There are few more liberating travel experiences than renting a motorbike and setting off; stopping where you want, when you want. The lack of traffic and stunningly beautiful roads make Laos about the best place in the region to do it. There are, however, a few things worth knowing before you hand over your passport as collateral on a rent bike.

The bike - Price and availability mean that the vast majority of travellers rent Chinese 110cc bikes. No 110cc bike was designed to be used like a dirt bike, but Japanese bikes deal with it better and are worth the extra couple of dollars a day.

The odometer - Given that many roads have no kilometre stones and turnoffs are often un­marked, it's worth getting a bike with a working odometer. That's easier said than done. The good news is that almost any bike shop can fix an odometer in about 10 minutes for about US$3 or US$4. Money well spent, we think, as long as you remember to note the distance when you start.

The gear - Don't leave home without sunscreen, a hat, plastic raincoat or poncho, bandana and sunglasses. Even the sealed roads in Laos get annoyingly dusty so these last two are vital. At dusk your headlight will act as a magnet for all manner of suicidal bugs, but unfortunately their aim isn't so good and more often than not they end up smacking into your face. This soon gets tedious and you might find yourself doing a Corey Hart and wearing your sun­glasses at night. Helmets are a good idea (ask for one if they don't offer), as is wearing pants and shoes, lest you wind up with the ubiquitous burnt leg.

The problems - Unless you're very lucky, something will go wrong - budget some time for it. However, short of a head-on with a sdwngthdew it shouldn't be the end of the world. On this research trip we had several problems of varying magnitude. A puncture cost us US$0.60 and half an hour to fix - just push your bike to the nearest puncture repair shop, most villages have one. On The Loop (p240) both rear shock absorbers broke. That meant an alarmingly uncomfortable 70km or so to Lak Sao, but once there two new shocks and labour cost US$10 and were fixed in 30 minutes. And then there was the throttle cable breaking in the middle of nowhere on the Bolaven Plateau, which is a reflection of how helpful people will be when you're in trouble. Within 10 minutes five men appeared out of nowhere and set about fixing it. An hour later they'd disconnected the front brake, wrapped the throttle cable around the brake lever (my new throttle!), refused any money and wished me well. Great stuff.

The responsibility - You can ride a motorbike in Laos without a licence, a helmet or any safety gear whatsoever, but for all this freedom you must take all the responsibility. If you have a crash there won't be an ambulance to pick you up, and even when you get to the hospital fa­cilities will be basic. Carrying a basic medical kit and phone numbers for hospitals in Thailand and your travel insurance provider is a good idea. The same goes for the bike. If it really dies you can't just call the company and get a replacement. Laos doesn't work like that, so you'll need to load it onto the next pick-up or sdwngthdew and take it somewhere they can fix it. Do not abandon it by the road, or you'll have to pay for another one.