Luang Prabang is a small city with a population of about 50,000 people. The streets are pretty small and once you get outside of the city, the roads become much more difficult. The roads in Laos get absolutely beat up by rain during the rainy season each year, leaving potholes in the road that look more like craters. The easiest ways to get around these roads are motorbikes or trucks/vans. It makes sense that the most common methods of transportation in the countryside are motorbikes and trucks/vans. In the city however, people prefer quick and easy mobility. Motorbikes and bicycles are everywhere! Cars have recently become more popular in Laos but the roads are just not wide enough to hold two lanes of traffic, making it difficult for cars to move quickly around town.
Most locals get around on motorbikes. They're a little less like the big Harley motorcycles you see in the US, and more like mopeds. They're cheap, light, and quick to get around on. Some of the locals can't afford motorbikes, however, and choose to walk, bicycle, or take a tuk-tuk if they need to go farther. Many tourists use tuk-tuks as their main method of transportation. But some tourists choose to ride bicycles in town like the local kids, which is exactly what I do! However, the university the I teach at is almost 45 minutes out of town by bicycle.
