Tha Khaek

Tha Khek (ທ່າແຂກ) is the main town in Khammouane Province, in Central Laos.

Buddha cave, Laos - Buddha cave

Get in

From the north: buses from Vientiane leave the Southern Bus station there every 1-2 hours in the morning and the journey takes around 7 hours, 60,000 kip standard or 80,000 kip for a very colourful VIP bus. See the Vientiane#From elsewhere in Laos|section on the Vientiane Southern Bus station for the non-trivial instructions how to get there on your own. There are VIP hotel pick-up buses that can be booked from the centre of Vientiane but they make quite a mark-up charging around 172,000 kip per person.

There are three bus stations in Tha Khaek:

Interprovincial bus station GPS 17.403932,104.835216 - about 5 kilometers east of the downtown, so a tuk-tuk ride is almost unavoidable, for which local drivers seem to have fixed a price of 15,000 kip per (foreign) person.
Local bus station GPS 17.390597,104.828854 - next to the Souksomboun market, songthaews to nearby destinations.
Morning market bus station GPS 17.40084,104.82293 - next to the morning market (maybe 100 m east of the round about in the backyard), e.g. shuttle van to Lak Sao.

Get around

Tha Khaek town is small enough to walk around, but tuk-tuks will take you most places for 5,000-52,000 kip if you are feeling lazy. One speed bicycles can be hired from the Travellers Lodge.

A tuk-tuk to/from the bus station will probably cost 52,000 kip per person and takes about 15 minutes.

What to see in Tha Khaek

The market hidden behind the shops on the roundabout corner opposite the Lao Development Bank is well worth a visit. Narrow lanes wind between the shops leading to a large open market selling fresh produce and sometimes unusual meats such as snake, squirrel, frog, and bat.

What to do in Tha Khaek

Tha Khaek itself is a small town on the Mekong, with good views of Thailand.

Bicycles and mopeds can be rented from the Tha Khaek Travellers Lodge or from a clothes shop on the south side of the primary street leading to the Lao Development Bank. An Internet cafe on the other side of the road is open until about 22:00 and charges 120 kip/minute. (Half the price of the dial up connection in the Travellers Lodge) and there are also a couple of Internet cafes near the fountain square, charging around 22,000 kip/hour.

The Loop

The Loop as it has become known is a few hundred kilometers round trip along Route 13 to the east and then back up and around returning to Tha Khaek on Route 12. It is normally done in 3-4 days on a hired moped or using your own transport. It is not for the faint hearted. The condition of the roads and the driving standards make driving challenging to say the least. But once you have washed all of the thick orange dust out of your hair and clothing it is hard not to feel a great sense of achievement in having completed it.

Don't attempt to do the whole loop on the bicycles you can rent, unless you are very determined. It is feasible to reach the Tham Nong Pafa Cave and some of the southern leg this way if you don't mind the heat and are reasonably fit, but the lack of gears and suspension would make it very uncomfortable to go further. Allow a full day if going all the way to Aen Cave by bicycle and at least half for a visit to the signposted Buddha Cave (roughly 15 kilometers from town and the last nine of which is a dusty dirt road that winds through some stunning limestone scenery).

Tham Nong Pafa Cave (often referred to as the Buddha Cave) is a hidden cave that is accessible via an elevated walkway which leads to a flight of concrete steps. No need for the previous canoe trips and the dangerous bamboo ladder is gone as well. Women must wear a sin (traditional lao skirt), which can be borrowed from the huts located at the beginning of the walkway. The cave is open until 5PM. Photography is not allowed inside the cave.

Tha Falang a swimming spot in the river about 15 kilometers east along Route 12, is somewhat disappointing in the dry season, but the ride and friendly children still make this trip good fun. It is not signposted in English, so you will need to turn off to the north, down a sandy track after the bridge before the road bends around to the right between two cliffs. Immediately south after the bridge there is a shady spot to park and you can follow the river to Tham Xiengliab, a small cave with river flowing through it. Again a guide or pack of children will probably appear to guide you. Bring a torch and some gifts for the children if you want to go inside.

