Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Wat Phabat Phonsan
80km east of Vientiane, roughly halfway between Vientiane and Paksan ∙ Daily sunrise-sunset ∙ Any public
transport bound for Savannakhet, Thakhek or Paksan will pass by Wat Phabat Phonsan; it's about an hour and a
half's drive from either Vientiane or Paksan
The somewhat isolated monastery of
WatPhabatPhonsan
is best known for its “
Buddha's
footprint
” embellished with paint and gold leaf. In ancient times, the sandstone bluff upon
which the monastery now sits was submerged by the nearby river and, over time, the swirling
currents carved deep bowls into its surface. When the water receded, one of these indenta-
tions looked enough like a footprint for it to become enshrined as one of those left behind by
the historic Buddha during his wanderings through Laos. Never mind that there is no record
of Gautama Buddha ever having got this far east, his footprints have been found all over Laos
wherever there is a population of Buddhists.
There is limited accommodation in the vicinity of Wat Phabat Phonsan, so it's best visited
as a day-trip or en route to or from the south.
Phou Khao Khouay NBCA
90km northeast of Vientiane ∙ Park entrance fee 5000K per person, plus 5000K per vehicle ∙ Travel from Vien-
tiane as part of a tour, or take the bus bound for Thabok from the southern bus station (every 30min; 30min) and
ask to be dropped in Ban Na, where, if you ring ahead, a local guide will meet you
Phou Khao Khouay
is basically to Vientiane what Khao Yai National Park is to Bangkok.
Straddling three different administrative districts and forming the southern edge of the Ang
Nam Ngum Reservoir, the huge NBCA features several large ranges and includes two peaks
of over 1600m, one of which, Phou Xang, at 1666m, towers over the southern end of the
Nam Ngum Lake. There are also several large
waterfalls
, including Tad Xay, Tad Leuk and
Tad Phou Khao Khouay, accessible by road, and a smaller dam and reservoir, Nam Luek
Reservoir, which can be reached by motor vehicle from the east. Highlights include
Asian
elephants
,
tigers
and
gibbons
.
INFORMATION: PHOU KHAO KHOUAY NBCA
Accommodation
There's basic homestay accommodation in Ban Na (to arrange this contact
Mr Bounthanom
)
. It's also possible to camp at the Tad Leuk waterfall within the park, where
tents are available to rent for 40,000K per night.
Tours
Local guide Mr Bounthanom ( 020 2220 8286) is the best person to contact when
organizing a trip. He runs tours to the eleven-metre-high Ban Na observation tower (from
200,000K per person per day), where you can spend the night keeping watch for the wild
elephants that pass by. Vientiane-based tour operator Green Discovery ( 021 264528,
greendiscoverylaos.com
)
also runs one- and two-day trips into the park from the capital, but
unless you club together with other travellers the costs are prohibitively high (a one-day tour
for one person costs more than $240).
