The far south - The Rough Guide to Laos - page 371

Tad Lo
Around 90km northeast of Pakse and 30km southwest of Salavan
In the past few years the area around Tad Lo , a 10m-high waterfall on the banks of the Xe
Set, has been attracting a growing stream of backpackers. The cheap guesthouses and restaur-
ants in the village just downstream of the main waterfall (there are three along this section
of the river) provide everything visitors need for a few days' relaxation. In the hot season,
the pools surrounding TadHang , the falls closest to the guesthouses, are a refreshing escape
from the heat. Large boulders in the river shade a few surprisingly deep swimming holes and
are perfect spots for lounging in the sun. For a long, scenic walk that takes in all three falls,
follow the well-marked trail that runs around the back of Tad Lo Lodge . The tourist office
on the road to the falls can hook you up with a guide for this walk if you'd prefer not to do
it alone. If you do decide to swim, take care and be sure to clear the water before darkness,
when the floodgates of a dam upstream sometimes unleash a torrent of water without warn-
ing.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: TAD LO
By bus and tuk-tuk The road between Pakse and Salavan is now almost completely sealed,
making journeys a lot quicker than they used to be. The turn-off for Tad Lo is 88km northeast
of Pakse, just beyond the village of Lao Ngam. Buses will drop you at the turn-off, where
a market, general stores and an ATM crowd the mouth of the 1.5km road that leads to Tad
Hang, the lower falls, which can be reached by tuk-tuk (10,000K/person). When it comes to
leaving Tad Lo, guesthouses near the falls will take you back to the highway for 10,000K,
where you can pick up a morning bus to Salavan or Pakse.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Café Em Next door to the tourist office on the road to the falls 020 5633 4637,
[e-mail] . Wonderful little outdoor coffee shop using organic, freshly roasted Arab-
ica beans from the Bolaven Plateau. The breakfast, with Austrian-style coffee and honey-
smothered pancakes (25,000K), is a great way to start the day. Daily 6am-7pm.
PalameiGuesthouse At the T-junction in the middle of the village, just east of the tourist
office 030 962 0192. The superb-value rooms at this family-run garden guesthouse are
very clean and well looked after. Cheaper rooms share a bathroom, while more expensive
ones (60,000K) have en-suite facilities. If you want the chance to chat with locals, join the
family for dinner (they charge 30,000K/person, and you can help with the cooking if you
prefer).
Sabai Sabai Just west of the tourist office 020 9858 9266. Bamboo-built, backpacker-
friendly guesthouse, which has some of the cheapest - and simplest - dorm beds we've
seen in Laos. Downstairs there's a restaurant serving cheap food (grilled chicken and chips