Name: Loei - Road Cycling
Brand: SpiceRoads
SKU: THA-LOE
Price: 19950 THB
Availability: InStock

About this Cycle Tour

Loei is one of Thailand's best-kept cycling secrets. Nestled up against the Laos border in northeast Thailand where the mountains meet the Mekong rive, Loei is blessed with a diverse, beautiful landscape and excellent roads that cut gloriously through national parks and river valleys.

Our short but action-packed cycle trip has been designed for road bikers to see the best of the province in just four days, taking a loop from Loei we ride 350km through Phu Ruea National Park, meandering along the Mekong River to charming Chiang Khan before cutting back through the hills to Loei. While it is home to some impressive mountains, the slopes of Loei are not as steep or daunting as Thailand's far north and roll through a rural patchwork of hills and valleys, making for wonderful bike riding terrain

We have selected some delightful hotels and there will be time at the end of each day to hang up your helmet, have your guides and mechanics service your road bike while you relax and enjoy the mountain view or a few beers by the riverside. Our last night as in Chiang Khan, a photogenic Thai hamlet with charming wooden architecture and sweeping views of the Mekong River and the Lao mountains beyond. Every evening the town turns into a busy walking street market with buskers, artists and street-food vendors and some of our favourite restaurants and boasts an excellent craft beer pub - a fitting place to celebrate our cycling achievements!

Itinerary

2021 Itinerary Loei (6 Days)

Day 1

The afternoon ride is a nice loop ride starting and finishing at our hotel in Loei.

Day 2

Today we head west and into the hills towards Phu Reau national park.

Day 3

From Dan Sai, we climb out of the valley and up onto the plateau before a sweeping descent down into the Mekong river valley.

Day 4

From Chiang Kham, we ride along the Mekong before a gentle climb out of the valley and across a patchwork of rolling hills back to Loei.

Day 5

Free time until transfer to the airport for the flight home.

Elevation Profiles

Day 1 - Arrival Loei - Loei Loop Ride 73-119km. +531m / -531m.

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Trip Profile

This tour is 100% on road, and we designed the route with road bikers in mind.

Our trip starts with a pick up from Loei airport and a transfer to our hotel in Loei. We then warm up with a loop around Loei.

The total distance is 348 or 467 km (depending on which rides you choose) in 4 riding days. Some of the distances are quite long, but the roads are smooth, making it an achievable distance on a road bike. The trip is fully supported, and your guide’s expert knowledge of the area and terrain means that you always know what is coming up in terms of distance and difficulty. This makes a tremendous difference, as does the constant supply of cold drinks, ice, and fresh fruit.

Suitability: Fitness, of course, will be a huge asset on those long days and the undulating hills. The tour is fully supported, and the bus is always close at hand for those that find the riding too difficult.

Biking Conditions: The roads are 100% tarmac and in good condition. There are hills, mostly rolling with some shorter steeper sections.

Day 1 Arrival Loei - Loei Loop

Arrival Loei – Pick up from the airport and transfer to hotel. The afternoon ride is a nice loop ride starting and finishing at our hotel in Loei. We will ride east out of town and soon find ourselves on quiet country roads through small villages and into the rice-fields. We have a few climbs but nothing too serious.

Day 2 Loei to Phu Ruea

Today we head west and into the hills towards Phu Reau national park. The park is named after Phu Ruea, a table-top mountain with gentle slopes and our main climb of the day takes us up onto the plateau which is shaded by pine trees. We stop at a very scenic coffee shop just before Phu Reau town and then enjoy a sweeping descent before climbing again into Dan Sai, our final destination.

Day 3 Phu Ruea to Chiang Kham

From Dan Sai, we climb out of the valley and up onto the plateau before a sweeping descent down into the Mekong river valley. We will follow the Hueang River before arriving at the majestic Mekong, one of Asia's great rivers. We follow the Mekong along very quiet, scenic roads all the way to Chiang Khan. The sleepy, little-known Mekong-side town is full of traditional timber shophouses and has become a trendy destination for Thais with trendy cafes, shops and some smart bars and restaurants. That said, Chiang Khan (เชียงคาน) is far from spoiled and is still a charming place to visit. with photogenic views of the river and the Lao mountains beyond.

