Xe Katamtok Waterfall

The Xe Katam river reaches the edge of the plateau and goes over in one piece, falling something close to a hundred metres into a gorge with no easy way down to it. There is no infrastructure to speak of - a pull-in on the road, a path to the lip of the opposite side, and that is the visit. Because it sits between Paksong and Sekong on a road most people do not take, it is one of the largest falls in southern Laos and one of the least visited.

What you actually see

• The single drop - one unbroken fall of roughly a hundred metres, without the steps most Lao falls have.
• The gorge - forested and steep-sided, with the river continuing out of sight below.
• The viewpoint - a rough clearing on the opposite rim, at about the height of the top of the fall.
• The emptiness - no gate, no ticket and usually nobody else.

When to go

June to November is when the river carries enough to make the drop impressive. In the dry months it thins considerably. Mornings are clearer; cloud rolls up the gorge later in the day during the wet season.

Honest expectations

There is nothing here but the view: no path to the base, no facilities, no shade. The road is rough in places and a motorbike or a high-clearance vehicle is the sensible choice. The viewpoint edge is unfenced and the drop is real.

Nearby

Paksong and the coffee plantations lie west; Sekong town is east.