Don Khon
A Mekong island in Si Phan Don with a quiet village, old French railway remains and riverside paths. Visitors rent bicycles to reach waterfalls and watch river life.
Si Phan Don (4,000 Islands)
Near the Cambodian border lie these Mekong River islands, grouped in a cluster, where large waterfalls and slow island life are the draw.
Attractive locations
Khone Phapheng Falls
Wide, powerful series of cascades on the Mekong near the Cambodian border. Viewing platforms look over the churning water, which is especially forceful during the rainy season.
Don Det
Small island in the Mekong, laid-back and lined with guesthouses and riverside cafes. Visitors walk or cycle its lanes, relax in hammocks and take boat trips to see river dolphins nearby.
Khong Island
The largest island of Si Phan Don, home to the relaxed town of Muang Khong. Visitors cycle around its rice fields and villages and take boats to nearby islands and the Mekong waterfalls.
Airports
Pakse International Airport PKZ
It is about 121 km in a straight line from Si Phan Don (4,000 Islands).
Scams and safe taxis
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan25.6 °C4 mm
- Feb27.6 °C3 mm
- Mar29.8 °C24 mm
- Apr30.8 °C55 mm
- May29.5 °C128 mm
- Jun28.2 °C167 mm
- Jul27.1 °C249 mm
- Aug26.8 °C255 mm
- Sep26.7 °C236 mm
- Oct26.8 °C90 mm
- Nov26.4 °C17 mm
- Dec25.3 °C7 mm
Driest months: Jan, Feb, Dec. Wettest months: Jul, Aug, Sep.
Costs
Prices here are about 22% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Who can help
Emergency
Police 191. Fire 190. Ambulance 195.
local government
Tourism Marketing and Promotion Department (Ministry of Culture and Tourism)
Helps with: Lao government department that runs the tourismlaos.org website. Its contact details are given on the site's Before You Go page for tourism enquiries.
Who qualifies: Anyone travelling in Laos or planning a trip there.
Phone: +856-21-212248
Address: Lane Xang Avenue, Hatsadi Village, Chanthabouly District, Vientiane Capital
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Lao PDR
Helps with: The UN migration agency, working in Laos since 2002. It gives humanitarian help to migrants, displaced people and returnees and supports the government on migration management.
Who qualifies: Migrants, displaced people and returnees. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +856 21 26 77 95
Email: iomlaopdr@iom.int
Address: UN House, 3rd Floor, Lane Xang Avenue, Vientiane
local government
Police emergency number 1191
Helps with: Reaches the police in Laos. The number comes from UK government travel advice, which also lists 021 251 128 for the tourist police in Vientiane.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 1191
local government
Ambulance emergency number 1195
Helps with: Reaches the ambulance service in Laos. UK government travel advice also lists 030 525 7239 for the ambulance.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 1195
local government
Fire emergency number 1190
Helps with: Reaches the fire service in Laos. The number comes from UK government travel advice.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 1190