Southern Laos in 5 Days: Bolaven Plateau, Wat Phou and the 4,000 Islands

Your guide meets you on arrival in Pakse and you drive east up onto the Bolaven Plateau, home of the finest Lao coffee. In colonial times the French planted Arabica and Robusta here, and today the cool climate and plentiful rain keep the farms thriving. Visit coffee and tea plantations and taste the local brew. The area is home to several ethnic groups, mainly the Laven. Stop at Tad E-Tu on the road to Paksong, then Tad Fane, the highest waterfall in Champasak province, and nearby Tad Yuang.Overnight: Paksong (Bolaven Plateau) · Meals: L

After breakfast, drive down from the plateau into the Mekong plain to Champasak, a sleepy riverside town lined with French colonial houses. Continue to Wat Phou, one of the oldest archaeological sites in Laos. Its first temple was built around the 5th century, though most of what you see dates from the 11th to 13th centuries, built of sandstone, laterite and brick. Look for carvings of Indra on his three-headed mount and Vishnu riding the garuda. Then travel south to Don Khong, the largest island of Si Phan Don.Overnight: Don Khong · Meals: B, L

Spend the day exploring Si Phan Don, the 4,000 Islands, by boat. Here the Mekong spreads up to 12 km wide in the rainy season, and as the water drops, countless small islands appear. Life is slow, with wooden houses on stilts and animals wandering the lanes. Pass Don Det, the liveliest of the islands, and continue to Don Khone, quieter and greener, linked to Don Det by an old bridge built in the French era. In the afternoon, walk its peaceful paths with your guide.Overnight: Don Khone · Meals: B, L

Return to the mainland and visit Khone Phapheng, a series of cascades where the whole Mekong tumbles over a wide rock shelf near the Cambodian border. It is the largest waterfall by volume in Southeast Asia, and in the rainy season the falls stretch for kilometers across the river. Then drive north again to Champasak for your last night in southern Laos, in a villa on the bank of the Mekong.Overnight: Champasak · Meals: B, L

Enjoy a free morning by the river in Champasak, perhaps a walk through the village or a quiet coffee on your terrace. Champasak is a lovely place to linger, with old French houses and small temples along a single riverside road. Then transfer to Pakse, about an hour's drive, and on to Pakse airport for your flight home or to your next destination in Laos.Meals: B