Bolaven Plateau: waterfalls, coffee and routes from Pakse

Choose a day trip or a longer route

Come for waterfalls and coffee, not for riding? Hire a driver in Pakse and see Tad Fane and Tad Yuang in 1 day. Tad Fane is about a 40-minute drive from Pakse.^[1] Tad Yuang is about 45 minutes away.^[2] If you want more stops, a coffee tasting and a night on the plateau, add 1 or 2 days. The plateau is no place to learn to ride a motorbike: the roads are often in poor condition, and livestock strays onto them.^[3]

Tad Fane and Tad Yuang

At Tad Fane, in Dong Hua Sao National Park, the Champi and Phak Koot rivers meet at a 120-metre cliff and plunge side by side into one pool.^[4] The upper viewpoint is the place to take them in. If you want to fly past the falls, a zipline course starts at the viewpoint. In 2022 it had 3 lines: 430 m over the gorge, 170 m across the Phak Koot River and a final 240 m that lands near the viewpoint and restaurant.^[1] Stay on the permitted paths and do not scramble down into the gorge.

Tad Yuang, also written Tad Yeuang, plunges 42 m. In 2022 you entered through a local market with stalls and shops and a Lao restaurant at its far end. A footbridge leads to a picnic area on a river island just above the edge.^[2] Past the market, a steep trail with steps and handrails runs down beside the falls to a rocky, misty pool. Halfway down, a covered viewpoint opens up a photo-worthy view, and a viewing stand at the bottom gives a more direct look.^[2] The way back is uphill, so decide at the covered viewpoint how far you want to go. Steps and rocks turn slippery in the rain.

Other stops along Route 16

Between the two falls you pass the Bolaven Plateau Coffee Producers Cooperative, so a coffee stop fits easily into the same day.^[2] Waterfalls farther out need their own half day: ask your driver about the access and the walk back before you commit.

Plan the route from Pakse

Leave Pakse on Route 13 South to the 8 km bus terminal and turn onto Route 16 East towards Paksong. The 4-lane road is well paved and partly a tollway.^[1] At km 38, a large sign points right to Tad Fane.^[1] From Tad Fane, continue east on Route 16 for about 2 km. Pass the cooperative, and the right turn to Tad Yuang is about 250 m further along.^[2]

Build an itemised budget

Ask for a quote in LAK that lists transport or daily rental, fuel, parking, entry to each site, zipline or guide fees, meals and the nights you book. Check whether prices are per person or per vehicle, and whether the driver waits at each stop and brings you back. Compare the actual products, not a headline price.

Riding and water precautions

Before you ride yourself, check the licence category or permit your documents require and the insurance for the vehicle and the activity. Inspect brakes, tyres and lights, wear a helmet (rentals may not supply one) and agree on damage, fuel and deposit terms. Never leave your passport as a rental deposit: rental companies have kept passports and demanded high fees.^[3] Traffic after dark is significantly riskier because vehicles often lack lights.^[3]

Do not swim directly under powerful falls, and stay out after heavy rain or when the water is rising. A calm-looking pool is no safety test; respect barriers and closures. Landmines and unexploded weapons are a hazard throughout Laos. Keep to established paths and main routes, and never pick up metal objects.^[3]

Coffee, arrival and seasonal planning

Paksong is the hub of Lao coffee, and of tourism on the plateau.^[5] Cafes serving Bolaven coffee line the road up to it. In Paksong, CC 1971 Cafe serves coffee from small local farmers in the shell of a bombed-out building, and you can buy bags of Paksong coffee beans to take home.^[5] For a farm visit, ask the farm about access, language, opening times and price. Ask before you photograph residents.

Book your flight, bus or border connection to Pakse together with the onward transfer, and check the entry requirements for your documents. The rainy season normally runs from May to October, and flooding and landslides can disrupt road transport.^[3] Check the forecast and ask locally about road access before you set off. Carry cash, fill up on fuel before you climb the plateau, keep a margin for the return and have a driver as plan B if riding turns out to be unsuitable.