A day-trip to the country side, organized by one of the employees of the 'Soutida' guesthouse brings you to several caves (used for fishing and as religious place) and beautiful views of the area. During the rainy-season, the area is completely flooded and thus the trip is made in a very small wooden boat. Being in such a boat is an adventure in itself. Besides the natural beauty of the surroundings (a lot similar to the very famous Chinese country side of Yangshuo), you will also catch a glimpse of the very basic lifestyle of the Lao people living in this area. We found this day to be one of the most special during our Laos trip.
Quick Tips:
Accomodation and food is very basic in Tha Khaek. The Soutida guesthouse, which appears to be very new, has perfect rooms (8 USD for a double-bed room) and also serves the best food in town.Best Way To Get Around:
Tha Khaek is connected very well to Vientiane. From Vientiane one bus a day leaves directly for Tha Khaek in the morning. During the day you can get on any bus going to Savannaket or Pakse, they will all stop at Tha Khaek. The trip from Vientiane takes 5 hours. From Thailand you can go to Tha Khaek via Nakhon Phanom, a nice Thai town that is connected by bus to Bangkok.