Explore the Bolaven Plateau from Pakse in Laos

Explore the Bolaven Plateau from Pakse in Laos

The Bolaven Plateau, otherwise spelt Boloven Plateau or just Bolovens, rises up to an elevation of some 1,000 to 1,350m above sea level and was formed by a long since extinct volcano. Sandwiched between the Annamite Mountain Range and the Mekong River, the Bolaven Plateau is lacerated by rivers of cool water which frequently tumble down from the heights at some of the most spectacular waterfalls in Laos.

Despite its incredible natural beauty the Bolaven Plateau remains relatively unfrequented by Laos travellers who still tend to stay in close proximity to the country’s more well known highlights; Luang Prabang, Vientiane and the Mekong River 4,000 Islands for example. This provides a window of opportunity for our more intrepid adventurers to get off the beaten track in Laos visiting areas totally void of group tours.

Known particularly for its tea and coffee plantations, hill tribes, outstanding natural beauty in a landscape hosting many spectacular waterfalls, the Bolaven Plateau is about cool climes, fertile soil and enigmatic animism in amongst verdantly green jungle.

This is just a 1-Day whistle-stop tour from Pakse in Champasak province to give you a taste of the culture, climate and coffee! You do get to see some of the highlights of this area including the coffee plantations, waterfalls and some of the ethnic groups that live here. If one day is too short then we can easily extend the itinerary to include elephant trekking, hiking and mountain biking to give you a more succinct insight into this fascinating part of Laos, Indochina and Southeast Asia.

Pakse makes for an ideal base camp to explore Southern Laos and you can get there by air or take the slow road overland from Thailand, a journey that, with a little more time, would appeal to the more adventurous, putting you well off the beaten track in Thailand as well.

Bolaven Plateau Hill Tribes and Ethnic Minorities

Steeped in history, the Bolaven Plateau is home to several hill tribes and ethnic minorities of which the Laven predominate who give the plateau its name. Also residing among the heights are several Mon-Khmer ethnic groups such as the Alak, Katu, Taoy, and Suay Tribes.

The Bolaven Plateau through Time

The Bolaven Plateau of today has been greatly influenced through time, especially during the French Indochina era and the Vietnam War. The French introduced completely new agricultural techniques to the plateau transforming it from subsistence farming to commercial production, most notably where tea and coffee are concerned.

The colonialists of French Indochina also experimented with rubber, fruit, vegetables and other cash crops which continue to be grown among the cool climes of the Bolaven Plateau, a now firmly established agricultural area.

Then came the Vietnam War, a war that few people associate Laos. In fact Laos was heavily embroiled in the Vietnam War, much of the activity unpublicised and secret. The Vietnam War has given Laos the very dubious accolade of being the most bombed country ever in history with B52 bombing raids delivering 2,093,100 tonnes of ordinance, much of it still unexploded, on the country.

The Bolaven Plateau is dissected by the Ho Chi Minh Trail and was considered vitally strategic to both the Americans and the North Vietnamese. Consequently more bombs fell on the plateau than anywhere else in Laos and sadly their legacy remains today in the form of amputees and the continued threat of unexploded ordinance despite efforts to clear the menace.

Tea or Coffee?

A croissant without coffee is an absurd notion and in the colonial French Indochina era the good people of France took measures to ensure that their little creature comforts such as baguettes, croissants and coffee were in plentiful supply and one of the quirks of Laos travel is that these basic French necessities remain in plentiful supply well beyond the tourist hot spots.

With its cool temperatures and high rainfall, the Bolaven Plateau provides the ideal environment for coffee and tea production. French colonials introduced both Robusta and the far superior Arabica strains of coffee bean which despite falling into neglect during the Vietnam War, continue to grow today.

In fact the plateau has a reputation for producing some of the best quality coffee in the world and on this brief day tour visits are made to both tea and coffee plantations on the Bolaven Plateau.

Adventure Tour Highlights

The Bolaven Plateau is especially known for the beauty of its natural scenery, the waterfalls, the hill tribes and the tea and coffee plantations that were established during the era of French Indochina. During this 1-Day snapshot of the Plateau you have the opportunity to experience, albeit briefly, each of the Plateau’s highlights in turn whilst also meeting some of the hill tribes people in their villages.

• Phaseum Resort
• Tribal Villages Museum
• Lunch at Tadlo Eco Lodge
• Tad Fane Waterfalls
• Xeset waterfall
• Visits to Alack and Nge Hill Tribe Villages
• Tea and Coffee Plantation Tours

Destinations

• Pakse
• Boloven Plateau
• Paksong
• Tad Fane Waterfalls

Request the 1 Day Bolaven Plateau Tour in Southern Laos