2 Days Salavan-Laongarm Trail Tour
Tour Overview
The 48-km section of Lao Route 20 connecting Salavan Town and Laongarm, before continuing to Pakse, stops near several attractions: Tad Lo, an area overflowing with coconuts, waterfalls, a...
Code of Tour: TAD0000031926
Length of Travel: 2 Day
Destinations of Tour:
Departure City: Salavan Province
Price of Tour: Request
Type of Tour: Private
Features of Tour:
The 48-km section of Lao Route 20 connecting Salavan Town and Laongarm, before continuing to Pakse, stops near several attractions: Tad Lo, an area overflowing with coconuts, waterfalls, a cave complex, Bolaven Plateau views, and ethnic villagers playing folk music and weaving on laptop looms.
A short drive from town leads to Ban Naxai, a village that evolved into a coconut capital with stand after stand selling this giant fruit. Word spread of Coconut Road, and today, vendors purchase them by the truckload. The dry season presents the largest choice. The brown variety are somewhat sour, while the larger green coconuts taste sweet, and many consider it a hangover cure.
At the end of Coconut Road sits a lao khao rice alcohol factory using a slightly more advanced system than other village distilleries. A plumbed water system allows one person to oversee several production vats. Watch this interesting process before moving on.
Next, visit the Tad Soung Waterfall, where the Xe Set River plummets 90 metres off a ledge. Reaching the head of the falls is quite easy. A short walk from Saneum Nai leads to a set of natural stairs descending to Tad Soung. The valley panorama and mountains beyond enhances the journey.
Nearby the falls, inspect the huge stone caskets (Long Sop Saen Kham), from an early civilization, in a cave on Phou Saen Kham Mountain. Also, stop at Ban Saneum Nai, an ethnic Suay Village with a community house on stilts, and observe an old weaving method using compact laptop looms.
Some villagers at Ban Saneum Nai and nearby Katu communities are also seasoned musicians, who occasionally gather to play old folk songs on traditional instruments. Ask the village elders if a brief performance is possible.
While near Laongarm Town, visit the Green Earth Centre, which presents agro-forestry and fish breeding ponds. A short climb up a hill on stairs leads to a small temple. On the ride back to Salavan, view Katu weavers in Ban Houay Houn, who use the mat mee method employing laptop looms.
The day ends with a 20-minute walk from Ban Thongkharm Village, known for its peanuts, to the Phou Tak Khao Viewpoint and a Bolaven Plateau vista. Just past the viewpoint, a steep set of wooden stairs climbs to 9 Holes Cave, a bizarre nine-entry underground maze. On the way back, visit a make-shift temple housing three life-size Buddha images, including one over 100 years old.
The 2-day kicks off in Ban Sanone with a cup of locally grown coffee, before walking past four waterfalls to Ban Khanouan, a Suay village of expert crossbow archers.After overnighting in Ban Khanouan, trek up Phou Tak Khao to 9 Holes Cave, “Destiny Tree” and Tiger Cave.
And on the Khongxedon Extension, don’t forget to stop in Vapi to sample their “perfumed” river snails, before reaching Ban Napong just north of Khongxedon Town to try what many consider the best grilled ping kai (fried chicken) in the country.
