The capital of Khammouane, across from Nakhon Phanom. A colonial old town on the river, limestone cliffs twenty minutes away, and the start of the Thakhek Loop to Kong Lor cave.
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Thakhek, the capital of Khammouane, owes most of its architecture to the French colonial period of the early 20th century: a broad square running down to the Mekong, two-storey houses, a promenade facing Nakhon Phanom. The town is mostly a starting point. To the east, Route 12 runs past limestone cliffs riddled with caves; further on, the Thakhek Loop circles the plateau in three or four days, as far as Kong Lor cave.
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A broad square runs down to the Mekong, lined with colonial houses; within five or six blocks lie the early 20th-century facades, then the promenade looking across to the Thai bank.
Photo by Adriaan Castermans on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Tham Xieng Liab, 14 km out; Tham Nang Aen, 18 km out and more than 1.5 km long; Tham Pa Fa, where 229 Buddha statues were found in 2004; and the Tha Falang pool on the Nam Don.
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Between 440 and 500 km depending on the route, on Routes 12, 8 and 13, in three or four days: the Nam Theun 2 reservoir, the limestone cliffs of Khammouane and Kong Lor cave. Rental shops are in town.
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The Hinboun river runs 7.5 km through the mountain, under vaults 100 m high; you travel it by boat. The cave is 40 km from Ban Khounkham, on the Loop, with homestays in the village.
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A 29 m golden stupa on the Mekong, south of town, among the most sacred sites in the country. Its festival follows the 3rd lunar month: January 29 to February 2 in 2026.
Hin Nam No: inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site on July 13, 2025, this national park in Boualapha district, in the south-east of the province, extends Vietnam's Phong Nha-Ke Bang: 94,121 ha of karst and 173 recorded caves. It is Laos' first natural site on the list.
Glamping domes in the centre, a cyclists' guesthouse with a garden, and a budget hostel with French-speaking staff.
Photo: Domea Thakhek - Urban Glamping
Glamping-style domes with air conditioning and a private bathroom, set around a garden and terrace; shared lounge.
≈ $56 a night
Photo: Bike&Bed
A guesthouse with a garden, restaurant and bike rental; air-conditioned rooms, some for families, shared bathrooms; tour desk.
≈ $9 a night
Photo: La Casa
A hostel with a bar, restaurant, pool table and terrace over the town; every room has its own bathroom, 24-hour front desk with French-speaking staff.
≈ $7 a night
Booking affiliate links · average nightly price checked in October 2026
Southern bus station → Thakhek · 6 to 8 hours
Day buses around noon, sleeper buses in the evening between 6 and 8 pm, €9 to €16. No train: the line to Vietnam will start from Thakhek, but the section from Vientiane has no date yet.
Buses and times on 12Go Affiliate linkInternational bus → Nakhon Phanom · about 1.5 hours
It leaves from the bus station, 5 km east of the centre, roughly every hour from 8 am to 5:30 pm; 70 to 80 baht, payable in baht only. The bridge is closed to pedestrians.
Bus or minibus · 7 to 8 hours
Minibus at 8:30 am, buses around noon, sleeper buses in the evening, €15 to €18; they pass through Savannakhet.
Tickets and times on 12Go Affiliate linkNakhon Phanom airport (KOP), across the river
No scheduled flights to Thakhek. Thai AirAsia and Thai Lion Air link Bangkok Don Mueang with Nakhon Phanom; then cross by the bridge.
Times and prices checked on October 10, 2026 on 12Go, for an October 12 departure: check again before you travel.
The dry season, November to February, suits the Loop best: almost no rain, 16 °C at dawn in December and January, 28 to 30 °C in the afternoon. March and April climb to 33 °C. From May to October the monsoon peaks at 499 mm in August.
| Month | J (current month) | F (current month) | M (current month) | A (current month) | M (current month) | J (current month) | J (current month) | A (current month) | S (current month) | O (current month) | N (current month) | D (current month) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airhigh / low | ||||||||||||
| Rainmm | ||||||||||||
| Daysof rain | 1 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 24 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 25 | 11 | 3 | 1 |
| Mekonglevel | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Rising | High | High | High | High | Low | Low |
| Our take | Ideal | Ideal | Fair | Fair | Fair | Difficult | Difficult | Difficult | Difficult | Good | Ideal | Ideal |
| Month | Low – high | mm | River |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan (current month) | 5 | Low | |
| Feb (current month) | 13 | Low | |
| Mar (current month) | 36 | Low | |
| Apr (current month) | 72 | Low | |
| May (current month) | 257 | Low | |
| Jun (current month) | 382 | Rising | |
| Jul (current month) | 497 | High | |
| Aug (current month) | 499 | High | |
| Sep (current month) | 322 | High | |
| Oct (current month) | 110 | High | |
| Nov (current month) | 18 | Low | |
| Dec (current month) | 6 | Low |
Sources: climate, Open-Meteo (ERA5 archive, 1991-2020 averages); sights, caves and Kong Lor, Tourism Laos and the KPL Lao news agency; Hin Nam No, Tourism Laos and KPL (July 2025); That Sikhottabong, Vientiane Times and KPL (2026); the Loop, Wikivoyage, GoAsia and Backpack Moments (2025-2026); motorbikes and safety, France Diplomatie (September 2026) and FCDO; buses, 12Go (checked October 10, 2026) and Wikivoyage; border, official Lao e-Visa portal; rail, Tourism Laos (March 2026). Updated on October 12, 2026 by Pierre-Marie Coupry.
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