My Budget Breakdown
Pakse Loop Budget Guide
Pakse Loop Budget Guide - My Budget Breakdown
Pakse is located in central Laos and is best known for the stunning waterfalls in the Bolaven Plateau.. Travellers come from all over the world to see these magnificent waterfalls, however the best way to see the region of Pakse and Bolaven Plateau as a whole is by doing the Pakse Loop!
The Pakse Loop is one of the best things you can do in Laos and is especially well suited for people looking for adventure, culture and beautiful nature. The Pakse loop has so much to offer and I had the privilege to embark on this journey when I was backpacking Laos.
In this post I’ll share with you my full budget breakdown for when I did the Pakse loop so you can get an expectation on what you can expect. I’ll share with you how I budgeted my money, tips to save and what’s really worth splurging on. Hope you enjoy!
If you are interested in doing the Pakse Loop, check out some of my other posts:
Trip Overview
How many days does the Pakse Loop take?
There are 2 loops you can do. The short loop or the long loop. The short loop takes a minimum 3 days and the big loop a minimum of 5 days. Of course you can always choose to stay on the loop longer and there’s always more to do.
Both loops cover the Bolaven Plateau including all the waterfalls and offer the same cultural experience however the big loop will simply have more of it. I chose to do the 3 day loop because I was coming off the Thakhek Loop and was a bit tired to do another 4, 5 days on a motorbike.
Mode of Transport
To do the Pakse Loop, the best way to experience it is to do it on a motorbike. By doing it on a motorbike I’d say is much more immersing and thrilling and if I’m being honest, half the adventure is riding a bike! Riding a bike can be dangerous so always be extra cautious and have some experience beforehand.
Most bike rental shops will have and recommend you to do it on a 110cc Honda wave and I would recommend it too. It is a semi automatic bike so it has a bit of a learning curve but the optionality of being able to choose your own gears will make driving in some parts much more comfortable and safer.
If you already know how to ride a motorbike or automatic scooter, learning to ride semi automatic is a breeze. Just ask the rental shop owner and they’ll give you a run down. For your information, it only took me like 10 minutes to get comfortable on a semi automatic motorbike and I have limited riding experience.
Does the Pakse Loop get busy?
Short answer no.
Pakse city can get a bit busy but once you get out, there’s hardly any traffic. You will encounter a few trucks here and there but nothing to concern yourself with.
Hardly any tourists even make their way down to Pakse because it’s relatively isolated from the usual tourist hotspots and difficult to get to. The only other travellers you will mostly meet are other backpackers.
Budget Breakdown
The budget breakdown will be split into:
- Daily Motorbike Rental
- Fuel Expenses
- Accomodation
- Food and Drinks
- Activities & Waterfall Entrance Fees
- Motorbike Parking
If your planning on doing the Pakse Loop, check out my complete guide:
Daily Motorbike Rental
Semi automatic motorbikes are the recommended way around the Pakse Loop. From what I know most of the bike rental shops are all reliable.
Expect to pay around 100 000 – 140 000 Kip per day. This price fluctuates depending on what time of the year it is. Still really affordable.
Recommended Motorbike Rental Shops in Pakse
Here are some of my recommended bike rental shops:
Miss Noy is the most popular rental bike for people wanting to do the Pakse Loop. The bikes are super reliable and well taken care of however expect to pay a bit more since they have a well known reputation.
I personally booked mine from my hostel which was Pakse Backpacker Hostel2023. Some of my friends booked theirs from Sanga Hostel and all our bikes were in pristine condition with no faults.
If you’re not sure where to book your bike, booking from your accommodation is always a great reliable option always!
Daily Fuel
Fuel for the motorbikes are also very affordable. For my trip I used around 50 000 Kip worth of fuel per day which was great and lasted a whole day’s worth of riding.
Just a tip, the fuel tanks in these bikes aren’t the biggest so if you are running on less than half a tank and see a fuel station, better to fuel up just in case. Better safe than sorry I say!
Accomodation
Accommodation on the Pakse Loop can be abit more expensive compared to the rest of Laos. Since a lot of travellers in Laos are backpackers, hostels in general in Laos are about 100 000 – 150 000 Kip per night.
Pakse Loop has some really unique experiences where you can stay overnight at local villages and they can be abit more expensive, around 250 000 Kip per night.
Some notable places I recommend you to stay are:
Food and Drinks
Food and drinks are about the same price as the rest of Laos. I spent around 150 000 Kip – 200 000 Kip per day on food, drinks and snacks. Of course this can be more or less.
At some of the homestays and especially at the local village stays like Captain Hook, food and drinks are all included in the accommodation price. You’ll get to try some amazing traditional food for dinner and breakfast.
Activities & Waterfall Entrance Fees
Activities and entrance fees in the Pakse loop are also very affordable. For the big waterfalls on the Bolaven Plateau including Tad Fane and Tad Yuang, the entrance fees including bike parking is no more than 50 000 Kip for each waterfall.
Ziplining over Tad Fane Waterfall
At Tad Fane (the big twin waterfall) you can zipline over the waterfalls if you’re interested! I think it’s an amazing experience and you’ll get a vantage view point unlike any other.
Depending on what package you choose for your ziplining experiences, prices are between $35 USD to $50 USD.
If you really want to ball out whilst also trying some amazing local coffee, you can also buy a separate experience that’ll allow you to drink coffee from the zipline over the waterfall! I didn’t do this myself but it does look crazy and a once in a lifetime type of experience. If I remember correctly I think it was about $50 USD per person.
Motorbike Parking
For most of the popular attractions like the waterfalls on the Bolaven Plateau, your entrance fee will also cover the cost to park your bike.
There are some other attractions on the loop that are more off the trail and don’t have any staff around. If you want to visit these places make sure you find a secure place to park your bike, i.e. find paid parking!
There have been incidents of theft in the area in the past and they will target tourist bikes. So make sure not to park your bike anywhere and always pay someone to park your bike.
Near attractions, the locals will know that travellers are wanting to park their bike somewhere so they’ll usher you to park at their home. Don’t worry, I’ve parked my bike with locals plenty of times and they are always friendly and ready to help. Just pay them around 20 000 Kip and then you’ll be on your way!
Recommended Daily Budget
All in all, with everything including accommodation, food, activities, bikes and miscellaneous fees around 550 000 Kip or around 25 USD per day will be more than enough for the Pakse Loop. Like other places in Laos, Pakse is really affordable to travel and I even wouldn’t be surprised if you spend way less than this amount.
Sample Daily Budget
I’ll give a sample budget of how you might spend your money on a day on the Pakse Loop.
Day 1
- Bike Rental: ~ 120 000 Kip
- Fuel: ~ 50 000 Kip
- Accommodation: ~ 200 000 Kip
- Waterfall Entrances: ~ 80 000 Kip
- Food and drinks: ~ 100 000 Kip
Total Daily Expense ~ 550 000 Kip
Final Thoughts
The Pakse Loop is a lot of fun. Here you’ll get the opportunity to see some of the most amazing waterfalls and get the opportunities to have some really unique experiences with the local people and way of life.
If you’re travelling through Laos don’t skip the Pakse Loop. The only thing I regret about my time in Pakse was not staying longer! I hope my budget breakdown of the Pakse Loop was helping in planning your travels!