Day 4 Chiang Kham to Loei

From Chiang Kham, we ride along the Mekong before a gentle climb out of the valley and across a patchwork of rolling hills back to Loei. We think riding in Loei is some of the best in Thailand. The roads are quiet yet in good condition and while situated in the mountains the climbs are not as long or steep as they can be in northern Thailand. This, along with endless steam of awe-inspiring landscapes and the charm of Dan Sai, Loei and especially Chiang Kham make Loei one of cycling's best-kept secrets.

Nuts & Bolts

Bikes

Because some people can't imagine going on a trip without their own beloved bicycle, we do not provide them as part of this tour. However, you can hire bikes locally for the price listed in the tour pricing section.

If you bring your own bike, please make sure it is a road bike in good mechanical order.

Bike Repairs

Basic spares and tools are carried by the guide and on the support vehicle, though we cannot guarantee having spares for every conceivable problem. Carrying a basic tool kit, a spare tube and a pump while riding is recommended.

Safety

Wearing a helmet is required on all our biking adventures and is non negotiable. If you do not wear a helmet you will not be allowed to cycle. Your tour leader is trained in first aid and emergency rescue, but to a large degree you must be responsible for your own safety while riding. It is therefore compulsory that you take out travel insurance that will cover you for a mountain biking tour.

Guides

You will be led by a local English-speaking guide and if the group is 9 people or more we will add another guide to the tour. All our guides are well informed in the history, culture and religions of the area where you are biking and are skilled at passing that knowledge on to you. Your guide is also medically trained and an experienced cyclist, able to handle most minor repairs en route.

The Nitty Gritty

Passports and Visas

Visitors from 93 countries can enter Thailand for 60 days without applying for a visa. See here if your country is on the list. If you do not hold a passport from one of these countries please contact the Thai embassy or consulate nearest to you about applying for a visa. If you intend to say for more than 60 days you will also need a visa. Please check this page for more details and the latest updates. Please ensure you hold a passport with at least 6 months of validity remaining. You will need to show proof of an onward flight out of Thailand to be eligible for the visa on arrival. If you do not possess a ticket proving your exit from Thailand within 60 days of arrival, you may be denied boarding.

Health

We recommend that you visit a travel medical doctor and ask about the following vaccinations: typhoid, polio, tetanus and hepatitis A. A certificate for Yellow Fever is required when arriving from an infected area within six days.

Weather

Thailand generally has a tropical climate with fairly high humidity. The North and Central region have a tropical climate with fairly high humidity. Northeast Thailand has a humid hot and dry weather alternatively with medium rain while the coastal areas of the east is humid and hot with intermittent rain. The South of Thailand has a tropical climate with fairly high humidity.

There are three seasons: from March to June it is hot and dry, with temperatures between 27˚C/80 F and 40˚C/104 F, with night temperatures in the 20s. The rainy season is from July to October, but temperatures are slightly lower, because of the effect of the rain. During this time it will not rain continuously, but in sharp bursts, and the sun can come out quickly. The cooler season is from October to February, with average temperatures between 20˚C/68 F and 30˚C/86 F.

Food

Meals are included as per the itinerary where B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner. Most meals are local and feature noodles, rice, curries, and soups. Any special dietary requirements can also be catered for as well. Please let us know at the time of booking.

Drink

Keeping you completely hydrated is a job we take very seriously. Cold water, some energy-restoring local fruit, and soft drinks are included in the tour price while riding. Soft drinks and other beverages during meals are not included. Beer is freely available everywhere but is NOT included in the price.

Solo Travelers

SpiceRoads does not require you to pay a surcharge for traveling alone. We will arrange for you to share accommodation with another traveler of the same gender and if we cannot match you up we will provide a single room at no extra charge. If you prefer not to share a single supplement is payable to guarantee your own room. The cost of the single supplement is listed above.

Extra Expenses

We recommend that you tuck away a few extra dollars, perhaps US$20 per day, for incidentals.

Money

The Thai currency is the baht. ATMs, which are abundant, are the easiest ways to get Thai baht. Have a supply of US dollars in cash on hand, just in case your card doesn’t work. Banks or the rarer private moneychangers offer the best foreign-exchange rates. Credit cards are accepted in big cities and resort hotels but you’ll need baht for family-run guesthouses or restaurants.

