Salavan: Don't feed the Tigers! (Saravan)

Member Name: Pablo_Sevilla

Product:	Saravan
Date:	02/06/09 (33 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Tat Lo is the only accessible place, everything else is extremely difficult to get too...

Disadvantages: Poor infrastructure, many of the forests virtually inaccesible for now

Salavan province is located in southern Lao sandwhiched between Sekong and Champasak provinces to the south and Savannakhet province to the north.

It is somewhat off the tourist trail and is one the least visited regions in Lao. The infrastructure is poor and the roads are some of the worst in Lao the further north and east you go.

But there are a couple of places that have been on the backpacker radar for years now.

Tat Lo, the largest in a series of waterfalls, is located next to a very quaint and rural village called Ban Khaoua Set. It doesn't get that many backpackers and that is much of the appeal, it's very easy to stay here for days swimming in the waterfalls and going on elephant treks (recommended, only 5$ for an excellent trip into near by villages and through a forest and over a river. The elephants are treated very well, no chains and they are free to roam).
If you have your own set of wheels then it's a lot of fun driving around the area visiting villages and driving through some beautiful lush green scenary. Just past a dam outside of Tat Lo is a waterfall that is dry in dry season which has a spectacular view over the entire valley. You will have to ask for directions in Tat Lo.

Salavan city itself is located 70km north of Tat Lo and only really serves as a supply depot for the surrounding farming communities in the province. Not many people stay here as it lacks any sights.

Ta-Hoy is a village that is an adventure to get to. The road from Salavan city is only about 90km but it can take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours as the road is very poor and in wet season can be closed a sit turns into a quagmire. A sealed road is due to be completed by 2010 but for now it's a real adventure to get to Ta-Hoy.
Once there the main attraction is the rare Ta-Hoy ethnic group themselves who number about 30,000. They have some unique animist beliefs and a unique dialect. Ta-Hoy is also a former part of the Ho-Chi-Minh trail and you can ask a few locals to show you some left over war junk for a small fee.

Hardly anyone has made it any further than Ta-Hoy as the roads dissapear into vague rocky tracks and it takes hours if not days to go small distances! You are really on your own and it's probably a very good idea to learn at least some basic Lao and stock up on supplies before attempting this! This is supposedly a part of the country with an abundence of wild tigers...

Summary: Tat Lo the only accessible place, but it's a highlight of Lao..Everything else for adventureous only