Don Sahong to Saravan

[Lone Rider]

Don Sahong to Saravan

During my last trip to Laos I found myself at the border with Cambodia and, as I had been there some three years ago at the Don Sahong area, I wanted to see what changes had taken place after the start of the Don Sahong Hydro Power Project. From the Lao/Cambodia border is is only a short distance to Don Sahong as a new bridge has been constructed to reach Don Sadam. Lots of new trails and tracks and lots of trucks moving around.

The Cambodia border is some 823 kilometer from the border to Vientiane


Don Sahong, Don Sadam and the Khone Phapaeng waterfall north of the bridge to Laos some 3 years ago (top) and February 2018 (bottom)


The new bridge (coordinates N13.93673 E105.98186) to Don Sadam and Don Sahong


Cambodia in the distance


The Powerhouse of the Don Sahong Hydro Power Plant under construction (coordinates N13.94418 E105.95532) as seen from the temporary dam on the south-west side of the Hou Sahong channel between Don Sadam and Don Sahong


and as seen from the location of the Operator Village for personnel of the hydropower plant


The Hou Sahong channel between Don Sadam and Don Sahong - now dry as the contractor is removing all the rocks, etc. to facilitate the water flow. The blasting of the rocks is a big contentious issue as, according to the fisheries specialists, these rocks provided the spawning ground for the fish and removing them would hurt the local people as fewer fish will be caught. For those interested in the background and controversies of this project go to https://news.mongabay.com/2017/01/t...t-pushes-ahead-despite-alarm-from-scientists/


The temporary dam on the north side of the Hou Sahong channel which keeps the water out


This is how the Hou Sahong Channel looked like before they started blasting and removing all the vegetation and rocks

and once the project has been completed, the hydropower project should look like this according to the owner of the project - Picture copyright https://www.facebook.com/donsahong/[/I]


There are plans for a huge Khone Phaphaeng Special Economic Zone project with a Chinese company planning to invest 10 billion USD in all kind of facilities like hotels, hospitals, housing, industries, etc. Maybe a bit of "pie in the sky" as another investor started the "Khone Phapaeng Resort and Golf Course" (coordinates N13.979970 E105.974160) but after a few years found that there were not enough customers to keep his project alive so he abandoned his project

The abandoned Restaurant, Swimming Pool and the Golf Course of the Khone Phapaeng Resort and Golf Course






at least the locals have now a nice soccer fild at one of the golf course fairways


And another potential "Pie in the Sky" - the huge Ban Chan Waterpark and Jet ski lake near Ban Chan on the Mekong (coordinates N14.33323 E105.88388) but with very few people living in the neighborhood - the first biggish town (Pakse) is about 100 km. to the north, so the owner may have some problems keeping it running.



Overnight in Pakse and I wondered how may people were staying in the room next to mine in the hotel seen the number of shoes outside the room


The following day, while on my way to Sekong and Saravan, I passed by quite a few waterfalls but there was one waterfall which had my interest. Most people call it the Houay Makchanh waterfall as it located in the Makchanh river. This waterfall is about 1500 meter east of the Xe Katam falls which are both on road 16A.



Some 5-6 years ago the Houay Makchanh waterfall was visible from the at that time unpaved road 16A but since the road has been upgraded and paved, the waterfall can't be seen anymore unless you climb on the road berm and cut down all the brush growing on it.


There is a trail from road 16A which goes to the top of the Houay Makchanh waterfall. This trail starts at N15.13241 E106.64699 right behind a metal fence. Go past the fence (there is a small gap on the leftside of the fence) and after a few hundred meters you will reach the top of the falls











Picture copyright: Johannès De Silentio

From here it was a nice ride via Sekong to Saravan with a look at the new Sekong bridge (now open for the public) in road 16 to Dakchung and the Vietnem border and the new bridge in Saravan which links with the Kaleum coal mine in Ban Kengkiang and the town of Kaleum (now moved some 30-40 km. to the east).

The new Sekong bridge (coordinates N15.34087 E106.73270) over the Xe Kong river


and the new bridge under construction (coordinates N15.71451 E106.42615) over the Xe Don river in Saravan


The old Kaleum (lower left shown as Kengkiang) and the new Ban Kaleum (upper-right)

 

[Lone Rider]

Don Sahong to Saravan

There are plans for a huge Khone Phaphaeng Special Economic Zone project with a Chinese company planning to invest 10 billion USD in all kind of facilities like hotels, hospitals, housing, industries, etc. Maybe a bit of "pie in the sky" as another investor started the "Khone Phapaeng Resort and Golf Course" (coordinates N13.979970 E105.974160) but after a few years found that there were not enough customers to keep his project alive so he abandoned his project

The abandoned Restaurant, Swimming Pool and the Golf Course of the Khone Phapaeng Resort and Golf Course






at least the locals have now a nice soccer fild at one of the golf course fairways

From today's Vientiane Times: Preparations for a vast development around one of Laos’ most stunning sights – the Khonphapheng waterfall on the Mekong River in Champassak province – are going ahead as planned. The massive cascade is the largest in South-East Asia and lies about 80km from the provincial capital Pakxe, not far from the Cambodian border. It is a popular tourist attraction. Now provincial authorities and a Chinese company are setting up the Khonphapheng Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in conjunction with provincial authorities, and officials are discussing various issues with the Chinese firm to find common ground before a concession agreement can be signed.

Here is a video of what the Chinese company has in mind. They call it the Mahanathi Siphandon Special Economic Zone:

 

[blackwolf]

I hope this SEZ on the Cambodian border never actually gets off the ground. I'm also wondering why such an odd location was even chosen in the first place? The Chinese border is located over 1500km away, what's in it for China? It would make far more sense for them to concentrate on such developments near their respective borders. Also, Laos is a landlocked country and thus the main priority should be focused on finding access to the sea, for China this should be via Myanmar or via the current high-speed rail link project through Vientiane to Thailand.

An SEZ in the middle of nowhere with hotels, hospitals (for whom?) would also be next to useless. I was recently down at the Khonphapeng falls and the Cambodian border. The whole region is fairly sparsely populated. While the road is fairly good by Lao standards, I would suggest an upgrade of the road to international standards, with proper lane markings, reflective lighting, overtaking/passing lanes where appropriate (particularly on uphill sections) and generous shoulders, like is the norm in Thailand would be far more important than this kind of pie-in-the-sky project with ridiculous 30+ story high-rise buildings full of stack and pack apartments ruining the tranquil landscape.