Top Attractions in Bolaven Plateau

3/Tad Fane

If you are visiting Southern Laos, you will want to put Tad Fane at the top of your waterfall list, together with the Li Phi and Khone Phapeng waterfalls further south on the 4000 islands. Tad Fane, in the Dong Hua Sao National Park on the Bolaven Plateau, is breathtaking feat of nature. One of the most magnificent falls in South East Asia; it combines two rivers to form stunning twin 120m high waterfalls.
Treat yourself to more than the glorious views with a leisurely lunch at the Tad Fane Resort. Immerse yourself in the beautiful scenery with an overnight stay in a bungalow set amongst the towering trees of the forest.

Indulge your adventurous spirit with half and full day treks up to the top of Tad Fane falls and to nearby ethnic villages. Like coffee? You will want to make the time to try the local brew, the best coffee in Laos. Meet the famous ‘Mr Koffie’ and take an intimate and enthusiastic tour on the plantation followed by tastings.
See and do:
Marvel at one of the most magnificent waterfalls in South East Asia
Enjoy lunch at Tad Fane Resort overlooking the waterfall
Embark on trekking tours into the wilderness of Dong Hua Sao National Park
Learn and appreciate one of Laos’s biggest exports – coffee – with tastings and a plantation tour

4/Tad Lo and Tad Hang

If your idea of relaxation is lounging in a hammock by a riverside bungalow, then head to Ban Saenvang in the Salavan Province. From here, visit the nearby Tad Lo and Tad Hang waterfalls that dip into the abundantly fertile Bolaven Plateau, the centre of Lao’s tea and coffee industry.

Tad Hang is closest to the village and is a favourite swimming destination. A short walk upstream and you’ll find Tad Lo. It can be reached on foot or by bike. Swimming here is more exhilarating, however, sitting dry on land and admiring the enormous granite wall, over which the waters spill, is just as pleasing.

See and do:
Swim in the Tad Hang and Tad Lo waterholes
Relax in a hammock of a bamboo bungalow by the river
Visit the ethnic Ngai villages nearby and see their traditional rural life Take an elephant trek through the forest

5/Tad Pha Suam

Tad Pha Suam is a wide 6m high waterfall that stretches around a U shaped cliff. Its name ‘suam’ means ‘room’ in Lao. The falls flow year round from the Houai Champi River as it descends across the Bolaven Plateau from the north in Salavanh province.
Spend a lazy afternoon swimming in the large natural rock pool beneath the falls, or enjoy a picnic or lunch at the nearby Uttayan Bachieng Resort restaurant.

You can also visit the ethnic Lavae model village nearby where you can discover housing styles from different ethnic groups and see handicrafts in the making.

Tad Pha Suam is also the first waterfall in the Bolaven Plateau loop, a 374km round trip that takes four days by motorbike or vehicle. The Pha Suam waterfall and the ethnic Lavae model village are very popular with Thai tour groups.

See and do:
Relax in the beautiful, peaceful surrounds of the majestic Tad Pha Suam
Swim in the natural rock pool and enjoy a nearby picnic
Visit the ethnic Lavae model village and see the villagers making their unique handicrafts
Join a trekking tour through the forest and nearby waterfalls

6/Tad Yuang

Make the time to visit Tad Yuang waterfall on the Bolaven Plateau as it has become more accessible and tourist friendly in recent years. This is thanks to the work of volunteers who developed the area creating safer viewing platforms and other amenities.
Visitors can enjoy the many vistas of this impressive waterfall by following a path to lookouts at the top, middle and bottom of the gorge. There’s even a picnic area above the falls to pause and take in the views.

Whilst it’s not the highest waterfall on the Plateau, it’s just as picturesque. Do watch your step manoeuvring the slippery staircases. Cooling off in the pools is possible but take care around the rushing waters.

See and do:
Picnic at the top of the falls
Swim in the pools above and below the waterfall
Join a trekking tour through the forest and nearby waterfalls

7/Experience Tree Top Explorer

This jungle adventure in the highlands blends fun with a real natural outdoor experience. The site can only be reached on foot with a trek through coffee plantations and lush forests. The main attraction is a system of zip-lines traversing steep gorges within touching distance of the waterfalls.
A ‘via ferrata’ tests your adventurous spirit and may challenge you to your limits. All is safe and manageable though, even for the most fearful. On the canopy walkway you will get a chance to experience the forest from a completely different angle.

Officially opened in early 2011, Tree Top Explorer received praise for its environmentally friendly approach, for the active involvement of local communities and for the protection of wildlife by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN, Netherlands).

8/Trekking on the Bolaven

Move away ever so briefly from the ever-present Mekong River and into the cool mountains of the Bolaven Plateau, Laos’s main tea and coffee-producing region. The Bolaven sits on the bottom of a crater from an ancient volcano, surrounded by equally ancient mountains.

Immerse yourself in what is literally a breath of fresh air – the Bolaven’s cool microclimate is home to beautiful waterfalls and fertile soil. Trek through this unique pocket of Southern Laos and see alongside high-grade tea and coffee, a vast variety of fruit, cardamom and rattan plantations. Sample cups of freshly brewed tea and coffee; visit the Ho Chi Minh Trail, and handicraft villages; and spot birds and wildlife.

See and do:
Marvel at the magnificent Bolaven waterfalls
Visit Lao coffee farms and tea plantations
Experience the Ho Chi Minh Trail
Embark on bird and wildlife spotting in the Dong Hua Sao National Protected Area
Camp outdoors in the wilderness or enjoy local hospitality at homestays or guesthouses

9/Kayaking at Houy Bang Lieng River

Get ready for a water adventure on the small but lively Houy Bang Lieng river. From the plunging 120m heights of the Tad Fane waterfall, this fast-flowing river disappears into the National Protected Area of Dong Hua Sao, and then all the way out to the sedate waters of the Mekong.
Kayaking the Houy Bang Lieng is not for the fainthearted! Get your adrenalin pumping with the twists and turns of its class 2 and 3 rapids. Paddle through jungles of dense forests and unexpected waterfalls, then relax, settle back and enjoy the unfolding scenery of the river.

See and do:
Get your heart racing as you kayak the thrilling Houy Bang Lieng Delve into a jungle of dense forests and hidden waterfalls Relax in calmer waters and watch local fishermen on long wooden boats

10/Bolaven Plateau Coffee Producers

One-day tour with the Bolaven Plateau Coffee Producers Cooperative (CPC) On this tour you will learn from smallholder coffee farmers how high quality, organic, and fair trade certified coffee gets from the tree to the cup.

Program:
Visit a coffee plantation and pick coffee beans with farmers
Bring the beans to the CPC-wet processing centre where the coffee is pulped, fermented, washed, dried and packed
Enjoy lunch in a traditional stilt house with a local family
Have a refreshing swim in the Tad Yuang Waterfall
Stop at the CPC-factory to learn about the dispatch of the coffee for export
Finish with a coffee tasting in the CPC-laboratory
CPC one-day tours are organized every Tuesday and Thursday during the coffee season that lasts from November to March.