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Laos >> Attapeu Travel Guides
Attapeu
The province of Attapeu is located in the extreme southeast of Laos, and borders Cambodia and Vietnam. It is a rugged and heavily forested area, and has an abundance of wildlife including deer and gibbons. Even endangered species such tigers and clouded leopards inhabit some the more remote forests. It has ben an important trading route between Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos since ancient times, and was part of the Lan Xang Kingdom.
In modern times, the eastern part of the province was host to the famous Ho chi Minh Trail, and for this reason, it was heavily bombed during the Vietnam War. There are still some remnants of the war to be seen, but most of it has been recycled for scrap.
Samakhi Xai (Attapeu) The capital of Attapeu Provence is officially named Samakhi Xai, but hardly anyone calls it that. As with other provincial provinces, Lao people call it by the name of the province, no matter what the real name of the capital is. The town is situated at the confluence of the Se Kong and Se Kaman rivers in a valley surrounded by mountains. The road to Vietnam has been greatly improved, and the presence of Vietnamese has also greatly increased.
It seems that the name “Attapeu” has a rather interesting origin. The story has it that early Lao explorers to the area asked local people the name of the place, and for whatever reason they said it was called “Itkapu”, which means buffalo dung. Then later the French corrupted the pronunciation to Attapeu..
What To See & Do There is not much to see and do in town beside Wat Luang Muang Mai ( (1939). However, the town is a very pleasant place, with friendly residents, cheap lodging, and riverside sunsets. It has tree-shaded streets and lots of green vegetation, and is known as the ‘garden village’. It is a good place to relax, and as a base for treks into the jungle.
There are two very significant national protected area in the province; Se Pian NPA and Dong Ampham NPA. Unfortunately, wildlife poaching, logging, river dredging for gold, and hydroelectric projects threaten these truly unique ecosystems.
Trekking and village home-stays are possible into these protected areas. Long forest treks of up to a week (roundtrip) to Nong Fa Volcanic Lake are also available. This lake, set in pristine natural beauty and surrounded by mountains, is well known by trekkers in Southeast Asia, but because it is so difficult to get to, it is little visited.
For those who desire a somewhat shorter trip, Nonglom Lake is 3 kilometers from Samakhi Xai, and is a good place for a picnic.
Waterfalls There are several nice waterfalls in the area worth visiting. These include: Tad Saephe Waterfall, Tad Samongphak Waterfall, Tad Phok Waterfall, and Tad Phaphong Waterfall.
Vietnam Border Crossing The road to the border has been improved, and there is a border crossing with Vietnam at Bo Y. This crossing was opened in 2006, and at last report there are busses from Attapeu to Kon Tum and Pleiku in Vietnam. However, please check as to schedules, and the availability of visas for Laos.
Cambodia
Vietnam. It is a rugged and heavily forested area, and has an abundance of wildlife including deer and gibbons. Even endangered species such tigers and clouded leopards inhabit some the more remote forests. It has ben an important trading route between Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos since ancient times, and was part of the Lan Xang Kingdom. 
surrounded by mountains. The road to Vietnam has been greatly improved, and the presence of Vietnamese has also greatly increased. 
wildlife poaching, logging, river dredging for gold, and hydroelectric projects threaten these truly unique ecosystems.