The Bolaven Plateau - A Guide to Riding the Pakse Loop
The Bolaven Plateau in Southern Laos is home to one of the country's most famous motorbike rides - The Pakse Loop. We had an amazing time riding around the mountain roads, waterfalls and plateau of this beautiful region. We took it slow and have assembled the ultimate guide to getting the most out of your motorbike or scooter adventure. Our guide includes: renting bikes in Pakse, planning and route itineraries for 1, 2 and more days, the best route map, a guide to eating, staying in and visiting Tad Lo, Paksong and the Four Sisters Waterfalls as well as much much more! Don’t set off on the Bolaven Loop without our complete planning guide!
The Bolaven Plateau sits in the heart of Southern Laos. Famous for delicious coffee and stunning waterfalls, the plateau is also home to an incredible motorbike journey - The Bolaven Loop.
The Loop starts in the city of Pakse, winds north up into the Bolaven Plateau, stops at the beautiful town of Tad Lo, curves east through mountains and plains before striking back west taking you past the legendary ‘Four Sisters Waterfalls’, before finishing back where you started.
The Bolaven Loop is very special for us as it was our introduction into long distance motorcycle, or at least scooter, adventures. We have been driven before with ‘Easy Riders’ in Ha Giang and Cao Bang, but the Bolaven Loop was our first solo motorbike adventure.
This is our complete guide to everything you need to know about planning and riding the Bolaven Loop of Laos.
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
All about the Bolaven Loop - Essential Facts and Information
What is the Pakse / Bolaven Loop?
The Bolaven or Pakse Loop is a multi-day motorbike journey that takes riders through the plains, mountains and waterfalls of Laos’ Bolaven Plateau. Famous for the ‘Four Sisters Waterfalls’, Tad Lo Village and epic drives through coffee plantations, the Bolaven Loop is popular with backpackers and is an amazing adventure for anyone with any level of driving experience.
Where is the Bolaven Loop?
The Bolaven Plateau is found in Southern Laos. The route circles around the Dong Hua Sao National BioDiversity Conservation Area, you can find the region on a map here.
The start of the Bolaven Loop is the city of Pakse, which is 670 KM drive south of Laos’ capital Vientiane and 160 KM drive north of Don Det, the 4000 Islands and the Nong Nok Khiene border with Cambodia.
To get to or from Pakse and the start of thqe Loop, check out our 12Go ticket booker below.
How long is the Loop?
The Bolaven / Pakse Loop is 200 KM long for the most popular route. You can extend this to 300 KM, by adding an excursion to Sekong - more on this later!
How to Plan Your Ride Around the Bolaven Loop
How many days do I need to ride the Loop?
The basic Loop can be done in as little as 2 days (1 night) but we would recommend taking your time and spending at least 3 days (2 nights) on the Loop.
Our suggested itinerary (see below) assumes you spend at least 2 nights, but has a couple of suggestions if you want to stay longer!
If you choose to do the extra extension to Sekong you will need to allow at least an extra night if not two.
Route map of the Bolaven Loop
Before you set off on the Loop, you’ll need a map. Luckily, the lovely people at Pakse Info have done all the hard work and made a fantastic map of the Bolaven Loop.
The map is free to download and shows all of the sights/stops as well as alternate routes and road conditions. Just download Maps.me and add the map overlay.
Download the Bolaven Loop Map Here
Make sure you check out their other Southern Laos maps, they really have gone above and beyond with their maps!
P.s believe the map when it warns you about dodgy roads - it is not exaggerating!
If you’re having trouble seeing the map or connecting to the website, make sure your VPN is set to a location outside of Laos. If you’re looking for a good VPN, for the last 3 years we have been using SurfShark - check it out here!
Before you set off, make sure you have both Maps.me and Google Maps downloaded for offline use - mobile signal in Laos can be very patchy!
Loop itineraries - Planning your Bolaven motorbike road trip
There is no “right way” to do the Loop. You can take it as slow as you want or rush through like Speedy Gonzales, it's your adventure - you do you!
We would recommend a minimum 2 nights itinerary but if you have the time it is well worth doing what we did and extending an extra day for relaxing and exploring.
This is our route through the Bolaven Loop - for map references and more detail about all the stops, read on to our “what not to miss" section of this guide.
Day 1 - Pakse to Tad Lo Village
The Bolaven Loop starts in the city of Pakse. You can get here from all over Laos by using the bus network. Check out 12Go for all your options.
We would recommend staying one night in the city beforehand to arrange your bike and leave your larger bags. We will go into more detail about where to rent your bike and where to stay in Pakse later on in the article. Our quick recommendations for where to stay in Pakse are Kai Lion’s Hostel, Anou Hostel or Nangnoi Guesthouse. We have stayed in all three and can confirm they’re all great at what they offer. All three also offer bike rental and luggage storage.
We’d recommend an early start on day 1 so you can avoid the morning traffic in Pakse. Leave the city on Road 13 / 16e heading east before turning on to Road 20 heading north. You can stop in the town of Bachiang for a bowl of noodles if you’ve missed breakfast.
Just outside of Bachiang town, take a short detour to the abandoned resort and waterfalls at Pha Suam Waterfall and Maak Ngaew Waterfall. Continuing north on road 20, stop for coffee and an optional plantation tour at Mr Vieng’s Coffee and homestay.
Once caffeined up, we’d recommend making a bee-line to the overnight stop of Tad Lo Village. This will mean you’ll get the pick of the best rooms and accommodation and can then spend the rest of the afternoon leisurely backtracking and exploring all the sights.
Extra day in Tad Lo
As you’ll see in a moment, there is a lot to see and do around Tad Lo Village. If you have the time, we’d recommend slowing down and booking 2 nights in Tad Lo - this means you can really get out and explore.
Around Tad Lo make sure you don’t miss the following:
Wat Pa (Big Buddha Forest Temple)
Tat Soung Waterfall
Tad Lo Waterfall
Sacred Forest Walk
Tad Hang Waterfall
Tad Lo Village and Fandee Island
Tad Lo Market
We will go into more detail about these stops later in this guide - Click here to jump to the full descriptions.
