Pakse

UNESCO-listed Khmer temple complex of the 7th to 12th centuries, 45km south. Half a day. Go early; the stone stairs are punishing.

199km small loop in two days, or 320km big loop in three to four, by scooter. Stay on roads and marked tracks: this region holds UXO.

Twin 100m falls plunging into a jungle gorge in Dong Hua Sao, about an hour east. Viewpoints, a resort and a zipline course.

The most swimmable of the plateau falls, with a picnic area and an easy path down to the pool. Just outside Paksong.

One of the largest markets in Laos: coffee, tea, textiles and a food hall of noodle soup. Buy Bolaven beans here, not at the airport.

Lao Airlines runs the main link from Vientiane in about an hour, plus thinner regional routes. The airport is 3km from town.

Sleepers leave in the evening and arrive around 6am, roughly ten hours. The China-Laos Railway does not run south of Vientiane.

Two and a half to three and a half hours up from Nakasang, or direct services from Stung Treng and Siem Reap.

November to February: dry, and cool enough on the plateau that you will want a fleece.

June to September. Waterfalls at full roar, but loop roads turn slick and red with mud.

The Wat Phou Festival in February and Lao New Year in April fill Pakse's hotels.

Bolaven-bean coffee in town, then head south along the Mekong toward Champasak by road or river.

Wat Phou: the baray, the causeway of stone posts and the climb to the sanctuary under the Lingaparvata cliff.

Back in Champasak or Pakse for Lao-Thai stir-fries at Daolin, or a bowl of Vietnamese pho by the Lankham.

Dao Heuang market for coffee and textiles, or run out to Tad Fane if you are skipping the full loop.

Sunset from a rooftop over the river junction, then dinner and an early night before the loop.

A laid-back waterfall village on the loop's eastern side, with homestays, Katu villages and easy walks. Worth a night of its own.

Three hours south to the 4000 Islands. The obvious next stop, or the route on into Cambodia.