27. Stop Pakse, Laos

On Sunday, February 16, 2020, I first said goodbye to my girlfriend and then set off on my scooter. After about 45 minutes of driving, I arrived at my first destination: the Tad Fane waterfall. The signage, as usual, was not the best, but by now I knew this and didn't get lost for once but arrived directly at the destination.

The waterfall is also called Twin Waterfall, as two adjacent waterfalls plunge from the jungle into the depths. They are over 100 meters long, making them the longest in Laos. There is no way down, the view can only be enjoyed from one point, and accordingly crowded it was there.

After another 10 minutes drive, I arrived at the next waterfall: Tad Yueng waterfall. Since there was a huge tour bus right behind me, I quickly looked for the best viewpoint. There was a small platform here to look from top to bottom. You could also walk down the side of the waterfall - even though the path was not particularly well developed - and I was glad that the path was dry and not wet or even muddy, as I would definitely have slipped down.

After taking my pictures, I quickly got back on the scooter. Some tourists I talked to recommended another waterfall (which was already on my list next) and raved about how they were almost the only ones there and you could even swim there. This waterfall, called 'Cham Pee', was only a few minutes away. The road there was much rougher and I immediately felt it in my forearms again, but when I arrived, it was definitely worth it! There were fewer than 10 people there and the cooling off was very refreshing.

At the waterfall, I met a girl who I had also come across on the Thakhek Loop. She told me that she had done the Loop in Pakse and was almost a little disappointed. It is known for its many waterfalls, but due to the current dry season, many of them are dried up and therefore not visitable. The ones that actually have water and are worth a visit are near Pakse, and those are the ones I ended up visiting. Once again, I made the right decision.

The last stop for this day was a viewpoint on top of a hill. Considering the temperatures and humidity, I decided against taking the 30-minute steep climb and instead drove up with the scooter. I still sweated because the wind from driving was not a cooling off but rather a hot blow dryer. At the top sits a huge golden Buddha, guarding the city day and night.