Khone Phapheng Falls: A Guide to the Mekong Cascades
Contents
Khone Phapheng is a series of cascades on the Mekong in Champasak Province, near the border with Cambodia. It is the largest waterfall by volume in South-East Asia, and its power is the reason the Mekong is not fully navigable here.[1] It is a chain of falls and rapids rather than one uninterrupted drop: the highest falls reach 21 metres, and the rapids stretch along 9.7 kilometres of the river.[1]
Place it in the river landscape
Khone Phapheng lies east of Don Khon on the Mekong, just 13 kilometres from the Cambodian border and around 6 kilometres south of Don Det.[2] Som Pha Mit, the falls often labelled Li Phi, is a different stop. It is reached from the tiny island of Don Lai, 1 kilometre from Don Khon, and is a place to relax, watch people fishing and eat freshly caught Mekong fish. Li Phi properly names the whole 20-kilometre stretch of falls and rapids, including both Khone Phapheng and Som Pha Mit.[2] When you arrange a trip, name the waterfall you want to see.
Things to Do
Offers are only loaded from GetYourGuide after you click. GetYourGuide can then process your IP address and set cookies. Privacy Policy
GetYourGuide partner offers. GoAsia may earn a commission if you book through these offers. Check whether tickets or transfers are included, and follow the attraction's official booking and admission rules.
Plan your approach
From Pakse, take Route 13 south for 150 kilometres, turn right at the sign for Khone Phapheng, turn left at the next sign and follow the road to the end of the waterfall.[2] From Don Det or Don Khon, arrange a ride with a local driver and agree the return trip before you set off.
The waters around the islands are also home to Irrawaddy dolphins, which you can look for from locally chartered boats near the Lao-Cambodian border.[2] For island-base and onward-travel planning, see our Si Phan Don guide and Laos travel guides.
Sources and background
Numbers in the text such as [1] refer to these sources.
- [1] Tourism Marketing & Promotion Department, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Lao PDR: Waterfalls. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
- [2] Tourism Marketing & Promotion Department, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Lao PDR: Champasak Province. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
A series of Mekong cascades and rapids rather than one uninterrupted vertical drop. It is the largest waterfall by volume in South-East Asia.
The highest falls reach 21 metres, and the rapids stretch along 9.7 kilometres of the river. The 9.7 kilometres is the length of the rapids along the river, not a width.
On the Mekong in Champasak Province, east of Don Khon, around 6 kilometres south of Don Det and 13 kilometres from the Cambodian border, within the wider Four Thousand Islands area.
No. Khone Phapheng and Som Pha Mit are two different waterfalls. Li Phi is often used for Som Pha Mit, but properly it names the whole 20-kilometre stretch of falls and rapids that includes both, so name the waterfall you want when you book.
Take Route 13 south for 150 kilometres, turn right at the sign for Khone Phapheng, then left at the next sign and follow the road to the end of the waterfall.
Yes, they lie only a few kilometres away. Arrange a ride with a local driver from the island you stay on and agree the return trip before you go.
Irrawaddy dolphins live in the Mekong near the Lao-Cambodian border and can be seen from locally chartered boats.
