4 Day Motorbike Ride Around the Bolaven Plateau

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The first thing we did in Pakse after finding some accommodation was to go to the Green Discovery office to put our names down for the 2 day Treetop Adventure starting on the 10th. We hoped that a couple more people would put their names down by the time we got back from our 4 day motorbike trip to make the price more affordable. We then had dinner and organised a couple of nice Honda bikes for $6.50 a day each for the next 4 days.

We left early the following day and after riding about 40 km stopped at Phasoume Waterfall to take a few photos, check out the small cultural village, and have a short walk around the area. After that we rode another 40 km or so before turning off and riding up to a lookout with side views of Suong Waterfall. Unfortunately there wasn't much water at this high waterfall but we got the impression that it must be very impressive in the wet season. We then parked our bikes at a village near the base of the falls where we were joined by three young boys who led us to the base. We ended up taking quite a few photos of the kids who seemed to be enjoying it as much as us. From the village it was only about 7kms to the tourist village of Tat Lo where we found good accommodation with nice views of the river and Hang Waterfall. We took some photos of the falls before the sun went down, had some dinner, and went to bed fairly early.

The next morning Jan decided to have a refreshing dip in the waterfall before we started riding. We also went for a short walk a little further up the river to have a look at Tat Lo Waterfall. While riding the next 80 kms to Sekong we kept our eyes open for coffins under the houses that people carve out for their own burial. Unfortunately we didn't see any, so after lunch at Sekong we headed 17 kms up the road to Faek Waterfall. As usual we paid the small entry and parking fee and then parked our bikes in the parking area a couple of hundred metres up the dirt road. We both had a decent swim here and there were quite a few locals but no tourists. I got back on my bike and started riding but when I checked to see if Jan was behind me I realised I was missing both my mirrors. Damn. I turned around and went back to the parking area where there were quite a few locals having picnics. Of course nobody saw or new a thing about my missing mirrors. I decided that I would buy replacements on the last day and not risk losing any more at the numerous waterfalls that we visit. From here we rode about 5 kms to Se Noi Waterfall and had a good time taking photos of the kids having their afternoon bath. It was getting late in the day and we didn't know if there were any guesthouses ahead, so we turned back and spent the night in Sekong.

The following morning we went for a short walk around Sekong market hoping to see some strange food for sale. We found a hawk, lizards, squirrels, frogs, and the usual animal bits and pieces. After this we rode about 30 kms and turned off at the dirt road to Paksong. It was a little sandy but still ok riding through the forest where we stopped off to take a couple of photos of waterfalls from the roadside. About 30 kms along this road we saw a turnoff to a homestay that promised to be near a few waterfalls, and decided to take a look. We parked our bikes at the homestay and walked about 20 minutes to the closest waterfall. This one was absolutely beautiful with nice pink flowers all around it and a nice rainbow over the stream. We spent about 30 minutes just enjoying the view and trying to take some photos before our cameras fogged up because of the spray. A very worthwhile detour. About 3 kms up the road Jan ran out of fuel so I had to drive about 6 kms to the nearest town to get some fuel. Once we had put the fuel in the tank we had trouble getting the bike started, but luckily a couple of locals passing by gave us a hand and we were soon on our way. The next hour of riding to Paksong was absolutely terrible with plenty of traffic, dust, loose gravel, and roadworks. By the time we made it to Paksong we were covered in dust and surprised that anybody would let us stay at their guesthouse. Jan ran out of fuel again due to a faulty gauge and petrol hungry bike.

The next morning as we pulled out of our guesthouse Jan realised he had a flat back tyre. Luckily we were right next to a mechanic and about 10 minutes and just over $3 later we were on our way. We rode about 14kms out of town to Fan Waterfall where we left one of the motorbikes and then rode back to Yuang Waterfall. Yuang Waterfall was very impressive with a nice picnic area and a nice pool at the bottom where you could swim. We then hiked through the forest to the top of Fan Waterfall and then up to the viewing area to take a few photos before hopping on the other motorbike and returning to Yuang Waterfall for lunch and a swim. From here it was an easy 40 km ride back to Pakse where I bought a couple of mirrors for under $4 before returning the bikes. It was a really enjoyable 400 km ride and I have never seen so many impressive waterfalls in one area before. We then checked with the Green Discovery office to see if anybody had joined us for the 2 day ziplining tour. We were lucky to find that 3 more people had signed up. We then went to our guesthouse, had a shower, went out to get something to eat, and then had an early night looking forward to the activities over the next couple of days.

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Comments

[Dancing Dave]

Wonderful waterfalls...and smiling kids
With so many waterfalls...there must have been hills...escarpments...villages...and plenty of water. Bolaven Plateau...looks like riding paradise.