Khone Phapheng Falls

The Khone Falls or Pha Pheng Falls (Lao: ນ້ຳຕົກຕາດຄອນພະເພັງ) is a waterfall located in Champasak Province on the Mekong River in southern Laos, near the border with Cambodia (Khmer called "Labak Koun"). The Khone Falls are the largest in Southeast Asia and they are the main reason that the Mekong is not fully navigable into China. The falls are characterised by thousands of islands and countless waterways, giving the area its name Si Phan Don or 'The 4,000 islands'.

Facts

The highest falls reach to 21 metres (69 ft); the succession of rapids stretch 9.7 km (6.0 mi) of the river's length. The average discharge of the cataract is nearly 11,000 m³/s (390,000 cu ft/s), though the highest volume on record was reached at over 49,000 m³/s (1,700,000 cu ft/s).

Navigable efforts

The Khone Falls is the prime reason why the Mekong River is not fully navigable into China. In the late 19th century French colonialists made repeated attempts to navigate the falls but their efforts failed. This difficulty led to the construction of the Don Det – Don Khon narrow gauge railway on Don Det and Don Khon islands; closed for many years.

Wildlife

Hillstream loach Hemimyzon khonensis is known from a single specimen collected in the Mekong at the Khone Falls. The falls are home to the plabuck, an endangered species of catfish said to be the largest freshwater fish in the world. The plabuck is alleged to reach lengths of 3 m (10 ft) and weights of up to 646 pounds (293 kilograms).

The area is also the home of a small group of rare Irrawaddy dolphins.

Location

The Khone falls, a series of cascading waterfalls in the Mekong River is said to  be one of Laos’ most beautiful natural attractions. The impressive falls in Champasak province near the Cambodian border are the largest in volume in South East Asia.

The falls are most impressive during the dry season. In the rainy season much of the rapids and falls disappear as a result of the raised water level in the river.

The Khone falls are located south of Don Khon Island; at the highest point the waterfall is 21 meters high. Just above the Khone falls is a viewpoint with a pavilion providing great views over the waterfalls and numerous islands. Several food stalls and stalls selling handicrafts are found nearby.

Other waterfalls in the area

Around the islands are many more waterfalls of varying heights including the Li Phi falls, located on the North West corner of Don Khon. From a viewpoint you can watch the impressive falls that stretch out over a length of many kilometers.

How to get to Khone falls

The falls are most easily reached from the Laotian town of Pakse, located about 145 kilometers to the North. See the “Si Phan Don” section for details. Once on the islands, the most fun way to get to the falls is renting a bicycle or mountain bike from hotel or guesthouse at 10,000 to 20,000 Kip per day.

Entrance fee

Admission to the Khone Phapheng falls is 10,000 Kip per person. If you start your trip from the mainland or Don Det Island, you will have to cross the bridge between Don Khon and Don Det, for which there is a fee of 25,000 Kip including access to the falls.

Source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khone_Phapheng_Falls