Must-see attractions in Central Laos

The most impressive, and yet least visited, cave in Khammuan is the amazing Tham Lot Se Bang Fai. Located in Hin Namno NPA, the cave results from the Se…

As you approach Ban Khoun Kham along Rte 8 from Rte 13, there is a sala (open-sided shelter) viewpoint between Km 32 and Km 33. Do not, whatever you do,…

Twenty kilometres east of Sepon, Ban Dong (Dong Village) was on one of the major thoroughfares of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, and was the site of the only Lao…

Dong Natad is a sacred, semi-evergreen forest within a provincial protected area 15km east of Savannakhet. It's home to two villages that have been…

Tham Pha Chan has an entrance 60m high and about 100m wide. A stream runs about 600m through a limestone karst and in the dry season it's possible to walk…

Turning off Rte 12 at Km 14 (before a bridge) you'll come across a sign pointing to this cave. Follow the dirt track south for about 400m near the village…

Named after Wild Elephant Mountain, Phu Xang Hae is a 1060 sq km expanse of protected forest stretching east–west across the remote north of Savannakhet…

About 18km east of Ban Khoun Kham, Tha Bak sits near the confluence of the Nam Kading and Nam Theun. The reason to stop here is to either take photos of…

A mini Tham Kong Lor, the river cave of Tham Pa Seuam runs for 3km, spanning some impressive stalactites and stalagmites. It's conveniently only 15km from…

The Nam Theun 2 Visitors Centre is set in a traditional Luang Prabang–style house, which looks a touch out of place in the middle of nowhere. It has a…

The impressive twin-cataract of Tat Namsanam, 3km north of Ban Khoun Kham (Ban Na Hin), is one of the main local attractions, although in the dry season,…

Built in the 1920s, St Theresa's is a Savannakhet landmark and the largest Catholic church in the city.

Thought to have been built in the mid-16th century, this well-proportioned, 9m-high thâat is the second-holiest religious edifice in southern Laos after…

Nestled amid the limestone karsts of the Phu Hin Bun NPA is Evening Gong Lake. The luminescent green waters spring from a subterranean river that filters…

When Mr Bun Nong used a vine to scramble up a sheer 200m-high cliff in 2004, he discovered a narrow cave mouth and was greeted by 229 bronze Buddha images…

About 6km south of town, this much-venerated temple is considered one of the most important tâht (stupa) in Laos. It was first renovated by King…

The Nam Kading (Kading River) near Paksan is undoubtedly the best way into the wilderness that is Nam Kading NPA, where confirmed animal rarities include…

On the banks of the Se Pon, Sepon Kao was bombed almost into the Stone Age during the war. Although a handful of villagers have since moved back, they…

Wat Rattanalangsi was built in 1951 and houses a monks' primary school. The sĭm (ordination hall) is unique in that it has glass windows (most windows in…

An imposing Vietnamese-built monument to Lao-Vietnamese cooperation during the Indochina wars stands in Muang Phin, 155km east of Savannakhet and 34km…