Chasing Waterfalls and a few other thingies in the south Laos

[Lone Rider]

Chasing Waterfalls and a few other thingies in the south Laos

Most of my trips to Laos are made during the dry season when things are dry and dusty, rivers and waterfalls have very little water flowing through them and the landscape is obscured by smoke and dust. So, for a change a trip during the rainy season to see the difference the rains can make but which at the same time can make things also more difficult to get to them. Starting in the south for some waterfalls and other thingies and ending in the central/northern part of Laos in the hope that the "Paklay" bridge over the Mekong would be ready so that I would be able to drive over the bridge instead of having to take the ferry.

After a 1000 km drive from Chiangmai to Pakse ready for some R&R at the Pakse Hotel followed by a night time visit to the big Buddha at Phou Salao (N15.09541 E105.81182 - be there before 9 in the evening as the lights are switched of at 21.00 hours) on the other side of the Mekong before starting the chase for waterfalls and bridges

20170907_180602 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

20170907_210254 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

The next morning off for a quick visit to Vat Sisumang (N14.87025 E105.87299) and Vat Phou (N14.84872 E105.82089) before heading east in the general direction of Attapeu
DSCN0312 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

DSCN 0311 Vat Sisumang by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

DSCN0336 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

DSCN0328 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr



Utayan Bajiang Champasak with Tad Pasousan (N15.27647 E105.92183) north-east of Pakse
20170908_120848 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

Not sure what she was collecting but at least she was having a good laugh about the farang showing an interest in it
DSCN0353 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

Tad Fane and the new zipline (N15.18250 E106.12677)
DSCN0354 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

Although there were quite a few people visiting the waterfall, there were no takers for the 50 USD zipline over the waterfall with or without a coffee from Paksong Adventures Coffee thrown in
DSCN0365 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

DSCN0369 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

Time for a bit of mapping - a lot of new paved roads have been constructed at the Bolaven Plateau sout of Paksong



After the mapping part again back to the waterfalls - Xe Katamtok (viewpoint located at N15.12592 E106.63813) - still quite a lot of water flowing through the falls even though the Xe Katamtok hydro power project has started operation
DSCN0373 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

Xe Katamtok picture taken by the drone

Xe Katamtok during the dry season

After that we attempted to locate the Houay Makchanh falls again (approximate location at N15.13360 E106.64746) but the area was so overgrown that we could not even find it with the help of the drone so just a few pictures from quite some time ago as well as one taken during the dry season earlier this year

To be continued

 

[2wheels]

Thanks for the detail Auke.
Magnificent ruins here.

 

[2wheels]

This has to be one of the most amazing photos ever to appear on RideAsia.
Reckon I'd be drinking something a lot stronger than coffee though!

 

[Lone Rider]

Thanks for the detail Auke.
Magnificent ruins here.

View attachment 54448

Yes, it is a magnificent temple complex and you can easily spend a whole day there if you are into these things - here are a few more pictures (not my pictures) sourced from the Internet (Copyright?).

 

[2wheels]

Looks like there might be accommodation on the other side of the lake?

 

[Lone Rider]

After a good night in Attapeu, we headed for some war related stuff and an ancient temple before tackling other waterfalls. First stop was at the Russion Surface to Air missile in what was known as the Pa-am jungle (N14.92538 E107.04829) but which is now known as Ban Somboun in Sanxay District

DSCN0386 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

DSCN0381 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

From here the plan was to see the remnants of a tank (approximately at N15.05554 E107.11962) which is located along Rd. 9001. However, just outside Ban Somboun we were stopped by a ragtag army of irregulars (judging by their clothes) who demanded money to let us through - first 50,000 Kip and, as we did not agree to their proposal fast enough, the fee was increased to 100,000 Kip. That blackmail attempt was enough for me to turn around and head to an ancient temple to the south. So just a few old pictures of the tank from the website of Explore Indochina (https://www.exploreindochina.com/)

Vat Luang in Ban Vatthat (N14.80983 E106.94002). According to the chronicles, this temple was built in the 16 Century by King Setththirat when he led an expedition to Attapeu together with Vat That along the Sekaman river (Source: Page 103 -106 0f Religion, Place and Modernity - Spatial Articulations in Southeast and East Asia by Michel Dickhardt and Andrea Lauser).