Day 2 - Tad Lo to Paksong via the ‘Mountain Loop’
Have a leisurely breakfast in Tad Lo and check out any of the sites you’ve missed before heading east out of the village on Road 20. At the town of Beng turn off road 20 and head south.
Just before Thateng town, you have the choice to stop for a village tour at Captain Hook’s Homestay or to continue on to do the ‘mountain loop’ ride.
At the town of Thateng, you can stop for lunch, pick up snacks or in our case get a new rear tyre fitted!
From Thateng it’s a short drive south to reach the junction for the ‘mountain loop’. We massively recommend doing this route anti-clockwise as you’ll get the best views and most dramatic mountain roads this way. The loop took us just under an hour and a half to complete, but this included a lot of stopping along the way for photos!
The ‘mountain loop’ road will eventually bring you back to the town of Thateng where you’ll continue south on road 16 towards the town of Paksong where we’d recommend spending the night. Outside of Paksong are lots of coffee farms with cafes and farm tours and in Paksong itself is the famous ‘Cafe 1971’ for coffee.
If you’re really short on time you could leave Tad Lo early in the morning, do the ‘Mountain Loop’ and fit in some (or maybe all) of the ‘Four Sisters Falls’ before driving back to Pakse in the evening. It would be a long day, but totally doable if you don’t have the time to spare!
Day 3 - The Waterfalls - Paksong to Pakse via the “Four Sisters”
The last day's ride is basically one straight line running from Paksong to Pakse along roads 16e and 13.
This might not sound exciting but this one stretch of road will bring you past some of the most amazing waterfalls in Asia - the famous ‘Four Sisters Falls’. These four waterfalls are all a short drive from the main road, some of them more accessible than others!
The main stops for this day are:
Tad Gneuang Waterfall
Tad Fane Waterfall
Tad Champee Waterfall
Tad E-Tu Waterfall and Abandoned Resort
Again, make sure you check out the full description in the ‘what to see’ section later.
On the road back to Pakse there are plenty of places to stop for food and drink. We’d recommend grabbing a delicious pork fried rice from KM Restaurant (opposite a beautiful Buddhist temple) and stopping for an excellent iced latte at the Weekend Cafe. Pretty soon you’ll find yourself on the same road you started on coming back into the city of Pakse - Bolaven Loop complete!
Planning pitfalls - Too much information and following the crowd
If you are googling the Bolaven loop then you will run into the institution that is Miss Noy and the nightly Bolaven prep talks. Every night a crowd of backpackers gather for a guided talk on riding the loop. This meetup would be a great way to find a group to ride with if you are a solo traveller - nearly everybody in town is at this meeting and will then follow Miss Noy’s route.
This is a great idea if you’re looking to travel alongside others, but we would give a word of caution here - you would be doing the exact same loop as everyone else, so expect to share the road, stops and sights with many other loopers. We chose to ride the Loop completely independently and found our own way. This meant we left town by ourselves, weren’t stuck in a convoy of bikers and had every attraction either to ourselves or with only a few others.
Miss Noy’s recommends stops for scheduled events e.g. the village tours at Captain Hook’s and the farm tours at Mr Vieng’s. This means there is a concentration of riders arriving at or leaving places at certain times of day. Following the crowd also means you’re much more likely to get stuck at the back of the queue for accommodation as you will arrive in the middle of a big group.
One other unexpected benefit we found by missing the nightly briefing was that we did not know what to expect! There were several bridges and roadworks along the route that ,if we had known about beforehand, would have played on our mind no end. As we didn’t know about the roadworks, we didn’t worry about them and just took the challenges as they came!
We are not by any means slagging off or saying don’t go to Miss Noy’s! We’re just saying don’t be afraid of a more independent adventure and don’t feel that you have to follow the crowd!
Travelling as a duo meant we could stop whenever we got hungry and didn’t have to wait long for our food!
Renting a Scooter or Bike in Pakse
Now you’ve sorted your itinerary, it’s time to rent your bike.
Throughout Pakse there are no shortage of places to rent scooters and motorbikes. Just like we did for the Thakhek Loop, we opted to spend the extra money and rented two shiny new 125CC Honda Clicks.
John posing with our shiny Honda Clicks at the start of the Bolaven Loop!
We rented our bikes from Kai Lion’s Hostel and Bike Hire and although they did cost a little more, they were absolutely brand new. Kai was also brilliant, offering support throughout the Loop via WhatsApp and giving us tons of information before we left. When we ran into a flat tyre on the road, we just called him up and he spoke with the garage to sort it out.
If you want to spend less, you absolutely can - just make sure you test out and choose a bike you’re comfortable riding. The most popular places to rent bikes from are Kai Lion’s, Miss Noy’s and Peterpan’s Bike Rental.
Motorbike rentals cost from 150,000 kip to 200,000 kip per day.
All motorbike and scooter rentals will provide you with a helmet. Make sure it fits properly and wear it all the time.
Once you’re on the Loop, you can easily extend your rental by contacting the place where you rented your bike from - make sure to get their WhatsApp number before you head off!
If you’re planning to ride the Loop during peak season (November to early March) make sure you agree your bike rental in advance. We headed to Kai’s a couple of days before leaving on the Loop and managed to snag his last two bikes. We met a few other wannabe riders who weren’t so lucky!
Which motorbike do I need - Automatic or manual?
Before riding the Loop we had heard that you had to ride a semi-automatic or manual - this is definitely not the case!
You can ride any type of bike you want on the Loop. Manual, automatic, semi whatever you fancy you’ll have no problems on the roads. Even the so-called ‘mountain loop’ has only relatively gentle slopes and most of the rest of Loop is entirely flat. To reach some of the waterfalls there are some “off-road” sections but we had no issues on our fully automatic scooters.
