Your private AC minivan picks you up at your hotel in Thakhek at 8:00 AM.
Rediscovered in April 2004 when villager Boun Nong, hunting bats, climbed a vine up the cliff face and found 229 bronze Buddha statues in the dark. They range from 15 cm to over a metre tall and are thought to be 400 to 500 years old. Cover shoulders and knees; photography is forbidden inside.
Named for a stalagmite shaped like an elephant head, found in a passage behind the cave's golden Buddha. The shrine inside has been maintained for generations, and at Lao New Year pilgrims sprinkle water on the elephant formation to pray for good health. The closest cave to Thakhek, it once sheltered villagers during the war. Free to enter and rarely crowded.
A swimming hole on the Nam Don River where French colonists once came to picnic and bathe. The name means Foreigner's Landing. Deep, clear water, shaded banks and a calm current. A resort with floating huts now operates here, so it can get busy on weekends.
A cave running 200 metres along the base of a 300-metre limestone cliff, with a stream you can wade through in the dry season and boat through when the water rises. Named after a lovesick novice monk who snuck around here, it shelters soft-shelled turtles and bats. The surrounding cliffs are home to the rare Laotian rock rat. The combination of cliff, cave, and water makes this one of the more atmospheric stops on the route.
One of the largest caves near Thakhek, named the Sitting and Flirting Cave after a local love legend. Coloured lights illuminate a 30-metre chamber, with a paddle-boat ride along the underground river to a second entrance. A strong finish to the Cave Alley day before heading back to town.
Return to your hotel in Thakhek. Estimated arrival late afternoon, around 5:00 PM.
