Pakse and our day trip to the Bolaven Plateau - waterfalls, coffee plantations, and much more!

We hope you have read our post about the transfer from Cambodia to Laos. If not, definitely catch up on that!

After this eventful day, our first full day in Laos began in Pakse. One thing we definitely wanted to do from Pakse was take a day trip to the Bolaven Plateau. A highland in the south of the country and one of the most fertile regions of Laos. Waterfalls, coffee plantations, and lots of green make this plateau so charming.

Originally, we had planned to do this trip on the first day and on our own with a scooter. However, it turned out that all the things we had planned could not be done on the first day. So we postponed the trip to the second day and decided to hire a private tuk-tuk driver - after we found out that we didn't have insurance for the scooter, would have to pay for every single scratch, and also have to leave our passports as collateral.

The change in plans allowed us to explore the nice town of Pakse on the first day. What became increasingly clear to us: We had expected Laos (without having informed ourselves in advance) to have an even lower level of development than Cambodia. This turns out to be a misjudgment, at least until now. For example, the roads are consistently paved and in good condition. Furthermore, the overall appearance is much cleaner than in Cambodia, Vietnam, or China.

After withdrawing some money, we strolled through the streets towards the Mekong River. Pakse is also strongly influenced by French colonial buildings, which is quite nice to see. When we reached the river, we walked along it for a few meters before stopping at a restaurant.

The highlight of the first day awaited us in the afternoon. We decided to hike up a nearby mountain. The reason for this was a golden shining huge Buddha statue. But this was just a joke compared to what else awaited us there: The most beautiful temple of our trip and a wonderful view!

We must correct ourselves: Currently, Laos deserves first place, ahead of Cambodia, in terms of the most beautiful temple.

On the second day in Pakse, our excursion awaited us. We were picked up by a "tuk-tuk" at 8:00 am. At first glance, the vehicle seemed more like a cattle transporter than a tuk-tuk. However, upon closer inspection, this first impression turned out to be wrong. We quickly became fond of the spacious "vehicle".

We set off towards the Bolaven Plateau! Which meant for us: Three waterfalls, coffee plantations, and beautiful scenery.

After about 1 1/4 hours of driving, we arrived at the first waterfall. And we were deeply impressed. The water plunges about 100 meters here. But see for yourself.

After this first impression, we definitely wanted to hike to the top of the waterfall. We did everything in our power to get there, but muddy, slippery, and steep paths through the Laotian jungle put an end to our plans. We had to turn back just before reaching the goal, as much as it hurt.

We made a cool discovery at a small restaurant at the top of the waterfall: There was a drink dispenser from an organization that apparently advocates for sustainability and the reduction of plastic waste. If you bought a bottle from this organization, you could refill it for free at all water dispensers of this organization in Laos. We think that's great!

Back at the parking lot, we continued with our tuk-tuk towards a coffee plantation. After taking a close look, we enjoyed the coffee grown there. It was really delicious! The friendly staff also gave us some interesting information.

Wide awake, we continued to the second of the three waterfalls. And Nadine had her highlight of the entire trip here! While the waterfall is completely natural, a beautiful park-like area has been built around the river. After getting a light shower at the base of the waterfall, we simply enjoyed the surroundings.

After a delicious lunch with a beautiful view of the area, we continued with our nice but silent (probably because he doesn't speak English) driver towards number three. His pool would have been ideal for swimming, but we didn't have enough time for that. Nevertheless, we could relax and enjoy this amazing natural spectacle.

And so our time in Pakse was coming to an end. After just two days in Laos, we can already say: Our expectations have been greatly exceeded! And we are really looking forward to the upcoming destinations in this country.