Southern-Laos: a well-kept secret
Don Daeng (in Lao: ‘Red island’) is a peaceful haven within the UNESCO protected area of the Vat Phu. Well known for its outstanding sunsets, visitors are discovering the best of Southern-Laos traditional lifestyle and hospitality, a well-kept secret.
La Folie Lodge
La Folie is a charming lodge located on Don Daeng, an island facing Champasak Town. Each of the 26 luxurious wooden room has a private terrace boasting a panoramic view of the Mekong river, its sandy beaches and the sacred mountains of Champasak.
Southern Laos offers many adventures including half or full day excursions to the Wat Phu, 4000 islands, Bolaven plateau, Xe-Pian park, Pakse city or Champasak areas.
La Folie Lodge guests can also rest, disconnect and recover at the swimming pool, spa, restaurant, tropical garden and petanque court. The boat transfers from and to Champasak or Ban Meuang are included with every booking. Private minivan transfers are available from-to Pakse Airport (Laos) & Ubon Ratchathanee Airport (Thailand)
Accommodation – Exquisitely decorated rooms
The Mekong view bungalow rooms are all located in typical wooden bungalows, and offer approximately 37 square meters of comfortable space decorated with local materials. Each Mekong view room has its own terrace with breath-taking views over the Mekong and the sacred hills of Vat Phu. Extra-beds are available and families can be located in the same bungalow.
Ban Lao – The Traditional Lao House
Ban Lao is the latest addition to the Lodge. Back in 2016, this charming old wooden house with its typical architecture of Southern Laos was about to be demolished in a neighbouring village, as villagers now tend to build out of concrete. To preserve a modest part of this cultural heritage, the Lodge acquired the house and moved it to a beautiful location facing the Mekong. It was then fully renovated, upgraded to modern standards and comfortably furnished to become the lodge’s first exquisite mini suite.
The house combines the peaceful privacy of its own garden surrounded by majestic mango trees and the most amazing view of the sacred mountain and Mekong River. The comfortable queen bedroom overlooks the legendary Mekong River. In the other room guests will find a desk, a wardrobe (and safe), a coffee-tea corner and a minibar (included and refilled daily).
Private Villa with Panoramic Views
The Residence is a private villa with a large panoramic terrace facing the Mekong and the sacred mountains.
It offers two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a large living area within approximately 160 square meters, as well as a 50 square meters terrace. It is fully furnished and decorated in a colonial style, with all modern amenities such as air-conditioning in all rooms, kitchen/bar, spacious bathrooms, hi-fi, 32 inch flat screen LCD Monitor, DVD player plus a selection of DVDs, free Wi-Fi.
The Residence, with its wide living space, comfort and atmosphere is the ideal place for VIP guests, families or travelers who wish to spend a few relaxing days in total privacy. The Residence was originally built as the owner’s house, who fell in love with the island and its people a long time ago. The Residence is now open to all guests, and its style and intimacy makes it the favorite place for artists/novelists and VIPs.
Enjoy the swimming pool at sunset, cycling around the lovely Done Daeng island, or meeting with the locals is only a glimpse of what the surroundings offer. The Vat Phu, UNESCO World Heritage Site, is just a 15 minutes boat ride away and the Boloven Plateau as well as the 4,000 islands offer great excursions’ opportunities.
Dong Daeng Island
Don Daeng offers a rare opportunity to retreat from the hectic rush of busy streets and tourist sites. In the quiet and peaceful streets of the island, the people of Don Daeng welcome guests with a warm smile and elegant “Sabaidee”. It is hard to find anywhere such sense of authentic rural Laos and its Buddhist-Animist spirituality.
The island shows many faces during the year. While immersed in lush green during the rainy season, its landscape in the summer has a nice Mediterranean feel. As soon as the rain gets heavier, the small sandy tracks get softened making cycling a little harder but no less fun. Both contrasting seasons have a different but very strong appeal, allowing you to choose Don Daeng as a destination for recreation all year round.
Villages of Don Daeng
The island is roughly 11 km long and 3 km large in the middle. During the rainy season, the Mekong covers the beach and rises up to the gates of the Lodge. The population of Don Daeng is approximately 3,200 inhabitants, living in 10 villages.
Ban Si Moung Khoun: The “merit” village (due to the forest temple known as “merit” temple);
Ban Hua Don Daeng: Village of the head of Don Daeng (Hua = head);
Ban Si Chanto: Named after its founder, a renowned Shaman (150 years old village);
Ban Peuay Lao: The desert and wet village (desert on dry season, muddy on rainy season);
Ban Xieng Vang: Named after its founder, a renowned monk;
Ban Boung Kham: The golden pond village (famous pond to catch fish during the rainy season);
Ban Bangxay: The small village behind the white sand beach island. (Bang = to hide, xay = sand);
Ban Si Souk: The happy and wealthy village;
Ban Noy: The small village (noy = small);
Ban Tanthip : The village of the special palm trees;
Don Daeng’s authenticity: unspoiled huge sand beaches crowded with fishermen and lazy buffaloes, wild forests and enchanting birds, plains of rice fields, local small villages with one floor typical wooden houses and numerous Buddhist temples.
