Arrival in Pakse. Your guide and private driver will meet you and transfer you to your hotel for check-in.

Enjoy a short tour of Pakse town. On the confluence of the Mekong and the Sedone River, Pakse is the most important town in Southern Laos. Pakse is the home a very important Vietnamese community and if you visit this town during the Têt or Vietnamese New Year do not be surprised if many shops are closed.

Pakse is an interesting small town with some colonial and Chinese buildings and a huge local market selling fresh food. Pakse is close to most of the main attractions in Southern Laos including; the prestigious pre-angkorian temples of Wat Phou, the Bolaven Plateau and its coffee plantations and waterfalls as well as the quiet and relaxing 4000 islands.

Then depart for the Bolaven Plateau, a mountainous region home to dozens of hill tribes, waterfalls and coffee and tea plantations.

The first stops are at Tad Fane and Tad Yuang waterfalls. Tad Fane is a set of twin 120-meter-high waterfalls formed by the merging waters of the Champy and Pak Koot rivers. These impressive falls are situated on the edge of Dong Hua Sao protected area, 38km from Paksé (Note: water levels may vary accordingly to the previous rainy season).

Make a short stop in Paksong, the small capital of coffee. Then, continue east to reach the Sinouk Coffee Resort. An expert in coffee will guide you through the coffee plantation and you will learn more about how the coffee trees are grown and the difference processing stages.

After the visit, enjoy a delicious lunch. Most of the vegetables supplied to the cuisine come from our home-grown organic garden. Following lunch, you will of course have the chance to taste different types of coffee.

On the drive back to Pakse, two stops will be made. The first stop is the visit of Tad Lo waterfalls, a beautiful formation of three separate falls. From the bridge guests will first see Tad Hang and then Tad Lo in the distance. The most impressive of the three, Tad Suong, is located a further 10km upriver.

The second stop is the small village of Ban Houay Houn, famous for his Katu textiles. Here, you will have the chance to observe the women weaving without a traditional loom but using their legs to stretch the fabric.

Return to Pakse in the late afternoon and transfer to the hotel.

Overnight at Pakse

Pakse – Bolaven Plateau (38 km): 45 min

After breakfast, transfer by road to Wat Phou.

Recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, Wat Phou is a spectacular pre-Angkorian temple that sits amidst the rice fields and waterways of southern Laos. The temple was constructed in three levels: the bottom level is focused on the baray (water reservoir) and promenade, the second level features quadrangular pavilions and galleries of carvings, and the top level is the sanctuary itself. The temple was built by the rulers of the Khmer empire before the construction of Angkor Wat. The temple served as the most important economic and political centre of the region and still is one of the Lao people’s most revered temples.

Pass through Champassak, driving through streets lined with French colonial buildings, and stop for lunch in a local restaurant.

After lunch, continue on to Khong Island, the biggest island in Southern Laos and the start of the 4000 Islands Region. Called “Siphandon in Lao language, this area is where the Mekong stretches over 14km wide and has thousands of islands between those the river flows and runs between cascades and rapids.

Overnight in Khong Island

Pakse – Champasak (30 km): 50 min

Champasak – Kong Island: 45 min

Depart at 08:00 for a full day exploring the area known locally as Sipandon (‘4000 Islands’). In this beautiful area the Mekong River spreads 14 kilometers wide, creating thousands of small islands.

Travel first by car for around two hours to the village of Ban Nakasan. From here, guests will take a local boat to the peaceful island of Done Khone, which is home to plantations and simple villages. Bicycles are the best way to explore, but a tuk-tuk can be arranged if guests prefer.

Visit the impressive Lippi falls, which are on the west of Don Khone, very close to the Cambodian border. Their original name, Tad Somphamit, means “trap spirit” and the locals revere these falls as they believe they act as a trap for bad spirits.

The islands played an important role during the French colonial rule as they linked Laos to Cambodia and southern Vietnam. To cross the waterfalls, a railway bridge was built and it now provides the perfect place for guests to take their time and soak up the view.

You will then make a short boat trip, which will give guests the chance to spot the rare Irrawaddy dolphin. Please note that sightings are never guaranteed.

Continue the exploration and ease in to the slow pace of life, observing locals, before lunch is served at a local restaurant.

Guests return to Pakse by boat and then transfer to their hotel by car, arriving back in time for sunset.

Overnight in Pakse

Khong Island – Pakse (130 km): 1 hour 40 min

After breakfast, transfer to Pakse airport for your onward flight.

Pakse – Pakse Airport (3 km): 10 min