It's about another 4-5 kilometers to the commercialized Aen Cave which is lit with a rainbow of neon strip lamps and has an amazing network of Escher-like staircases. It has a river running out of mouth and a big swimmingpool at the back and is worth a look for the staircases alone. 52,000 kip (September. 2016: 62,000 kip) + 2,000 kip for the bike. As of September. 2016, entrance fee to the cave is 62,000 kip. It is feasible to take a two hour boat ride through the cave from the east to the west. Prepare for 1,000 meters boat ride and 300 meters walking to reach the west exit of the cave where you can enjoy a beautiful view. The trip costs 50,000 kip per person and officially 322,000 kip if you come alone (you can bargain it to 50,000 though). The boys hanging out next to the entrance of the cave do the tour. They will not approach you so ask.

Thalang is a small town on the loop, worth stopping at to rest for a couple hours taking a swim in the lake (Nam Theun 2, protected area), surrounded by tree trunks which makes it a unique experience; or even for a day, taking a tour with a local company to explore the area, with the lake but as well a jungle and a beach.

Konglor Cave is likely to be the highlight of this trip, if not the whole of Laos. A 7 kilometers long underground river that can be navigated by motorized longboat with a torch. It emerges into a lush valley on the far side which previously was only accessible by foot. In the dry season you will have to get out while the boatmen drag the long boat over the shallows, so bring flip flops. The cave is in the Phou Hin Bun National Park, 2,000 kip entrance fee, 3,000 kip/motorbike. The entrance fee for the cave itself is 52,000 kip/person and the return trip with a longboat costs 322,000 kip/2 boat (162,000 kip in total for two persons on a boat, 130,000 for three people). The road to Konglor leads through a valley with tobacco fields. Ban Nahin village at Route 8, 42 kilometers from Kong Lor, has many guest houses and motorbike rentals. There are various guest houses near Kong Lor as well and some good home stays in the village about 1 kilometers from the cave itself (50,000 kip per person with breakfast and dinner, maximum of three people in the same house).

Check your bikes thoroughly before starting this trip, make sure the brakes and lights work and check the odometer as turnings are not necessarily signed and you want to measure the distance between junctions. If your helmet does not have a visor, sunglasses are crucial as dust and insects will blind you.

Carrying a spare bottle of fuel gives a sense of security and might well make your day, as there are long stretches without gas stations, and ascents might spoil average consumption. Road #1E and the section between Yommalat and Laksao (some 80 kilometers), while very rewarding, constitutes a mere dirt track with lots of deep potholes filled with mud, especially after the local heavy rains.

Reasonable places for overnights on a counterclockwise roundtrip could be the Sabaidee Guesthouse in Tha Lang (after 99 kilometers without cave watching), and maybe a homestay/guesthouse near Konglor Cave (after another 145 kilometers), before an early visit there and return to Thakhek (another 185 kilometers), making it an enjoyable three-day trip.

There are a number of very informative scrapbooks filled with tips, maps and other experiences on The Loop at Travellers Lodge.

If riding a moped or bicycle isn't your style, you can still do the loop, or a portion of it, via a hired air-conditioned minivan (with guide and driver) from the Tha Khaek tourist office. Through InterLao travel it is feasible to book this tour beforehand, but they charge a premium for the service. The guide will bring water, assist in food purchases and show you the local sights including the waterfall above Ban Nahim. The tour can also include the Lao 'Baci' (welcome to village) ceremony. The minivan can drop you back at Tha Khaek, leave you at the intersection of Hwy 8 for a trip up to Vientiane via VIP bus or (perhaps) take you up to Vientiane (about 240 kilometers and 1 million kip).

Muslim Friendly Food & Restaurants in Tha Khaek

A number of cafes line the riverfront road serving the usual types of basic food but no Halal food has been found (Jan 2023).

