A new bridge in Ban Hua Khong Lem makes it easy to extend your exploration from Don Khong to sparsely populated and rarely visited Don San. A frequently rough dirt track follows the east side 6km to the very tip of the island where, when the river is low, a beach emerges. This is Si Phan Don's northernmost point.
Ban Hin Siew Tai Palm Sugar TreesFARM
( MAP GOOGLE MAP )
Although sugar palms can be seen across the island, Ban Hin Siew Tai is southern Laos' sugar capital. Many farmers here climb the trees twice a day to collect the juice and then boil it down to sugar, and if you see them working you are welcome to pop in for a visit. The sugar season is from November to February and early morning is the best time to go.
Muang Khong & Around
Don Khong History MuseumMUSEUM
(ພິພິດທະພັນປະຫວັດສາດດອນໂຂງ MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Muang Khong; 5000K; h8.30-11.30am & 1-4pm Mon-Fri)
When the local governor built this two-story French colonial-style home in 1935, he was so proud of himself that he christened it Sathanavoudthi, which means 'Garden of Eden' in an old Lao dialect. Level-headed locals just called it 'The Brick House'. In 2010 it was restored and now houses one of Laos' smallest museums. But the musical instruments, animal traps and photos of the Don Khon railway are worth a few minutes of your time. The furniture on the second floor is original.
Wat Jom ThongBUDDHIST TEMPLE
(ວັດຈອມທອງ MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Muang Khong)
At the northern end of Muang Khong is Wat Jom Thong, the oldest temple on the island, dating from the Chao Anou period (1805–28). The wihăhn (temple hall) features a cruciform floor plan, a unique triple-gated entrance, carved wooden doors and shutters, and a bevy of mythical Hindu-Buddhist creatures adorning the roof and gables.
Tham Phu KhiawCAVE
(ຖໍ້າພູຂຽວ MAP GOOGLE MAP )
Two kilometres north of Muang Khong a trail leads to Green Mountain Cave, a small, shallow shelter in the middle of the forest. It holds some fairly crude Buddha images and bits of broken pottery and is the object of an annual pilgrimage, usually in June. It's definitely more about the journey than the destination.
It's only a 15-minute walk, mostly uphill. Follow what is clearly the main trail to the second rocky opening in the forest and then veer south (left) to the little cliff. The trailhead is marked by a blue sign. If you wish to continue past the cave to the viewpoint or even all the way across the island, you'll need a guide.
Muang Saen & Around
Wat Phu Khao KaewBUDDHIST TEMPLE
(ວັດພູເຂົາແກ້ວ, Glass Hill Monastery MAP GOOGLE MAP )
About 6.5km northeast of Muang Saen, Wat Phu Khao Kaew was built on the site of some presumed pre-Khmer ruins, making it a holy spot for locals. Nothing of that era is visible; now there is a bright red and gold modern stupa and a large reclining Buddha in the arm-down, 'Entering Nirvana' posture. It sits atop some exposed bedrock and the beautiful Mekong-side perch is more of a reason to stop than any of the structures.
2Activities
Sabaidee Don KhongVOLUNTEERING
(%020-59692777; www.facebook.com/laoschoolvolunteer)
Teach English in the after-school program here in exchange for basic but friendly homestay accommodation. A one-week commitment is preferred.
zFestivals & Events
Bun Suang HeuaBOAT RACING
(Bun Nam)
A boat-racing festival is held on Don Khong in early December or late November around National Day. Four days of carnival-like activity include longboat races opposite Muang Khong, much closer to the shore than in larger towns.
4Sleeping
oKhong View GuesthouseGUESTHOUSE$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-22446449; Muang Khong; r with fan/air-con 80,000/100,000K; aW)
It's hard to beat the location of this place. It's near, but serenely separate from, the tourist strip and the big, breezy second-floor deck provides the best Mekong views in town. The friendly owners give it a homestay feel. There's no restaurant, but sometimes they will cook food for guests.
