La Folie Lodge

We stayed at this really nice resort on the island. It was a great place to come back to after sightseeing in Southern Laos, especially the swimming pool which had a great view across the Mekong and the sunset. The meals were a mix of Lao and French influence and really enjoyable. The island is also something you may wish to explore using the bicycles provided by the (you get the chance to see the local villages and also do some exercise). there was a family with two children who spent a few days exploring the island and just relaxing. To get there you travel in a long boat on the Mekong River. Highly recommend.

the lodge offers a boat pick-up from the edge of the river. even though we called the same day to reconfirm pick-up time, they forgot to pick us up. the sun was burning hot on this beach where we carried around our bag, desperately trying to find our boat which only showed up 2 hours late! so when we finally arrived, we asked for the manager. he first denied that we had arranged a pick-up and then spent some time finding the culprit within his team. when he could not deny it anymore, he apologized and offered us a beer as a compensation. we were surprised that this was his only offer and pointed out very friendly that we would have expected a bit more. he got annoyed and asked us what we expected. we suggested a free dinner. then he really lost it and started yelling, accusing us of being in a bad mood and demanding too much. admittedly, we were annoyed, but who wouldn't after being scorched in the Sun? the whole scene got pretty intense and we got into a bad argument - all this in front of other guests and staff. in the end he offered a ten percent reduction (16 dollar) on the room rate but he never apologized for his behavior. we are not upset about the Mistake in the beginning - mistakes can happen - but about the way the manager handled the situation very poorly and unprofessionally. unfortunately, this spoiled our stay there from the beginning. in other tripadvisor reviews we read that we were not the first ones to have troubles with this guy. on the upside, the lodge is in a really good location, the rooms are very clean and well maintained. however, the walls are very thin and you can here every word your neighbors say. the pool has a decent size and was very clean. beds are very comfortable. also, the staff was very helpful and friendly. in the evening, the friendly deputy manager came to apologize for the inconvenience.

Our most unique experience in Laos. From check-in to departure, the service, the rooms, the gardens, the VIEWS on the Mekong, the food and most importantly, the experience of being completely absorbed in the peaceful purely rural life of the Island, where time seems to have stopped , were among the best we’ve had in all our travels In terms of location, a much better option than Pakse. The experience of living on a tiny island completely cut off from the rest of the world, taking part in the everyday life of fisherman, rural life, enjoying the most beautiful views on the Mekiong and the mountains behind, is very special. The hotel provides for boat trips whenever needed to go to Champasak (10 minutes boat ride and the views are amazing), and from there, you can drive wherever you wish to very easily. The hotel is simply amazing: the people are extremely welcoming, helpful, efficient and very thoughtful. The rooms are ever so comfortable and luxurious without being too much. Simply elegant, just like the gardens and the restaurant. The food is absolutely delicious, all in finesse. They support many inhabitants as well as various projects on the Island.