Heritage Stripe

Heritage Stripe

Chasing Adventure in Champasak, Laos

Adventure travellers who make the journey to the southern Lao province of Champasak, at the heart of Southeast Asia's so-called Emerald Triangle, are routinely wowed by the region's extensive undisturbed landscapes and spectacular national parks, as well as a fantastic mix of attractions and wonders, like the World Heritage site of Wat Phou, the waterfalls of the Bolaven Plateau, the wetlands and wildlife of the Xe Pian Conservation Area and the quiet pace of life in the Four Thousand Islands.

Treks for Eco-Enthusiasts

The Bolaven Plateau is the uplands in the northeast of the province and site of stunning waterfalls, sweeping coffee plantations and ethnic minority villages. Hikers of all stripes often head straight here for both independent and guided tours.

One one- or two-day loop, best enjoyed in the company of a guide who can bring to life the region's unique natural history and culture, takes in hilltribe villages, visits the spectacular 120-metre Tad Fane waterfall – the tallest in Laos – and stops at a swimming hole and for some local coffee tasting.

Another guided walk for more experienced hikers spends two days in the Xe Pian Conservation Area, a vitally important protected zone of incredible biodiversity. Highlights include canoe rides, dense jungle paths and a homestay in a local ethnic village. Local guides call attention to the park's native medicinal plants and wildlife, like the endangered yellow-cheeked gibbon.

A second Xe Pian excursion heads to the fort-topped summit of Mount Asa on a half-day elephant ride through the forest.

Scenic Cycling Excursions

One of the best ways to appreciate scenery and interact with locals is to travel by bicycle. In Champasak, fit pedallers revel in a four-day tour from Pakse, the provincial capital, famous for its hand-woven cottons and silks, to the plantations and waterfalls of the Bolaven Plateau, forest trails of Xe Pian and even a few local ethnic villages. After daily distances of 40 to 90 kilometers, bikers pass the night in homestays and ecolodges.

Independent travellers to the sleepy islands of Si Phan Don, also called the Four Thousand Islands – where the Mekong River reaches 18 kilometres in width and encompasses thousands of small islands – often find two wheels the best (and most budget) way to get around. On the largest island of Don Khong, a short ferry ride from the mainland, many guesthouses have steeds for rent for around 10,000 kip (US$1) a day.

In Si Phan Don, the one-day bicycle tour to an abandoned French railway that once linked Cambodia and Laos across an island called Don Khone also stops at the stunning emerald green Liphii waterfalls, close to the Cambodia border.

Zip-line Jungle Jaunts

Heart-stopping and high-flying jungle excursions too are on the menu for thrill seekers in Champasak. Two- and three-day tour packages head to the small village of Ban Nongluang (one hour by car from Pakse), the heart of zip-line fun.

A breathtaking canopy walk sets the stage for blasting off through the treetops. After a zip-line safety briefing, visitors strap in and speed through the jungle, delighting in unsurpassable views from above the dense forest, an elevation kept even at bedtime, as lodging is in tree houses. Real adrenaline junkies on a three-day package hit daredevil speeds on extended zips of up to 400 metres.

About the Author

whl.travel is a wholly owned business unit of the WHL Group, the largest local-travel company in the world. Originally started in 2002 as a pilot project of the IFC (part of the World Bank Group), it was spun off as a private company in 2006 and has since grown into a global franchise network of award-winning companies that help travellers find unique ways to experience a destination through local tourism professionals present in more than 100 countries. WHL Group companies empower local partners who have practice in experiential and mindful travel and a local's knack for identifying, explaining and sustaining the distinctive qualities of a place.

Contact: media@whl.travel

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