General booking info

If this is the tour for you here's what you need to do to confirm your place:

FLEXIBLE BOOKING CONDITIONS

Booking a SpiceRoads cycling adventure is easy and we try to do everything possible to make sure you have full flexibility and peace of mind. We do not require a deposit to hold your place on a tour and once full payment has been made your money is protected in our client account and you have the flexibility to cancel or change your booking if needed.

CONFIRMING YOUR BOOKING

Just complete our online booking form or send your booking details offline (email or post), and we will confirm your participation. No deposit is needed to confirm your place on a SpiceRoads tour.

You are advised to read our Booking Conditions in full before you make your payment and should you require further clarifications of any of the conditions below, please email us or call our office.

TRIP STATUS

There is a minimum number of participants (usually 2) required to enable the trip to go ahead. Once the minimum number is reached, the trip status will change from 'Available' to 'Guaranteed to Depart'. Once a trip is guaranteed to depart you are free to book your flights and make other travel arrangements. If the trip status is ‘Limited’ will mean we have only a small number of spaces available for booking. If you are unsure about the trip status, please email us or call our office.

BOOKING ONLINE

From the tour page, click the 'Book Now' link. All departures for this tour will appear, just select the date you'd like to travel. For the next steps, you'll need to know the names of the people travelling. If you wish you can also provide extra details such as passport numbers, height (for bike hire), or you can add that later by logging into Manage My Trip (we'll set up an account for you automatically if you don't already have one). Our system will contact you from time to time to fill in the missing information, as it will be required before departure. However, if the trip that you are booking offers a child discount, you will have to fill out the date of birth of each rider (so we can calculate the appropriate discount).

If you are having any problems please send us an email, or give us a call (+66 026 3295) and one of our travel specialists will assist you with your booking.

BOOKING OFFLINE

Just call us or send an email indicating which trip you want to join and we will happily send you a list of questions and process your booking for you.

DEPOSITS AND PAYMENTS

We do not require a deposit or full payment to book a place for you on a tour.

The balance of the tour’s cost (final invoice) will need to be paid 60 days before the departure date with fees for any bicycle rental(s), single supplement(s) and extra hotel nights.

In the case where a booking is made when there are less than 60 days until the tour departure date, the tour’s cost should be paid in full within 72 hours of receiving an invoice from SpiceRoads. Payment can be made by credit card using our online payment gateway or by bank transfer. When making payment online you will need to confirm that you have read these booking conditions during the "checkout" process, which equates to agreeing to the terms of services and stipulations as indicated in this document.

In all cases, tour fees need to be paid “in full” before participation in a tour. No person(s) will be allowed to join a tour without fully settling their invoice and receiving a confirmation number from SpiceRoads.

The exception can be made for last-minute miscellaneous fees that can be paid locally (visas, additional local hotel bookings, etc.) can be settled on the day of arrival.

FULL FLEXIBILITY FOR TOUR CANCELATIONS

If the tour is cancelled or postponed by SpiceRoads because we didn't make the trip numbers and the tour can’t run, we will make a full cash refund (by bank transfer or on your credit card).

If the tour is cancelled for any other reason, including due to Covid related travel restrictions, we will give you a full credit (with no deductions for admin or any other small-print item) to use on any SpiceRoads tour with no time limit. (Exceptions being flights, special permits and other non-refundable items and these will be advised when booking the trip).

Before paying for your tour, you can cancel your booking with no charge and up until 40 days before departure, you can change your booking to another travel date or move your booking onto another SpiceRoads tour with no charges.

If you need to cancel after you have made full payment, please see our cancellation policy.

Loyalty Riders Club

For those who have been on several long tours with us, we reward customer loyalty by offering repeat customers a special discount off the tour price (excludes single supplement and bike rental). If this is your fourth scheduled tour or more you will receive a 5% discount. If this is your eighth scheduled tour or more we will extend a 10% discount. The discount will be reflected in your online booking, but please contact us if any questions. Loyalty discounts cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Note: Only tours of 7 days or more will be applicable for a loyalty discount.

International Flights

International flights, to and from the start and finish points are not included in the tour price. Once your tour is Guaranteed to Depart you can book your flight. Please contact us for advice before arranging flights for the best arrival and departure times. We would only cancel a trip for an extreme circumstance, but in that case, where we cancel your trip, we cannot be liable for losses incurred relating to any flight booking you have made. Please claim any losses from your travel insurance that you acquired when you booked your holiday.

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Loei - Road Cycling