Crossing from Laos to China with a Motorcycle
Update 57 (May 2024)
Boten, Laos to Deqin, China
The decision to go through China came about while I was in Japan. I wanted to ride through Central Asia to Europe. Previous overland travellers would typically go by ferry from South Korea to Vladivostok, Russia and then through Russia, Mongolia and the rest of Central Asia.
This is not so easy currently. The Australian Government has put a Do Not Travel rating on Russia, which means my travel insurance is void there. I am not actually sure whether the ferry to Vladivostok is currently operating either.
China was the easiest solution, except as a foreigner on my own motorcycle I must have a tour guide. I looked at going via Mongolia but that meant a double entry to China. In the end the only “affordable” option was to join a tour. I chose a tour from Ride China that was going from Laos to Kyrgyzstan via Tibet.
We all met up at a pre-determined hotel in Boten, Laos. There were 13 riders and 4 passengers to travel in the Ride China support van with our driver and guide. It was a mix from Thailand, Singapore, Denmark, the United States and Australia. Everyone spoke English and several spoke Chinese which became very helpful. And there was a good mix of ages, probably two thirds younger.
The exit from Laos went smoothly, until a Laos border officer decided we were a tour group leaving Laos and needed our guide present for some reason. Eventually he understood we were just random individuals that would only become a tour group once we entered China.
All the China entry requirements had been previously arranged. We all had organised our own visas (me in Tokyo) and the Ride China company had done the work to register us and the motorbikes.
We rode up to the Chinese border, left our bikes and went inside. It was the usual biometric ID, although our US member was singled out for a quick chat. The police did a quick manual search of our motorcycle luggage and we were in China.
The next task was to visit a nearby police station. There we received our temporary Chinese Drivers License and vehicle registration card. We had a short presentation about riding safely and were on our way.
Riding up to the exit for Laos.
Through the China border and about to get a briefing from the owner of Ride China. For the first few days we had a guide on a motorcycle leading us. Once we cleared the busier region he left and we were fairly free to find our way along the route each day, with the occasional meet up with our guide and driver in the van e.g. lunch, the major checkpoints.
About to begin our ride through China.
Waiting to get through a road toll. Normally we would just ride through on the far right lane, no paying. But I think that truck was blocking us this time around.
Dinner in Puer.
The food is tasty but the beer in China is typically room temperature. Asking for a glass and some ice became the norm.
I had managed to do some regular exercises with my resistance bands in Laos. I tried to keep it up in China but failed after this first morning. I had finished by the time this group arrived.
Preparing to leave our hotel after the first night. The hotels on the trip were all western style and pretty good, or the best available in the town.
Group photo time.
I am confused about where this is. At first I thought it was Pu’er but maybe it was Dali with one of the Three Pagodas in the background.
Preparing to leave our hotel in Dali on Day 3. So far we are just pushing out the miles along highways, many with beautifully kept hedges. Many are toll roads. We were told that there is no charge for motorcycles and would just ride around the far right boom gate.
Visiting Shaxizhen or Shaxi market town and having some lunch.
Lots of shops for tourists.
There was a photo shoot happening which provided some interest.
Whoops, what are those mobile phones doing in the shot…..
Arriving in Lijiang. The weather was still fairly warm, certainly not like Laos though.
Visiting the UNESCO World Heritage listed Lijaing old town.
Sometimes I ate with the family from Singapore. One of the ladies was very knowledgeable on food and would kindly order for everyone.
The nearby Lijaing night market.
On Day 4 we called in at Tiger Leaping Gorge. The Jinsha River flows through the gorge and becomes a main tributary to the Yangtze River. The gorge is one of the deepest in the world at 3,790 metres. Here is a link to my ride past another deep gorge, the Colca Canyon in Peru, although it was so deep I couldn’t fit a worthwhile photo of the actual canyon, but it was a spectacular ride.
The name comes from the legend of a hunted tiger that escaped by leaping the gorge using a rock at the narrowest point.
The ticket entrance to Tiger Leaping Gorge.
A walking trail on the opposite side of the gorge.
It was May and I imagine there was still a fair amount of snow melt coming into the river system. There are some spectacular photos online of the river in flood.
The rock where the hunted tiger crossed.
This monument is located just before entering Tibet. It seemed to be a representation of the 1950 annexation of Tibet.
The region we were riding through is part of the Three Parallel Rivers UNESCO protected area. The rivers are the Jinsha (Yangtze), Lancang (Mekong) and Nujiang (Salween).
Meili Snow Mountains park. We are getting up high now, about 4,300 metres here.
Part of the Meili Snow Mountains range.
Meili Snow Mountains at sunset.
Kawagarbo is one of the most sacred peaks in Tibetan culture. It is the worlds highest unclimbed mountain. Many people died trying. Climbing was banned in 2001.