Nong Fa Lake

Nong Fa sits in the Dong Amphan protected area near the Vietnamese border, a near-circular body of deep blue water ringed by forest at around a thousand metres. Its shape and depth have led to it being described locally as a volcanic crater lake, though the geology has never been settled and the claim should be treated as unproven. What is not in doubt is the colour, which is startling after hours of dust-coloured track, and the temperature, which is cold enough to be a shock in the tropics.

What you actually see

• The water - deep blue and startlingly clear, in a near-perfect circle.
• The forest rim - unbroken hill forest coming down to the shore on every side.
• The temperature - cold water at altitude, unlike anything else at this latitude.
• The approach - hours of rough track through the Dong Amphan forest to get there.

When to go

December to March, when the tracks are dry enough to pass. In the wet season the route is effectively closed, and even in the dry months a storm can make it impassable for days. Nights up here are genuinely cold.

Honest expectations

Getting there is most of the experience and it is hard: rough track, long hours, and no facilities at the lake beyond what you carry. A local guide is not optional. The volcanic-crater description repeated in guidebooks is not established, so treat it as a story rather than a fact.

Nearby

Attapeu town is the staging point, and the Bolaven Plateau lies northwest.