Southern Laos: Pakse, Wat Phou, the Bolaven Plateau and Si Phan Don

Why go

The south shows a different Laos: wide river landscapes, French era towns, Khmer ruins older than Angkor Wat and an upland plateau where the air is cool and the coffee is excellent. It is ideal for a slow loop of a week, and pairs naturally with a crossing into Cambodia.

Pakse

Pakse sits where the Xe Don river meets the Mekong. It is a working town rather than a sight in itself, but it has good hotels, a huge market at Dao Heuang, riverside temples such as Wat Luang, and rooftop sunsets. Most people use it as a base to arrange scooters and tours.

The Bolaven Plateau

East of Pakse, the land rises to the Bolaven Plateau, cooler and greener, where French planters introduced coffee. Today family farms grow arabica and robusta, and you can tour plantations and taste fresh roasts. The plateau is crowded with waterfalls: Tad Fane plunges in twin streams into a deep gorge, Tad Yuang has a pool to swim in at its base, and Tad Lo is a village with falls where many people stay a night. Riding the Bolaven loop by scooter over two to four days is popular; only do it if you are an experienced rider with insurance that covers motorbikes, and wear a helmet. Guided tours and drivers cover the same sights for everyone else.

Wat Phou and Champasak

About an hour south of Pakse, the sleepy riverside town of Champasak lies below Wat Phou, a Khmer temple complex begun before Angkor and listed by UNESCO. Processional avenues and ruined palaces lead up stone stairs to a shrine on the mountainside, framed by frangipani trees, with sweeping views over the plain. Go early to beat the heat. Each February, around the full moon of the third lunar month, the Wat Phou festival brings pilgrims, music and fairs. Across the river, Don Daeng island is a quiet place to cycle between villages.

Si Phan Don, the 4000 Islands

Near the Cambodian border the Mekong spreads more than ten kilometres wide, dotted with islands. Don Det is the sociable one, with bungalows, hammocks and sunset bars. Don Khone, joined to it by an old French railway bridge, is quieter and has the dramatic Li Phi falls, also called Tad Somphamit, and a rusting colonial locomotive. Don Khong, the largest island, is calmer still. On the mainland, Khone Phapheng is the largest waterfall in Southeast Asia by volume, a thundering wall of water. Boats from Don Khone look for the rare Irrawaddy dolphins in a pool near the border; sightings are not guaranteed and the population is very small. Cycling, kayaking and swinging in a hammock are the main activities. Swim only where locals do, as currents are strong.

Food

Try coffee straight from the plateau, grilled river fish, laap and the southern take on papaya salad. Pakse's markets and riverside stalls are good for street food.

Getting there and around

Pakse International Airport has flights from Vientiane and some regional cities. Overnight sleeper buses run from Vientiane, and there are crossings from Thailand at Vang Tao near Chong Mek, and into Cambodia at Nong Nok Khiene. Minivans connect Pakse with Champasak, Tad Lo and Nakasang, where boats leave for the islands. ATMs exist in Pakse and a few mainland towns, but bring cash for the islands.

Plan your days

Allow a day in Pakse, one or two on the plateau, one at Champasak and two or three in the islands. See all Laos destinations and use the free trip planner to plan the loop.