Khong Mountain & Ban Mai Singsamphan

Itinerary

Day 1:

Depart Pakse by local transport and travel north to a pier for the 1.5-hour boat ride on the Mekong River to a secluded area inside the Phou Xieng Thong National Protected Area that is accessible only by boat.

Arrive at Ban Mai Singsamphan village in the afternoon. This Lao Loum trading and fishing village is a favorite among Thai tourists, who visit on weekends to purchase local Lao products.

Walk around the village, visit the nearby forest, or relax on the banks of the Mekong River. Watch the sunset from this peaceful, remote location and enjoy a meal of fresh Mekong fish prepared by the villagers. Spend the night with a home stay family.

Day 2: Kong Mountain

After waking early for breakfast, begin a full day of hiking up Khong Mountain (5-6 hours) with local

guides.

Explore the mountain’s rich flora and landscape, including orchids, wild mushrooms, unique rock outcroppings and dense forests, and visit the archeological remains of a an ancient Khmer civilization, before reaching sweeping views of the Lao-Thai border area.

Enjoy a local style picnic on the trail, before returning to the village in the afternoon. Then take a boat down the Mekong River and local transport back to Pakse, arriving in late afternoon.

For more details download a brochure here: Khong Mountain Brochure.

Optional Day 3: Don Kho Island
Instead of returning to Pakse on Day 2, continue two hours down the Mekong to Don Kho Island, the original location of the French Colonial Administration in Champasak. Stay overnight with local families, and on Day 3, tour the island and relax on its beaches before returning to Pakse in afternoon by local transportation.

Booking

  • Tours to Khong Mountain can be made through Green Discovery Laos.
  • Or, contact the Provincial Tourism Information Office at (+856-31-212-021) for local guides and transport.
  • Or, go directly to Ban Mai Singsamphan Village and arrange for a village guide for a trek. (Village guides do not speak English

Getting There

To Ban Mai Singsamphan: Hiire a private tuk tuk to the boat landing at Ban Boungkha, located approximately 34 km north of Pakse, from where you can get a boat north to Ban Mai Singsamphan.

There is also a public truck (cheap option) that leaves from the night bus terminal at the new market in the center of Pakse to Ban Boungkha everyday at about 10:00 am.

To return to Pakse, villagers at Ban Mai Singsamphan can direct you to Ban Boungkha, Ban Nakeo, or Don Kho Island. Public trucks leave from Ban Boungkha and Ban Nakeo to Pakse once per day at 6:00 am. To catch this bus, visitors must have Ban Mai Singsamphan villagers take you very early in the morning. Those riding the boat to Don Kho Island can return to Pakse by tuk tuk any time of day.

Accommodation & Food

  • Family homestay. Bathroom facilities available at each homestay home.
  • Local Lao cuisine. Typical meal includes fish, soup, sticky rice, vegetables and chili paste.
  • “Phu” (traditional Vietnamese noodle soup), soft drinks and other snacks are available.
  • Vegetarian food is available on request. 

Level of Difficulty & Safety

Moderate-Easy: The hike to Pu Kong is moderately difficult. River trip to and from the
village is easy and safe.

What to Bring

One change of clothes, sandals for village, good shoes for hiking, sarong for bathing (required for women), mosquito repellent, flashlight, sunscreen/hat, camera, money to purchase handicrafts; life jackets for those who cannot swim in case of emergency.

Includes

Local meals, water, homestay accommodation, boat transport to/from village, local guide(s), permits for Pu Kong. Does not include transport to/from Pakse and the boat pier.