If you’re riding with a pillion passenger you may want to opt for a bigger or newer bike.
Where to stay - Accommodation on the Bolaven Loop
Where to stay in Pakse
We stayed here the night before setting off on our Loop and it was a great stay in a large, capsule style dorm room. Kai was fantastic and gave us all the information we could possibly need for the Loop - book your stay at Kai Lion’s Hostel here.
Anou Hostel
A social, upmarket hostel with both dorms and comfy private rooms. We have stayed here a couple of times and the private en-suite room was spacious and super comfy. There is a restaurant on site and you get free breakfast included with your stay - book your stay at Anou Hostel here.
Nang Noi Guesthouse
We came here completely by accident after another hostel (none of the above!) overbooked us but it has now become our go-to bed in Pakse. We’ve stayed at the guesthouse twice, once in the cheaper “old building” and once in the “newer” rooms. Both stays were cheap and comfy and the rooms even had balconies - to book a stay here, just contact them directly.
If you’re after a comfier, more upmarket stay, there is a lovely riverside hotel with rooftop pool that we looked at several times with great envy - book your stay at the Intouch Riverside Hotel here. This would make a great reward for completing the Loop!
For all other Pakse accommodation choices (there are loads) click here.
Tad Lo
There are plenty of small guesthouses in the village of Tad Lo. If you get there early, we recommend securing yourself a riverside room at Sipasert Guesthouse.
We had a super cheap, super basic room with a shared balcony overlooking the river and falls. The room was perfect for our needs, but don’t go expecting the Hilton you are in rural Laos! We just rocked up and negotiated a price, but if you want to book in advance you can do so online here.
Sipasert Guesthouse is the last building on the right next to the broken bridge!
If you’re after a unique and slightly higher class stay check out the glamping, huts and bungalows of Fandee Island.
Tad Lo Village has loads of places set up for loopers. Most of the cheaper guesthouses are clustered near the river and waterfall here.
For all your accommodation options (including some higher class offerings) have a look here.
Paksong
We stayed at Kai Lion’s Hostel Paksong, the sister hostel to Kai Lion’s Pakse. Super simple, super cheap with both private and dorms, the hostel was perfect for our night in Paksong. Book your stay here.
If you’re looking for a one of a kind stay right in the heart of the most famous of the “Four Sisters Falls”, check out a stay at Tad Fane Resort.
What to pack for the Loop
You’ll want to pack as light as possible for the Loop and ideally take just one small rucksack or sling bag. Almost all the hostels and guesthouses in Pakse will store your larger backpacks whilst you’re on the Loop. If for some reason your accommodation doesn’t have luggage storage, the place where you rent your scooter from almost certainly will.
Whilst riding the Loop we wore lightweight athletic gear and good trainers - do not attempt to ride your bike in flip flops!
We’d recommend packing the following:
Comfy, lightweight clothes
A hoodie or jumper - it can get cold in the evening / early mornings
Swimwear and towel
Wet coat - the tropics are unforgiving in the rain!
Flip flops for the evening - give your stinky trainers a rest!
Toiletries
First aid kit - hopefully you won’t need it!
Sunglasses
Scarf / snood / facemasks to deal with dust and car fumes
Mobile phone lanyard - super useful for navigating if you don’t have / don’t trust your bikes phone holder. Also great for quick snaps! If you don’t have one you can buy one in Pakse at the phone accessory shop just over the road from Anou Hostel (location).
Other Bolaven Loop routes and itineraries
One night, two day itinerary
If you’re short on time you could definitely condense our itinerary above into 1 night and 2 days. Just set off early from Pakse on the first day, head straight to Tad Lo and explore the sights and waterfalls around the village. Stay overnight in Tad Lo before setting off early the next day, ride the “mountain loop” and power straight through to the Four Sisters Waterfalls before heading back to Pakse. This would be a busy two days, but if you’re short on time it would be a good way to cram a lot of the Loop in.
Longer itineraries
If you look at the Bolaven Loop map, you’ll see that there is a much larger, multi-day loop that takes you right into the Laotian countryside through to the small city of Sekong. You can even extend the large loop further by heading towards the Vietnamese border and the town of Attapeu. At the time of writing we were recommended not to do this Loop as there had been multiple reports of Loopers being robbed along the way. We don’t know if this is just hearsay, or what the situation is like now. If you do the longer route, please let us know what we missed in the comments.
What Not to Miss - Sights and Stops Along the Bolaven Loop
There is so much to see along the Bolaven Loop! We by no means got to see everything but here’s our favourite stops that we visited, along with how easy it was to get there.
We’ve listed the stops in the order you’ll encounter them if you’re following our suggested itinerary.
Pha Suam Waterfall and Maak Ngaew Waterfall
(location)
Set a short drive down a broken road, you’ll arrive through the ruined gates of this abandoned park. We love ruins and abandoned things so this was a great first stop on the Loop for us. There are two waterfalls to see. One hidden in the forest and the other churning out the rocks of a huge riverbed. When we visited in the dry season you could scramble right down to the edge of the falls. Don’t miss this stop; it was one of our highlights of the Loop.
Mr Vieng Coffee Farm - Cafe and Tours
(location)
This coffee shop and farm tour is a popular stop for many Loopers. Serving coffee from their own beans, it’s a good place to caffeine up before the long road to Tad Lo. It’s one of the stops recommended by Miss Noy so can get very busy especially around the morning coffee tours. We would say stop if you want a coffee, but dont expect too much in terms of luxuary. There are toilets onsite and accommodation if you want to stay the night. There are also some cute souveniers made from coffee beans you can buy.
Laongam town and market
(location)
Located between Mr Vieng Coffee and Tad Lo Village, Laongam is your typical Laotian market town.
If you’ve been confined to Luang Prabang and the backpacker friendly Vang Vieng, then this is a great introduction to a “real Laotian market”. The covered market is busy and spills out onto the surrounding streets, selling everything from mounds of watermelons to piles of intestines.
