The Waterfalls of Paksong: A Story of Rivalry

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Paksong is a tranquil town untouched by the deafening buzz of the present world. It's huddled away almost unnoticed by drivers whizzing by on the smartly paved main road. Its streets remain mostly covered in amber-colored dust which lifts and swirls at the slightest movement.

Coffee was introduced during the era of French Colonialism, and continues to thrive here. But, something else drew us to this tiny town on the Bolaven Plateau: the many waterfalls dotting the area.

Since renting a motorbike wasn’t an option, we had no choice but to take a local songthaew. Songthaews are converted pickup trucks with long benches and covered with a makeshift roof. We hopped on the songtheaw and headed towards the most famous and the most spectacular waterfall called Tad Fane.

The songthaew dropped us off at the beginning of the road that lead to the waterfall. The road was dusty and it was blazing hot. Large chartered buses and mini-vans filled with tourists passed by leaving a cloud of dry, red dust in the air. I covered my mouth with my scarf to absorb the dust as well as to muffle a few swear words, haha. The heat and the dust were getting to me!

The busloads of tourists should've been some sort of indication of what to expect but onward we trudged. After a long, dusty walk of about 15 minutes, we finally arrived at the entrance only to find out that the Tad Fane waterfalls were actually located on the grounds of a luxury resort. Second indication.

We grudgingly paid the minimal admission fee of 10,000 kip (less than $2) and made our way to the waterfalls. We passed several luxury log cabins as well as the hoards of tourists comfortably seated in the vehicles which had caused our lungs to be filled with dust.Tad Fane waterfalls was underwhelming and overrated. Crushing down at 100 meters high into a deep gorge, the twin waterfalls are inaccessible by foot. You can only take pictures from a distance on a small designated platform where everyone stood in queue waiting for their turn and vying for a spot with 'the most spectacular waterfalls in Laos'.

We took our uninspiring pictures, and left disappointed at the misleading description of Tad Fane. Off we went to, once again, venture onto the dusty road ahead.

Across the road from Tad Fane Resort was a hand-painted wooden sign indicating another waterfall, Tad Tham Cham Pee. Determined to not let our day go to waste, we headed in that direction. The road wasn't paved but it wasn't as dusty nor as busy as the one going to Tad Fane. We only saw a few travelers on motorbikes but that was about all.

Once again, the heat was unbearable, and the sun was beating down on us. However, this road was much more pleasant than the previous one. We passed a few houses with dogs barking, and a few locals happy to see some foreign faces.

After what seemed like an endless road, we arrived at a pretty, open field with a small wooden establishment advertised as a restaurant. We continued past the restaurant following a step-down trail to the waterfalls. And there it was, the wonderful Tad Tham Cham Pee waterfall!

The three-tier waterfall was small but impressive thanks to its beautiful lush surroundings. The natural pool was clean and inviting. I couldn't resist removing my booties to refresh my swollen feet in the cool, pristine water.

Not only could we get up close but we could also walk all the way behind the waterfalls to truly take in its thunderous, crashing veil. What's more, it was free including the floating raft made of wooden planks used to float to the middle of the natural pool!

With just a handful of visitors, this place was heavenly - I couldn't believe our luck! We lingered for a while taking as many pictures as we could (the sunlight was perfect) and then we headed back, satisfied and refreshed.

It's no surprise that Tad Tham Cham Pee wins hands down in this story of rivalry.

After a true disappointment and an even truer surprise, our two days in Paksong were over. We bade farewell to our wonderful hosts, and off we were to Tad Lo.