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SOUTHERN LAOS D T L Y 265 T P S N O I T a C I L B U P T E N a Attapeu L Nam Tok Katamtok P Y L E N O L

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SOUTHERN LAOS D T L Y 265 T P S N O I T a C I L B U P T E N a Attapeu L Nam Tok Katamtok P Y L E N O L © Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 265 Southern Laos An enticing blend of archetypal Mekong River life, ancient Khmer temples, the cooler climes of the Bolaven Plateau and three remote and little-visited eastern provinces make southern Laos a region of stark contrasts for the adventurous traveller. The whole area remains refresh- ingly raw, but as with other parts of Laos a series of community-based tourism projects have made it possible to experience an authentic Laos far from the beaten track. The obvious, almost unavoidable staging point is Pakse, the Mekong riverside capital of Champasak Province with a relaxed ambience for a ‘city’. From here the Mekong flows south past the ancient Khmer religious complex at Wat Phu Champasak and Don Daeng, before expanding its girth at Si Phan Don, the ‘four thousand islands’ that straddle the Cambodian border. Among this stunningly beautiful maze of waterways are the palm-lined Don Khong, Don Det and Don Khon, where you can soak up the million-dollar sunsets from your hammock. Heading east from Pakse you climb to the cooler climes of the Bolaven Plateau, with its picturesque waterfalls and high-grade coffee. Keep going and you start getting well off the beaten track and into the little visited provinces of Salavan, Sekong and Attapeu where minority ethnic groups are still surprised to see falang visitors. The adventurous at heart can tackle the southern swing motorbike loop. So whether you’re seeking an off- beat experience or are happy just lazing in a riverside hammock, prepare to stay longer in southern Laos than planned. SOUTHERN LAOS HIGHLIGHTS Soak up the rural lifestyle from the horizon- tal perspective of your hammock on the laidback Mekong islands of Si Phan Don (p 285 ) Wake up early for a dramatic sunrise at the ancient Khmer temple complex at Wat Phu Champasak (p 278 ) Bolaven Walk and wade your way into the jungles Plateau and stay in a remote Lavae village in the Nam Tok Se Pian NPA (p 285 ) Katamtok Gaze in awe at 100m-high waterfalls and Se Pian sip fair-trade coffee on the cool Bolaven Wat Phu NPA Attapeu Plateau (p 298 ) Champasak Ride out to the wild east of Attapeu (p 308 ) Si Phan and back via Nam Tok Katamtok (p 307 ) on Don the Southern Swing (p 297 ) 266 SOUTHERN LAOS lonelyplanet.com National Protected Areas May. Some relief comes from relatively sooth- Southern Laos has six National Protected ing river breezes, but not much. The Bolaven Areas (NPAs), covering habitats as diverse as Plateau, on the other hand, is relatively cool the riverine forest along the Mekong River in all year, and from November to February it’s Phu Xieng Thong NPA to the remote moun- downright cold after dark. The plateau also tains of Se Xap NPA. For now Phu Xieng has its own mini weather system, which brings Thong (p 275 ) and Se Pian NPA (p 285 ) are rain right into December. the easiest to get in to, with village-based treks the best way to do it. Dong Hua Sao Getting There & Around NPA, at the edge of the Bolaven Plateau, and There are three border crossings into the wilderness of Dong Amphan NPA can southern Laos – one each from Thailand, also be accessed with more time, money and Cambodia and Vietnam. Once you’re in the organisation. region, the main roads are smooth and well serviced by buses and sǎwngthǎew (passenger Climate trucks). The exceptions are Rte 18 between The Mekong Valley is hot most of the year Attapeu and Thang Beng in Champasak but becomes hellishly so between March and Province, and all the roads running north 0 100 km ὈὈὈ0 60 miles SOUTHERN LAOS Dong 13 Seno Atsaphangthong Sepon Border Natad 23 Ban (Xeno) (Xepon) Dong Crossing Khe Sanh That Ing Ban Phalan 9 Hang Lak 35 Dansavanh Lao Bao Savannakhet 9 Mukdahan Muang Phin Keng Kok Samouy Hué Border JamphonSonbuli That Dong Phu Crossing Se SAVANNAKHET Phon Vieng NPA ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈVIETNAM Paksong Songkhon Prince Souphanouvong's Se Pon Bridge (Destroyed & Heuan Impassable) Hin 23 Se Xap Ban Muang NPA Tahoy Toumlan Vapi Lakhon Pheng Se Ban Lakhonpeng Nuan NPA SALAVAN Se Kong Se Don Salavan Ban Kaleum ὈὈὈBan Khoua ὈὈ THAILAND Set Nong Bua Khong 15 Phu Katae Sedon Ban Beng (1588m) Phu Xieng SEKONG Thong NPA Muang Tha Taeng Dak Cheung Lao Ngam Sekong Tat Lo 16 (Muang Lamam) Sanasombun 20 16 Utayan Bajiang Champasak Bolaven Ubon Ratchathani Ban Plateau Tat Meelook Kaman Saphai 23 Vang Tao Pakse Tat Paksong Se ὈὈὈὈὈSe Namnoy Lak 21 Fan Phuoi Chong Dong Ban Bengkhua Kham Muang Ban Nong Nam Tok Mek Kao Hua Phonthong