Off the Beaten Path and Taking it Easy: Don Det, Laos

Much of our travel itinerary in south east Asia has been put together on the fly. At this point - going on 6-months into our around-the-world trip - we've long outpaced all of the pre-trip planning we were able to cobble together before we left Canada. That doesn't mean we're just traveling around with out a clue where we're going to be next. Many of the places we've been visiting have been destinations we've been looking forward to checking out for years. What it does mean is that we've been including a lot of unexpected stops in the mix, following up on suggestions we've been hearing from others we've crossed paths with and uncovering quite a few unexpected gems. My favourite kind of travel.

One of those places we happened to find ourselves in was Don Det in southern Laos. We first heard about Don Det from a couple from Australia that we met in Halong Bay. At the time, we knew we wanted to travel into Laos at some point, but we weren't sure exactly which locations we wanted to visit. Many of our friends had recommended Luang Prabang, but that would entail traveling north from Cambodia, and no doubt many long travel days.

Checking the map, we noticed it might be possible to get to Si Phan Don (Four Thousand Islands) in southern Laos without too much trouble. The Australians mentioned they enjoyed their stay in Don Det, one of the islands in Si Phan Don, every bit as much as Luang Prabang. So, without much further ado, we headed through Cambodia via Phnom Penh and Stung Treung to the Laos border where we caught a boat to Don Det.

Picking up tickets to Don Det

Boat ride to the island

We learned that Don Det has long been considered a travellers' Mecca and a little off the beaten path, even by backpacker standards. Over the past few years the island's popularity has been growing, particularly since the introduction of around-the-clock electricity a couple of years back. Our guidebook, which is a few years out-of-date, mentioned the power would be turned off across the island at 10pm so we were pleasantly surprised on the first night when this didn't happen. No having to hang out in the dark at night, yay! Facilities are pretty bare bones (even with electricity) but accommodations are priced accordingly. Our double occupancy bungalow, which consisted of a simple, "rustic" room with a bed and a mosquito net, was a very affordable $4/night.

One of the  riverside restaurants on Don Det

Waterside view

There are many tour operators on the island offering day trips to visit nearby waterfalls or to view the river dolphins. You can also go fishing, kayaking, take guided treks or go tubing. If you want to… We spent our days enjoying slightly more low-key activities, exploring the island, and neighbouring Don Khon on foot and by bicycle, lounging in the many restaurants and cafes by the banks of the Mekong and generally just taking it easy. Sigh!

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