Lonely Planet Laos

by Lonely Planet

  At the base of a second stairway is an impressive and now very holy dvarapala (sentinel figure) standing ramrod straight with sword held at the ready. Most Thai and Lao visitors make an offering to his spirit before continuing up the mountain. If you step down off the walkway and onto the grassy area just north of here you'll come to the remains of a yoni pedestal, the cosmic vagina-womb symbol associated with Shaivism, and two unusually large, headless and armless dvarapala statues half-buried in the grass. These are the largest dvarapala found anywhere in the former Angkorian kingdom.

  After the dvarapala a rough sandstone path ascends quickly to another steep stairway, atop which is a small terrace holding six ruined brick shrines – only one retains some of its original form. From here two final staircases, the second marked by crouching guardians also sans heads and arms, take you to the top, passing through the large terraces you saw clearly from the bottom of the mountain.

  Shade is provided along much of this entire middle-level route from dàwk jąmpąa (plumeria or frangipani), the Lao national tree.

  Upper Level

  On the uppermost level of Wat Phu is the sanctuary itself. It has many carvings, notably two guardians and two apsara (celestial dancers), and it once enclosed a Shiva lingam that was bathed, via a system of sandstone pipes, with waters from the sacred spring that still flows behind the complex. The sanctuary now contains a set of very old, distinctive Buddha images on an altar. The brick rear section, which might have been built in the 9th century, is a cella (cell), where the holy linga was kept.

  Sculpted into a large boulder behind the sanctuary is a Khmer-style Trimurti, the Hindu holy trinity of Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. Further back, beyond some terracing to the south of the Trimurti, is the cave from which the holy spring flowed into the sanctuary. Up a rough path to the north of the Trimurti, a Buddha footprint and an elephant are carved into a rock wall.

  Just north of the Shiva linga sanctuary, amid a mess of rocks and rubble, look around for two unique stone carvings known as the elephant stone and the crocodile stone. Crocodiles were semi-divine figures in Khmer culture, but despite much speculation that the stone was used for human sacrifices, its function – if there was one – remains unknown. The crocodile is believed to date from the Angkor period, while the elephant is thought to date from the 16th century. Also look out for an interesting chunk of a staircase framed by two snakes and some small caves that were probably used for meditation in ancient days.

  When you've seen everything here, just sitting and soaking up the wide-angle view of the baray, the plains and the Mekong is fantastic. A small shop sells snacks and cool drinks.

  Wat Phu Exhibition HallMUSEUM

  (ຫໍພິພິດທະພັນວັດພູ admission with Wat Phu ticket; h8am-4.30pm)

  The Exhibition Hall near the ticket office showcases dozens of lintels, naga (mythical water serpents), Buddhas and other stone work from Wat Phu and its associated sites. Detailed descriptions are in English, plus the building includes clean bathrooms.

  zFestivals

  Bun Wat Phu ChampasakBUDDHIST

  (Wat Phu Champasak Festival)

  The highlight of the year in Wat Phu Champasak is this three-day festival, held as part of Magha Puja (Makha Busa) during the full moon of the third lunar month, usually in February. The central ceremonies performed are Buddhist, culminating on the full-moon day with an early-morning parade of monks receiving alms from the faithful, followed that evening by a candlelit wéean téean (circumambulation) of the lower shrines.

  Throughout the three days of the festival Lao visitors climb around the hillside, stopping to pray and leave offerings of flowers and incense. The festival is more commercial than it once was, and for much of the time has an atmosphere somewhere between a kids' carnival and music festival. Events include kick-boxing matches, cockfights, comedy shows and plenty of music and dancing, as bands from as far away as Vientiane arrive. After dark the beer and lòw-lów (Lao whisky) flow freely and the atmosphere gets pretty rowdy.

  8Getting There & Away

  Wat Phu Champasak is 43km from Pakse and 10km from Champasak. It's a flat, easy bike ride from Champasak, though there's not a lot of shade. A tuk-tuk from Champasak will cost around 100,000K return.

