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Don Dhet




























 
 

Don Dhet

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Referred to by some as Khao San Road on the river, if nothing else the scenery here is far better than at KSR. Now well-established on the traveller trail through Laos, the number of rooms on Don Dhet continues to climb steadily. The scenery is indeed very...well...scenic, and the ambience of the place very relaxed, but Laos this is not.

If you're on the way here expecting to experience the local culture, prepare to be very, very disappointed. If on the other hand, all you want to do is relax in a hammock for a week (or a month) meet and talk to travellers and eat traveller food with yet more travellers, then you're in the right place.

Certainly a beautiful area, daily sunsets and sunrises are equally stunning, there's a wealth of activities -- waterfalls, boat trips, cycling trips, hiking, camping and extended hammock laying -- with which you can busy yourself with for days or weeks.

You can easily visit nearby Don Khon by crossing the French Bridge, where there are great waterfalls, rusty trains, and the occasional glimpse of an Irrawady dolphin.

Don Dhet has yet to be hooked up to Laos main electrical grid -- we were told a few years back that it was set to arrive mid 2006, but as of our revisit in December of that year -- not so much. The locals get by running computers and sound systems off car batteries during the day, and the generators kick in at sunset and run until about 23:00. River breezes keep the rooms pretty cool most of the day even without fans, but morning on the sunrise side and afternoons on the sunset side can get pretty toasty.

In anticipation of these changes, a working group has been formed to try to establish a degree of planning into the ongoing development of the island to try to maintain some degree of control over what is happening now and what will happen in the future.


 
















Encouragingly, they are using the example of Vang Vieng as an example of exactly what they do NOT want to happen, so at least they are getting off on the right step. Apparently the main focus in centring around controlling the burgeoning development and establishing a pricing system where the farmers and others who are running these establishments will start to receive a more sustainable level of income from their operations -- yes $1 rooms will not be here forever.

The view is towards shifting the pricing structure from what is not generally $1 a night (although in some cases people are still bargaining their room cost down to zero) to a more sustainable level of $2-3, with a longer term goal of $4-5 a night -- at which time rooms with private bathroom and electricity will be more the norm.

It is the belief that when most places are charging prices at this level, they will be able to earn enough to better maintain their bungalows in a financially independent manner (the roofs and walls may be made of thatch, but they still cost money and still need to be replaced) without needing to go to moneylenders which in many cases is what is happening now. Please consider the long term sustainability of a business when you stand there wearing your $300 backpack bargaining a $1 room to nothing.

The accommodation on Don Dhet runs along three sides of the island, the north-west side (sunset side), the north-east side (sunrise side) and the southeast side (facing Don Khon).

Text and/or map last updated on 10th August, 2009.

More information


Maps
  Don Dhet

Further reading
 » The Gibbon Experience
 » Malaria in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam
 » Exploring Laos' Bolaven Plateau
 » Southern Laos by scooter
 » How do I cross the Cambodia to Laos border?
 » Lonely Planet Laos 6 -- worth every kip

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Don Dhet, 4,000 Islands Don Dhet, 4,000 Islands Sunset over Cambodia, Don Dhet Sunset over Cambodia, Don Dhet Sunset over Cambodia, Don Dhet Monk & longboat on Mekong, 4,000 Islands Restaurant view, Don Dhet Don Dhet, 4,000 Islands Don Dhet, 4,000 Islands Sala Don Khone Guesthouse, Don Khon
Taking a leap on Don Dhet Don Khon kids playing Don Dhet sunset The Don Dhet to Don Khon bridge Don Dhet leap Lolling in the river

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Fresh off our Asia travel forum

Here are some discussions off the Travelfish forum, perhaps related to Don Dhet. You can find the full forum here.

Topic Replies  Views 
To Don Dhet from Siem Reap, how long? 
In Laos: by Indoluso, last reply by Captain_Bob
4 272
Champasak to Don Dhet by Boat 
In Laos: by angfonz, last reply by Tilapia
4 990
Don Dhet transport from Pakse 
In Laos: by bunny81, last reply by bunny81
2 1025
Mr Boun Hom - Don Dhet bungalows 
In Laos: by bunny81, last reply by somtam2000
1 938
Accommodation on Don Dhet 
In Laos: by shelld, last reply by marianwarren
1 1097

Don Dhet reviews

Backchat from the Travelfish community

Don Dhet - overcrowded?
By chaos23 (dabbler - 6 reviews)
Written on 13th June, 2009 after a visit to Don Dhet in November, 2008

I liked being on Don Dhet, although it was the beginning of the high season and many many travellers were there, partying, taking drugs, making friends or just floating in the Mekong on some tubes. It was a very relaxed scene, and you meet people coming from Cambodia or Vietnam or northern Laos. Although there are not so many parts which can be called "beaches" it is fun to stay there and just relax and have a look at the rural life...
  Sights & activities
  History & culture
  Scenery & environment
  Eat & drink
  Traveller's scene
  Romance
  Value for money
  I'll be back (or not)
Also reviewed by chaos23: Champasak, Ko Tao, Luang Prabang, Pakse, Vientiane,

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