Ratana Riverside GuesthouseGUESTHOUSE$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-55533550; [email protected]; Muang Khong; r 100,000K; aW)
The four comfortable river-facing rooms here enjoy balconies, Siberian air-con and handsome furnishings. Ground-floor rooms have enormous windows close to the road, so get one upstairs where you'll have an obstructed view of the river across the road and won't feel like you're in a fish bowl.
Done Khong GuesthouseGUESTHOUSE$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-98789994; [email protected]; Muang Khong; r with fan/air-con 70,000/100,00K; aW)
The first place you'll see when you get off the boat, Done Khong has dark rooms with tiled floors and homely furnishings in an old house run by a French- and English-speaking lady. Try to bag a second-floor room with a river-facing balcony. The riverside restaurant, with a mostly Lao menu, is a good place to chill and the staff are a good source of island info.
Pon's Riverside GuesthouseGUESTHOUSE$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-55406798; www.ponarenahotel.com; Muang Khong; r 100,000K; aW)
The most popular spot in town for sleeping and eating, Pon's has pleasant lemon-hued rooms with tiled floor, cable TV and a relaxed atmosphere. There's a riverside restaurant deck across the road. Good value.
oPon Arena HotelBOUTIQUE HOTEL$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-22270037, 031-515018; www.ponarenahotel.com; Muang Khong; r US$50-85; aWs)
This upscale hotel has one building that sits right on the river and boasts large rooms with neat wood trim, flat-screen TVs and a small swimming pool that is so close to the river it actually sticks out over it. The original building with the cheaper rooms sits across the road but still scores style points and has the same soft beds.
Mekong InnHOTEL$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %031-213668; www.gomekonginn.com; Muang Khong; r incl breakfast US$30; naWs)
Rooms at this spot a bit south of the centre are more upmarket than a typical guesthouse, but when the Lao-Canadian owners are around (they spend some low-season months in Canada), it's just as welcoming. Breakfast includes pancakes with maple syrup and Tim Horton's coffee. Rooms are in two buildings, one of which fronts the pool, and wi-fi only reaches a few of them.
Senesothxeune HotelHOTEL$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %031-515021; www.ssx-hotel.com; Muang Khong; r US$50-60, ste US$80; aiW)
This modern hotel a short ways away from the tourist strip has comfortable rooms and a pleasant restaurant with a view of the river through its blossoming garden. The pricier rooms have balconies, hardwood floors and river views. It's been around a while, but the French-Lao owners keep it shipshape. A pool is in the works.
8Information
Internet Access
Senesothxeune Hotel The only option for public internet access (200K per minute).
Medical Services
Muang Khong Hospital ( GOOGLE MAP ; h24hr) Right on the south edge of town. There are some English-speaking staff.
Money
Agricultural Promotion Bank ( GOOGLE MAP ; Muang Khong; h8.30am-4pm Mon-Fri) Exchanges major currencies, does Western Union and has an ATM out front.
BCEL ATM ( GOOGLE MAP ; Muang Khong) Below the Lao Telecom tower.
Police
Police Station ( GOOGLE MAP ) A block back from the river in Muang Khong.
Post
Post Office ( GOOGLE MAP ; h8-11.30am & 1-4.30pm Mon-Fri) In Muang Khong town, west of the pier.
Tourist Information
Don Khong Tourist Information Centre ( GOOGLE MAP ; %029-250303; [email protected]; Muang Khong; h8.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri) Near the boat landing, this office is manned by helpful Mr Phan. There's information for the whole Si Phan Don region and he can set you up with a local guide for 60,000K per day.
8Getting There & Away
Boat
The Don Khong boatmen's association runs
a boat most days to Don Det and Don Khon (one way/return per person 40,000/60,000K) at 8.30am and departing Don Det at 3pm. It's 1½ hours downstream and two hours back. The price rises if there are fewer than six people, although everything is negotiable and you might be able to hire a boat to go for around 200,000K. You can book this through any guesthouse.
Bus
The vast majority of travellers ride the tourist bus, which always includes getting dropped off on Rte 13 with a connecting leg to the island. Sometimes you will get dropped off at the road to the bridge and head to Muang Khong by tuk-tuk. Other times you will be dropped off at Hat Xai Khun on the mainland (1km from the highway) and then squeezed into a small ferry ( GOOGLE MAP ) boat. If you need the boat ( GOOGLE MAP ) or tuk-tuk on your own, the price is 15,000K per head with a 30,000K minimum.