  Uo Moung ອູໂມງ (Tomo Temple)

  The Khmer temple ruin of Uo Moung (ອູໂມງ, Tomo Temple MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 10,000K; h8am-4pm), beside a small tributary of the Mekong, is believed to have been built late in the 9th century during the reign of the Khmer King Yasovarman I. Its exact function is unknown, though its orientation towards the holy mountain Phu Pasak suggests its location was somehow related to Wat Phu Champasak, and thus it's included as part of the Wat Phu World Heritage Site, even though it sits on the east side of the river. It's not worth a trip for everyone, but the forest and excessive moss do give it a 'lost' feeling.

  The ruins include an entranceway bordered by lotus-bud carvings, like those found at Wat Phu, and two crumbling gopura (ornate entranceways), one still partially standing. Several lintels and other sandstone carvings are displayed on rocks beneath towering dipterocarp trees, but the best art from this site is in the Wat Phu Exhibition Hall, including an unusual lingam-style stone post on which two faces have been carved. It's unusual because mukhalinga usually have four mukha (faces), while most ordinary linga have no face at all. The white building at the heart of the site houses a bronze Sukhothai-style Buddha.

  8Getting There & Away

  Uo Moung is 45km from Pakse. The signed turn-off along Rte 13 is just past the Huay Tomo bridge next to a market where you can look for săhm-lór or tuk-tuk if you are travelling by public transport and don't want to walk the 4.5km to the site.

  You can also visit Uo Moung by boat from Don Daeng or Champasak on the opposite bank of the Mekong. From Champasak, you're looking at about 400,000K return to charter a boat, including waiting time of an hour or so, to the nearby village of Ban Tomo. The price will be about 60,000K or so return from Ban Sisouk at the south end of Don Daeng; although keep in mind that there is a small possibility that no boats will be available.

  A good full-day option is to rent a bicycle in Champasak and take a boat first to Don Daeng, then to Ban Tomo, then cross the river back to the western shore (also about 60,000K) and ride back to Champasak.

  Kiet Ngong ບ້ານກຽດໂງ້ງ

  %030

  The Lao Loum villagers of Kiet Ngong (ບ້ານກຽດໂງ້ງ), near the Se Pian NPA, run southern Laos' most successful community-based ecotourism project. Started in the mid-2000s with help from the Asian Development Bank, Kiet Ngong is functioning on its own now.

  Kiet Ngong sits at the edge of a bird-rich wetland about 9km from Rte 13. Working elephants and an unusually large herd of buffalo give the wetland a safari feel. It's best to sleep here for at least a night, but it also works as a day trip from Pakse or Champasak.

  Visitors heading to Kiet Ngong must pay a 25,000K entry fee for Se Pian NPA at the little white building 2km east of Rte 13 that you pass on your way there.

  1Sights

  Ban Nong BeungVILLAGE

  (ບ້ານໜອງບຶງ MAP GOOGLE MAP )

  On your way to or from Kiet Ngong, you may want to stop at this woodcarving village populated by ethnic Tahoy families who migrated here from Salavan Province over a century ago. They make a lot of modern, marketable products, but also still carve masks and other traditional designs, most of which are carefully burned to turn the wood black. Be sure to have a look at the old-style community meeting house.

  2Activities

  The community-run Visitor Information Centre organises homestays, trekking, birdwatching and other activities. It's best to contact them in advance, although you can usually just show up and arrange things on the spot.

  Elephant riding is what Kiet Ngong is famous for, but forest walks and traditional canoe rides (July to March only) in the swamp are the real highlights. Trips into the jungle of the Se Pian NPA ca
n range from half-day nature walks to extended overnight treks. Camping gear is available for hire. The wetland, Bueng Kiet Ngong, covers 13.8 sq km and was designated a Ramsar Site (a wetland of international importance) in 2010. It's emerging as a birdwatching destination, with the rare white-winged duck a possible tick.

  Guides cost 100,000K per day with additional costs depending on the particular activity. Things can be arranged either at the Visitor Information Centre or Kingfisher Ecolodge, although mountain biking (per person 430,000K with two people) is only available from the lodge.

  4Sleeping

  In addition to the excellent Kingfisher Ecolodge, the Kiet Ngong community offers two types of accommodation, both booked through the Visitor Information Centre. Choose from a homestay with a local family or the community guesthouse with dorm-style sleeping in bungalows in a great spot overlooking the wetland. Some, but not all, homestay homes have hot-water showers. Both options cost 40,000K per person, plus 30,000K for meals.

