How to Visit Khone Phapheng Falls:
The Niagara of Laos

Explore Khone Phapheng Falls, Laos' most dramatic natural wonder

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Deep in southern Laos, near the border with Cambodia, the usually slow and lazy Mekong River turns into a different beast entirely. Khone Phapheng Falls – the largest waterfall in Southeast Asia by volume – is a natural wonder so powerful, it halted French colonial ambitions of navigating the river to China. Wider than Niagara and more voluminous than any other in the region, these falls are still gloriously untouched by mass tourism. This guide will tell you exactly how to visit Khone Phapheng Falls in Laos, one of Southeast Asia’s most spectacular sights.

How to get to Khone Phapheng Falls

Most people begin their journey in Pakse, the largest city in southern Laos. Daily flights connect Pakse with Vientiane and Luang Prabang. From Pakse, you’ll need to take a 3 hour drive south along Highway 13 to the small riverside town of Nakasong, a hub for boats heading to the 4000 Islands. The falls sit just beyond the islands, and most people stay on the islands of Don Det or Don Khone, and then take a local tour from there. If you want to get there yourself, you’ll need to make your way back to Nakasong and get a Tuk Tuk from there, which costs approximately 90,000 Kip and takes around 30 minutes.

What to Expect at the Falls

The falls are a popular attraction, although without hoards of bus tours and large groups. As such, the area is well maintained and easy to navigate around, with plenty of options for food and drink as well as English language sign posts. Before you reach the falls, you’ll pass through Manikhoth Temple, named after a 2,000 year old sacred tree that died in 2012. It’s believed to have powers of life and death, and in 2013 was moved to the museum near the entrance of the falls. Every January, Laotians come and pay respect to the tree, leaving offerings and prayers.

As you make your way to the falls, prepare to be stunned! Unlike the vertical plunge of a classic waterfall, Khone Phapheng is a wide, chaotic spread of churning rapids, islands and rocky outcrops that stretch across more than 10km of the Mekong. Several platforms provide sweeping panoramas of the falls and there’s plenty of room to get different views of this natural wonder. You’ll hear them before you see them – the thunder of millions of gallons of water rushing over jagged rocks. In the dry season, the falls are narrow but fiercely concentrated. During the wet season, the river expands, submerging some islands and turning the entire expanse into a roaring ocean of white water. We recommend visiting early in the morning when the soft light is especially magical, and the crowds are fewer.

What to Eat & Where to Stay

Around the falls you’ll find plenty of local restaurants serving up traditional Laotian fare, always freshly cooked and absolutely delicious. Grilled river fish, sticky rice and a cold Beer Lao will accompany epic views of the Southern Laos countryside and Mekong River. Most travellers base themselves on one of the Four Thousand Islands – Don Khone or Don Det being the most convenient for a side trip to Khone Phapheng. If you want to know more, read our Full Guide to Visiting the 4000 Islands here.

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