Bolaven plateau
Bolaven plateau is an ideal destination for tourist to visit during their time in Laos. It can be a great place to escape the heat from the plains due to its cooler weather.
Situated approximately 37km from Pakse to the northeast of Champasak and along with the provinces of Sekong and Attapeu makes up the plateau, the most productive district in Laos, for due to its climate, it is the place of coffee (both Arabica and Robusta) that has become the main export product of region.
Trekking through the area has become very popular as there is much to see, coffee plantations, many different fruits and vegetable being grown as well as other agriculture projects, but the highlight is the many tribal villages you pass, including Alak, Katu and Suay. Actually the region was named after the” Laven” ethnic group, known as the traditional tribal group of the area.
The spectacular waterfalls are also attractions of Bolaven:
- The highest in Laos named Tad Fane is a stopping point for all trekkers as the water tumbles 120meters. And high above the ground there is a Zipline for those adventures who want to give it a try.
- Next to Tad Fan is Tad Yeung, another lovely place to relax and chill out!
- Tad Lo is another interesting waterfall to visit and its many activities draw travelers to it.
- Tad Phasuam waterfall
If you plan to overnight in this region, there is plenty of good accommodations choices, such as Tad Fane Resort, Tad Lo Lodge, Sinouk Coffee Resort...
The Boloven is well worth a visit, while in Laos make sure you don’t miss out on its scenery.
Related Attractions
Pakse
<p style="text-align: justify;">Located in the intersection between Mekong and Se Don River, Pakse is the capital city of Champasak province in southern Laos, where travellers can find a prefecture rich in spirit, history and natural beauty.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">There are different <strong>ways to reach Pakse</strong> city:</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">- <strong>By air</strong>: Thanks to Pakse International Airport, one of the few international airports in Laos, Pakse is easily reached by taking domestic flights from Luang Prabang and Vientiane. Besides, well-known neighbors like Bangkok, Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City also have direct flights to Pakse via Lao Airlines.<br />- <strong>By road</strong>: If you want to travel into southern Laos by road, you can easily access Pakse from Thailand via Ubon Border or from Cambodia via Dong Kalor Border. <br />For particularly long road trip, Exotic Laos Travel suggest you to take a long van ride from Vientiane and hit many stops on the way such as Konglor Cave in Khammuane, That Sikhottabong in Thakhek, That Ing Hang in Savannakhet and many other attractions await you there.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Situated in a wonderful place in Southern Laos, <strong>Pakse city and its surroudings are a fantastic blend of culturals, historical and also naturels sight-seeings.</strong> <br />- We will send you undercover in some interesting places to discover local life as it’s lived every day such as in <strong>Dao Huang local market, Chomphet Stone Sculpture village and Ban Saphai silk weaving village</strong> on Don Kho Island. <br />- If you wish to learn about local history, it’s a must to visit <strong>Palace of Prince Boun Oum Na Champasassak and Champasak Provincial Museum.</strong><br />- Or you love being truly calm, you go to a peaceful place called <strong>Golden Buddha (Phu Salao)</strong> which is a large Buddha statue on a hill; and to <strong>Wat Luang temple</strong> which houses a Buddhist school. Those are places that you should not miss during your trip in Laos.<br />- To complete your tour in Laos, don’t forget to explore surroundings of Pakse, like Bolovens Plateau, Wat Phou temple, Ban Kiet Ngon and the famous Si Phan Don area with its thousand islands on the mighty Mekong River.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">If you’re a first-time visitor to the Pakse and southern Laos, Exotic Laos Travel team are willing to provide all information that you need to know for a fulfilling tour in Laos, including the best off-the-beaten-track attractions, accommodations, restaurants, detailed information on the local culture, currency, climate and transport options.</p>
Si Phan Don - 4000 islands
<p style="text-align: justify;">Once you start your journey to <strong>Champasak</strong> in the South of Laos, <strong>Si Phan Don</strong> will be undoubtedly on your not-to-be-missed attractions list. Si Phan Don is a riverine archipelago in the Mekong river, near the Cambodian border. There are three main tourist islands within Si Phan Don are <strong>Don Khong</strong>, <strong>Don Det</strong> and <strong>Don Khone</strong> and each island has its own attractions.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Among these 3 islands, Don Khong is the largest and also the closest to Pakse. Along the way from Pakse to Don Khong, you’ll pass 2 tourist attractions which are <strong>Wat Phou Temple</strong> and <strong>Ban Khiet Ngon.</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The island of <strong>Don Det</strong> is located south of the 4000 Islands, next to <strong>Don Khone</strong>. You’ll have 2 options to get to Don Det and Don Khone which are from Don Khong (2 hours cruising) or from Ban Nakasang (20 minutes transfer by boat). This island has many cheap bungalows, hotel rooms and also restaurants for tourists with a limited budget. The atmosphere here is ideal to take a moment to rest while enjoying a Mak Tum tea on the shore at sunset, or to stop at a small beach to bathe or go for a walk in a small fishing village to discover local life.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The island of Don Khone, connected to Don Det by an old french bridge, is a quiet island. Only 5 km long and 3 km wide, it is very easy to take a walk or bike ride on Don Khone. Besides, if you like waterfalls, go to the west of Don Khone to explore the Li Phi waterfalls, or in the east to the Khone Phapheng waterfalls, both of them are very impressive for their intensity and their surroundings shaded.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">An unique experience that can only be found at Don Khone is to observe the rare <strong>Irrawaddy dolphins</strong>. From Ban Hang Khone situated in the south of this island, you can easily rent a boat to see this magnificent animal, in their natural environment, within the Mekong River.</p>