Muslim Friendly hotels in Tha Khaek

Traverelslodge - |Tha Khaek Travellers Lodge

[https://=1495856&checkIn=2023-09-16&checkOut=2023-09-17&children=&adults=2&&with_request=true Inthira Hotel | The Inthira Hotel is part of a chain. Excellent restaurant with international and Lao cuisine. Good place to meet other travelers. Wi-Fi in public area. Bicycle and motorbike rental.
Khammouane Inter Guesthouse | With the charm of an administration building from another era, it is not going to win any style competition, but fairly priced basic rooms, a spacious lobby with free [https://ehalal.io/buy-halal-food/halal-coffee-tea/ Coffee and drinking water refill make it an important addition to the limited range of accommodation in town. Offers guidance for 'The Loop', in-house motorbikes for rent for 60,000 kip/day. If you only want to ride it to the rock climbing crag you can get it for 50,000 kip/day. Free luggage storage. Free Wi-Fi.
[https://=1495856&checkIn=2023-09-16&checkOut=2023-09-17&children=&adults=2&&with_request=true ☎padith Hotel | Free breakfast from 6:30AM to 9AM. Wifi. 3 kinds of rooms. Parking lot available against fee. Mini Mart (small shop) within the premises. Extra services feasible such as transportation or day tour.
[https://=1495856&checkIn=2023-09-16&checkOut=2023-09-17&children=&adults=2&&with_request=true Tha Khaek Travelers Lodge | A popular place in an undeveloped part of town, but with a friendly campfire garden layout. The inside rooms are very basic and the beds hard. It could do with some renovation but the outside seating just about makes up for this. It's a good place to meet people and arrange trips but easy to let it become the (pricy) source of all your meals, as the centre of town, with more options, is about 2.5 kilometers away. Stop by for some experienced reports on the Loop.
[https://=1495856&checkIn=2023-09-16&checkOut=2023-09-17&children=&adults=2&&with_request=true Phosy Thalang Guesthouse - Offers two bedding options (bungalows & dorms, both with mosquito nets) & locations (500 meters from each other), one right on the lake, and the other one 100m away. Features a restaurant as well (international food, more specialized in Asian food though). Friendly family business; the manager, Amphai, speaks an excellent English. Best sunrise location is at the restaurant, best sunset from the guesthouse. Day tours of the surrounding area, including the lake, local school, jungle... Possibility to make it a 2 days 1 night tour, camping on a beach.
[https://=1495856&checkIn=2023-09-16&checkOut=2023-09-17&children=&adults=2&&with_request=true Kong Lo View Hotel & Resort | Eco lodge owned & managed by a friendly Lao couple, with Bounlieng speaking a perfect English.
30 rooms (12 twin beds, 18 double beds). Free wifi in the main area. Possible to take tours for a day or two (camping if so), hiking to the other side of the cave, going on a boat along the river, or trekking in the jungle. On the same premises there's an organic farm where about 85% of the food served at the restaurant is coming from. Food is mainly Lao, some Western one as well. Continental breakfast. Free coffee/tea. Guests are welcome to walk around the area including to the farm, and the small private cave. Pétanque course for free. All in all, rural feeling (in the good way) and yet luxurious

Go next

Domestic

Kong Lor Cave - From the main bus station take a Pakse or any northbound bus (72,000 kip/1.5 hr) and get off at Vieng Kham (the intersection of Route 13 and Hwy 8) where buses and tuk-tuks are available to Ban Nahin. Take a bus (62,000 kip/1 hr/departs at 14:00) or tuk-tuk (they asked 75,000 kip per person, but this is probably negotiable) to Ban Nahin where a shuttle van (25,000 kip/1 hours departs at 15:00 for Kong Lor). Alternatively, for the return trip to Tha Khaek and the shuttle van returns to Ban Nahin at 10:30 although the same shuttle van will occasionally travel directly to Tha Khaek (75,000 kip/5 hr).
Pakse: local bus, 60,000 kip, 7 hr, regularly from 10:30; VIP 70,000 kip, 5 hr, 08:30 (September. 2016: The 8.30 bus is no VIP bus, just has A/C)
Savannakhet: local bus, 72,000 kip, 2-3 hr, regularly from 10:30
Vientiane: local bus, 60,000 kip, 7 hr, regularly from 05:30; VIP 80,000 kip, 5 hr, 09:15

International

Da Nang
Hanoi
Nakhon Phanom in Thailand
Vinh