our bike and they only charged us 100,000 kip (~4 USD) for a broken turn signal. One renter even reported that they refunded him some of his cost when he returned the bike early.
  • They offer to exchange your currency to kip at a decent exchange rate.
  • They can be reached by WhatsApp.
  • There is space to leave your big bags during your ride, and a shower for after.

The negative:

  • The bikes on offer are definitely not the newest. We requested a different bike as the first one offered did not have the best brakes. Make sure to look over your bike as described above.
  • Most helmets don’t have a visor, which may or may not be an issue for you.
  • While they offer to buy your onward bus ticket, many people report that by the time the bus arrives at the bus station, it is full with their “reserved” spot taken. This is because many hostels and other service providers know the bus drivers and will bring their clients to the bus before it arrives to the station to guarantee a spot. This is simply how it works in Laos; we strongly recommend trying to align the same service if you don’t want to spend an extra night in Thakhek. Google reviews have suggested Wang Wang has started doing this as well, so make sure to ask if they can do the same for you.

Mad Monkey Motorcycle

The positive

  • Mad Monkey probably has the newest and best kept bikes of the four rental shops mentioned here, and is the place to go if you want to rent motorcycles or dirt bikes.
  • The owner of the shop is extremely knowledgeable about the Loop and will provide a briefing and nice map of the Loop with all of the most important places to see.
  • Some reviews indicate that they are helpful in the case of accidents (others indicate the opposite.)

The negative

  • Strangely, there is general negative feedback about the German owner of the shop. He is often described as pretentious and stand-offish. We chose not to come to Mad Monkey specifically because we were planning to do the Loop in only 3 days, and some reviews suggested that the owner would be very rude and unhelpful if we suggested such an itinerary.
  • The prices here are the highest of the four rental places.

Mixay Thakhek Motor Rental

The positive:

  • Very friendly staff, providing water, tea and snacks before and after the trip, showers, laundry, and a place to leave your bags.
  • Refunds if you have to cut your trip short.
  • Most reviews specify that the bikes are in good shape and well maintained.
  • A good range of helmets with visors as well.
  • Helpful in the case of accidents; critically, 0 bad reviews in relation to this, only positive things to say, unlike other shops.

The negative:

  • Not all reviews are positive on the state of the bikes; check your bike!

PokemonGo Motorbike Rental

The positive:

  • Friendly staff with the ability to leave your bags and they can bring your scooter to/from your accommodation if you don’t feel like walking for some reason.
  • Well maintained scooters, few reviews indicating otherwise.
  • Some people report being able to use a driver’s license or ID instead of the passport as collateral. I wouldn’t count on this being the case, but if they are willing to do it for you it is a nice plus.
  • They have a nice selection of helmets.

The negative:

  • The worst reviews are from people who didn’t sufficiently check their scooter before pulling out. Need I repeat myself?

Conclusion

As with everything in Laos, the situation is always fluid. You may show up and find that your rental agency of choice is closed, or sold out, or way too expensive, so we recommend doing your own research before arriving in Thakhek. We hope thought that information here helps you get started and maybe prevents an unhappy surprise or experience before you even get on the road!

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