Fours days around Pakse and Bolaven Plateau in Southern Laos. During this trip, I joined an excellent Coffee Tour at Paksong, enjoyed the views of magnificent waterfalls at the Bolaven Plateau, and went on an excursion to the hilltop temple of Vat Phu.

I definitely wanted to stay longer and visit more places in Laos but I only had two more weeks until my flight to Myanmar from Bangkok, a long long way from where I was at.

I joined a coffee tour while I was at the Bolaven Plateau and hitched my way to impressively massive waterfalls the  Bolaven Plateau was known for. If only I had more time, I would’ve loved to go trekking in the jungle and experience more of its remote charm.

I also visited the Vat Phu hilltop temple once I reached Pakse, the biggest city in Southern Laos.

Itinerary Rundown

DestinationsDetails
 Previous
  • Vientianne
Day 1
  • Bolaven Plateau
  • Vientiane to Pakse Night Bus
  • Pakse to Paksong Bus
Day 2
  • Bolaven Plateau
  • Pakse
  • Paksong Coffee Tour
  • Bolaven Plateau Waterfall Tour (Paksong to Pakse)
  • Pakse Hostel Search
Day 3
  • Pakse
  • Vat Phu
  • Vat Phu Tour
Day 4
  • Pakse
  • Kratie
  • Pakse to Kratie Bus via Veun Kham – Dom Kralor (Laos to Cambodia) Border Crossing
  • Kratie
  • Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand
  • Laos from North to South
  • Indochina

Trip Date — September 2012

Route Map


Itinerary Notes & Tips

Day 1

Vientiane to Pakse

  • Ride shuttle from guest house to bus terminal (free transfer from bus ticket purchased at guest house)
  • Ride sleeper bus from Vientiane to Pakse (10 to 11 hours) – 170,000 kip
    • Departure from Vientiane
    • 7:00am – Arrival at Pakse

Pakse to Paksong, Bolaven Plateau

  • Ride tuktuk from Pakse City Center to Big Market
  • Ride minibus from Pakse to Paksong (1 hour) – 20,000 kip

Paksong Hostel Search

  • Check-in at Greenview Guesthouse (Paksong town center)
    • Room with double bed and private TB – around 50,000 kip (not sure since I forgot to take note).
    • No fan since the climate is cold in Paksong. The room was basic, decent, rather uncheerful. Bummer that they didn’t offer wifi.

Day 2

Around Paksong

  • Mr. Koffie’s Coffee Tour in Paksong – 50,000 kip per person

Bolaven Plateau Waterfalls tour

Hitchhiked from Paksong to Pakse with a German traveler who traveled with a rented motorbike. Along the way, we visited two big waterfalls near the highway.

Pakse Hostel Search

  • Check-in at Soutchai Travel Guest House (Pakse City Center)
    • Fan room with double bed (Shared TB; Free fast wifi) – 30,000 kip
    • I’m definitely recommending Soutchai Travel to anyone visiting Pakse. My room was big, clean, and the bed was soft and comfy. The staff was super friendly and helpful. The Guesthouse was a short walk away from the market and restaurants serving delicious local food.

Day 3

Vat Phu (Temple) Tour

Rented my own motorbike to get to Vat Phu, a hilltop Angkorian temple.

Day 4

Laos to Cambodia via Veun Kham-Dom Kralor

I booked a bus for my Laos to Cambodia crossing from a travel agency since I wasn’t able to find a lot of information about transportation options over the border from Veun Kham to Dom Kralor.

I definitely wanted to stay longer and visit more places in Laos but I only had two more weeks until my flight to Myanmar from Bangkok, a long long way from where I was at.

  • Buy Pakse to Kratie bus ticket at Soutchai Travel Guest House – 180,000 kip per person
  • Land transport from Pakse (Champasak, Laos) to Kratie (Cambodia)
    • Ride Pakse to Veun Kham shuttle
    • Alight bus at Veun Kham
    • Veun Kham-Dom Kralor Border Crossing
      • Walk over the Laos-Cambodia border
      • 30-day Free Visa on Arrival for passport holders from South East Asia countries (including the Philippines)
    • Board bus bound for Kratie
    • Ride Dom Kralor to Kratie, Cambodia bus