DSCN0389 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

DSCN0395 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

DSCN0393 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

Vat Luang is in better shape then when I saw it in 2014 when the walls showed large cracks which have now been repaired

Back to chasing waterfalls - this time Tad Pock. I had only this waterfall on a picture and which, according to people who know, would be an easy walk from Ban Lagnao (N14.83661 E106.75831) north-west of Attapeu town. Well, we did see 2 waterfalls in the distance, both more or less where the waterfall would be located so we basically decided to name them both Tad Phok. Getting to them was a bit more difficult as the falls are coming of the Bolavan Plateau in an area which is at the moment offlimits for the public as the power house of the Xe Pian - Xe Nam Noy hydro power station is being constructed in that area. Somehow we managed to squeeze ourselves in through the gate along a cement tanker which was leaving for Thailand to get more cement.

The view from the penstock which will go to the power sration being built in the lower left corner of the picture
DSCN0413 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

The penstock coming down from the Bolaven Plateau over a distance of about 16 km. from the reservoir and dam built on the Bolaven plateau
DSCN0416 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

Tad Pock 1 just above the penstock
DSCN0409 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

Tad Pock 2 to the west of the penstock
DSCN0411 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

The next stop was Tad Houa Khon (N15.23042 E106.74593) at the border of Attapeu Province with Sekong Province followed by Tad Lo waterfall complex (Tad Hang, Tad Lo and Tad Soung) before calling it a day in Saravan
DSCN0418 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

DSCN0418 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

Tad Soung (N15.49928 E106.27378) - the southernmost waterfall of the Tad Lo falls

Picture Copyright Ken Marshall

DSCN0437 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

DSCN0432 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

Tad Lo (N15.52769 E106.27288)
DSCN0444 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

Tad Hang (N15.52769 E106.27288) - the northernmost waterfall of the Tad Lo falls
DSCN0447 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

To be continued

 

[Joko_Londo]

Beautiful pics! Keep em coming!

I can't wait until I can return to Lao and see the south.

 

[Lone Rider]

Before heading for the Tad Lo falls and Saravan for an overnight stop we walked over the new bridge (coordinates N15.34087 E106.73272) in Sekong which will connect Rd. 16 with Rd. 16 B which connects Sekong with Dakchung and Vietnam and it looks like that the bridge will be ready for use in early 2018

The Xe Kong bridge looking west in the direction of Xekong and east in the direction of Dakchung
DSCN0427 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

DSCN0421 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

A special request by 2-Wheels - the Tad Houe Khon waterfall but with sound this time:

Overnight in Saravane - We thought that we had chosen the Guesthouse which has a collection of war-scrap in its garden but no, that guest house - the Phoufa Hotel (coordinates N15.69790 E106.40587) - was a bit further to the south so the next morning we had a quick look.
DSCN0453 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

Once that was done we had a look at the new bridge being built (coordinates N15.71452 E106.42611) over the Xe Don river so that cars can cross the river instead of driving through the river. Not much progress in comparison with the situation one and a half year ago when I was there with the Big Fellah
DSCN0472 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

After this we had seen most of the waterfalls in South Laos on our program for this trip - there are many more waterfall in the south like the Champi Falls, the E-Tu waterfall, 3 waterfalls west of Attapeu - Tad Xe Pha, Tad Xe Pong Lay and Tad Samongphak in the Xepian river, Tad Tayiksuea, Tad Kouay Xang, Tad Taket/Khamued, etc. but these will have to wait till next year. So, while heading back in the general direction of Vientiane and home we fiddled around a bit, had a look at UXO collections, bamboo and metal bridges, etc.