If you’re hungry, Laongam is a great place to pick up a bowl of noodles or some BBQ meat.
However, we’d recommend getting on your bike, driving a short way outside of town to this restaurant (location), where we enjoyed one of our most unique and tasty dishes we ate on the Loop. Think Pad Thai meets meatballs, all served with a delicious nutty dressing. It was cheap, filling and delicious!
Laongam is worth a stop just for these noodles alone!
Wat Pa Forest Temple
(location)
If you’ve been backpacking your way around South East Asia you’ve probably seen your fair share of temples, however Wat Pa is actually one of our favourites.
Nestled in the heart of a serene wood, surrounded on all sides by a wall of ancient towering trees, this temple radiates serenity.
Inside the grounds, the temple is focussed around a massive, seated golden Buddha and features a revered tree, wrapped in colourful ribbons. It is a beautiful and calm place, when we visited we were the only foreigners there.
To reach the temple, you’ll have to navigate your way down a pothole-filled road, before reaching a small hamlet and turning onto a dirt road leading into the forest. The track is guarded by two demonic yaksha guardian statues and lined with figures from the zodiac.
Entrance Ticket - free
Tad Lo mountain roads and dam
(location)
The roads around Tad Lo are stunning and great fun just to drive around. We’d definitely recommend approaching Tad Lo village from the junction in the location above. On this road you’ll be greeted to panoramic views over the Bolaven Plateau before the road winds its way down through cassava plantations and into the village.
To the south of Tad Lo is a gorgeous road that runs along the river until it reaches the hydroelectric dam. At the dam it forks west and takes you through pretty villages and farmlands. You can find the road here, it is the same road you will use to get to some of the waterfalls.
Speaking of which…
Tat Soung Waterfalls
(location)
Tat Soung Waterfall is an absolute must - there’s not many waterfalls of this scale where you can get so close to the edge.
You can see Tat Soung Waterfall from miles away. A huge rock face with a torrent flowing from the top.
There is a small forest walk to a viewpoint giving a great “overview” perspective of the falls, but the best vantage point is down a path and on top of the waterfalls themselves.
A steep set of stairs leads you to the wide flat top of the cliff, where the water cascades down over the sheer drop. You can get right up to the edge of the falls, or as close as you dare!
This is definitely one of the best views in Tad Lo and the Bolaven Loop as a whole.
The very cute car park attendant - he demands payment in headstrokes!
The entrance to the car park is down a very pretty rural road, just be aware that right at the end of the road just before you reach the car park there is a steep, semi off-road section.
If you're lucky you’ll be greeted by a very friendly puppy when you arrive!
Entrance fee - 10,000 kip
Tad Lo Waterfalls
(location)
Just above the village are the falls that give the town its name - the mighty Tad Lo Waterfall. Spread out across a curving cliff wall, the falls span the whole river.
A path next to the scooter parking will lead you down to the base of the falls where you can really get to feel the force of the water. You can easily walk to the falls from town or you can drive the short distance there. The turning to drive there is not marked on Google Maps but is around here and clearly signposted.
For those looking for a little bit of extra excitement, Fandee Island (more on this later) has a zip wire and suspension bridge overlooking these falls.
Entrance - free
Sacred Forest walk
(location)
We don’t know if we can call this a hidden gem as there were signs for it everywhere but we didn’t see or hear about anyone else do the Sacred Forest Walk. Don’t miss out, it’s a fantastic wander and a great way to stretch your legs after a day on a bike.
The walk starts at Tad Lo Falls and winds its way through the forest, the way marked by orange cloth tied to the trees. There are a couple of signs pointing out unique trees including one truly enormous white giant. The walk winds gently down into a small valley, over a (dry when we visited) riverbed and through the strange, colourful rocks of the “Purple Valley” before coming back up to the road.
Just look out for the orange cloth marking the way!
It’s a lovely short walk through some beautiful nature and finishes on the main road back to the village. If you drove to Tad Lo waterfalls just walk through the grounds of Tad Lo Lodge to get back to your bike.
Entrance - free
Tad Hang Waterfall
(location)
Slap bang in the centre of Tad Lo Village are the Tad Hang Waterfalls. A sprawling curtain of steep-stepped falls spreads out and up along a wide section of the river. It’s by far the most popular waterfall in the area as it's a short walk from most of the town’s guesthouses. Don’t miss sunset from here, where locals and backpackers all gather to have a cheeky beer whilst paddling and swimming in one of the falls' many pools.
Entrance - free
Fandee Island
(location)
Fandee Island - first things first, not an island!
Sitting on a bend in the river over the water from Tad Lo Village is the Fandee Island Resort and activity centre. You can do ziplining here, stay in a tree house, kayak on the lake or even have a pizza. When we visited, the lake was full of local children, face masks on, diving for snails.
You can park up and explore the grounds even if you’re not staying at the resort itself - they are very pretty!. There is a short but pretty trail leading alongside the river which gives a different perspective to Tad Hang and Tad Lo Waterfalls.
It’s one of the more fancier accommodation options in the village - book your stay on the island here.
Entrance: Fee
Parking costs 10,000 kip per bike.
If you choose stay on Fandee Island you’ll be overlooking this pretty lake!
Tad Lo Village
(location)
Tad Lo Village is one of the main “hubs” of the Bolaven Loop. It is a popular overnight stop and it is here that you will find most of the backpackers, loopers and other bikers travelling the Bolaven Plateau.
Tad Lo Village is split into a couple of parts. The larger shops, mechanics and market can be found lining the main road in the north, whilst the restaurants and guesthouses for the backpackers and loopers are set down alongside the banks of the Tat Lo River and the base of the Tad Hang Falls.
This cute village is ridiculously picturesque. Full of friendly locals and herds of cows, it's your typical Laotian village with tiny shops stuffed full of colourful snacks, roadside noodle stalls and children playing. Don’t miss the small Buddhist temple with a golden naga and colourful statues outside.