  Bounhome HomestayHOMESTAY$

  (%030-5346293; per bed 50,000K)

  In Ban Phapho (Phapho Village), 10km east of Kiet Ngong, this homestay has four small, ultra simple rooms in the family's wooden house. The bathroom is shared and there's no hot water, but Mr Bounhome and his family speak some English and French and have been welcoming travellers for well over 20 years.

  oKingfisher EcolodgeLODGE$$

  (%020-55726315; www.kingfisherecolodge.com; eco/comfort r high season 250,000/750,000K, low season 210,000/650,000K; hclosed May & Jun; aiW)S

  Run by a Lao-Italian family, the Kingfisher Ecolodge is set on 7 hectares at the edge of the wetland, about 700m past Kiet Ngong village. It's a beautiful spot. Sitting on your balcony at dawn and watching birds flit across the wetland is a memorable experience and the two-tiered restaurant-bar could easily be in an East African safari lodge.

  The six comfortable bungalows ooze Italian panache, with huge wooden countertops in the bathrooms, polished hardwood pillars and floors, lovely beds and – the coup de grâce – huge balconies with large bamboo hammocks. The economy rooms have more modest balconies and share a spotless bathroom.

  Most activities offered by the Visitor Information Centre are also offered here with the addition of full-day guided mountain-bike tours (per person 430,000K with two people) into Se Pian NPA. And it lives up to the 'eco' in its name by supporting the local school, using solar power and promoting conservation within Se Pian NPA.

  8Information

  Visitor Information Centre (%030-9552120; toui_ps@hotmail.com; h8am-4pm) This community-run centre in the middle of Kiet Ngong arranges activities, accommodation and transport from Rte 13. Placards on the walls have useful information about the various options and also the ecology, history and culture of the area. A few of the guides speak some English. All activities can also be arranged through the excellent Kingfisher Ecolodge.

  8Getting There & Away

  Kiet Ngong is 56km from central Pakse. Most visitors come here as part of a tour, but travelling independently is fairly easy. One van or sŏrngtăaou (30,000K, two to 2½ hours) leaves Kiet Ngong for Lak 8 bus station in Pakse at about 8am and heads back at 11am. Kiet Ngong is often mispronounced so ask instead for 'Phu Asa'. Alternatively, board anything going south on Rte 13, get off at Ban Thang Beng and call the Visitor Information Centre for a pick-up by motorcycle (per person 25,000K) for the last 9km to the village.

  Se Pian NPA ປ່າສະຫງວນແຫ່ງຊາດເຊປຽນ

  Se Pian NPA (ປ່າສະຫງວນແຫ່ງຊາດເຊປຽນ www.xepian.org) is one of the most important protected areas in Laos. The 2400-sq-km park boasts small populations of Asiatic black bears, yellow-cheeked crested gibbons and Siamese crocodiles, and is home to many birds, including the rare sarus crane, vultures and hornbills. Banteng, Asian elephants, gaur and tigers once roamed here, but sightings of these creatures have been rare to nonexistent in recent years.

  Stretching from Rte 13 in the west into Attapeu Province in the east, and to the Cambodian border in the south, it is fed by three major rivers: the Se Pian (Pian River), Se Khampho (Khampho River) and Se Kong (Kong River).

  It's almost impossible to visit the park under your own steam, but you can get into the park for either tough multi-day jungle treks or short nature walks, bike trips and boat rides through Kiet Ngong village or Green Discovery tour company in Pakse. Though almost nobody does it, Se Pian can also be accessed from Attapeu: arrange a guide through the Dokchampa Hotel. If you're feeling really frisky and adventurous, you could try to charter a boat down the Sekong from Sanamsay, on Rte 18A about 35km west of Attapeu. This trip towards the Cambodian border would get you deep into a scenic section of Se Pian NPA.

  Bolaven Plateau Region ພູພຽງບໍລະເວນ

  Spreading across parts of all four southern provinces, the fertile Bolaven Plateau (ພູພຽງບໍລະເວນ; known in Lao as Phu Phieng Bolaven) is famous for its cool climate, dramatic waterfalls and high-grade coffee.