A collection of bombs and a "bombie" dispenser at the UXO-Lao office (coordinates N15.71266 E106.41593) in Saravan
DSCN0463 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

DSCN0468 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

DSCN0470 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

and a bit of am UXO collection at the Phet Lam Ngeune Guesthouse (coordinates N16.37729 E106.49614) in Ban Nong
DSCN0479 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

Another bridge but this one - the bamboo bridge (coordinates N16.35581 E106.47121) in Ban Nong had disappeared during the rainy season. As usual, the bridge will be rebuilt after the rainy season so the local pouplation as well as a lot of bikers can cross the Xe Lanong river with dry feet
DSCN0485 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

This is how the bridge looked last year

The remains of a HH3-E Jolly Green Giant helicopter (coordinates N16.53455 E106.02238) at Muang Phin
DSCN0477 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

and a pictures of how it looked like a long time ago:

More info on this helicopter from the 21st Special Operations Squadron (SOS) operating out of Udon Thani in Thailand and known as Knife 61 for this operation and why it was there can be found here: http://www.rotorheadsrus.us/documents/330.html

Bits and pieces of the POL pipeline (Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants - another issue which I am doing some more research on) used during the Vietnam war shown in the Lamson Battle Museum (coordinates N16.37729 E106.49614) in Dong
DSCN0514 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

Some more warscrap in Ban Phanop where there is also a wingtip of a US plane shot down during the Vietnam war
DSCN0525 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

and the wingtip itself (coordinates N17.53802 E105.74418) inside the compound of the Buddhist temple
DSCN0521 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

On our way to another overnight stop at the Sai Nam Hai resort (coordinates N18.18042 E104.54594) near the Konglor Cave we spotted the Song Sou waterfall (coordinates N17.66846 E105.17926) which is part of the "Thakhaek Loop"
DSCN0539 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

The view from the viewpoint (coordinates N18.20688 E104.55184) on Rd. 8 just east of Ban Nahin / Khounkham towards the Sai Nam Hai resort and the Konglor Cave
DSCN0551 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

If the weather is nice and during the rainy season you can see the Tad Nam Sanam waterfall (coordinates approximately N18.21962 E104.50624) from the viewpoint
DSCN0560 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

Apparently they had quite a bit of rain here resulting in landslides with big rocks coming down the mountain
DSCN0564 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

and the view from another viewpoint (coordinates N18.17817 E104.48440) of the "limestone karst forest" further to the west on Rd 8
DSCN0567 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

Over the years, the trees and shrubs groung on the karst rock have grown quite a bit onscuring some of the view of the karsts
20170913_093416 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

After spending a very nice dinner at one of my favourite restaurants in Vientiane - Pizza da Roby (coordinates N17.96885 E102.60010) - and a good night sleep it was off to Chiangmai via the Paklay bridge.

Joko-Londo had reported that the Paklay bridge was still not open and we designed a scheme to bribe "the powers that be" to let us ride over the bridge but, lo and behold, when we arrived at the bridge we found that it had been opened for traffic. The official opening is scheduled for next month though so they might close the bridge again for a day or two.
DSCN0575 by Auke Koopmans, on Flickr

We crossed into Thailand at the Paklay to Phu Du crossing and found a very inquisitive and fluent English speaking immigration officer who wanted to know why I had so many Laos entry/exit stamps in my passport. Not sure that I convinced him that I was just a tourist smitten with his country. However he did tell us that a "Visa on Arrival" when coming from Thailand was still not possible and apparently not something which had a high priority.

 

[King of Jars]

Good luck there are people like "Lone Rider"; thank you Auke for this epic report, lovely pictures and - for those who want to follow - the GPS-coordinates ;-)

 

[The Bigfella]

Thanks Auke. Great report and photos. Much appreciated.

 

[2wheels]

To Auke