The Tat Lo River winds gently through the village and when we visited in the dry season, was a lovely place for a dip.
The heart of the backpacker town is here, Google doesn’t think it’s a road but it is! Here you’ll find some great restaurants and guesthouses. We can especially recommend eating at Samaki Guesthouse, their Tom Ken (a caramelised pork and egg stew) was delicious, especially paired with a mango sticky rice for dessert!
Another very popular choice was Tina’s Kitchen and Homestay selling all the backpacker favourites of pineapple fried rice, noodles, curries and spring rolls.
From Tad Lo Village you can easily walk to the Tad Hang and Tad Lo Waterfalls as well as doing the Sacred Forest Walk. If you didn’t mind a paddle you could cross the river to Fandee Island.
There is also a small petrol station on the road between the main northern road and the backpacker hub. If you (like us) need a tyre reinflated there is a lovely gent here who will help you for a tiny fee.
Tat Lo market
(location)
Before you leave Tad Lo don’t miss visiting the bustling local market. It’s at its best early in the morning where it is chock full of produce both alive and dead! All manner of colourful vegetables and fruit are for sale alongside squealing piglets and gaggles of clucking chickens.
There’s a couple of restaurants just on the outside of the market and plenty of stalls to pick up BBQ meat, snacks and drinks.
If you’ve come to Tad Lo by bus, this is almost certainly where you’ll be dropped off.
Captain Hook's Village Tour and Homestay
(location)
Full disclaimer we didn’t actually visit here, but it is a very popular stop and is often recommended as an overnight stop on the Loop instead of Tad Lo.
Captain Hook’s is a village homestay where you’ll have a guided tour of a Laotian village with its own unique animist culture and customs. Mr Hook (Captain? We are unsure of his Naval rank) is meant to be quite a character and really brings the history and culture of the village to life.
If you’re planning to stay there, it’s basic accommodation with group meals and a very convivial atmosphere.
Captain Hook’s is just 20 KM further on from Tad Lo Village so if you set off early enough you could have seen some of the waterfalls in Tad Lo and still overnight at Captain Hook’s.
You can book a stay at Captain Hooks via Facebook or just turn up on the day.
Thateng town and market
(location)
Thatend is a busy local hub with a thriving all day market. There are plenty of places to pick up some cheap local Laotian food as well as snacks and roadside coffee. The market is large, busy and very local, full of vats of preserved fish, piles of fresh meat and a kaleidoscope of vegetables. There are also plenty of mechanics and bike shops in this town, very useful if you find yourself with a very flat tyre; more on this later!
Laotian markets are always very colourful!
As you approach town there are a couple of pretty places to pull over and admire the view over the fields and mountains.
Thateng town also marks the end of the ‘mountain loop’. We definitely suggest following the route coming up next for the best views and ride on the mountain loop.
Thateng Mountain Loop
(location)
This was, without question, one of our favourite parts of the whole Pakse Loop.
A short way outside of Thateng town, you’ll reach a junction to the left. It’s here where you can start the 45 minute to 1 hour mountain loop.
A gorgeous stretch of near deserted roads twist, wind and snake their way around the surrounding hills and mountains. The views are incredible and the road is so much fun to drive without being remotely intimidating.
We absolutely loved this stretch, it really felt like a proper motorbike adventure. We passed through small villages where the road was lined with small children. Like a parade route, they’d stand at the side of the road and we’d slow the bikes down and high-five all of them in a conga line as we drove past.
The countryside was a shifting palette of colours. Sparse greens and greys of the cassava fields, breaking to violent yellows and oranges as the autumnal colours of the trees exploded all around.
The whole ‘mountain loop’ only takes about an hour or so to drive and will pop you back out onto the main road in Thateng town.
The route is easy and is clearly marked on the ‘Maps.me’ overlay we recommend you download (see the maps section above).
Coffee and farm shops
We enjoyed a delicious latte from YG Coffee but there were plenty of other cafes dotted along the road to dive into.
If you’re interested in learning about how coffee is grown and harvested, you could easily arrange a tour at any of these farm shops. Most of them will also serve small plates and cakes.
Paksong town
(location)
Paksong town is an ideal staging post. An overnight stop here allows for a whole final day exploring the Loops most famous attractions - The Four Sisteres Waterfalls. You can stay the night and then be at the falls before the crowds come.
The town is spread all along a main road with a few basic guesthouses, hostels and plenty of places to pick up some cheap tasty food.
Some of the BBQ meat choices on offer in Paksong!
We stayed at the fantastic Kai Lion’s Hostel Paksong which was set right in the heart of the town and was within walking distance to a brilliant roadside Laotian BBQ stall.
Nearby there is also the popular backpacker restaurant - Mrs Lackky Loop Stop.
We were visiting during Lunar New Year so a lot of the town was closed. Let us know in the comments if you find a hidden gem.
Paksong town is also famous for being the home of…
CC Cafe 1971
(location)
Probably the most famous coffee shop in Laos, CC Cafe 1971 is built out of the bombed out ruins of an old Soviet era powerplant. If you’ve read any of our other blogs, this kind of description is like catnip to us. Sadly, Lunar New Year stopped us from being able to visit :( However, we did manage to go to its sister site in Pakse town and can confirm that the coffee is great!
The cafe serves craft coffee as well as pastries, snacks and desserts.
Jhai Coffee
You’ll see coffee beans growing everywhere on the Bolaven Plateau!
Lining the road between Paksong and the waterfalls are a string of artisan coffee shops. We tested out Jhai Coffee.
Jhai Coffee is set in a beautiful traditional wooden house. We opted for two hot craft cappuccinos that were absolutely excellent. Unfortunately if you're after oat milk and other non-dairy milk options, you’ll need to keep looking. We spent 20 minutes leap-frogging a jeep carrying a gaggle of girls in search of oat milk! Remeber - Americano’s exist!
If you’re after a Western style breakfast, we’ve heard great things about the Le deux soeurs Paksong.
