Day 121 – Tad Lo, Laos – 8:53 P

I arrived in Pakse, Laos on Wednesday afternoon after leaving Don Det, a popular destination in the island chain known as Four Thousand Islands. I departed the bus depot and walked towards the city center in search of an accommodation. I turned down two available rooms before strolling into Cheap Cheap Guesthouse. I conveyed to the manager that I wanted to stay one night. He pointed to a laminated card listing prices and rooms. A single room with a queen bed was 90,000 Laotian Kip or nearly $11 USD. Compared to other accommodations, the price for a room at Cheap Cheap Guesthouse is in stark contrast to the name of the establishment. But, the room was clean, the water hot and the sheets washed. I pulled out my wallet and handed over 90,000 Kip.

Prior to arriving in Pakse, I spoke with a number of backpackers who traveled through the city in the past. The majority raved about a motorbike loop that begins and ends in the area. The route is dotted with a number of waterfalls and the roads are mostly sealed as opposed to many thoroughfares in Laos. I looked forward to stepping back on a bike and cruising out of Pakse with the wind in my face. I sat on my bed in room 24, logged onto the Internet and researched the Pakse motorbike loop. I stumbled upon a blog post written in 2015 by a traveler who completed the loop and described his ride. It turns out there is a small two-day route and a larger four-day itinerary. The aforementioned blogger completed both loops. He admitted that although the four-day loop will provide more scenery, the two-day loop delivers its fair share of beautiful landscapes. The author rented his motorbike from Miss Noy, a popular motorbike rental and Internet café establishment in Pakse.

On Thursday afternoon I strolled into Miss Noy’s and a tall, Belgian fellow stood up from behind a desk and asked if he could be of assistance. I informed him I was interested in the Pakse motorbike loop. He pulled a detailed map off the desk and handed it to me. Over inlays of each loop, there were written names of guesthouses, distances, locations of ATMS and gas stations. An “asterisk” signified a point of interest and a number of them dotted the loop. He told me to return at 6 PM for an in-depth briefing on each loop and a complete description of the information written on the map. I departed and completed the five-minute walk back to Cheap Cheap Guesthouse. Once again I pulled out my computer and researched both loops. I settled on the concrete decision to embark the following morning on the two-day loop. After an early dinner at a local Laotian/Thai restaurant, I returned to Miss Noy’s for the briefing. I sat at a nearby picnic table until other riders appeared. A Dutchman sat down next to me and introduced himself as Robin. He recognized me from Don Det and we chatted about our time there. He asked if I would be interested in completing the loop together and I nodded in agreement. We decided it safer to ride as a duo rather than solo. The tall Belgian appeared, maps in hand, and invited the group to gather around a nearby wooden desk.

He passed around maps and distributed pens to those unprepared; like myself. He explained that the loops navigate through the Bolavean Plateau, an area of Champasak Province in southern Laos.   For the next ninety minutes, he broke down each loop. I documented his suggestions on places to stay for the night and there prices. He went over the numerous waterfalls that dot the route. He explained their sizes, which offered spots to swim and hazards to avoid at a few. Also popular along each route are large coffee plantations and there respective factories. We jotted down tour times and English-speaking individuals to locate at each. After the briefing concluded, each person surrendered their passport for collateral and in turn reserved a bike for the following day. I chatted with Robin for a bit after and we decided to leave Pakse at 8 AM the next morning. I returned to my accommodation and prepared my bags for departure. The tall Belgian suggested we prepare a small daypack and leave our remaining luggage in his shop. He warned us that weather tends to vary greatly on the Bolavean Plateau; rain and cold weather was possible. I packed my rain jacket, a ¼ zip fleece in addition to an extra pair of shorts, t-shirt, swim trunks and camera. I finished my bags and switched off the lights.