Bicycle tour on the island
The lodge provides complimentary bicycles (children bicycles also available) for the guests to explore the local life and treasures of Don Daeng Island. Three different itineraries are available, all boundary stoned. The staff can provide a map of the island with all the points of interest, from the antique temple to rice fields as well as main villages and community projects developed by the lodge with the help of its guests. Depending on the season, guests can even stop to help with rice planting!
Fishing on the Mekong
Should guests wish to discover the different Mekong fish species, and/or new fishing techniques, the lodge organizes trips with local fishermen.
Community projects
Since its opening in 2007, the lodge has been developing, with the help of its guests, community projects on the island. It ranges from the renovation of schools to the opening of a new dispensary, as well as building small bridges and motorcycle paths to enhance the quality of life of Don Daeng inhabitants.
Ceremonies
On special occasions or guest request, and depending on availability, there are various cultural activities at the Lodge such as a Baci ceremony for the blessings of good fortune. The Lodge also arranges dinner performances by traditional Lao dancers and musicians from the island.
Outside the Island
Tree-top Explorer – The Tree-top explorer experience is a 2 days-1 night trip deep into the Bolaven Jungle (for athletic adventurers). The first day consists in trekking and a dozen of zip lines to go down the Monkey waterfall. By the end of the afternoon, guests reach the treehouse and shelter where they will spend the night, surrounded by waterfall and jungle sounds. The second day consists of zip lining over the jungle, before cannoning and trekking back to the village. A truly unique experience in Southern Laos, easily combined with La Folie Lodge on Don Daeng island.
Mystic Mountain – The Mystic mountain jeep tour takes guests off the beaten track with a 1970’s Jeeps. The tour takes guests to remote villages, coffee plantation, and a waterfall where they can swim. This full day/2 days experience can easily be combined during your stay on Don Daeng island!
Kayaking at the 4,000 islands – Nothing is more relaxing than kayaking through the beautiful 4,000 islands. This day tour is similar to the classic day trip to the 4,000 islands, but guests get to do some of it in a kayak! Guests can visit the Li-Phi waterfalls, Don Khon island, the old French train, and kayak down the Mekong to an area near the Cambodian border.
Vat Phu Temple – The beautiful and romantic Vat Phu temple is one of Southeast Asia’s best examples of both early and classic Khmer architecture. Built between the 6th and 12th century, it is located on a hillside offering stunning views over the surrounding lands and Mekong River. Vat Phu, a very important and venerated religious center and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001.
La Folie is a charming lodge located on Don Daeng, an island facing Champasak Town. Each of the 26 luxurious wooden room has a private terrace boasting a panoramic view of the Mekong river, its sandy beaches and the sacred mountains of Champasak.
Champasak Town – Champasak Ancient Town has pretty wooden houses in the Lao traditional style mixed with French colonial architectures. Guests can enjoy a break by the Mekong at one of the local restaurants and visit The Lodge’s partner’s boutique ‘Chez Maman’ which offers an amazing variety of handicrafts from all over Laos.
Bolaven Plateau – The Bolaven Plateau, famous for its coffee and tea plantations, is located in an ancient volcano that erupted millions of years ago. The area spans 50 km of Southern Laos’ most vegetated area. From an altitude of 800 to 1350 meters, the Bolaven is green all year round and cooler than the rest of Laos and Thailand. Surrounding the plateau there are a number of ethnic villages who grow their own coffee, protected national parks, dramatic waterfalls, remote hill tribes, dense jungle and a taste of some of the world’s most precious coffee beans.
Si Phan Don – Si Phan Don represents an essential ecological area of the Mekong River. The braided channel slowly winds its way through a region that provides the highest number of fish consumed in the country and is home to the globally vulnerable Irrawaddy river dolphin.
Tomo Temple and neighbouring villages – Guests can take a boat in front of the lodge to cruise down the river to the far end of the island, and visit Tomo ruins, a remain of a pre-Ankorian Umong Temple, in the middle of a very wild but romantic forest. According to archaeologists, this temple is considered to have been built in nearly the same century as the Wat Phou temple. This trip includes a stop at Ban Tomo village and Ban Than Thip, charming small villages difficult to access by road on wet season.
Elephant village and trekking – Ban Kietnong village or Elephant Village is located in Xe-Pian, a vast National Protected Area established to conserve biodiversity and considered to be one of the most important conservation areas in Indochina. Most visitors to the Elephant Village ride an elephant through the village to the top of Mt. Asa, where guests can enjoy a view of beautiful mountains, rice paddies and fabulous marshland.
Champasak Spa – Just on the opposite bank of the Mekong, Champasak Spa is a charming and professional wellness center. In a beautiful traditional wooden house set in a tropical garden, alongside the Mekong river, the Champasak Spa offers treatments and massages.
Pakse Golf – Located just outside the town of Pakse, is an 18 holes golf course. Caddies, carts and golf bags can be rented on site.
Champasak Shadow Puppets theatre – Composed of 14 artists (musicians, singers, comedians and puppet players), the Shadow Puppets Theater in Champasak Town presents a delightful show several nights each week during the dry Season, from mid-October to mid-April. Many of the puppets date back to the 1950s.
La Folie Lodge
Done Daeng, District Pathoumphone, BP 668 Pakse, Lao PDR
+856 20 55 532 004
[email protected]
www.instagram.com/lafolielodge
www.lafolie-laos.com