  The French started planting coffee, rubber and bananas in the early 20th century, but many left following independence in the 1950s and the rest followed when US bombardment began in the late '60s. Controlling the Bolaven Plateau was considered strategically vital to both the Americans and North Vietnamese, as evidenced by the staggering amount of unexploded ordnance (UXO) still lying around. But where it has been cleared, both local farmers and large companies are busy cultivating coffee. Other local products include fruit, cardamom and rattan.

  The largest ethnic group on the plateau is the Laven (Bolaven means ‘Home of the Laven’). Several other Mon-Khmer ethnic groups, including the Alak, Katu, Tahoy and Suay, also live on the plateau and its escarpment.

  Paksong Area

  Paksong, Laos' coffee capital, is not much to look at, most of it having been obliterated in a storm of bombs during the Second Indochina War. Other than doing a coffee tour or buying a fresh cuppa, you probably won't want to stop here. But, many of the waterfalls near the town definitely should be part of your Bolaven itinerary.

  1Sights

  Tat FanWATERFALL

  (ຕາດຟານ GOOGLE MAP ; Rte 16, Km 38; admission 5000K, motorcycle/car 3000/5000K)

  Tat Fan is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Laos. Twin streams plunge out of dense forest and tumble down more than 120m to form the Huay Bang Lieng. Early morning and late afternoon have the best sunlight, but the falls are often shrouded by fog. The viewing point is at Tad Fane Resort ( GOOGLE MAP ; %020-55531400; www.tadfaneresort.com; Rte 16, Km 38; r US$28-42; W), a jungle lodge atop the cliff opposite the falls, and it's a near-mandatory stop for anyone in the area.

  One way to beat the crowds is to take a half-day trek to the top or bottom. The price is US$15 per person with a minimum cost of US$40 and this includes the national-park entrance fee. To arrange this, ask at the resort for Arui.

  The access road to the falls is 12km from Paksong.

  Tat GneuangWATERFALL

  (ຕາດເຍືອງ GOOGLE MAP ; Rte 16, Km 40; admission 10,000K, motorcycle/car 10,000K; hticket booth 8am-5pm, falls to 6.30pm)

  Tat Yuang, as some signs spell it, is impressive, with its twin torrents falling about 40m and flowing into lush jungle. It's hugely popular with day trippers from Pakse and tour buses from Thailand, so getting there early or lingering late is a good idea. An easy set of steps leads down to the main viewing area and to a little bridge that takes you to the top of the waterfall.

  A fun stairway leads through the forest to other viewpoints, where you'll be hit with spray from the falls in the rainy season, and a path leads all the way to the bottom. Swimming at the top is fine year-round, but don't try to swim at the bottom in the rainy season.

  It is 10km to the access road from Paksong, then 1.2km from the highway to the park. A guesthouse near the entrance should be open in 2017.

  Tat E-TuWATERFALL

  (ຕາດອີ່ຕູ້ GOOGLE MAP ; Rt 16, Km 35; ad
mission 5000K, motorcycle/car 3000/5000K)

  Tat E-Tu, 1km north of the main road (Rte 16), is the first large waterfall you reach on the drive up from Pakse. Though this 40m drop is pretty impressive, it doesn't get nearly as many visitors as the more famous waterfalls nearby. It's just a short, easy walk to the viewpoint from the Baan E-Tu Waterfall Resort parking area.

  Dong Hua Sao NPANATIONAL PARK

  (ປ່າສະຫງວນແຫ່ງຊາດດົງຫົວສາວ )

  The 1100-sq-km Dong Hua Sao NPA, south of Paksong, is home to large tracts of pristine jungle where you might spot monkeys, large butterflies and rare hornbills. Poaching is a problem, as is illegal logging to plant coffee. Adventure specialist Green Discovery runs its Tree Top Explorer trips here, which are an excellent way to experience the park, though bookings must be must be made in Pakse. Treks run by Tad Fane Resort also get you into the park.

  oTayicseuaWATERFALL

  (ຕາດຕາຢິກເສືອ GOOGLE MAP ; admission 5000K, parking 5000K)

  There are seven significant waterfalls (none of them named Tayicseua) and several smaller ones at this remote, but easily accessible private nature reserve. Some sit right near the restaurant-parking area while others, such as postcard-worthy Tat Halang (aka Tat Alang) are down in the forest along a good set of trails, which you can walk without a guide. It's in the early stages of growing into a proper resort but, for now, crowds remain rare.