Tad Yuang Waterfall (also known as Tad Yeuang or Tad Gneuang Falls)
(location)
We had heard that the ‘Four Sisters’ Waterfalls were something special, so kicked off our final day on the Loop with high hopes of what was to come. Even with our high expectations, we weren’t ready for Tad Yuang.
The start was underwhelming, a car park and a parade of tourist shops was flanked by a large, touristy restaurant. At the end of the parade, a steep set of stairs led to a small opening in the jungle. At first we didn’t think this could possibly be the way, as large tree trunks and vines blocked the path. We limboed, clambered and yoga posed our way through the trees and down the steps until the falls revealed themselves in front of us.
They… were… massive!
Twin falls fell from high above, smashing down through the rocks and foliage to a large pool at the base. We walked between viewpoints, some set up high and some down by the water's edge where you really could feel the thunderous force of the falls above.
Don’t miss the short walk at the top of the falls (before the steps down) which takes you through to a deceptively serene river and coffee plantation, just before the water drops over the edge of the falls.
Entrance: 30,000 kip per person
Parking: 20,000 kip per bike
This photo makes the Tad Yuang waterfalls look small, but trust us they were massive!
We recommend getting here early as the viewpoints and walkways are narrow and the experience would have been very different if we had to share it with a crowd. As you can see from our photos there were very few people there when we arrived, but we know it can get very busy.
Tad Fane Waterfall
(location)
If you’ve ever seen pictures of the Bolaven Loop or guides to Pakse, you’ll almost certainly have seen a photo of Tad Fane. Looking like a crater straight out of Jurassic Park, Tad Fane Waterfall tumbles down into a seemingly bottomless green abyss surrounded by jungle. It’s an amazing sight and one you should definitely visit, but you should know the following before you go.
Tad Fane Waterfalls is only accessible via the Tad Fane Resort. There are two viewing platforms which give good, if slightly obstructed, views but the whole setup seems designed to encourage you towards taking a ride on the admittedly incredible looking, zipline course.
Most of the promotional shots and dramatic pictures of Tad Fane Waterfalls are taken from the zipline or from drone shots above it.
The two viewpoints accessible to those not ziplining are a good distance away from the falls and their views, although great, might not match up to your expectations.
Viewpoint one is next to the resort’s coffee shop and the second viewpoint with a net overhanging the jungle, can be found to the left. Don’t miss either viewpoint as they do give different perspectives.
Entrance fees: 30,000 kip per person
Parking: 10,000 kip per bike
Zipline experience: Prices start at $40 to ride the zipline course.
There are some other unique experiences on offer on the zipline itself. Have you ever wanted to have high-tea on a zipline? You can do that here for $60. For those truly in need of a psychiatric exam, $200 will allow you to sleep on the zipline!
For all the different zipline options, check out their website for more info.
Accommodation: If you want to beat the crowds and want something more luxurious than the offerings in Paksong, you can stay at the Tad Fane Resort.
Be careful when riding your bike into the carpark of Tad Fane, the loose gravel is very deep in places and John can confirm that it's definitely possible to beach your bike!
Tad Champee Waterfall
(location)
Simply another stunner of a waterfall! Less dramatic than its sisters, Tad Champee was serene and beautiful. From the carpark, it’s a short walk down through the woods to a near perfect swimming hole. Framing it all, is the wide curtain of water that makes up the Tad Champee Falls.
We visited in the dry season and the falls had split themselves into 3 streams of white water, in the wet season the flow is much greater and the streams join into one massive waterfall. This is definitely the most chilled out of the falls and makes for a great swimming spot and picnic stop.
There is a small shop by the carpark selling snacks and water.
The drive to Tad Champee Waterfall is down country lanes and dirt roads, through plantations and small hamlets. It’s not a difficult drive, just take your time on the bumpiest stretches.
Entrance: 10,000 kip per person
Parking fee: 5,000 kip per bike
Tad E-Tu Waterfall and Abandoned Resort
(location)
This one was an adventure, it was also our favourite waterfall of the day! It wasn’t easy to get to, we actually had to give up driving to this waterfall!
We had gone a little way off road where we started to lose confidence in our driving skills. The road is awful. Deep crevices, gravel and sliding sand, we didn’t feel comfy continuing on our bikes, but weren’t going to give up.
What we’d suggest you do (and what we did) is find a shop on the main road, buy some soft drinks and supplies and ask to park your bike there for a bit. On foot, it is much easier going. You walk off the main road and down the gravelly track until you reach the large gates of the abandoned E-Tu Resort.
Head through the gates (the left hand one was open for us) and walk through the massive abandoned resort. Passing the crumbling remains of restaurants and cabins you will soonsee a set of steps on the left near an abandoned tuk-tuk. Follow these past the shells of old buildings until you reach the overgrown fence running along the top of a cliff.
Everywhere in the abandoned resort there are ruins and artsy graffiti.
Take the path to the left and you’ll quickly find the steep stairs leading down to the waterfall. When we visited there were a few school children (obviously better drivers than us) parked at the top of the steps. The stairway is very steep, but in okay condition and leads down through the thick jungle.
At the bottom is a truly special secret spot. A huge waterfall cascades in two sets into the hidden jungle pool. To get near the water, you’ll need to clamber over moss covered stones and logs, through reeds and boggy land to get to the pool at the base of the falls. We loved E-Tu Waterfall as much for the adventure and feeling of exploration as for the falls themselves.
After you have seen the waterfall and made your way back up the steps, take the opposite path along the cliff edge to reach the top of the falls. Where, if you’re lucky, you’ll find locals fishing and washing in the wide calm river. It’s a really beautiful place.
Entrance fee: Free
Seriously, we really wouldn’t recommend driving to this waterfall unless you’re very confident with your biking skills. Also please note there is another private property on the road to this waterfall. Don’t turn off the downwards path or park outside this property, continue down the steep hill until you find the obvious abandoned gate. If you can see CCTV cameras, you are in the wrong place!
