SKIP
- highlights
- Fast Facts
- Travel essentials
- The top things to do
- Tips for visiting
- How to get to KhonePhapheng Falls?
If you want to see themlargest waterfall in the worldby volume and width, it is in southern Laos where the mighty Mekong River plunges into a pool in cataracts. It has several names such as KhonePhapheng in Lao and Khone Falls, and in French it is called Chutes De Khone.
This waterfall may have made Laotian Mekong Basin civilization distinctive, for although it was very useful for the indigenous people to float around Laos on its broad, calm face, it kept travel, trade and naval invasions at bay from the sea.
Most people never see it. It's out of the way of most tourist trips. There are no big cities or airports in the immediate vicinity, and the transport infrastructure there is primitive. So it's a good idea to arrange a private driver to take you there, drive around and bring you back to the food and hotel. Here you will find important information about the waterfall, activities around it and prices for admission and transport.
Highlights of KhonePhapheng Falls
A huge amount of white water:hear it roar! Many rivers have a larger volume of water. However, these rivers do not have large falls like this one.
Good for:People who love natural places, waterfalls and majestic landscapes
Not too touristy:The whole area is off the beaten track in far south Laos, where it's quieter, sleepy and lazy. The island towns are good for relaxing, and you'll find plenty of foreigners just doing that. The main international travelers are Thais, Vietnamese and Westerners. There are no large Chinese and Korean tour groups like in the north.
Many other activities nearby:It is in the Champasak province which is rich in activities without the crowds. You can find amazing places like 4,000 islets and the waterfall. You can kayak the wide Mekong, stay and eat in laid-back native towns, cruise to other waterfalls and kayak out to see dolphins!
Recommended itinerary
28 Days Great Indochina Tour Myanmar - Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia - Thailand
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| Family trip to Thailand So, many thanks to Asia Highlights, Cathy, Tip and the tour guides Tanny, Sam and Lisa. It was an unforgettable holiday and we will be back. Roger Pyle, February 2023
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KhonePhapheng Falls Fast Facts
- Height, width and volume:The main drop is 14 meters (45 feet), and the Cataracts Staircase has a total drop of 22 meters.
- Broad:It is almost11 kilometers wide.However, at one point you will only see a small portion of the falls.
- Volume:The flow is 9,500,000 liters (2,500,000 gallons) per second. That's almost twice the volume of Niagara Falls.
- Suitable for:nature lover and photography
KhonePhapheng Travel Essentials
- Best time to visit: The dry season lasts from around November to April when there is no monsoon season. However, during the monsoon season, the water is deeper and more impressive.
- Opening hours: approx. 8.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. daily. For best lighting, 8:00 a.m. Crowds arrive at 11:00 a.m.
- Recommended Visiting Time:You can spend an exhilarating hour hiking to the waterfall and back.
- Time for a walk next to the waterfall:From the gate you can walk 10 minutes to the waterfall. A golf cart for the 200 meter distance costs an additional 11,000 kip.
- Tickets:A VIP ticket including a carriage ride costs 55,000 kip (approx. 7.00 USD). There is an entrance fee of 44,000 kip to just walk 10 minutes to the falls.
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The top things to do
Photo:At the waterfall you can take really scenic, epic shots. For the best lighting, arrive around 8:00 AM.
Kayaking on the Mekong to the falls:Kayaks and guided kayak tours are available. From Don Det, for example, take a kayak with a guide for a fee of around 200,000 kip, or $25. There are rapids along the way and they know how to handle them. It is a good day trip with lunch and you will arrive in the afternoon. You can go further to try to find dolphins.
Tips for visiting KhonePhapheng Waterfall
Here are some tips to help you have a great time.
Crime safety tips
Take care of your money and valuables:We recommend bringing just a bit of cash with you. Watch your phone and valuables.
Avoid shipping fraud:Sometimes there are scams related to transportation or equipment rental. Do not leave your passport anywhere as a deposit unless absolutely necessary.
Local Etiquette
Laotians dress conservatively and are embarrassed or offended when men and women show too much skin. Wear tops at the falls.
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How to get to KhonePhapheng Falls?
local travel
You can choose the option that works best for you and the time you want to spend. Discuss in detail with your driver how long he will wait for you. If possible, pay at the end of the trip rather than in advance.
Go through people with good reputations:To avoid problems, we suggest your hotel or hostel arrange a ride with a reputable person to avoid problems like driving away or driver overloading. If you choose your own ride, try to get on with a group of other tourists. We do not recommend traveling alone in a vehicle or with a motorcyclist for out of town tours.
- Round trip by Tuk Tuk (Songthaew, Pickup):ca. 60,000 Kip (approx. 7.00 USD).
- Take a tour:There are numerous small tourism companies and tour guides/drivers offering their services. Most will try to limit the time for your trip and limit what you can do, and you may have to go with other customers. Some might surprise you with additional fees or issues.
- Private tours:Asia Highlights is a good choice for those who want to arrange a tour with convenient and fast transportation with an experienced English speaking tour guide. You can travel in cool comfort, set the itinerary, and have the time and flexibility to go where you want, allowing you to visit multiple sites in a day. Check out the options below. You set the agenda.
Air-conditioned car:The climate is very hot and humid. Temperatures often rise above 35°C or 100°F. We ensure comfortable and cool transportation.
Consider a private driver versus flight and public transport
Since the nearest airport, Pakse Airport (PKZ), is three and a half hours from the waterfall, it makes sense to travel by road from many far-flung places, maybe even Vang Vieng. Here are some examples.
- From Siem Reap, Cambodia:In the best case, a trip to the falls using a combination of public transport and a flight from Siem Reap to Pakse Airport can take 6 hours in total, including 1 hour for the flight in the best case, if there are no flight delays. The total cost can be as high as $600. However, a private driver like ours can get you there directly in about 10 hours including stops.
- From Danang:The ride with our private driver could take around 10 hours including a meal break, but the ride on public transport and a flight would take about the same time or more if things go well and it would probably cost more than $300 USD. The reason is that you would have to change trains in Ho Chi Minh City.
- From Vang Vieng, Laos:The popular northern Laotian tourist city is far from the nearest airport. For example, if you go to Vientiane Airport in four and a half hours by public transport, take a flight to Pakse and continue by public transport. The total trip would take 11 hours at best, at a cost of approximately $300. If driving direct, a private driver can take 15 hours including meal stops.
If you take a bus from Vang Vieng to Don Det, it takes 48 hours. Then it's on to the waterfalls. We can turn this otherwise arduous and long journey into a 2 or 3 day scenic road tour with stops at highlights along the way and relaxing accommodation. Having a personal driver and an experienced tour guide is a great advantage.
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Visit KhonePhapheng with us
Traveling with us is an excellent way to explore the entire region as the airport is 3½ hours from the waterfall. The Mekong and the many islands make traveling more time-consuming and complicated. So you might as well go all the way by road vehicle from numerous locations in central and northern Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
We can turn your waterfall excursion into a great inland tour with stops, meals, accommodation and things to do along the way as you wish. It's safer than public travel and more enjoyable. Contact us and we will provide you with expert advice to help you design your own tour. We are a large regional tour company with experience in South East Asia and can arrange a multi-country trip that is an enjoyable adventure.