Two weeks in Laos – The south

We continue the Laos with the second part, which concentrates on the south of the country. For all the general information, you will find them in the northern part.

THAKHEK

The city of Thakhek is known for the departure of the loop in motorcycle.

* Accommodation : We stayed at the Travel Lodge Guesthouse. Quite known by backpackers, it's a very nice guesthouse, the rooms are clean, hot water, very good food. Moreover, you can find there a book which gathers all the advices of the travelers who made the loop. Rent scooters on the spot and leave your bags there. The price of the scooters with the guesthouse is 9€/day and you don't have to pay anything for them to keep your bags (otherwise it's 5€). Or there is Pokémon Go which is just next door, but it's 10€/day and you have to pay for the bags.

* The loop : The loop is a scooter trip through the mountains and Lao landscapes. You can see caves, mountains, typical villages. The loop is to be done in 4 or 5 days to be more relaxed on the way back.

Tips: Take warm clothes because it is quite cold at night. You have the possibility not to do the full loop, that is to say that after Konglor Cave, you do the road in reverse. It is advised because the road is much more beautiful and pleasant to ride but it is longer. See in how many days you make the loop. And finally, take some money in cash because at the beginning there is no ATM.

Day 1 : Thakhek -> Nakai

We stopped at Xiang Liap Cave. It is a beautiful cave. You have to go to the very end on the left. There is also Tham Pha Nya Inh Cave and Tham Aen Cave but we missed the signs.

We stayed at Sabaidee Guesthouse (3€ per night without breakfast). They organize a barbecue in the evening for 5€ but personally I don't think it's worth it, there was not enough for the number of people and not much without meat. But the atmosphere was very nice and we met other travelers there. There is a restaurant right next to it along the water that looks very nice. The breakfast is good, with chocolate cakes and croissants. There is also the Phosy Thalang accommodation which is very famous. It is located very close to Sabaidee and the prices are the same.

Day 2 : Nakai -> Konglor Cave

Big day of scooter (8h30-17H). We stopped at the Dragon Cave. We go up in the mountains so it is cooler, the roads are more sinuous, we have to be careful. The road between Khoun Kham and Konglor is not in good condition at all so it is necessary to make it during the day and to count more than one hour of road. On the other hand the road is magnificent at sunset.

We slept at the Enjoy Boy Guesthouse. The price was about 2€ a night for a double or triple room, it's very basic but decent and shower in the room.

To eat, we discovered the Konglor Restaurant. Not to be confused with Konglor Restaurant & Hotel. It's very good and not expensive. The staff is so nice and it's in the middle of rice fields.

Day 3 : Visit of the Konglor Cave

The Konglor Cave is the thing to see in the area. To visit it, you have to take a boat trip that lasts about 45 minutes and crosses the whole cave. The price is 5€/pers. It is very impressive because you are in the dark and you can see the cave with headlamps. On the other side of the cave, we reach the Natan village that we can visit during two hours. It is possible to rent bicycles (1€) to visit the small villages nearby. It is a very nice ballade and without stopping we took 45min. After the two hours, the driver of the boat returns to look for us. In total the visit lasts a little less than 4 hours. We were on the time of noon and it was perfect because there were not too many people.

Day 4 : Back to Thakhek

We decided to go by the main road because we didn't have the courage to drive so much. Finally this road was not as awful as we were told. Certainly there is traffic and the landscapes are not incredible but it avoids a big road in scooter, and after 4 days we have pain in the butt.

4000 ISLANDS

After 4 days of scooting we needed to rest. We went to the Mekong river for a few days. On the 4000 islands, there are in fact only three habitable islands with accommodation, Don Khong, Don Det and Don Khone. For a more festive and backpackers atmosphere choose to stay on Don Det. For a calmer atmosphere, choose Don Khone.

To get there, whether you leave from Pakse or Thakek, the bus will drop you off at Nakasong village. You will have to take a boat/ferry to the island of your choice. Normally the price is 10.000 Kip/pers, don't be fooled.

* Accommodation : We stayed at Mr Tho Guesthouse. Super nice guesthouse. The double rooms are overlooking the river, with a small hammock in front of the room. But the rooms are very basic and there is no hot water. The breakfast is good and included in the price. We paid 9€/night. There is a way to find cheaper on the island.

* Restaurants : We went to eat at the Reggae Bar, a restaurant/bar by the river, with little couchs and a super chill atmosphere. The food is very good (I tried the tomato pasta and it was very good). Another restaurant we tried was Mama Theno, which is also a hostel. Very nice atmosphere and the dishes are good, except the hamburgers which are in fact a half cold sandwich. The cocktails are nice though.

* Activities : You can rent a bike (1€/day) and ride around the islands. The Li Phi waterfall is apparently incredible (3,5€/pers), it is the biggest waterfall in South East Asia. We did the Khone Phageng waterfall which was also sublime but smaller and less touristic. To reach it, you have to cross a suspension bridge, with missing wooden slats, it's quite scary especially if you are afraid of heights but I didn't die and it was worth it.

Be careful during the bike ride not to follow the path on Maps.mee which goes down to the bottom of the island of Don Khone and then up to the waterfall of Khone Phageng. This is not a road in fact. Expect to carry your bike... So advice, stay in the north of the island with your bike.

Another activity to do is a boat ride. We booked a 3 hour boat ride to see the dolphins in the Mekong River at sunset. We paid 7€/pers and it was amazing. There were about 5 canoes watching the dolphins, all had their engines off and no one was feeding the dolphins to attract them. Our guide was adorable and let us enjoy the moment again with a small beer on the boat (which delighted the guide and the navigator).

You can also go kayaking, and just enjoy the calm and the many terraces on the islands.

CHAMPASSAK

I admit that I was not convinced by the city of Champassak. There is not much to do there. If I had to choose, I would rather go to the Boloven plateau which is in the south.

* Accommodation : We stayed at the Komphouy Guesthouse. Very nice accommodation, at 8€/night for a double room with air-conditioning and hot water. The restaurant in front is good and has a nice view on the river, especially at sunset.

* Activities : The only thing to see is the Wat Phou Temple. The price is 3,5€ the entrance. The temple is beautiful, it was a very nice visit that lasted almost 2 hours.