Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Kiatngong and Phou Asa
50km southeast of Pakse ∙ Elephant treks to Phou Asa about $10 ∙ The best way to get here is by your own trans-
port:
travel agents
in Pakse rent out vans and pick-ups, charging around $80 for a full day, including a driver
and petrol, but you may be able to get a better price by chartering a sawngthaew from the New Market
Located approximately 50km southeast of Pakse,
KIATNGONG
is one of several villages in
the area whose inhabitants keep
elephants
. In recent years, it's become possible for tourists
to hire out elephants for treks up nearby
Phou Asa
, a jungle-clad hill with some mysteri-
ous ruins atop its summit. Phou Asa is thought to date back to the nineteenth century, and
the site's layout suggests it was possibly used as a fort, though archeologists admit that the
crudely stacked stone walls and pillars are an enigma. Local villagers, believing the ruins to
be the remains of an ancient Buddhist monastery, periodically make pilgrimages to the site
to leave offerings at a “Buddha's footprint” carved into a low cliff below the ruins. From
the summit, commanding views of the surrounding dense jungle, rice fields and villages lend
credence to the fort hypothesis. The best time to come is at dusk, when spectacular sunsets
can be enjoyed. Some wooden cottages have been built for tour groups that overnight in the
village; if you want to stay here independently, be sure to speak to the
tourist office
in Pakse
first.
THE CHANGING ROLE OF ELEPHANTS
Elephants have traditionally been used by the people of Kiatngong to haul timber and rice.
Villages located far in the interior used to hire Kiatngong's elephants and mahouts to carry
their rice harvest to main roads, where it could be transferred to trucks. Recently, though,
new roads have made this mode of transport all but obsolete and mahouts have begun
selling off their elephants. The last time villagers organized a hunt to round up wild ele-
phants was in 1988, and many are turning to water buffalo as a more practical beast of
burden. A steady stream of potential elephant trekkers, however, will ensure that at least
for the time being, villagers here will continue to keep elephants as their ancestors did for
centuries.
Ban Phapho
20km from Kiatngong ∙ Can be visited in one day together with Kiatngong if you charter a vehicle from Pakse
BanPhapho
, like Kiatngong, has a history of training of elephants for the timber trade. As in
Kiatngong, elephant trekking can be arranged at the village, although Ban Phapho lacks the
picturesque ruins and views that make Kiatngong the more popular destination. It has some
basic accommodation with shared facilities - the tourist office in Pakse should be able to help
you arrange a stay here.
