Peaceful Wetland Retreat
Activity: Kingfisher Lodge & Kiatngong Elephant Village
Location: 60 kms south of Pakse in Champasak province
Tip: Book a room in the lodge before going there
A family run operator offers mountain biking, bird watching boat trips, organically grown food, elephant riding lessons — and no television.
Riding up Phou Asa
Riding up Phou Asa
The experience: Kingfisher Lodge, a family-run eco-friendly business, can be found nestled between the rice fields of Kiatngong village and the wetlands and forests of the Xe Pian National Protected Area. The traditionally designed bamboo-wooden bungalows provide comfortable, private accommodation overlooking the wetlands and surrounding forests of the protected area. An open plan restaurant serves organic, locally grown Lao food. Visitors may notice the absence of music and television, a deliberate gesture of the family owners to enhance the natural experience for their guests. The lodge can arrange elephant rides to the remains of an ancient, stone temple on the top of nearby Phou Asa mountain, ‘jungle safaris’ by elephant, mountain biking, bird watching trips into the wetland and forest walks.
A recently added activity offers guests the chance to learn how to ride an elephant under the tuition of a local mahout. Alternative, cheaper accommodation is offered in the neighbouring village of Ban Kiatngong which owns and operates its own bungalows. The village also offers elephant rides to Phou Asa mountain, guided forest walks and birding trips by boat into the wetland.
Kingfisher Lodge
Kingfisher Lodge
How it helps: The Kingfisher Lodge is designed in a traditional style to harmonize with its natural and cultural surroundings and, through the use of waste water treatment plants, solar panels and recycling systems, strives to minimize environmental impacts. Guests entering the protected area will be required to pay entrance fees to contribute toward park management. The lodge is presently monitoring logging and other illegal activities by outsiders in the surrounding forests.
The nearby village of Ban Kiatngong benefits directly through employment and opportunities to provide food, labour, elephant tours, handicrafts for sale and guiding services. Additionally, the lodge is providing English language training for their staff and contributing 5% of the revenue generated by tour activities to help the local school. Alternatively, if you choose to stay in the bungalows owned by the villagers of Ban Kiatngong and participate in their activities, you will be contributing directly to the livelihood of the village.
Location and booking information
The lodge and village are located 48 km south of Pakse on route 13. At Km 48 at the village of Thang Beng turn left down route 18a for 8 km and at the sign turn right for another 2 km to the village. To make a booking for the lodge and arrange a pick up from Km 48 or Pakse:
Tel: (+856) [0] 30 5345016
E-mail: info@kingfisherecolodge.com
Web: www.kingfisherecolodge.com
Alternatively, it is possible to take public transport from Pakse directly to Ban Kiatngong village and the lodge, although it is recommended to reserve a room at the lodge in advance. Visitors who want to stay in the Ban Kiatngong bungalows can do so by going directly to the village or by arranging transport and a guide from the Champasak Eco Guides Service at the Tourism Office in Pakse or from other major travel agencies in Pakse.
Map: Marker indicates route 13 south of Pakse town not the lodge nor village
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