The Pakse Loop, South Laos 26 to 31 March 2025

Left Thakhek a bit later than I had planned. Destination was a town called Pakse. According to Google Maps 335 km and 5 hours and 51 mins. It took me longer. The CRF150L shares its design with its sister the CRF300L and one of them is the saddle…. OMG it is bad. If I had realized that I would be riding a CRF I would have brought an “airhawk” cushion or a gel pad with me. But I didn’t so I was paying the price. Stops to drink and rest were frequent. It was a long hot boring dusty ride. It was on route 13 or Asian highway 3 (AH3) This is the most important highway in Laos. It begins in a place called Boten on the border with China, northern Laos, and runs all the way down to the border with Cambodia, Southern Laos. It is a major trade route, so loads of big trucks. The road is in bad condition, though the southern section is a lot better than the northern one. Most of the truck traffic will be branching off to Vietnam and Cambodia as well as local trade. The ride was taken up by dodging potholes and trucks.

Taking a break from dodging the trucks.

Dodging the trucks on Asian Highway 3

Arrived in Pakse tired, dusty and hot. Dived under the shower and headed off to the night market to eat. Pakse, means mouth of the river, is situated on the junction of the Xe Don and Mekong River. It is a town with the largest population in Southern Laos, predominantly, populated by Laotians of Chinese descent. It is the second largest town in Laos. This is an ideal stopover if you are doing the Pakse loop or on your way down to the 4,000 islands on the Mekong. I needed to extend my visa for Laos. I had obtained a 1-month visa on arrival but being me and travelling slowly I was running out of time. Also finding Style motorbike rental and hiring a bike from them meant that I could do a lot more. The next day bright and early, I headed to the immigration police. First, I had to take a photocopy of the id page of my passport, a copy of my visa and a passport photo. There was a little shop just around the corner from the police station offering all these facilities. At the police station it is really efficient and streamlined. First hand over my passport and the copies, then fill out a form requesting an extension, pay them a small handling fee, get a slip of paper, move down to the next window, hand in the slip, pay again a small handling fee, on to the next window and pay for the requested amount of days, cash only. Issuing time is 3 days, but weekend was in the way, so it was gonna be ready on Monday. The payment receipt was enough to act in lieu of my passport.

The junction of the Xe Don and Mekong River. Pakse.

Pakse.

Tuc Tuc Pakse.

Pakse.

Friday morning I loaded the bike and headed off to do the Pakse loop, also called the Bolaven loop. This is either a 200km or 320km loop into rural Laos and the Bolaven plateau. The route takes in coffee plantations and waterfalls as well as tribal villages. The amount of time you need to do the loop depends on what you want to see or experience. I did the shorter loop over a period of two nights and three days and that felt like rushing it. This route is famous for it’s waterfalls. The landscapes are mostly flat with fertile farmland. It’s elevation ranges from 1,000 meters to 1,350 meters above sea level.

The Pakse loop, also called the Bolaven loop.

The Pakse Loop.

The first stop that I wanted to make was to Mr. Vieng coffee plantation. I arrived with time to spare but they were not giving any tours that day. So I just relaxed with a cup of coffee. It was a pity because they were famous for their tours. They also have a homestay, but it was too early for me to stop for the night. Next on my list of things to do was the Tad Lo Waterfall. I wanted to spend the night here. My choice was a local place called Bolaven Garden, but unfortunately, they were booked up. They had some tents along the river, but it was so hot, also at night I didn’t fancy it. Next choice was nearby Fandee Island Guesthouse. They had a hut available, and I was able to make a deal, so I took it. Then a hike up to Tad Lo Waterfall. The main thing about these waterfalls is that you can swim in them. But I forgot to take my bathing shorts, also the water is ice cold. Also on the same trail is the Tad Hang Waterfall. I met Marcus, a Swedish nurse, whom I first met at Mr. Ving. His scooter was parked up at Fandee, so we had a drink and a chat together. I wanted to watch the sunset as they were supposed to be fantastic, but that day was crap. Too much smoke from the burning. I didn’t enjoy my stay in Fandee. It is not local owned but owned and run by a French couple. It is really commercial with zip lines, waterpark, a pizza restaurant and of course the island. All the guests that night were French and if you don’t speak fluent French then you are left alone. It could be a nice place for a couple but not for a solo traveler. It was a boring night. The next morning I found a mobile telephone, in a leather holder. A dog had found it and was dragging it around. I managed to find the owner by ringing the last dialled number. Everyone was still asleep as they were all partying the night before. Anyway, one happy person was the result of my efforts.

