A cross check to the whatsapp group from other China Crossing tour participant confirmed that other border entry into Laos did not have such nonsense requirement.
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| Lazing around in Huay Xai |
One other camper that did cross the same border a few weeks earlier got caught up in the scam but managed to negotiate the "price" down to 500 baht. Legitimate SCAM confirmed since proper documentation would not have a possibility of price negotiation.
Still it was better to be prepared and avoid trouble instead of attracting attention so I laid low in Huay Xai just doing nothing watching TV in the hotel and after the third day when I thought the Tourist Police would have forgotten me and not work during a weekend, I made a push for Luang Namtha.
Still it was better to be prepared and avoid trouble instead of attracting attention so I laid low in Huay Xai just doing nothing watching TV in the hotel and after the third day when I thought the Tourist Police would have forgotten me and not work during a weekend, I made a push for Luang Namtha.
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| Pushing on to Luang Namtha |
Luang Namtha for two nights in a familar town and I was more relax now that I was away from Huay Xai. I saw a few overlander vehicle at the guesthouse in Luang Namtha but kept my excitement to myself. It was just the beginning of the big trip so excitement was expected.
The journey to Boten from Luang Namtha was as horrible as I remembered. Stupid potholed roads of unimaginable degree. There was however a new additional stop which was a new PTT Petrol Station at Nataey with Amazon Cafe.
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| A group of Malaysian & Singaporean Bikers heading to China |
A good break and as I sip my last possibly iced Thai Black Tea for a while many bikers from Malaysia and Singapore stopped by en-route to China.
Touring China was a norm now it seams but every group had a tour leader from Malaysia sucking double the money. Tour Leader from Malaysia takes a cut from the China tour guide so effectively the riders were paying more for having two tour guides but what can you do since they control the group and prevent outsider from joining without paying the price.
I had to pay the same price of information last year in 2023 when I did the test ride to China. Only 10 days round trip in China and it was more expensive than the upcoming trip in two days which would last me 27 days through Tibet and Xinjiang to cross over to Kyrgyzstan.
Touring China was a norm now it seams but every group had a tour leader from Malaysia sucking double the money. Tour Leader from Malaysia takes a cut from the China tour guide so effectively the riders were paying more for having two tour guides but what can you do since they control the group and prevent outsider from joining without paying the price.
I had to pay the same price of information last year in 2023 when I did the test ride to China. Only 10 days round trip in China and it was more expensive than the upcoming trip in two days which would last me 27 days through Tibet and Xinjiang to cross over to Kyrgyzstan.
This time I go direct with www.drive-china.com joining true overlanders which are all individual, unafraid of a little adventure.
The riders came and go all heading to Boten before entering China. I pushed off after all of them left and made my way through the last horrible 20km of mud roads to Boten for the night. Finally back at the starting line proper after two years.
Traveled on: May 2024
The riders came and go all heading to Boten before entering China. I pushed off after all of them left and made my way through the last horrible 20km of mud roads to Boten for the night. Finally back at the starting line proper after two years.
Traveled on: May 2024
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