Drive the Bolaven Plateau from Pakse

A Road Trip of Waterfalls and Mountain Views

Pakse, the largest city in Southern Laos, is the base point to begin a scooter road trip through the Bolaven Plateau - a region known for its mountain landscapes, waterfalls, coffee plantations, and hill tribe villages. Typically done in 2-4 days (depending on how much you want to see), I recommend scheduling 4-5 days for your road trip. We did the journey in four - but between our three flat tires and love of the many resorts, we could have benefitted from a spare day to just relax.

In Pakse, there are many scooter rental agencies to choose from. We went with Miss Noy Motorbike because they have a nightly presentation on the Bolaven Plateau loop (including a map and personal recommendations) and also store bags for free if you rent a bike. While Pakse has some good food and shopping, I don’t think the city merits a stay beyond the one day needed to organize your road trip.

Stop at a Coffee Plantation

Most people drive the Bolaven Plateau clockwise - and I recommend doing that so that you save the best for last. Going clockwise, a good first stop is Mr. Vieng Coffee Homestay. Here, you can have a cup of locally grown coffee or tea and tour the plantation. It’s really interesting to learn how coffee is grown, processed, and roasted.

Spend the Night in Tad Lo Village

After the coffee plantation, head to Tad Lo Village. Here, you can swim in two nice waterfalls (Tad Lo Waterfall and Tad Hang Waterfall) and enjoy a relaxing night amidst the scenic backdrop. I recommend staying at Fandee Island - which is a really cool bungalow resort.

Take a Detour Off the Main Path

After Tad Lo Village, many people stop at Captain Hook Coffee and Homestay to take a tour of an ethnic village. We did - but to be honest, I don’t recommend it. The tour is long and tedious. While there are interesting points, especially culturally about their local practices and about traditional medicine, I really didn’t enjoy it.

My recommendation would be to skip it and keep driving around the loop, making a detour to take this road. It has the most stunning driving views of the entire loop - just incredible.

Spend the Night Near Tad Hua Waterfall

Your second night, you will rest near Tad Hua and Tad Faed waterfalls (and explore them both). We slept at Thepsawanh Guesthouse - but only because P&S Garden Guesthouse hadn’t reopened yet since its COVID closure. It is planning to re-open, though, so if it’s open on your trip, I highly recommend staying there. The guesthouses are idyllic.

Explore the Off the Beaten Path Waterfalls

The third day of the road trip is devoted to a long, mountainous stretch of dirt road known for secluded waterfalls in the middle of the jungle. Often cited as one of the favorite waterfalls of the loop, the highlight of this day is usually Tad Tayicseua - a dramatic plummeting waterfall that includes hiking trails to five smaller waterfalls. To be honest, we didn’t find this waterfall or the hiking trails worth the challenging drive (largely because we got our third flat tire four miles into the dirt road). If you’re hitting scooter problems or have rainy weather, I don’t think the waterfalls are worth the risk of the drive.

At the other end of the dirt road, though, are two waterfalls I do recommend - Tad Diew and Tad Koo. To get to these, you don’t have to drive along the entire dirt road but can just cut in to the final, flatter stretch of it and drive out-and-back. Tad Diew is nestled among a mango grove and has a charming restaurant in front of it. Tad Koo is truly remarkable because it has a resort built into it, including an on-the-water restaurant and bungalows where you can jump straight from your room to the water. If you have the time to make your trip 5-day 4-night, I highly recommend staying at the resort along Tad Koo.

Take a Resort Day

For our last night (night 3), we stayed at Sabaidee Valley and enjoyed their infinity pool set against a stunning mountain backdrop. I really recommend ending your trip here because it was such a nice way to relax and unwind. If you’re doing a 4-day 3-night trip like we did, you will drive here after Tad Koo. If you can do a 5-day 4-night trip, stay at Tad Koo one night and then go to the waterfalls below, finishing your trip with a night of relaxation at Sabaidee valley.

End On the Best Waterfalls

Your final day, you will stop at the two best waterfalls of the loop. Tad Fane plunges 400 feet into a deep gorge - and if you’re feeling adventurous, there is a 5 part zip line course that makes a circle around it. Tad Gneuang is less dramatic but no less beautiful - and offers an accessible trail to climb to the bottom and swim.

After these waterfalls, either drive back to Pakse and return your bike or head to Sabaidee Valley for a night of relaxation. The roadtrip is essentially over.