Fried Rice Restaurant and a Beautiful Temple
(location)
E-Tu Waterfall marks the last of the ‘Four Sisters’ Waterfalls. We had got up early and it was time for a much needed lunch. We drove back along the main road towards Pakse and stumbled upon this little gem of a restaurant. We usually don’t rave about fried rice, but this small roadside joint had raised the dish to an art form.
Topped with a deliciously crispy, yet runny egg and accompanied by a deep and satisfying pork broth, this was one of our favourite fried rice we’ve eaten in Laos. Every mouthful was the perfect combination of smokey, spicy and rich flavour.
Opposite the restaurant is a beautiful Buddhist temple. As we were visiting during the Lunar New Year, the whole temple was abuzz with visitors bringing colourful offerings.
Weekend Cafe Coffee-Tea
(location)
Because one coffee a day is never enough, we were looking for some post lunch caffeine before the final drive back to Pakse - Weekend Cafe fitted the bill.
This coffee shop and campsite was the epitome of cute. With friendly baristas and a garden bursting with ripening coffee beans, the coffee was excellent and, if you get there before they sell out, there’s a good selection of pastries too!
Weekend Cafe also offers accommodation in their tents dotted around their pretty garden. If you fancy a night under canvas before you head back to Pakse, you can book a stay here.
The Pakse Loop - Essential Tips & Tricks and Frequently Asked Questions
How difficult is the Bolaven Loop - tips for beginners
If you are new to riding scooters, should you attempt the Bolaven loop? We would say yes but with a couple of caveats:
You need to practice beforehand - the Loop should not be the 1st time you get on a bike!
Never do or attempt anything you are not happy with - If you don't like the look of a dirt road, wooden bridge or steep incline then there is no shame in walking the bike or turning around. We did this at the E-Tu waterfall and were glad we did! You do not want to have an accident in Laos.
In Laos drive on the right hand side of the Road!
Be careful riding in a group, you want to go single file and leave enough space between everyone in case of sudden stops.
Most of the Loop is on tarmacked roads.However, there can be roadworks and some of the bridges are….interesting to say the least. When we visited there was a lot of construction work between Pakse and Tad Lo and this meant some riding on loose gravel and crossing some plank bridges.
This is Laos - expect potholes, sudden chickens, dogs and buffalo based obstacles!
The Four Sisters Waterfalls are nearly all down “country” roads and loose surface tracks. If you are not confident then consider parking at a shop on the main road (ask the owner!) and walking to the falls.
The road can be busy when leaving / returning to Pakse. You will have to share the road and navigate around cars and lorries. Take it slow and be sensible!
The Bolaven Loop is shorter and less mountainous than the Thakhek Loop (which we also loved - read all about it here), and makes for a great introduction to multi-day motorbike adventures. It was Ellie’s first extended ride on a scooter and now she can’t get enough!
Places to practice driving in Pakse
If you need to get some practice riding a scooter or you just want to test your bike before you set off, then Pakse holds a great secret place to try out your wheels.
Head past the bus station and you’ll find a small car park (location) very close to the daily night market. The car park is big enough to drive around and the surrounding streets are really quiet. There’s even some traffic lights and a small roundabout to practice your junctions.
Just note, the road running alongside the riverbank / night market is one way!
Road conditions on the Bolaven Loop
The main roads of the Loop are all well maintained and fully paved. There will be potholes and dust but the main roads (13, 16E and 20 coming out of Pakse and the 16 / 16E coming back) are all major regional roads. This does of course mean you will be sharing the road with other users - be aware of cars and trucks. Remember that in Laos; “might makes right” on the roads. If it is bigger than you, let it through!
Outside of the major Loop roads, as you head off to Tad Lo, or go waterfall hunting, the tracks become much more…rural…. We highly recommend the Maps.me overlay we mentioned at the start of this guide, as it has the road conditions colour coded. It was a great help in deciding if we would be up for various routes!
As always do not attempt any route you are unhappy with! It was Ellie’s first long drive on a bike and we found the loop and all its off roads exciting and fun, but this does not mean it will be the same for everyone!
We would advise taking it slow when driving to Pha Suam Waterfall, Tat Soung Waterfall and definitely consider walking to the E-Tu Falls, the approaches were a little hairy!
When to ride the Bolaven Loop - Wet and dry seasons in Laos
Laos’ dry season runs between November and April. There will still be showers occasionally but this season has the highest amount of blue sky and sunshine. The wet season (May to September) in Laos lives up to its name. Expect heavy downpours most days.
As novice bikers we would highly recommend riding the Pakse / Bolaven loop in the dry season. The views will be clearer, the roads less slippy and the ‘off road’ sections less muddy and treacherous. We rode the loop in January and were lucky - perfect clear skies and warm but not boiling sunshine.
We cannot say how the loop would be in the wet season, we imagine it would be a good deal more challenging but the waterfalls would be in full force and the greenery would be lush and full of life. If you take on the challenge, let us know in the comments how it was!
Petrol, garages and what to do if you break down on the Bolaven Loop!
There are petrol stations scattered all along the main Loop, you shouldn’t get stuck and run out of fuel. We would recommend filling up before you leave in Pakse and not letting your tank get below ⅓ full without stopping for fuel. This way you wont even have to think about worrying. If there are no “proper” petrol stations around, look for the shops and stalls selling fuel in old liquor bottles, they are everywhere.
Every town, hamlet, crossroad and village will have some form of mechanic, tyre shop or bike repair shack. Everyone in Laos rides a scooter so everywhere has the services to keep them running. We popped a tyre on our second day and it was no big thing.
We were leaving Tad Lo and noticed Ellie’s rear wheel was nearly flat. We stopped at the nearest bike shop (look for hanging tyres, compressors or just crowds of half dissected bikes), and paid 2000 kip to refill the tyre as we didn’t know if it just needed a pump up or if it was properly punctured. By the time we rolled into Thateng (or Ban Tateng) the tyre was sagging again so we knew we needed a new one. A phone call to Kai Lions Bike Rental, 15 minutes and 480,000 kip later and we had a new rear tire.
