Laos Itinerary Advice

Hi there,

You haven’t shared what usually draws you to a trip, how long you’re planning to stay, or anything else. In short, you’re asking for the 200 or 300 pages of a guidebook to be broken down for you so you can pick and choose—is that it?

Hi there, I’m leaving for about 15 days. I plan to arrive from Thailand via Paksé and head back through the north. I love traveling off the beaten path, connecting with locals, and avoiding mass tourism. Thanks

I plan to arrive from Thailand via Pakse and leave through the north. I love traveling off the beaten path, with local people and no mass tourism.

Hello,

In Pakse, there isn’t much to do besides visiting the giant Golden Buddha statue at the top of the hill on the other side of the Mekong. From Pakse, head to the Bolaven Plateau. You can either rent a scooter and do the Bolaven Loop (140 or 170 km). (There’s a risk of punctures—I saw two...) Or take the bus, in which case go first to Tad Fan by bus. (Tad Fan Guesthouse is right in front of two stunning waterfalls.) There are plenty of hikes in the area, leading to 3 or 4 other beautiful waterfalls. There’s a zipline over the canyon if you like thrills. (It’s right in front of the guesthouse.) Then head to Tad Lo. There are also great hikes here to lesser-visited villages, elephant swimming spots, etc. At Somphone’s: Visit a coffee and cocoa plantation. Jungle hikes to waterfalls. A guide is possible (recommended): Stay at Somphone’s (Somphone Homestay).

A few ideas: https://www.tourdumondiste.com/ou-loger-boucle-des-bolovens-laos https://worldsways.org/website/conseils-de-voyageur/guide-tad-lo-et-environs/

Also check out page 2 of Montagnard74’s travel journal (very well done) for the Bolaven Plateau and further north. https://voyageforum.com/forum/mois-laos-cambodge-d10564571-2/ Hurry up and go—it won’t stay off the beaten path for much longer! 😉 More to come based on your questions.

Hi there, I’m leaving for about 15 days. I plan to arrive from Thailand via Pakse and leave through the north. I love traveling off the beaten path, with locals, no mass tourism. Thanks

15 days to travel from south to north won’t be enough—you’d need at least a month without dawdling. I’d focus this trip on the north (without being able to see everything) or the south, but not both.

I think it’d help if you clarified what you mean by "off the beaten path," since the phrase doesn’t always mean the same thing to everyone. The criteria "with locals, no mass tourism" aren’t quite enough. Sorry to be a pain, but it’ll help everyone give you more targeted advice.

Also check out page 2 of Montagnard74’s travel journal (really well done) for the Bolaven Plateau and further north. https://voyageforum.com/forum/mois-laos-cambodge-.

Thanks Jean-Michel for the reference, that’s really kind of you!

Not far from Pakse, in Champassak, don’t miss Wat Phou—you can visit it in a day by scooter. Somphone Guesthouse was my Laotian crush! !

Hi, I didn’t mention anything south of Pakse since she plans to head north from Pakse and there’s still plenty to visit over 15 days! It’s true that from Pakse, you can visit Wat Phou in half a day—we biked there. My advice would be not to go further north than Luang Prabang, even if it means flying back to Bangkok from Luang Prabang. That’s what I did when returning from northern Laos.

Hi there, I notice a contradiction—you want to avoid mass tourism and prefer off-the-beaten-path travel. Yet 95% of travel agencies offer "off-the-beaten-path" tours, and as a result, you’ll find most mass tourism on those very paths. Indeed, during this period, there are lots of festivals, so crowds and tourism are everywhere except in the remote northern villages. (Festival of Lights, Rocket Festivals, Boat Races, etc.) Have a great trip!

Hey there, Mass tourism has really boomed in recent years, but just four or five years ago, you’d only come across travelers (mostly on motorbikes) on the Bolaven Plateau—not that many, and even fewer when hiking toward remote villages north of Tad Lo, for example. Up in the far north of the country, around Phongsaly, I didn’t run into many foreigners at all.

Hi Jean Michel, Yes, the Bolaven Plateau was quiet until the "loop" trend hit. There used to be two: the very popular one from Thakhek and the less popular Bolaven loop. These days, phew, the big trend is the northeast of Vietnam starting from Ha Giang. It’s become a real motorbike highway. To each their own taste.

Yes, Tad Fan, Tad Lo, etc., and the northern region of the plateau or toward the town of Attapeu were rarely visited.

The far north, once you pass the Chinese dams on the Nam Ou, you’re right—it’s much less visited, as are Muang Sing, Louang Namtha, etc.

Laos is such a captivating country.

or towards the town of Attapeu were rarely visited,

During this trip, we entered Laos from Vietnam, going from Kon Tum to Attapeu. I don’t remember seeing many tourists along this route.

Hi there, do you know the dates for these festivals? And in which cities they take place? Thanks

Hi Nicole, For November 2025, I found some info on these sites: https://www.laos-roads.fr/infos/festivals-au-laos/ https://www.paradisvoyage.fr/blog/that-luang-festival-laos https://www.luangprabang-laos.com/Jour-de-pleine-lune https://www.comptoirdesvoyages.fr/guide/laos/quand-partir-au-laos/les-jours-feries-au-laos/3199

The full moon day often means celebrations in villages, especially along rivers and streams. Some festivals depend on the lunar calendar, so they change every year and aren’t always listed on websites. You’ll discover them once you’re there. Have a great trip! Eric

November 5, 2025: Taking place in Vientiane at That Luang, the most revered stupa in Laos, it’s both a religious festival and a big week-long fair.

Hi Jean-Michel, Thanks for your insight. Which part of the Bolaven Plateau do you recommend to avoid the crowds? How about stopping for one night in Tad Lo—what do you think? Thanks for your feedback.

Hi there, Jean-Michel will probably reply to you. If he reads the message you sent to Hénon21 instead of Djalma!! Eric

When I went there in February 2018, I didn’t see any crowds! There were very few tourists. Tad Fane and Tad Lo are just small villages—there are others if you do the full Bolaven loop, but they’re sometimes more remote. You won’t linger there unless you’re into long jungle treks. Personally, I’d recommend taking the buses over renting a motorbike. You can stay in the two villages mentioned, and there are plenty of walks to do in the area without needing motorized transport.

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. It's all very clear.