Sao NPA Luang Katamtok Dong Amphan NPA Champasak Ban Muang CHAMPASAK Pa-am Nong Wat Phu Champasak SOUTHERN LAOS Ban Attapeu Saisettha Fa Thang Beng (Samakhi Xai) Ban Don 18B Talat Pha Kiet Ngong Meuang 18 Yalakhuntum Phu Asa Sanamsay Phu Sukhuma Ban Phapho Vong Sansai Bo Y ὈὈ13 Ban Ta Ong ὈὈPhou Keua ATTAPEU Border Crossing Se Pian Se Kong NPA Ban Munla Pamok Don Ban Kanluang Khong Hat Sai Siempang Khun ὈὈSi Phan Don Ban Nakasang Don Det Dom Kralor Don Khon Border Crossing CAMBODIA Nong Khiang Trapaeng Kriel lonelyplanet.com CHAMPASAK PROVINCE •• Pakse 267 TREKKING IN SOUTHERN LAOS Opportunities for trekking in southern Laos have really taken off in recent years, but despite the range of hikes available, it remains a raw experience compared with the more developed parts of northern Laos or neighbouring Thailand. Most of the hikes in southern Laos feature homestays with Lao families, a great way to immerse yourself in the Lao way of life. It is possible to organise some of these treks directly with local communities where there is an information centre, but you may struggle without an English-speaking guide to help set things up. The tourism office in Pakse is a useful starting point for the most popular treks in Champasak Province, or there are a couple of reputable tour operators (p 268 ) in Pakse that can organise these treks with experienced guides to help interpret along the way. Costs average about US$20 to US$50 per day depending on numbers, plus transport to access the trek. See the boxed text, p 234 , for trekkers’ cultural tips, and visit the excellent website www. ecotourismlaos.com for plenty of helpful information. Some of the more popular trekking areas are: Phu Xieng Thong NPA (p 275 ) Starting from Pakse, take a three-day trek and river trip along the Mekong. The village homestay is much like others in southern Laos, but the hermit nuns maintaining a vow of silence for world peace are a famous fixture. Se Pian NPA (p 285 ) Striking out from Pakse, half-day elephant treks and nature walks around Kiet Ngong (p 283 ) offer stunning views of the 700-hectare Kiet Ngong wetlands. Longer two- and three-day treks into Xe Pian’s forest reach remote Ta Ong villages via dugout canoe. Kingfisher Lodge has knowledgeable English-speaking guides. Also accessible from remote Attapeu is a waterfall trek with a homestay in Ban Mai. Tat Lo (p 301 ) This picturesque series of waterfalls is an affordable base for some straightforward day-hikes to pretty villages. Costs are very reasonable, at 45,000K per person, and experienced English-speaking guides are available on the spot. and east of Salavan. Cargo boats no longer Lao (many of them Phu Thai), Khmers and operate on the Mekong. a host of small Mon-Khmer groups, most of whom inhabit the Bolaven Plateau region. CHAMPASAK PROVINCE PAKSE ¯¾¡À§ Headline attractions include Wat Phu %031 / pop 75,000 SOUTHERN LAOS Champasak, the Mekong River islands of Si Gateway to the south, Pakse sits at the con- Phan Don and the Bolaven Plateau, adding up fluence of the Mekong River and the Se Don to make Champasak one of the most popular (Don River) and is the capital of Champasak provinces in Laos. Champasak has a long his- Province. It was founded by the French in tory that began during the Funan and Chenla 1905 as an administrative outpost and has empires between the 1st and 9th centuries grown rapidly since the Lao–Japanese Bridge AD. Between the 10th and 13th centuries it across the Mekong opened in 2002. Trade was part of the Cambodian Angkor empire. with Thailand and Vietnam may be chang- Following the decline of Angkor between the ing the face of the town, but tourism has also 15th and late 17th centuries, this region was taken off in recent years as southern Laos absorbed into the nascent Lan Xang kingdom, emerges as an essential stop on the over- but broke away to become an independent Lao land trail through the Mekong region. It’s kingdom at the beginning of the 18th century. all about location, with Wat Phu, Si Phan The short-lived Champasak kingdom had only Don and Cambodia to the south, the Bolaven three monarchs: Soi Sisamut (r 1713–37), who Plateau and remote provinces to the east, and was the nephew of the long-reigning Lao king Thailand to the west. If you are travelling in Suriya Vongsa, Sainyakuman (r 1737–91), and the south, it is likely all roads will lead to Pakse Fai Na (r 1791–1811). at some time during your trip. Today Champasak Province has a popula- The centre of Pakse retains the sort of tion of more than 500,000, including lowland Mekong River lethargy found in towns like 268 CHAMPASAK PROVINCE •• Pakse lonelyplanet.com CRUISING THE MEKONG IN SOUTHERN LAOS For those who like life on the water, there are now two cruise ships plying the waters between Pakse and Si Phan Don.
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