It looks bad but it only took 15 minutes to replace the tyre!
Automatic bikes, or at least Honda Clicks, don't apparently have inner tube so you need to replace the whole tire if you get a bad puncture. If you have a semi automatic you can just replace the inner tube most of the time.
This was all pretty painless and easy, mainly because our bikes were rented from Kai Lions, and he was happy to help us over the phone and speak with the mechanics at the garage. Most of the rental companies will have a WhatsApp contact but we were really impressed with Kai’s service!
If you break down and cannot roll or wheel the bike to a mechanic or shop we would advise you to call your rental place and explain. All the rental agencies in Pakse are set up for people doing the Loop and will be able to help. If worst comes to worst Google Translate can help out, Laotians are helpful and lovely people.
ATMs - Money on the Bolaven Loop
We would advise you to withdraw anything you need before you set off on the Loop. There are few ATMS on the route and those that there are, can run out of money quickly. There is a BCEL bank ATM at Tad Lo and a couple in Paksong and Thateng in a pinch but we would not recommend relying on them.
Very few places will accept card and those that do, will charge an extra fee.
Solo or group riding? Meeting people for the Loop.
If you are a solo traveller and want to ride in a pack then Pakse is a great town to meet people. Most backpackers in the town are preparing for or coming back from the Loop. Head out to the hostel common rooms or the nightly briefing at Miss Noy’s and your sure to find some like minded travellers.
Some of the most popular hostels in Pakse are: Kai Lion’s, Anou Hostel, Sanga Hostel, Pakse Backpacker and Dorms and Pakse Backpacker and Dorms
We rode (surprise surprise) as a couple. It was Ellie’s first big ride and we didn't want to slow up, or feel pressure from anyone else. This worked out great for us, we could stop, leave, eat or just pull over and enjoy the views whenever we wanted. Seeing the Loop with a group of friends would be magic but it was amazing to do it as a couple.
If you are solo and want to ride the Loop by yourself, then this is 100% doable. The Loop is on a main road and most of the waterfalls are popular (with the exception of E-tu) so you will not be totally alone. At the overnight stops you will find plenty of fellow travellers to chill and hang out with, especially if you stay at one of the more social hostels or dorms.
Group, solo or riding as a couple, the loop is fantastic!
Cant ride a scooter? Other ways to see the Bolaven Loop - Organised tours of Pakse, Tad Lo and the Four Sisters Waterfalls
If you are not confident on two wheels it doesn't mean that you have to miss out! There are other ways of visiting the highlights of the Bolaven Loop.
Tad Lo village is beautiful and most of the sights are an easy walk from the accommodation hub. There are daily buses from Pakse to Tad Lo village departing from the Green Paradise Tour office, you can book these buses in advance here. There are also local buses but these are harder to book in advance - Check with your accommodation.
From a base in Pakse it is easy to arrange a tour of the Four Sisters Waterfalls, any hostel or travel agency in the town will be able to book one for you, just ask around until you find one with a price and itinerary you like!
If you are short on time or just want to cram as much as possible into your Pakse trip then consider the “Mystic Falls and Timeless Temples” tour with Get Your Guide. The tour picks you up from Pakse, takes you to two of the most famous falls and brings you to the amazing ruins at Champassak all in one day. You can have a look or book it online here.
The Bolaven Loop or The Thakhek Loop - which Should I ride?
The two Laotian motorbike loops are very different experiences. The Bolaven Loop is a waterfall hunter's dream, whereas Thakhek offers the most dramatic roads, views and riding experience.
Which one you want to drive really depends on what you are looking for and how much time you have to travel in Laos.
Obviously we would recommend riding both as they are both incredible experiences, but here are some things to bear in mind if you have to make a decision between Thakhek and Pakse:
The Bolaven Loop is shorter (the main path at least) and easier to ride. The roads of the Pakse Loop are easy to navigate and suitable for less experienced riders. Thakhek Loop is by no means difficult but we were glad we did the Bolaven Loop first!
The Thakhek Loop offers much more impressive views from the road and a more interesting “riding experience”. The roads of the Bolaven Loop pretty much take you from A to B, the Loop being more about the sights than the journey. On the Thakhek Loop half the joy is the ride itself.
The Bolaven Loop allows riders to see some of Laos' most famous waterfalls whereas the Thakhek Loop is stuffed full of mountains, sweeping views and incredible cave systems.
The Bolaven Loop can be ridden in 1 or 2 days but we would say the Thakhek Loop needs at least 2 nights, 3 days on the road to get the most out of it.
At the end of the day, both loops are utterly incredible. If you still don’t know which Loop to ride, make sure you have read our complete guide to the Thakhek Loop.
If you can, ride both!
We loved the Bolaven Loop and didn’t stop smiling the whole way round!
Final Thoughts - is the Bolaven Loop worth it?
The Pakse Loop takes you out from the busy city, through small towns and villages and into the vast expanse of the Bolaven Plateau. The road passes some of the most impressive waterfalls we have ever seen and really makes you feel like you’ve stepped away from the parties, tours and the well trodden ‘Banana Pancake’ trail. Is the Bolaven Loop worth it? Absolutely!
We started the Loop unsure of what to expect and very nervous about riding a multi-day bike loop. By the time we were rolling back into Pakse, we didn’t want our ride to end. If we could, we would have turned around and started all over again.
The only downside we can state for the Pakse Loop is that it has given us a dangerously addictive new travel hobby! We will be biking a lot more in the future.
To quote the late, great Anthony Bourdain:
“The motorbike, the only way to see this part of the world—the thick, unmoving air, the smell, past rice paddies, water buffalos, what feels like another century.”
There really is something special about exploring a place on two wheels.
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
If you’ve enjoyed reading this article, why not save the pin below?
If you’re found this blog helpful, entertaining or you just fancy supporting us, please click the button below!