Travelling from Vientiane south to Chong mek border

[davidst01]

I am planning a small trip from Vientiane then travelling south to the Chong Mek border and then enter thailand again.

Can you recommend tourists sights / stop overs along the way? How long do you think such a journey would take? I thought of allocating a week pending tourist information from esteemed members of this forum

many thanks

[phuketrichard]

i drove from Vientainne to Savannakhet in 8 hour day an than had enough of that part of laos (nothing like the north./northwest)

and after driving around looking at the town an driverside and looking for a decent hotel said F@$k it and went back to Thailand.

figure another 6-8 hours to Chong Mek

[vanillalatte]

Big thing on the way is: Tad Lo Cave - underground river,must see 100%,stay there overnight

another big thing - Bolaven Plateau east of Pakse with fantastic waterfalls,with your own transport you can see them all very easy.

Pakse - stay in Pakse Hotel and enjoy the view,use it as a base for Bolaven.

South of Pakse - Champasek and temple Wat Pou,magic place!Then SiPhanDon - 4000 islands on Mekhong with huge waterfalls(so called Asian Niagara),you can stay on DonDet or DonKhone(better);but your car you will have to park on mainland;rent boat and go to watch for dolphins;you will not see them much;all jumping dolphins had been shot,those who survived -

are very shy;but the river scenery is fabulous.In couple of years Laos will start construction of hydropower station there,all will change - this is your last chance!

[Ajaan]

Big thing on the way is: Tad Lo Cave - underground river,must see 100%,stay there overnight

another big thing - Bolaven Plateau east of Pakse with fantastic waterfalls,with your own transport you can see them all very easy.

Pakse - stay in Pakse Hotel and enjoy the view,use it as a base for Bolaven.

South of Pakse - Champasek and temple Wat Pou,magic place!Then SiPhanDon - 4000 islands on Mekhong with huge waterfalls(so called Asian Niagara),you can stay on DonDet or DonKhone(better);but your car you will have to park on mainland;rent boat and go to watch for dolphins;you will not see them much;all jumping dolphins had been shot,those who survived -

are very shy;but the river scenery is fabulous.In couple of years Laos will start construction of hydropower station there,all will change - this is your last chance!

Note to the OP: these points of interest are all very worthwhile...but they are also all SOUTH of Chong Mek.

IMHO, the journey from the area surrounding Vientiane to the area around Chong Mek is much more comfortably--and interestingly--done through Thailand, not through Laos.

If you want to explore the nicer parts of Laos, travel southward through Thailand and RE-enter Laos at Chong Mek, and continue south through Pakse, Champasak, and on to Sii Phan Don...Laos from Vientiane down to Pakse is really not very exciting, unless you're into straying off the beaten path and checking out the occasional forest market/cave (as I did in Tha Khaek, across the Mekong from Nakhorn Panom)...

Savannakhet, while the most populous province in Laos (yes, more people than Vientiane), is for the most part dreary and not really worth visiting...

Edited February 20, 2014 by Ajaan

[vanillalatte]

A lot of travelers go from VT down south!but...they do it by sleeper bus!All it takes is one night in couchette bus.

Tad Lo cave they visit using direct bus from VT(often returning to VT).And you visit Bolaven - making small or big loop out of Pakse.

If you want to traverse through Thailand - you have to pay 30$+ for another Laos visa,they do not give double entry.(and 3 pages in your passport;2 for visas,1 for stamps)

OP doesnt say,if he uses own transport.

[anotheruser]

Thong Lor cave is certainly not south of Chong Mek. The loop going to Thong Lor cave is worth doing if you are adventurous and can ride a motorbike. There are many attractions now being posted on signs on the main highway going through that part of Laos. I don't pretend to know them all as the signs went up not that long ago but the fact that people like Phuketrichard don't go there makes them appealing. Look at posts and you can get a fair idea of who always blathers the same opinions with little knowledge or experience of visiting other places.

The area around Tha Kek is all limestone carst the same as Vang Vieng, pretty much. The weird thing is people complain about VV but nobody heads to (Tha Kek) as an alternative to get off the banana pancake trail they so have so much scorn for. The beauty of Laos is that the complications to get off the bus away from the tourist trail are difficult enough to keep most people in around 4 places.

One poster made a good point if you have access to your own transport or not? This makes a world of difference. There are many things to see on your journey it is just not many people have experience in these areas as they only get out of the car to pee on the highway. If anybody has actually stopped to the numerous waterfalls along highway 13 on this route or other attractions like the stone house please offer your opinions. There is a pretty big island right off of the highway an hour or so north of Tha Kek on the Mekong that would probably make for an interesting stay. Don't remember the name but if you have google earth just go up the Mekong from Tha Kek and you will find thew one I mean. There are unlimited undiscovered areas in this region Laos hasn't even begin to promote what it has so far. Although they are working on it.

As I said information on this stretch is fairly limited I have passed through numerous times but always on business and wasn't able to stop that much. The times I could explore when in my own car every turn I took was spectacular scenery mixed in with nice people.

Please update us if you do find something nice to share that isn't that well known.