Luckily, I prepared my belongings the night before as I woke an hour later than intended. I leapt from my bed and jumped into shorts and a t-shirt. I brushed my teeth and stored my toothbrush and toothpaste in my pack. I zipped up and locked my large bag that would remain stored throughout the ride. I stepped into my shoes, picked up both bags and departed Cheap Cheap. After a quick detour to a nearby ATM I continued to Miss Noy. I walked inside the shop and placed my large pack onto a shelf in a backroom. I returned to the sidewalk to wait for Robin’s arrival. He appeared minutes later and stored his backpack as well. We signed the necessary paperwork and retrieved keys to our bikes. We strapped on our helmets, started the engines and pulled away from the curb into morning traffic. We maneuvered the relatively quiet streets of Pakse for ten minutes or so before turning into a gas station to fill our fuel tanks. It was not long until we were on the road again with our destination of Tad Lo only 43 miles away. We had until sundown to reach our destination and were in no hurry. We motored along taking in the scenery that surrounded us and felt fresh air on our faces.

After a thirty-minute respite for breakfast at a roadside eatery, we motored to Tad Pasuam, a waterfall 21 miles to the north. The sun was rising higher and higher in the sky and temperatures followed suit. We passed locals walking to nearby fields, children cycling to school and large trucks hauling unknown goods to foreign locations. We continued on and reached the turnoff for Tad Pasuam shortly before 11 AM. We parked our bikes and paid the entrance and parking fee. We walked to the beginning of a nearby rickety, bamboo bridge and nervously peered at the bridge and then at each other. We continued across and luckily reached the other side without falling into the water below. I pulled out my camera and took a couple photographs before purchasing an ice cream from a nearby stand. Locals smiled as I took a bite and turned around to explore the general area. While not very high, there was still a considerable amount of water cascading down from the upper level into the runoff below. Fish gathered in the quiet sections waiting to feed off anything that floated or swam in their direction. We relaxed a bit longer before firing up our bikes and proceeding in a northerly direction.

We continued on, passing through small villages leaving locals in awe at the westerners on motorbikes breaking up their daily routine. As quickly as we arrived, we exited and proceeded to the following village. One after the next, small villages appeared ahead of us and then quickly became images in our side mirrors as they faded into the distance. With each passing village and mile, the distance between ourselves and Tad Lo decreased. At the very last second, I caught sight of the sign instructing us to turn right into Tad Lo. We quickly veered right and onto a dirt road littered with potholes. Minutes later we came upon the center of Tad Lo and numerous guesthouses that have sprung up in recent years. We settled on a room with two beds for 45,000 Kip per person, the equivalent of $5.47 USD. It included hot water, air conditioning and a balcony that overlooked a serene lake abutted by straw bungalows. We threw down our bags and descended to the attached restaurant to order lunch. I ordered a large bowl of steamed rice with pork and relaxed in the shade of the awning. Large portions of food arrived shortly there after and we cleaned our plates in no time.

After two hours of relaxing and motorbiking around the local area, Robin and I walked to the lower section of the Tad Lo waterfall to experience the daily elephant bathings. Each afternoon around 4:30 PM, two elephants wade into the calm waters at the base of Tad Lo to rinse off before returning to their paddock for the night. When we arrived, I saw a massive grey, elephant standing at the edge of the water. A large chain was wrapped around one foot with the loose end staked to the ground. This chain was to keep the graceful creature from stampeding onlookers but it was odd to see it wrapped around its foot. I stepped closer and raised my camera. The elephant noticed my close proximity and swung its large snout in my direction. I quickly stepped to the side and managed to capture some unique photographs. In the distance, travelers and locals took turns jumping off a large boulder into the waters below.

An elephant handler arrived a short while later and climbed onto the back of the animal. With no hooks or prods, the handler steered the elephant into the water. Cameras were raised and several people snapped off photographs. For the next twenty minutes, the handler performed an array of acrobatic-like movements on the elephants back. He stood up and the elephant slowly sank into the water. As the handler walked towards the beast’s head, the elephant dropped its head into the water. It reappeared seconds later followed by a stream of water shot from its nose onto its head and back.   A second elephant appeared and the same ritual was performed in a different section of the water. Onlookers stood in awe as each graceful animal was cleaned and then lumbered across to the other side of the river and retired for the night. Robin and I climbed onto the rock formation that others launched off earlier in the afternoon. I removed my shirt and jumped in soon after. The cool water refreshed my slightly sunburnt skin and immediately washed off the dirt and dust from the road. Day 1 was complete and I pondered the attractions that lined the route on Day 2. Four or five waterfalls awaited our arrival along with a number of coffee plantations. I drifted off to sleep thankful to be on another motorbike journey and looking forward to stepping back onto the bike the following morning.