Khmer Ruins to Coffee Highlands - 4 Days

On arrival at Pakse Airport, you begin your journey into southern Laos. We drive around 45 minutes (40 km) to Wat Phou, a UNESCO-listed pre-Angkorian temple site built by leaders of the Khmer Empire in the 10th century, before Cambodia's Angkor Wat. Wat Phou sits among verdant paddies and glistening canals at the foot of Mount Phou Khao, and was once a focal point in the Khmer Empire's economic and political life. It remains one of Laos' most revered temples. Lunch is at a local restaurant, and dinner this evening is at your own arrangement as you overnight in Champasak.

Today brings a first glimpse of southern Laos's 'Niagara of Asia' and the idyllic 4000 Islands, a chain of river islets dotted with village life. At 8 am, we check out and board a local boat for the 15-minute crossing of the Mekong. On dry land, we continue with a scenic three-hour drive (140 km) to Khon Phapheng Waterfalls, on the southern tip of Laos, known for their tremendous force. From here, we continue to Ban Nakasang village and board a smaller boat to navigate the 4000 Islands, visiting the peaceful islands of Don Khon and Don Det, linked by a bridge built by the French during the colonial era. After crossing the bridge, we visit a locomotive left behind by colonial authorities, then take a tuk-tuk to the striking Liphi Waterfalls. Lunch follows at a local restaurant on Don Khon Island, where you overnight.

After breakfast, we check out and take a small boat back to the mainland, continuing by road to the Bolaven Plateau, a scenic 160 km, three-and-a-half-hour drive known for its coffee and waterfalls. We visit Tad Fane, where twin 120-metre waterfalls fed by the Champy and Pak Koot rivers plunge into a deep gorge surrounded by rugged jungle. From here, we head to the Bolaven Plateau Coffee Producers Cooperative Cafe, known locally as Lak 40, at Km 40 on Route 16 East. Run by three generations of a coffee-growing family, the rustic garden cafe serves a variety of specialty roasts brewed using manual coffee makers, a relaxed spot to try locally produced coffee before lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, we continue exploring the plateau, stopping at villages along the way, before returning to Pakse in the mid-afternoon to check into the accommodation.

After breakfast, you're transferred to Pakse Airport for your onward flight.