Si Phan Don - 4,000 Islands To Relax On
Si Phan Don: Where Time Stops, Mosquitoes Reign, and Pants Are Optional If you’ve ever wanted to disappear from the world for a few days (or possibly forever) Si Phan Don (meaning “Four Thousand Islands”) in southern Laos is your place. Nestled along the Mekong River like Mother Nature dropped a sack of pebbles, this sleepy archipelago offers everything a chilled-out traveler could want: hammocks, waterfalls, suspiciously slow Wi-Fi, and existential peace (or at least a good fruit shake). How to Get There (Surviving the Journey) Step 1 : Mentally prepare for buses that may or may not have brakes. Step 2 : From Pakse, grab a minivan or bus headed to Nakasong (3-4 hours). This ride will include several exciting stops for noodle soup and questionable toilet breaks. Step 3 : From Nakasong , hop on a longtail boat to one of the main islands: Don Det, Don Khon, or Don Khong. Pro tip: If the boat looks like it’s held together with duct tape and prayer, you’re doing it right. Where to Sta...