Located at the center of the province of Champassak, to 38 km of Paksé, in the middle of the famous plate of Bolovens, the water falls of Tad Fane are a true treat for the eyes. To have the heart Net of it, return in the ZNP of Dong Hua Sao, one of the 18 zones protected from Laos, which shelters a particularly rich biodiversity, with some animals threatened like the tiger or various species of monkeys. Opened with the public in 2002, the site of the cascade is in full nature, in the middle of the forest. If you wish not to limit your visit to this wonder of nature, spend a few nights to Tad Fane Resort, partic ulièrement located well, in order to benefit from the sites close like the coffee plantations and the villages to the Alak ethnos groups and Laven to the surroundings to Paksong. Further in the east, you can leave to research the falls of Nam Tok Katamok, less high than that of Tad Fane but much more wild, hidden in the forest. The best season to visit this area is the dry season, but the plate of Bolovens, as its name indicates it, is at a relatively high altitude which preserve it hot seasons and heat wave which prevails in the plains... more info:.

The visit of the falls of Tad Fane is not particularly long, but much of tourists like to be delayed in front of this spectacle of water masses plunging in the vacuum of more than 200 m in height. In bottom, a pretty lake attracts some fishermen, even if it is difficult to reach.



If your budjet is not limited too much, Tad Fane Resort will fill you. You will be able to occupy one of the many bungalows built in the greenery, with their private bathrooms, and to raise you the morning to the song of the birds and grondement remote of the cascade.



The evening, take glass at the restaurant bar in order to give you from your small excursion, and taste a beer or one of the delicious cocktails around a fire. The interest of the site is not limited to the cascade, and you will be able to carry out in the surroundings of very beautiful excursions, to bathe you in the river or to admire the many orchises. In all the cases, remain at least two days on the site, or will regret it to you.

Source: lerenovateur.org.la

The saying goes that if the hard-working Vietnamese sew the rice, Cambodia's creative types would plant it in pretty rows, while their relaxed Laotian neighbours watch it grow. And nowhere is this south-east Asian stereotype truer than in Laos.

From lazy trips down the Mekong to sipping green tea against the backdrop of crumbling post-French grandeur in Luang Prabang, this rural gem of a country offers you the chance to step back and unwind on an active holiday with a supremely laid-back twist... more

Cross the Mekong from Chiang Khong in northern Thailand to Huay Xai and you can get a two-week visa on arrival, or you can arrange a month's stay before you leave Thailand. It will be two days on the slow boat with an overnight stop before you reach Luang Prabang, but well worth the effort. What this journey lacks in comfort - more than you can imagine - it certainly makes up for in scenery. Moody grey-brown waters carry you relentlessly forward through Laos' green hills.

However, if you would rather reach Laos in more comfort, a flight from Bangkok is the easiest way. Thai Airways and Lao Airlines will get you to the capital Vientiane in little over an hour.

It is hard to imagine a town more perfect than Luang Prabang. The elegant simplicity of the Buddhist temples stand in stark contrast to their golden counterparts in Thailand or India, and the crumbling opulence of the French era leaves a stylish atmosphere you will struggle to find elsewhere in Asia. Foodies should head down to the river where there is a great BBQ joint. Be bold, for this is the place to try buffalo, chicken's feet and all manner of insect-related delicacies.

The breathtaking Kuang Si waterfalls are about 40 minutes drive south of town and you can get a lift with a tour guide. Threeland Travel are most helpful, or alternatively you can take a local tuk-tuk at break-neck speed down a dirt track road to this postcard from paradise.

After a surreal walk through a mini zoo, you will find perfect blue-green lagoons for swimming and several tiers of waterfalls to play with. If you fancy yourself as a Herbal Essences lady, then test your endurance under one of the falls - you will not last long.

From Luang Prabang let the adventure take you to Phonsavanh and the plain of jars. The clue is in the name here and you can expect hundreds and hundreds of huge stone jars of disputed origin. Some believe they were used as burial sites, others that they were used to store rice wine - something of a national obsession.

Having tried this potent spirit, you may not want to imagine a container this size full of it, particularly since your guide is likely to have offered up a swig at breakfast time. You should note that a tour guide is needed for this trip and you should not stray from marked paths as Uncle Sam bombed the area heavily during the Vietnam War leaving a disastrous amount of unexploded ordnance as his legacy. Stone Henge this is not, but it is well worth a look.

From Phonsavanh, whether your active holiday takes you south to the 4,000 islands of Si Phan Don or west to the limestone peaks of Vang Vieng, count on two things: the omnipresent Mekong and natural treasures untold.

For more information on visiting Laos see the official Laos tourism website and the travelbite country guide.

Amy Morris
Source: www.travelbite.co.uk