Your private AC minivan picks you up at your hotel in Thakhek at the agreed time.
A clifftop viewpoint at the edge of Phou Hin Boun National Protected Area, nicknamed the Peak of the Loop. Zip lines, a via ferrata, and a spider-net bridge are on offer.
Cross the full 7.5-kilometre cave by longtail boat, explore the illuminated formations on foot, and spend time in the Natane Valley on the far side. The centrepiece of the 3-day loop.
Your driver handles the accommodation booking. Simple guesthouses right beside the cave entrance.
A turquoise spring pool at the foot of a limestone cliff. Cold year-round, a good place to wake up before heading south on the second day.
Named for a dragon-shaped rock formation inside. Coloured lights pick out the stalactites and stalagmites, and ladders lead up to a viewpoint over the karst. One of the most visually striking caves on the loop.
A colourful, little-visited temple on Route 8 near Tha Bak, set against the limestone hills. A peaceful roadside pause before pushing on toward the reservoir.
Buddha figures carved into sandstone outcrops along Route 1E on the Nakai Plateau, including a reclining Buddha. Their age and origin are unknown; locals still leave offerings at the base. An easy-to-miss stop on a blind corner.
Thalang village on the Nam Theun 2 reservoir. Dead trees rise from the still water. One of the eeriest and most memorable spots on the loop.
A short trail off the Nakai Plateau road leading to a platform with views over the Nam Theun 2 reservoir. Wild orchids grow along the path in season. Easy to miss without a local driver.
A series of rocky cascades and swimming holes on the Nakai Plateau. A relaxed place to stop and swim on the return leg.
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 little-known cave named after Pha Nya In, a deity of Lao legend. Climb the stairs and squeeze through a narrow passage to find Buddhist shrines, Buddha images, and a 75-metre underground lake whose waters are considered sacred.
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 and floating huts now operate 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.
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.
A three-kilometre river cave near the Buddha Cave where you swim or kayak straight into the mountain through clear, spring-fed water. Stalactites hang overhead and fish dart through the shallows. Reached by an 800-metre forest walk past a lake. Bring a light and water shoes.
Return to your hotel in Thakhek. Estimated arrival late afternoon.
