Si Phan Don Beautiful islands in the Mekong River. A nice place to relax and enjoy the sunset. Souksun bungalows are clean and set in peaceful surroundings. They charge 15.000 Kipp for a double. Dorm beds are available for 5000 pp. They have a Chinese food restaurant, and rent bicycles for 2000 Kipp a day. They also organise trips.
A bus to Si Phan Don - Pakse costs 20.000 Kipp pp, a boat is a bit more.
Bolaven-Tadlo The Tadlo resort is quite expensive (150.000 Kipp for a double). It's on the Bolaven plateau set in beautiful jungle with waterfalls etc... They have a lot of tour groups and organise elephant trips.
A cheaper alternative is the Saise guesthouse at 8000 Kipp pp. Their restaurant is expensive.
There's a bus running between Pakse and Salavan. Get off at Ban Saen Wang Nyai, froml there it's a 1,5 km walk.
Champasak Transportation
Met bus : 8.000 Kip/persoon, one hour and a half.
Lodging
· In Champasak there is one hotel and four guesthouses, f.i. Khamphong GH en Dok Champa GH, both 10.000 Kip for a room.
Excursions
· Wat Phu, op 8 kilometer van Champassak ! Go there ! with bycicle (1 uur, 5.000 Kip) or chartered tut tuk (35.000 Kip). Entree : 5.000 Kip. If you want to catch the boat to Don Khong, you have to be back before 9 o’clock !
Si Phang Don or the "4.000 islands." Transportation
· Boot Champasak - Don Khong (Khong island) : Dep. At +/- 9 uur from boatlanding in Champasak, 20.000 Kip / persoon. Boatman will try 35.000 Kip ! Boattrip takes +/- 4 hours.
Lodging, food
· Prices are high due to package tourists.
· Pon’s GH, 40.000 Kip. Good restaurant. Mister Pon is also guide and taxichauffeur (f.i. to elephantvillage of Kiet Nyong !).
· Villa Khang Kong is cheaper, and maybe a little bit more pleasant than Pon,s GH.
Excursions
· We hired a bicycle (5.000 Kip/day) en drove to Muang Saen.
· Charter a boat to Don Det en Don Khone (100.000 Kip), with a stop near the really amazing waterfalls of Khon Phapheng –but you have to charter another tuktuk to get there.
DON DET- DON KHON
Lodging & food
· Santhibap GH, near the old railwaybridge between both islands. 10.000 Kip for a bamboohut. Quiet, with nive vieuw, good restaurant. Most bungalows are on the northern side of Don Det, but (to) many people there !
· For the best fish BBQ of Laos (9.500 Kip), go to the other side of the bridge, in a very smaal restaurant in front of the ticket-sell.
· Ga at noon (no electricity there !) and order 2-3 hours in advance so that they have the time to catch your fish…. Here lives also the old train – driver !
Excursions
· To go from Don Det (from the northern point, the boatlanding) to the railwaybridge, do not walk the path along the river, but follow the old railwaytrack (… but no rails anymore) that starts and ends near the old pier, where they loaded the ships. At the same time this is a beautifull walk, +/- 30 minutes, through the rice-fields !
· De Somphamit –waterfalls on Don Khone, 20 minutes from the bridge. Walk another 10 minutes for the best vieuw !
· Boattrip to the Irrawaddy dolphins, 30.000 tot 40.000 Kip / boat, dep each morning around 9 uur and afternoon at around 16 uur.
Transportation back to Pakse.
· Boot Don Det - Ban Nakasong (mainland), 5u in the morning, 10 a 15.000 Kip for the boat. Good sunrise !
· Bus Ban Nakasong-Pakse : Dep. 06.30 uur. 10.000 Kip, 4uur.
Tat Lo Ressort Transportation
Bus Pakse - Salavan : 6.000 Kip, 2 hours.
Lodging & food
· Tatlo Resort, splendid bungalowcomplex, you have to pay in dollars here... But for 9.000 kip you can order a Beer Lao and enjoy the place !
· De bungalows before the bridge – we forgot the name – were OK for 40.000 Kip. · Don’t stay in the Saise GH, the "White House" (40.000 Kip/room) or the "Green House" (60.000 Kip/room) !
· Tim’s Restaurant. Good and the ownet (a blues & jazz -freak ! In Laos !!!) gives usefull info about an easy walking tour around, +/- 4 hours. You don’t need a guide, here !
Pakse - Bangkok Transportation
Songthaew to Chong Mek : 5.000 Kip, 1 uur. Paperwork on the border takes no time and on the other side of the border, busses are waiting…
Songthaew to Piphoon : 25 Bath, 2 uur. Then, to Warin / Ubon Ratchani : 20 Bath, another 2 uur. From Warin you can take the train to Bangkok, 12 uur, 135 Baht (3th class). Arriving in Warin, first make your trainticket-reservation !!!
Lodging
River Moon GH, Warin, 250 meter from trainstation. Much travelinfo, 15.000 kip for a room. |