For leaving the island, tourist transport heading south to Don Det (60,000K) and Don Khon (70,000K including boat transfer, two hours) passes by about 10am while pick-up for going north to Pakse (60,000K, two hours) is about 11.30am.
There is also a 9am non-air-conditioned bus (60,000K, three hours) from Muang Khong to Pakse's Southern Bus Terminal. At other times, you can go to Rte 13 and wait for the hourly Pakse–Nakasang sŏrngtăaou.
Cycling
If you're up for some adventure, you can walk, cycle or motorbike 15km across Don Som down to Don Det with a ferry ( GOOGLE MAP ) ride (10,000K per person) at each end. In the rainy season this trip ranges from tough to impossible due to mud. People in Muang Khong will have only a rough idea what the conditions are at any particular time, but the ferryman will know everything for certain.
8Getting Around
Motorbikes (from 50,000K to 60,000K per day) that are real clunkers and newish bicycles (10,000K) can be hired at several places on the tourist strip in Muang Khong.
Don Det & Don Khon ດອນເດດ ດອນຄອນ
The vast majority of travellers to Si Phan Don end up on these twin islands. Don Det (ດອນເດດ) is defined by its hippyesque party scene, though it's really quite mild and there's nothing stronger than grass in the 'happy' snacks sold openly at some bars.
Of course there's much more to these two islands. Heading south from Ban Hua Det (Hua Det Village), the guesthouses thin out and the icons of rural island life – fishermen, rice farmers, weavers, buffalo, sugar palms – are on full display. Chill in a hammock, wander aimlessly around the islands or languidly drift downstream in an inner tube in the turquoise arms of the Mekong.
The serenity continues across the French bridge on Don Khon (ດອນຄອນ), but down here there are also some gorgeous waterfalls to visit, sandy beaches to lounge on, dolphins to spot and even a little patch of wilderness to explore.
Don Det & Don Khon
1Top Sights
1Khon Pa Soi FallsC4
2Tat SomphamitA4
1Sights
3Ban Hang Khon Steam LocomotiveD5
4Ban Hang Khon ViewpointD5
5Ban Khon Steam LocomotiveB3
6Wat Khon TaiA3
7Xai Kong Nyai BeachA5
4Sleeping
8Baba GuesthouseD2
9Ban Hang Khon HomestayD5
10Crazy GeckoB1
11Easy Go Backpackers HostelA2
12Last ResortA2
13Little EdenC1
14Mama Leuah GuesthouseB2
15Mama PiangB1
16Mekong Dream GuesthouseB3
17Mr Tho's BungalowsB1
18Pa Kha GuesthouseB3
19Peace Love GuesthouseA1
20Sala Done KhoneB3
21Seng Ahloune ResortB3
22Seng Thavan 1 GuesthouseA1
23Souksan GuesthouseB2
24Xaymountry GuesthouseB3
5Eating
25BoathouseB2
26Chanthoumma's RestaurantB3
Four Thousand SunsetsB3
27GardenB3
28King Kong ResortB2
Little Eden RestaurantC1
29Pizza Don KhonB3
30Street View RestaurantA1
6Drinking & Nightlife
31Adam's BarD1
8Information
32Green Paradise TravelD1
33Mr Khieo InternetD1
1Sights
These twin islands are famous for soaking up low-key village life rather than ticking off a list of attractions, but the dolphins and waterfalls on Don Khon are genuinely wonderful destinations.
When you cross the French bridge to Don Khon, you will be asked to pay a 35,000K tourism tax at the little blue shack. This is good for the whole day and covers the entrance fee to Tat Somphamit. If you are sleeping on Don Khon and you want to go north, you don't need to pay it. Just check in before you cross to Don Det and hope they remember you when you return.
oKhon Pa Soi FallsWATERFALL
(ຕາດຄອນປາສ້ອຍ MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Don Khon)F
Although it's not the largest waterfall on the islands, Khon Pa Soi Falls is still pretty impressive, and it never gets crowded due to its isolated location. From the little restaurant (sometimes only serving cold drinks) cross the big, fun (or scary, depending on the person) wooden suspension bridge to Don Po Soi island and follow the roar 200m to the main waterfall.
