Bolaven Plateau: Waterfalls everywhere -and a Zip-Line system in the Jungle

See the locations on Bolevean Plateau Google Map


Tadhang Waterfall:

Picture Tozbee


Ban Tad Lo:

Picture Tozbee


Tad Lo Waterfall:

Picture Tozbee

Picture La Isla Magica


Sayse Guesthouse & Resort:



Tad Fane

Tad Fane Resort: From 32 USD. From here you look at the twin waterfall Tad Fane.

Picture ruben i


Tham Champee

Near Tad Fane this waterfall is formend by Houay Champi River, falling down 15 metres. There are rafts to get to the falls.


Tad Yeuang

Not far from Tad Fane. See picture by dukhao


Sihom Plantation: A farm for coffee, pepper, some fruits and Sihom Sabai Guesthouse. Basic rooms. Read more on laobumkin.blogspot.com. Good review on tripadvisor.com

Tree Top Explorer at Jungle Hotel: You discover a system of zip-lines starting from platforms high in the trees. With the zip-line you "fly" over cliffs, waterfalls and the green roof of the forest in Dong Hua Sao National Park. You trek in pristine forest and through coffee plantations or discover the forest from a sky-high walkway. The camp has electricity generated by the waterfall. Jungle Hotel Paksong is a tiny village in the midst of dense forest with six tree houses and a restaurant. Some of the houses are up to more than 20 m above the ground. Beds and mosquito nets are there, but no air-con or fridge. Ban Nongluang is a small farming village. From here reaching the zip-line complex and campsite requires another few kilometer trek on a trail inside the Dong Hua Sao National Park. You wear your own baggage, but you can also organize a villager, who transports your baggage. Read the reviews on tripadvisor.com carefully. There are a lot of tips, what you can await and what not. Sww this video on youtube. Then read Ziplines in the jungle: a high-wire act in Laos. See Facebook Page. Tree Top Explorer is owned and managed by Lao-based Green Discovery Tours.

Dozens die as Lao Airlines crashes before landing in Pakse

See the locations on Ban Phaling Google Map



22.10.2013
Lao Airlines and its insurance company have paid 20 million kip and US$5,000 respectively to the family of each of the victims of last week's plane crash, as The Cambodia Herald reports. This payment is intended to cover funeral expenses and further compensation is expected in the future, according to the Director General of Lao Airlines' Planning and Cooperation Department, Mr Sitthideth Duangsitthi. So far 43 bodies - out of 49 victims - have been recovered and 17 identified. The flight recorder of the plane that plunged into the Mekong River near Pakse, has been located and retrieved, as The Nation writes.

17.10.2013:
There is no hope that somebody could have survived the crash of flight QV301 by Lao Airlines from Vientiane to Pakse on Wednesday. The airplane went down into the Mekong near Ban Phaling village in Phonthong district, Champassak province. Rescuers in fishing boats pulled bodies from the Mekong River on Thursday. Divers from Thailand were helping. According to Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Sek Wannamethee the bodies of 15 victims have been recovered, reported Associated Press. Lao Airlines released a second updated list of the 44 passengers' nationalities: On board were 16 Lao nationals, seven French, six Australians, five Thais, three Koreans, three Vietnamese and one person each from China, Malaysia, Taiwan and the United States. The bodies are kept at Vat Chin in Pakse district, as The Nation reports. Victims families and relatives find contact informations on Facebook-Page of Lao Airlines.


16.10.2013:

Very sad news from Laos: Dozens of people were killed in southern Laos when a plane of Lao Airlines crashed into the Mekong River on October 16, as BBC reports. Flight QV301 from the Laotian capital Vientiane (leaving 14.45) came down about 8km (5 miles) from Pakse airport. A Lao Airlines statement on Facebook gave a total of 49 dead. According to BBC among the dead are seven people vom France, five Thai nationals and three South Koreans and as well as citizens from Laos, Australia, Canada, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, the USA and Vietnam.

The plane that crashed has been identified by the news as ATR 72-600, which is a French-Italian manufactured twin-engine turboprop plane. French media say that the plane was brand new, delivered in March 2013. It crashed during stormy weather into Mekong River, near Don Khong according to Bangkok Post. This newspaper publishes the names of the victims.

Pakse page on Facebook shows pictures of parts of the crashed plane. Facebook Page "We Love Laos" shows the plane in Mekong River.

Pakse - the southern door to Laos

See the locations on Pakse Google Map

Picture by marhas
Sunset in Pakse



Picture by marhas
Time for a Lao beer at Hongfa Restaurant...

Picture by marhas
...with an impressive view of the Mekong River


Picture by marhas
Small traffic on road 13


Picture by marhas
Some buildings with old flair


Picture by marhas
Also the red communist flags are part of the old flair. But US-Dollars are welcome everywhere.