Mr. Vieng coffee plantation.

Tad Lo waterfall.

Tad Hang waterfall.

The bridge to Fandee island.

The Pakse Loop.

The next stop was a tribal village and a visit to the coffee plantation of one Captain Hook, and what a character he turned out to be. Mr. Hook or Captain Hook as he calls himself owns an organic coffee plantation in the tribal village of Kok Phung Tai. This is also a homestay and in hindsight would have been a better option to have spent the night. The tour was really unique. We wandered around the plantation and the Captain entertained us with stories of tribal life and how he spent his childhood and believe me it was a fantastic way to grow up. Captain Hook was also well versed in herbal medication and pointed out many medicinal plants and told us of their uses. He also showed us and demonstrated, the art of making poisonous darts from a local grass, he also showed us how to throw them. These were used, locally, in fighting guerrilla warfare. This was all done in a humorous way. His tour and homestay are recommended. Then a slow easy ride to “Shared Happy Farm”. This is a farm and homestay. About 20km before the turn off, it started to rain, a tropical storm. I managed to find shelter from the heaviest part. To get to the farm I had to negotiate a couple of kms of dirt track, thanks to the rain it was mud and puddles. I had been in SMS (text message) contact with the farm from the night before and had reserved a little wooden hut. I got a really warm and friendly welcome from the family. Got settled in and slowly the place began to fill up. People from all nationalities and walks in life just seem to swarm here. There were two long tables where we could all sit together and share the communal evening meal. I met up with some people who I had seen on the road and at Captain Hook. We all ate and partied together; a really pleasant experience compared to the night before. Also, the food was all locally grown and was vegetarian. I was in heaven.

Captain Hook giving one of his many informatieve lectures on tribal and natural medication lore.

The Pakse Loop.

Shared Happy Farm.

I got up early after a really good night’s sleep. I wanted to catch a sunrise, but once again it was a crappy one. Clouds, haze and smoke. Breakfast was also really good and plentiful. Fortified with good food and a couple of cups of local coffee I headed off towards Pakse. I took a slight detour, there was a road leading to the longer route that was a paradise for bikers. I took it and had a good ride. Up and down and some beautiful corners, great fun. I wanted to stop at two waterfalls that make up the 4 sisters.

Sunrise over Shared Happy Farm.

The twists and turns on the Pakse Loop.

The Pakse Loop.

The first one was Tad Yuang Waterfall, also spelled as Tad Gneuang. This is a majestic 42-meter drop waterfall, set in a beautiful forested and jungle area. There are a lot of food and drink stands at the entrance. You can hike down a trail that takes you to different viewpoints, top and middle, at different levels, terminating at the pool. This is one of the most spectacular waterfalls and well worth the effort to have a look. Though once again hiking in the sweltering heat wearing bike gear is no fun.

Tad Yuang Waterfall.

Then a short ride to Tad Fane, the next waterfall. This is a twin waterfall. The Champee and Pak Koot rivers join here to create this spectacular waterfall, falling 120 meters. The rivers are divided at the top, falling in a twin flow to be joined in the pool. Once again, the surrounding area is lush green forest and jungle. The waterfall is located in the Dong Hua Sao National Protected Area (NPA). It is also a well known zipline location, with the highest zip line in Laos located here….. at a height of 300 meters. Also, you can relax in a hammock with a table and a cup of coffee whilst suspended from the zipline and enjoy the view of the waterfall way below you. Also, on the zipline menu was the chance to spend the night in a hammock suspended above the falls, the mind boggles. Visiting the two waterfalls took up most of the day so it was back to face the urban traffic of Pakse, an hour ride or 40 km away. It was actually more than a hour.

Tad Fane, at 300 meters the largest waterfall in Laos.

he Pakse Loop

Urban traffic Pakse.

The Pakse loop was a fun and interesting ride. The main thing about this loop is the interaction with the local people, the tribal villages, the waterfalls and the pure raw nature. It is a nice ride. But once again I felt that I had rushed my way through it. It is on my list to do again and with my own bike.

I also have a facebook blog, with a photo album. This has a lot more photos. To gain access to it click on the link here below. You do not need a facebook account to view it.

Facebook Album The Pakse Loop 26-03-2025 to 31-03-2025 Southern Laos

But once again I really have to apologize for the quality of the Drift XL action cam photos. I still had not noticed that the lens angle had changed and that the settings were off. Still, it will give you a rough idea as to the ride.

Thank you for taking the time to read the blog. Thank you for sharing the ride with me.

Bye Bye until next post, stay safe ☘🏍😎