Sekong is a province of high mountains and deep river valleys situated in the heart
of the southeastern part of Laos, has common borders with Salavan to the west, Champasack
and Attapeu to the south and
Vietnam to the east.
What to do? Sekong is very little visited, thanks to its poor road network and close to non-existent
tourist infrastructure. The most exciting thing to do in town is to get up at 05am
and watch the locals fishing in the river, then walk along the river road, as the
Buddhist faithful line up with donations of food for the monks who make a long slow
promenade in their orange robes to receive their morning meal in begging bowls.
It's also a complex geographical conditions form colorful Eco-Tourism resources
because it's famous by rich of untouchable tropical forest, home to many rare species
of flora and fauna. Sekong Town can be used as a base for exploring the immediate
surrounds, home to a number of waterfalls and a set of rapids, but other than that,
be prepared for a rather basic experience. Sekong
is something of a forgotten province,
and a backwater, and much of what is on offer is shrouded by poor information and
the aforementioned lack of infrastructure. In other words, it's a great place to
head if you're keen to blaze a trail of your own through undiscovered Laos.
Tha Teng is a small town without much going on -- really just a pit-stop along the road
to Sekong or Salavan. But those looking for an off-the-beaten-track experience will
find it, like nearby Paksong and Lao Ngam, utterly free of any pretensions towards
being a part of the tourist industry. A stop-over in Tha Teng is a good way to get
in the right mindset for a trip through the rest of southeastern Laos, and the dirt
road from Tha Teng to Ban Beng passes through many road-side villages with no electricity
or running water, offering a picturesque and easy-to-access look at traditional
Laotian life. All this will change in the coming years -- the road is scheduled
to be paved some time in 2007.
Travel Tips: Sekong province is rugged, wild and very scenic, but transportation
is very difficult, especially by land in the rainy season.