You can find bathing spots when the river is low, but be seriously careful here and don't get caught in the current.
A second smaller bridge takes you to some of the old logging diversion walls the French built in the Mekong for their logging operations.
oTat SomphamitWATERFALL
(ຕາດສົມພາມິດ, Li Phi Falls MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Don Khon; 35,000K.; hticket booth 8am-5pm)
Located on Don Khon, 1.5km downriver from the French Bridge, vast Tat Somphamit is a gorgeous set of raging rapids. Its other name, Li Phi, means 'Spirit Trap' and locals believe the falls act as just that, a trap for bad spirits as they wash down the river. Local fishermen risk their skin edging out onto rocks in the violent flow of the cascades to empty bamboo traps. Don't try this stunt yourself – travellers have died slipping off the rocks beyond the barrier.
At the back end of the park, below the falls, is little Li Phi Beach (under water in the rainy season) A fundamental fear of ghosts means you'll never see locals swimming here. But even rationalists need to be wary as the current runs fast. Xai Kong Nyai Beach, a kilometre downriver, is a safer, year-round swimming option.
Above the beach is a lovely thatched-roof restaurant and though it stops serving at 5pm, you can stick around to watch the sunset. There are lots of other, cheaper restaurants set back away from the falls.
Note: entry to the falls is free if you bought a ticket to cross the French Bridge.
Khon Phapheng FallsWATERFALL
(ຕາດຄອນພະເພັງ MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 55,000K; h8am-5pm)
The largest, and by far the most awesome waterfall anywhere along the Mekong, Khon Phapheng is pure, unrestrained aggression as millions of litres of water crash over the rocks every second. That said, you'll have to decide whether or not it's worth the jacked-up price since you can see the smaller but similar Tat Somphamit for a lower price and without the tour-bus crowds.
There are several viewpoints in resort-like grounds, plus many restaurants and snack shops. With luck you can catch some rainbows in the early-morning mist. And like all the waterfalls in this area, there's a shaky network of bamboo scaffolds on the rocks next to the falls used by daring fishermen. A free shuttle runs continuously between both ends of the park – a 500m trip.
Khon Phapheng is at the eastern shore of the Mekong near Ban Thakho. From Ban Nakasang it's 3km out to Rte 13, then 8.5km southeast to the turn-off and another 1.5km to the falls. A săhm-lór from Nakasang costs about 50,000K return with an hour wait time. You can also easily motorcycle down from Don Khong. The falls are included in kayak tours out of Don Det and Don Khon. Since amateurs can't kayak anywhere near these falls, you'll be taken there by vehicle as your kayaks are driven up to Ban Nakasang.
&nb
sp; Xai Kong Nyai BeachBEACH
(Tha Sanam; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Don Khon)
If a beach towel is more your style than a hammock, then this little stretch of sand will satisfy. Swimming is possible year-round, but you need to be careful of fast currents away from the shore. There are two simple restaurants with cold drinks, and fishermen here will take you out to see waterfalls, dolphins or the sunset in their small longtail boats. They have no sunshades, life jackets or fixed prices.
Wat Khon TaiBUDDHIST TEMPLE
(ວັດຄອນໃຕ້ MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Don Khon)
Don Khon's main Buddhist temple was built on the site of an ancient Khmer shrine. Hidden behind the old ordination hall, which is itself tucked away behind a modern building, is an old, beautifully decrepit stupa and a Khmer-era shiva linga. Other ancient stone blocks lie scattered around the grounds. Also take a look at the long racing boats stored nearby.
DOLPHIN-WATCHING
A pod of severely endangered Irrawaddy dolphins lives along the southern shore of Don Khon and spotting these rare creatures in the wild is a highlight of any trip to southern Laos. The population has dropped to just five as some have died and others have gone south. Though nothing in nature is guaranteed, sightings here are virtually certain.
Lonely Planet Laos Page 45
