Southern Laos Discovery

Pakse is a former French colonial administrative city at the junction of the Mekong and Xe Don rivers, with stunning water and mountain views, ancient temples, French colonial architecture and lazy riverside restaurants. Pakse is a perfect launch point for exploring the laid-back Southern Laos region.

Option 1: Visit Tad Fan & Tad Yuang
At Pakse Airport terminal you will be met by your local guide for an excursion to the Bolaven Plateau, a high region known for its waterfalls, ethnic minorities and coffee and tea production. Travel through villages, temples and farmland, enjoying the cool air as you ascend to higher altitudes. On the way, stop to watch tea and coffee processing. Enjoy a cup, then explore the plantations along the path to the Bolaven Plateau area. Visit Tad Fane for a glimpse of the huge twin waterfalls that plunge out of the dense forest and tumble more than 120m down, then continue onto the majestic cascades of the Tad Yuang waterfall for a dip if you like. Afterwards, you will be driven to Pakse for the night.

Option 2: Visit Tadlo waterfall (With morning arrival at Pakse Airport)
On arrival at Pakse Airport, meet your tour guide and head to Saravanh province via Tateng Village. Stop to observe tea and coffee production. Enjoy a cup, then explore the plantations along the path to the Bolaven Plateau area. From Tad Lo Waterfall, visit villages of the Alak, Nge and Katu ethnic minority groups. Return to town in the late afternoon.

Option 3: Jeep Tour to the Bolaven Plateau (With morning arrival at Pakse Airport)
On arrival at Pakse Airport, meet your tour guide and head to Paksong, a small town only an hour’s drive from Pakse. Stop at Jhai Coffee house for a short break and change to a Jeep explore the Bolaven Plateau. Drive for 30 minutes to Tad Moun for a picnic by the waterfall. Continue driving to Khamsone’s coffee farm, half an hour along a bumpy mud track. Mr. Khamsone will spend an hour demonstrating the coffee roasting process. Finish with a coffee tasting to learn the flavours of the main varieties of coffee: Robusta, Arabica and Typica. Say goodbye to your friendly host, return to Paksong town, and then to Pakse in late afternoon.

Travel to south to the ancient ruins of Wat Phou. Recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2002, Wat Phou is an outstanding example of early classical Khmer architecture, dating from the 7th to 12th centuries AD. Visit the museum at the site of the ruins and walk to the upper level of the temple complex for sweeping views and spectacular photos of lower Wat Phou and the Mekong valley. From Wat Phou, cross the Mekong River to La Folie Lodge on Done Daeng Island. La Folie Lodge’s wooden bungalows offer beautiful water, garden and mountain views.

Cross to the other side of the Mekong for a two-hour drive to the village of Ban Nakasang. From there, take a small boat to the peaceful islands of Done Khone.

Visit Liphi Waterfall and take in the spectacular view of an obstacle that thwarted the French in their efforts to open the Mekong River to navigation. Take a boat ride to try and spot elusive Irrawaddy dolphins. Discover the narrow-gauge railway and colonial bridge built by the French to circumnavigate the falls. Return to the mainland by boat and transfer to the lodge in time for sunset.

Enjoy the day at your leisure until your transfer to Pakse for your onward flight.