Picture by Nataraj Metz


Picture by marhasOld decorations, seen from road 11

Picture by marhas
Shophouse near Champasak Plaza


Vat Luang:

Picture by Nataraj Metz

Picture by h.hoefl

Picture by marhas
Temple cats

Picture by marhas

Picture marhas

Picture by marhas

Picture by Veigo


Vat Tham Fai

Picture Nataraj Metz

Picture Nataraj Metz


Picture by Naomi
Outside fruit and vegetables market as it used to be...

Picture KuBa
...and the modern Champasak Plaza with escalators inside


Mekong River:

Picture by Naomi
In dry season the river banks are used as farmland, in the wet season they are under water


Chinese Association:

Picture by marhas

Picture by marhas


Xe Don River:

Picture by Nataraj Metz


Picture by marhas
Sunset over Pakse and the Mekong River



Where to stay

Champasak Palace Hotel: From 26 USD. Ask for a room with terrace towards Xe Don River and you will have a peaceful setting in front of you. And if you stay on the east wing, it will also be quiet, otherwise you may here music from tourgroups, who like karaoke...

Picture marhas

Picture by marhas

This hotel has an outstanding architecture. It has been built from 1968 by the Prince of Champasak, Chao Boun Oum, Prime Minister of the royal governmemt from 1960 to 1962 and an ally of France and the USA (read a story by Harward Crimson). Before the palace was finished, the communist Pathet Lao mouvement took ower the power in Laos and Boun Oum had to flee to France. The palace now was used by the state. In 1995 a Thai company took it over, completed the building and opened the hotel. About the hotel you read mixed reviews on tripadvisor.com. The quality of the rooms seems to be different, the breakfast is not great but the meals for lunch and dinner are well done. From the top of the hotel you ennjoy a great view across Pakse.

Picture by Veigo

Picture by marhas

Picture by marhas
Terrace towards Xe Don River

Picture by marhas
Russian bridge across Xe Don River


Picture marhasWunderful floor in the restaurant

Picture by marhas

by marhas
In the garden restaurant

Picture by marhas
The spirit house


Arawan Riverside Hotel: From 35 USD. Not so good review on tripadvisor.com. Better reviews on agoda.com

Picture Nataraj Metz


Champasak Grand Hotel: From 45 USD. Lao Nippon Bridge Mekong Riverside. A comfortable hotel, often used by Asian tour groups, but quite distant (3 km) from the town centre. Quite good reviews on tripadvisor.com.



Pakse Hotel: From 25 USD. Eco rooms without windows, rooms on the top floor with fine views, according to travelfish.org

Picture -=KuBa=-.

The rooftop restaurant. See Tennessee Embassy's views from the rooftop restaurant.


Laochaleun Hotel: "Average" is the rating of travelfish.org

Picture marhas


Lankham Hotel:

Picture marhas

Picture marhas


Royal Pakse Hotel:

Picture marhas


Salachampa Hotel:

Picture rjhintz


Seng Aroun Hotel: From 24 USD. 13 Road. Clean rooms, but a bit small, says travelfish.org. Good reviews on tripadvisor.com

Picture marhas


Thaluang Hotel: From 10 USD.




Guesthouses:

Phonsavanh Guesthouse: From 4 USD. Basic rooms according to petitfute.com, see room-picture by escapade-asie.blogspot.com

Picture marhas


Sabaidy 2: Good reviews on tripadvisor.com. Most popular backpacker choice according to travelfish.org.


Where to eat

Café Sinouk:

Picture by marhas

Picture by marhas

Picture marhas
At Champady you sip an exzellent coffee.



How to arrive

By Bus

From Ubon Ratchathani: Bus by http://www.transport.co.th/. Leaving Ubon Ratchathani at 7.30 and 9.30 pm. And returning from Pakse Champasak road 14.30 and 15.30.
Help for finding the timetable on transport.co.th: On top orange navigation bar choose first tab from left, go down to second listing, this opens grey drop down menu, drive with the mouse over each option and look at the URL in bottom bar of your browser window, you will see north, northeast, pakse, etc at the end of the URL, then click your destination.

You can also take a bus to Chong Mek at the Lao border and then a minibus zu Pakse. Or you take a taxi to Chong Mek and from there another taxi zu Pakse.
You will get a visa on arrival at the border of Laos.



Tours from Pakse

Discovery Indochina: Half day to Tad Fane Waterfalls, ethnic minority villages of the Lavai and Yaheune tribes and a tea and coffee plantation. One day to Vat Phu, first by boat to Champasak, after Vat Phu 2 hours elephant tour from Ban Khiet Ngong to Phu Asa temple.
SODETOUR (Societe de Developpernent Touristique): On the corner of Rte 13 and Thanon Tha Luang
Lane Xang Travel & Tours: Next to the Suksamlan Hotel on Thanon Wat Luang
Inter-Lao Tourisme: on the ground floor of the Champasak Palace Hotel.