Liphi Waterfall
<p style="text-align: justify;">When planning your trip to <strong>Si Phan Don</strong>, make sure you include <strong>Li Phi Waterfalls</strong> as one of the interesting places you should not miss.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The Li Phi Waterfalls (also called Tat Somphamit) is located on Don Khone Island and forms a natural border between Laos and Cambodia. 'Li Phi' means 'spiritual trap' because the Laotians believe that the falls are a trap for evil spirits as they wash down the river.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The main way to go there is well-cared and decorated with bamboo groves. Although the waterfalls aren’t very high, their surroundings are wildly beautiful. The source of water comes from dozens of places and the sound is so deafening that you can’t hear your own voice.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">After visiting the falls, you can spend some relaxing moments in the open-air bungalows while enjoying a cocktail or a cold beer. Behind these bungalows, about 5-minutes’ walk, are the beaches of Li Phi for those who want to take a bath of silence, in the sun.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">This site is open from 8am to 5pm with the entrance fee is 35,000 KIP per person. There are several ways to get to the falls. If you are on Don Khone, you can take a motorcycle taxi, a bike or a tuk-tuk for an excursion through natural landscapes and green rice fields to the Li Phi Falls. You could also access this site by crossing the bridge between Don Det and Don Khone.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">When travelling in the south of Laos, it definitely worth your precious time to enjoy the magnificent <strong>Li Phi Waterfalls</strong> on the Mekong river.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>
Khone Phabeng Waterfall
<p style="text-align: justify;">Once you make a trip to the 4000 Islands (also called Si Phan Don) in the south of Laos, do not forget to come and discover the <strong>Khone Phapheng Waterfalls</strong>, which are considered to be the largest and spectacular in southeast asia.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The Khone falls are located in the Si Phan Don, near the border with Cambodia. They are characterised by thousands of islands on the Mekong river, that’s the prime reason why the Mekong river is not fully navigable into China.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The Khone Waterfalls are actually the most impressive falls in Southeast Asia. Despite its modest height (about 21 meters), the waterfalls is very wide with its infinitely wild and lush surroundings. Considered to be the largest waterfalls in Southeast Asia, the average discharge of Khone could reach 11,000 m3 per second in the dry season and up to 50,000 m3 per second in the rainy season.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The falls, located about 145 km from Pakse, are easily accessible by the national road 13. If you are on the island of Don Khone or Don Det, you can buy ticket for a small boat to take you to the village of Nakasong, and then follow the national road that lead you to Khone Phapheng Falls. These spectacular falls are open daily from 8am to 5pm and the entrance fee is 55,000 KIP per person.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">After discovering the beauty all around the falls, you can visit a small market, located near the exit of the falls, which offers traditional products at reasonable prices. Next to the market are several restaurants where you can enjoy the authenticity of Laos food.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">As a hidden treasure within the Mekong river, do not hesitate to discover the Khone Phapheng Waterfalls during your trip in the country of a million elephants.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"> </p> <p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>
Bolaven plateau
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Bolaven plateau</strong> is an ideal destination for tourist to visit during their time in Laos. It can be a great place to escape the heat from the plains due to its cooler weather.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Situated approximately 37km from Pakse to the northeast of Champasak and along with the provinces of Sekong and Attapeu makes up the plateau, the most productive district in Laos, for due to its climate, it is the place of coffee (both Arabica and Robusta) that has become the main export product of region.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Trekking through the area has become very popular as there is much to see, <strong>coffee plantations</strong>, many different fruits and vegetable being grown as well as other agriculture projects, but the highlight is the many tribal villages you pass, including Alak, Katu and Suay. Actually the region was named after the” Laven” ethnic group, known as the traditional tribal group of the area.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The spectacular waterfalls are also attractions of Bolaven:<br /><br />- The highest in Laos named <strong>Tad Fane</strong> is a stopping point for all trekkers as the water tumbles 120meters. And high above the ground there is a Zipline for those adventures who want to give it a try. <br />- Next to Tad Fan is <strong>Tad Yeung</strong>, another lovely place to relax and chill out!<br />- <strong>Tad Lo</strong> is another interesting waterfall to visit and its many activities draw travelers to it.<br />- <strong>Tad Phasuam</strong> waterfall</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">If you plan to overnight in this region, there is plenty of good accommodations choices, such as Tad Fane Resort, Tad Lo Lodge, Sinouk Coffee Resort...</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The Boloven is well worth a visit, while in Laos make sure you don’t miss out on its scenery. </p>