Sala Champa Hotel - Pakse

Road 10, Pakse. Tel:  031-212273

There are two different styles of rooms at Sala Champa with the difference being the building they're housed in and their size. It's a standard hotel with some boutique aspects such as quirky designer chairs to lounge on and a tasteful paint job on what otherwise would look like a ratty old building. 

It's been done up just enough to clear away that old dumpy feeling and now has a bit of grace about it. The rooms are still simple, with wooden floors, hardly any furniture, old TVs and slightly dark, dank and disappointing bathrooms. In fact, it's the bathrooms that really let this whole place down and they need to give them a good old makeover. A reasonable choice, but not as special as it wants to be.

~Info courtesy of Travelfish~

Fang Sedon Guest House - Pakse

The Fang Sedon Guesthouse in Pakse, Laos is located North of Wat Luang, beside the river. The main reason people come to Fang Sedon Guesthouse is for the cheap fan rooms dotted around the property. The rooms come with cheap beds topped with cheap sheets, cold water bathrooms and bucket-flush Western toilets – nothing else. 

There is an untidy terrace that in days gone by was a dream, but we were underwhelmed at how unkempt it looked. They just need to spend a bit of money on some nice tables and chairs and clean up the river bank below and it would indeed be THE spot for an afternoon beer – at the moment it's not. For 50,000 kip you can't really complain, though and as nearly everyone who stays here is a fellow backpacker, you're likely to meet other like-minded travellers.

~Info courtesy of Travelfish~

Wildlife experience of a lifetime

Wildlife experience of a lifetime

Moments before visitors go down for a good night's sleep in the northern province after an adventurous day of wildlife sightings, the experienced tour-guide tells them, “No need to set your alarms, the birds will chirp and you wake up pleasantly.”


A skilled boatman calmly navigates his vessel in the strong currents.

Relaxed and at ease, the guests head to bed before the heavy rainfall sets in. I momentarily think to myself, ‘there is no way I will hear the birds chirping in this thunderstorm', but the rain has already eased me into a deep and peaceful sleep.

In a dazed state, a sound catches in my ear. A slight buzzing can be heard in my mosquito net. However, it does not bother me as I drift in and out of sleep.

The sound intensifies and jolts me awake. My eyes still blurry, I see a small flying object dart around as I try to shake my sleep off and rub my eyes.

Clawing out of my net, I couldn't believe my eyes. My friend's boot moves in a slow motion. Frightened and in disbelief, I discovered a kaleidoscope of butterflies trapped inside. This was one of my most memorable experiences at the eco-lodge in Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area (NEPL NPA), located along the Nam Nern River in Huaphan province.

The trip is an adventure of exploring wildlife, insects and unique plants, with the Night Safari being a highlight of the experience. The safari was open to the public in 2010 and has been booming ever since.

The untouched nature in this protected area has allowed my friends and I to experience the environment in its most purest form.

Tracking wildlife in the rainy season is possibly the most difficult as you need to rely heavily on your tour-guide's sharp eyesight to witness the animals and insects. The experienced tour-guides running the wildlife tours and treks are experienced hunters, who have turned into rangers and conservers of the abundant forest.

The day before our stay at the eco-lodge, our tour guide took us on a journey along the river, telling us that we were lucky that the water level was not as high, which made our travel faster than usual.

I anticipated the boat trip to take around an hour, however, this was certainly not the case. Upon boarding the boat, we experienced the strongest current I have ever felt. The boat struggled upstream against the current and with one hand clasped firmly on the edge of the boat and one hand secured around my camera, we began our wildlife adventure.

The view of our luscious, green surroundings along with snakes, green lizards and monitor lizards were captivating and made you forget how turbulent the boat was.

The experienced boatmen and guides were able to spot the wildlife from a distance. Their sharp eyes caught the animals even though they were camouflaged.

One tour-guide sat on top of the boat to navigate and make sure that we were on the right track, while the skilled boatmen manoeuvred the boat upstream. I was thoroughly impressed by the skills of the guides as they delivered us to the eco-lodge in a calm and safe manner, regardless of the strong currents and turbulent journey.

Once we reached the eco-lodge, where we stayed overnight, we were given the chance to trek in the forest and see the wildlife, insects and plants close up.

We were able to witness animal tracks leading to an area known as ‘salt lick', where animals are attracted to the minerals found in the ground of the forest. The animals gather to lick the ground for its salty taste.

We desperately wanted to reach the area, even though the track was muddy and leeches were scattered along our path.

Halfway through the trek, we were afraid that we would not be able to make it as the sky was darkening and the heavy clouds were forming. We decided to try our luck and navigate our way to a closer salt lick area.

We were successful in reaching the closer salt lick location and were able to identify a type of fruit the wildlife liked to consume. The guide told us that this was called cardamom.

After our explorations, we headed back to the eco-lodge and as I laid my head down listening to the rain and reminiscing on our adventure, I drifted into the land of dreams waiting for the sound of the birds chirping in the morning.

This trip is one of the most valuable experiences for people who would like to learn about local wildlife and villages in Laos. NEPL-NPA can be reached by local bus or trucks, with the journey taking a few hours from Xieng Khouang province.

~Info courtesy of Vientiane Times~

ຕຸລາ

ຕຸລາ

tu-laa 
October

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