The far south - The Rough Guide to Laos - page 370

ACCOMMODATION: DONG HUA SAO NBCA
TAD FAN
Tad Fane Resort At the Tad Fan falls 020 5531400. This well-run little resort has a res-
taurant and fourteen nicely built Lao-style rooms near the falls (though there are plans to
build more). They're a touch on t he costly side, but the view from the surrounding gardens is
one of the best in all of Laos. $32
Paksong
Laos's famed coffee capital, PAKSONG , some 60km east of Pakse, was rebuilt after the war
and is finally finding a market for its traditional cash crop. Those searching for some epi-
centre of coffee culture will be disappointed, but arriving on the plateau from the baking low-
lands, especially during the torrid March-May hot season, will make you wonder how a bit
of altitude can turn the cruel midday sun into a shoulder-warming friend.
The temperate weather and amiable locals notwithstanding, Paksong's sights are almost nil.
The town itself is a small collection of mould-blackened concrete shop houses lining wide,
dust-scoured streets, which wouldn't look out of place on the set of a spaghetti Western. A
gatepost at the entrance of the market is possibly the only structure in town to have survived
the war. Beyond it is a depressing block of ramshackle shops and noodle stands. Despite the
bleakness of the town, the surrounding countryside and coffee plantations provide some di-
verting scenery, especially during March and April when the coffee trees are covered with
intoxicatingly fragrant white blossoms.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: PAKSONG
By bus and sawngthaew Buses from Xekong and Attapeu pass through the town, and
sawngthaews arriving and departing from Pakse (20,000K) pull up at the market. Your best
chance of catching one of these is to get to the market first thing, as connections tend to tail
off by early afternoon.
Destinations: Attapeu (2 daily; 5hr); Pakse (3 daily; 1hr); Xekong (2 daily; 5hr).
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Paksong is still starved of good accommodation and, for as long as tour operators in Pakse
continue to run cheap day-trips to the Plateau, that situation looks unlikely to change. For
food, check out the row of restaurants opposite Savanna Guesthouse , which do cheap grilled
food, or the noodle stands at the market.
Savanna Guesthouse About 500m northeast of the market, next door to the Paksong guest-
house 020 579 0613. The best option within easy walking distance of the market, Savanna
has en-suite rooms in a modern, single-storey buildin g. All come with hot water and TV, and
larger rooms are available for 20,000K extra. 80,000K