During a bike ride around the tribal villages of Luang Nam Tha in north west Laos, the oldest looking tractor I’ve ever seen came past us chugging out diesel fumes and carrying this guy home in style!
It’s obviously hard work chopping down trees all day!
![[VIDEO] Don Khong, Laos: Sunset Time-lapse](https://aminearlythereyet.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/main.jpg)
Taken during our visit to peaceful Don Khong in the 4000 Island chain in southern Laos. This is my first proper attempt at a time-lapse sequence! I set up the camera, pointed it at the setting sun and sat back and watched the spectacle! It’s quite short, but beautiful nevertheless!
Enjoy 🙂
This was taken during a bike ride around Luang Namtha in North Laos. The sun was coming down as we were exploring this nearby beautiful village.
Mountains backdrops, wooden shacks and rice paddies all contribute to the rural life scene of Laos.
When we first passed through Pakse in 2011 we didn’t give the town a chance as we were part of the crowd just stopping through on the way to Vientiane.
On our return to Paske in 2013, we spent a lot longer here planning various motorbike adventures around the Bolaven Plateau visiting waterfalls at Tat Lo and exploring Bolaven Plateau coffee plantation tours! We decided to give Pakse more of a chance and explore what’s on offer.
Pakse is southern Laos‘s largest town and major jump off point to the 4000 Islands and Cambodia and Thailand‘s Chong Mek border crossing.
Pakse is a lovely little place which deserves more credit than it’s given. I say little, but it’s Laos second most populated town! But as the same as the rest of Laos – Life moves slowly at its own pace.
The main tourist area in Pakse is located at the west of town near the mouth of the Mekong River, with most of the cafes, restaurants and hotels situated around the main road.
View Pakse Mini Guide in a larger map
This map shows all the cafes and restaurants mentioned below and some points of interest!
Run by a flamboyant Thai woman and her falang husband, the Bolaven Cafe really has the whole western friendly cafe culture vibe nailed. Fresh airy decor, huge mug sized Americanos and lightning quick Wi-Fi and charge points.
They have loads of cakes and other goodies on offer too! All the coffee sold here comes from their own fair-trade plantation up on the Bolavan Plateau.
A little walk out of the main tourist area, Delta Coffee seems to cater more to the local Lao crowd. This isn’t a bad thing! The Wi-Fi wasn’t as good, and we couldn’t see charge points – But the coffee was excellent. Try the iced latte!
We were regulars at Cafe Sinouk in Vientiane so were glad to see another branch down in Pakse! Priced a bit higher than the other branches in town, it makes up for it with fresh cakes and treats, fast Wi-Fi and French colonial charm. The iced mocha was amazing!
It’s all in the name. Pizzas! Plus pasta, chips and other western treats. And Pakse’s BEST tasting shakes! The service can be a bit off, but I don’t think it’s intentional. Pizza Boy is still our favourite restaurant in Pakse, with great Wi-Fi, charge points and the fluffiest, most ridiculous dog of all time called ‘Jif’.
Typical Indian cuisine, makes a change from Laap and Pho if you want a change. The jolly fat Indian man knocks up amazing vegan banana filled rotis. Worth a visit for this alone!
Hidden down a quiet lane off the main street, Champady is lovely find. Always quiet and run by very friendly staff, they whipped up a great pad Thai and an amazing passion fruit and strawberry shakes. Wi-Fi and quality Bolaven coffee seal the deal!
I hope you enjoy Pakse as much as well did! We’d love to know your favourite coffee shops and restaurants in Pakse!