Laos additions forum

Hi,

It's a great idea, but neither Sekong nor anywhere on the Bolaven Plateua is at all geared to travellers wanting to do something like this independently.

If you mean a trek style trip with overnight stops in villages like the kind of thing people can easily do in northern Thailand, then it's going to be quite a bit more challenging in this area.

I'd suggest contacting some of the guesthouses in the area and seeing what kind of response you get -- Kingfisher Ecoodge in Baan Khiet Ngong springs to mind as a good spot to bounce your questions off.

There's a number of challenges you'll face, mainly that you may not be allowed to stay in many villages by the authorities, so you'd definitely need a guide to smooth things over. Food also will be an issue, as most villages will have little in the way of shops, so you'd be buying direct off the villagers.

Less of an issue, but still an issue, is that landmines remain an issue in some of the wilder parts of southern Laos -- so again this reinforces the need for a guide.

Generally speaking, Sekong and Salavan get very, very few independent travellers, so you're best to set it up in a more popular spot - eg Tad Lo, Pakse, or, at a stretch Attapeu.

Another idea, would be to go down to Chamapasak and across to Don Deng - it is possible to do a homestay there, and perhaps from there you'd be able to organise something further into the hinterland.

Hope that helps -- and please report back on how you go -- it would be a very interesting trip.

when are you planning on going? i'm looking into doing the same thing

the original post was in 2007, so i imagine if the OP was going to do it, he'd have done so by now. i suspect it might be a bit easier for the more recent poster going now than it would have been in 2007, but still a challenge. also, the language barrier will be real, but perhaps not impossible. you can use something as simple as a guide book with a language section in the back and point to the words you need (hotel, restaurant, etc. - if there are any), or maps, to help get directions (although map reading skills aren't universal in that part of the world). beer lao is the same in both languages, so at least you are covered there...

Having made my post above, I do have to disagree a little bit with MM on the NEED to know the language. It's possible to get by around the Plateau (and elsewhere) without it. I came to grief in the middle of nowhere on a motorbike last year. First I needed directions, then later needed to get some repairs done on the motorbike. I was able to convey to the friendly old man the problem with my bike, he managed to convey a cost to repair it and toodled off to get parts for me while I amused the other family members. Bike was fixed (for a measly $3), man was paid - and we all had left with lots of smiles. Yes, it would be been easier/better if I could have actually conversed (I didn't think to learn the words for 'broken motorbike') but we all survived quite happily.

Language helps, but it's not the be all and end all of a successful journey. Attitude is far more important!