Bolaven Plateau

Bolaven Plateau (ພູພຽງບໍລະເວນ Pupyang Bolaven) is in Southern Laos.

Situated (mostly) in Champasak Province, the Bolaven Plateau is known for its natural beauty, cool climate, highland coffee plantations, remote villages, and an incredibly high concentration of waterfalls. It is typically experienced by renting a motorcycle and doing the Bolaven Loop, but much of this is doable with public transport or an organised tour as well. Some roads are excellent, others bone-judderingly poor. The scenery is similarly diverse. Overall the atmosphere is worlds away from the humid chaos that characterises much of the rest of south east Asia.

Minimal English is spoken. Usually one fluent English speaker can be found at banks. Even guesthouses have limited English.

Tourists generally enter the area via the convenient transport hub of Pakse.

• Bus
• Motorbike rental (from Pakse)

Each waterfall charges entry and parking fees. The prices as of August 2025, but may rapidly increase due to inflation:

• Tad Yuang, 40 km from Pakse. probably the most impressive of the Four Sisters group, 40,000 kip entry, 10,000 motorbike parking; lots of paths and viewpoints from below/above, souvenir shop, restaurant.
• Tad Fan (Tad Fane), 38 km from Pakse. 30,000 kip entry, 10,000 kip motorcycle parking: the park has a slinky hotel, expensive restaurant and coffee shop, optional zipline for $40.
• Tad Champee, 38 km from Pakse. 30,000 kip entry, 5,000 kip motorcycle parking: no infrastructure around it but there is a bridge downstream of the waterfall, some signage of where it is safe to swim, and even a life vest if you are lucky.
• Tad E-Tu, 35 km from Pakse. 5,000 kip entry, the surroundings look pretty dismal: derelict bungalows and not signposted paths.

Tad Lo is more than an overnight stop on the Bolaven Plateau. Tad Hang and Tad Lo waterfalls are accessible on foot from the village, while Tad Soung is about 4 km away to the lower falls. Travellers can also find guided treks, traditional Katu weaving workshops, Lao cooking classes, a treetop adventure course and other local activities. For current practical information on waterfalls, transport and local activities, see Visit Tad Lo, a free locally maintained guide.

One night is enough to visit the nearby waterfalls, while two or three nights allow more time to explore the village and surrounding area without rushing.

Tad Lo can be reached from Pakse without a motorbike. From Pakse, take a bus towards Salavan from the Southern Bus Station (Km 8 Bus Station) and ask to be dropped off at the Tad Lo junction. As of 2026, buses leave Pakse at approximately 09:00, 11:00, 13:00 and 16:00. The journey takes around 2-3 hr and costs about 175,000 kip.

From the junction, Tad Lo village is about 1.5 km away. Local transport may sometimes be available.

There is no ATM in Tad Lo, so bring enough cash before arriving. Some guesthouses, restaurants and businesses accept QR payments.

Public transport elsewhere around the Bolaven Plateau is less frequent and schedules can change, so confirm locally before travelling.

If doing this loop by motorbike it is easy to take in Sekong and Attapeu. From Attapeu you can make an interesting day trip to Pa-Am, formerly part of the Ho Chi Minh trail, where there is a huge surface-to-air missile left over from the war. Head out of Attapeu east on Rte 18B towards Seiseta, after the village and around 15 km from Attapue the highway veers to the right and a paved road carries straight on. This is the road you want. Stay on this road for another 15 km till you cross a bridge and you will see the missile in front of you. From here you can either head the same way back or take a right at the missile and follow a rough road/track for another 40 km up into the mountains and skirting a national park. From the missile it is around 20 km till you reach a dam construction project where you need turn right across a huge steel bridge. From here the road gets better and is tarmac for much of the 20 km back to the highway. This option makes it a 100 km round trip and you rejoin route 18B much further towards Vietnam but it is a scenic ride back down with great views.

As you head back to Pakse, instead of going back the same way you came, you can take a left turn towards Paksong about halfway between Attapeu and Sekong. This road is being totally redone and will soon be a sealed highway but is still passable. Along this road are two spectacular waterfalls, one of which is the highest in Laos. They are close to each other about 3–4 km after you cross three bridges in quick succession. The walk to the foot of the highest waterfall is treacherous, takes at least an hour and you get soaking wet from the spray but is well worth it. Along this road is a guesthouse, if you want to break up the journey back to Pakse, which is owned by a friendly couple. The man can arrange treks that are rather brilliantly priced at US$1 a waterfall, of which there are ten, but you can do as many or as few as you like, most are big and spectacular. The guesthouse is on the left hand side of the road and is 2 km down a track, it is signed from the road as "homestay and treks".

• 
  Tad Hang waterfalls at sunset, Tad Lo
• 
  Paddy field
• 
  Historical photo of an elephant in the Tad Lo river
• 
  In the village of Ban Lao Ngam
• 
  Children in a river

Some hints from travellers having done the Bolaven Loop:

• Check your motorbike thoroughly before renting it. Try to rent one with a phone holder, otherwise you will need to keep stopping to check your location. Some of Miss Noy's bikes have them.
• Use Maps.me instead of Google Maps
• Rethink this trip if you are not already an experienced motorcyclist. Consider getting lessons before you leave your home country.
• In December the route is very dry and dusty. Plastic bags will be useful for covering your luggage and shoes to stop dust getting in everything.
• Much of the scenery is cassava plantations. Seek out local knowledge for the most beautiful routes and the most interesting ethnic villages.

Drink local coffee produced in this area. The planting in this region is from the time of the French colonization.