Southern Laos: Bolaven Plateau and the 4000 Islands

Every part can be changed to suit your group.

1. Day 1 Arrival in Pakse

   We meet you at Pakse airport and take you to your hotel by the Mekong. In the afternoon we visit the busy Dao Heuang market, then drive up to Wat Phou Salao, a hilltop temple with a large golden Buddha and views over the Mekong and the city at sunset. Pakse is a small, friendly city on the Mekong and a good base to explore the south of Laos. The market is one of the largest in the region, full of coffee from the Bolaven Plateau, fresh produce, textiles and local snacks. Overnight at a hotel by the river.

   
2. Day 2 The Bolaven Plateau

   We drive up to the cooler Bolaven Plateau, a highland famous for its coffee. At a family farm we walk among the coffee plants and taste the beans, roasted on site. We then walk to the Tad Fane waterfall, which drops more than 100 metres into the forest, and the wide Tad Yuang falls, where you can swim. On the way back we stop in a village of the Katu people, known for their wooden houses and weaving. The Bolaven Plateau sits at around 1,000 to 1,300 metres above sea level, and its cool climate and rich volcanic soil make it ideal for coffee, tea and fruit. Lunch is at a local restaurant with views of the waterfalls and the forest.

   
3. Day 3 Wat Phou and on to Don Khon

   We drive south to Champasak and climb the stone steps of Wat Phou, a Khmer temple built on the slope of a sacred mountain, centuries before Angkor Wat. Your guide explains how it was linked to the old Khmer capital. In the afternoon we continue to the 4000 Islands, where the Mekong spreads into hundreds of islands, and cross by boat to Don Khon. Wat Phou is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its ruins climb the mountainside in terraces, with old staircases, sanctuaries and carvings of Hindu gods. The 4000 Islands are a peaceful area of rice fields, palm trees and small villages, where life follows the slow rhythm of the river. Overnight at a riverside guesthouse on Don Khon.

   
4. Day 4 Island Life on the Mekong

   A slow day on the islands. We cycle around Don Khon and Don Det, past rice fields, palm trees and the remains of a French railway built to carry goods around the waterfalls. We walk to the Li Phi falls, and in the late afternoon take a boat to look for rare Irrawaddy dolphins near the Cambodian border. The old railway was built by the French in the late 19th century to carry boats and goods around the waterfalls, and its old locomotive and bridge are still there. The Irrawaddy dolphins are very rare, so sightings are not guaranteed, but the boat trip at sunset is beautiful in any case.

   
5. Day 5 Khone Phapheng Falls and Departure

   We visit Khone Phapheng, the largest waterfall on the Mekong by volume, where the river crashes through a wide band of rocks. We then drive back to Pakse for your flight, or continue to the Cambodian border if you are travelling on. Khone Phapheng is sometimes called the Niagara of Asia, and in the rainy season the volume of water is impressive. The drive back to Pakse takes about three hours, with stops along the way. If you are continuing to Cambodia, we can arrange the transfer to the border and onward to Stung Treng or Siem Reap.