The widest waterfalls in the world. Location, description, photo

Siphandong - 4 thousand islands. Southern Laos

Si Phan Don is an archipelago of 4 thousand islands in the Mekong Delta. 3 largest islands: Don Khong - the largest, with a good ring road around the perimeter, Don Det and Don Kon - 2 small islands with a large number of guesthouses and tourists. Siphandong is not the most tourist place in Laos, but it is one of them.

Don Khon

The most interesting island in Laos. There are remains of an old French railway and a couple of steam locomotives.

The island has several waterfalls, including a very wide one (the widest in Southeast Asia).

The waterfalls on the Baloven plateau are more interesting, but these are nothing.

The cost of entry to Don Khon Island is 35,000 kip and includes visiting several waterfalls.

It is best to rent a bike and travel around everything in 1-2 days. Don Khon and Det are connected by an old French bridge.

The bridge offers a beautiful view during sunset.

River dolphins of Laos

In Menkong, near one of the islands belonging to Cambodia, there are river dolphins. You don't have to buy an expensive tour to see them. On the shore, you can rent a boat for four of you. Then the cost will not be very high - 17,500 kip (140 rubles) per person.

Despite the fact that the probability of seeing them is not very high, we saw them, and not just one, but 3. They say there are only 5 of them here.

There is a beach on the island, but swimming has not been tested.

Don Det

Don Det is Don Khon's neighbor and has no landmarks. Convenient for accommodation as it has very cheap bungalows. It is possible to rent a bicycle and go to neighboring Don Khon.

The island has beautiful scenery with buffaloes.

There are also many cute Laotian children on the island.

How to get to Si Phan Don

By bus from Pakse - 60,000 Laotian kip (including the cost of the ferry) and 2.5-3 hours, depending on the chosen island. Since these are islands, after traveling by bus you need to take a boat (cost 15,000 kip).

Getting from Champasak is inconvenient and more expensive, since you need to cross again by boat (i.e. 2 crossings). The cost of the bus from the islands to Pakse and Champasak is the same, but does not include the cost of the ferry to Champasak.

Where to stay on Si Phan Don

All large islands have a large number of accommodation options, from very cheap bungalows to decent guesthouses. Due to a lot of competition, you can find a normal bungalow for two for 30,000 kip (240 rubles) per day.

General impression of the “4 thousand islands” archipelago

A great place to spend 2 days enjoying the tropical sun and jungle.

Of the minuses: a huge number of “white” tourists and very inflated prices. Only Laotian bananas are surprisingly cheap here too.

Anyone who has seen the falls up close will agree that their beauty and majesty are almost indescribable. If even a small drop of water can be inspiring, imagine what it will feel like to see one of the largest waterfalls in the world.

This TOP 10 is based on the width of the falls, not the height or volume. Each waterfall on the list is wonderful in its own way.

10. Inga Falls, Democratic Republic of Congo

The Inga Falls are 900 meters wide and are located on the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is one of a series of waterfalls and rapids that fall from a height of about 100 meters, but intermittently. However, in the main and most impressive part, the water falls from a height of about 20 meters in one breath. There are hundreds of channels on this waterfall, which are highlighted by many large rocks and small islands.

9. Niagara Falls, USA, Canada

Despite its relatively short height, Niagara Falls is undoubtedly the most famous waterfall on the planet. Every year 14-20 million people come to see the waterfall. At 1,200 meters wide, Niagara Falls is far from the largest waterfall, but it is the waterfall with the largest volume of water flowing through it. It has three distinct parts: Horseshoe Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and American Falls.

8. Stanley Falls, Democratic Republic of Congo

Stanley Falls stretches 1,400 meters across the Lualaba River, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Despite its width, it is not a very visually impressive waterfall.

7. Victoria Falls, South Africa

Victoria Falls is 1800 meters wide. It is located on the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe. The river falls into a gorge consisting of lateral volcanic dams that were formed due to river erosion. When the water enters the gorge, the mist and spray rise more than 30 meters high, compared to the top of the falls, giving the impression that the mist is rising from a deep hole in the ground.

6. Vermilion Falls, North America

Although this waterfall does not have an impressive height, it is the sixth largest waterfall in the world in terms of width, which is 1829 meters. It is located along the Peace River, in Northern Alberta, Canada.

5. Mocona Falls, South America

The waterfall is part of the Uruguay River in Argentina. This is one of the most unique large river waterfalls. Its width is 2065 meters.

4. Iguazu Falls, South America

The waterfall straddles the border between Argentina and Brazil. It has a width of 2682 meters. Most of the river falls in an area known as the Garganta del Diablo, or Devil's Throat, but the rest spreads out across a wide, flat shelf, splitting into hundreds of individual waterfalls. This waterfall can vary greatly in volume depending on how much rain has fallen. At times it is reduced to a fraction of its normal size, but in some cases it increases to 2896 meters in width.

3. Congo Falls, West Central Africa

The waterfall is 3,200 meters wide, making it the third largest waterfall in the world. The falling water is truly an unforgettable sight, and it is located among the dense equatorial forests. The waterfall is located in the Ivindo National Park, which was created to protect biodiversity.

2. Para Falls, Venezuela

Salto Para, or Para waterfall, 5608 meters. The waterfall is located on the Caura River in the state of Bolivar, Venezuela. It is shaped like a crescent and is formed at the point where two parts of the river meet. The waterfall is surrounded by lush, green jungle.

1. Khon Waterfall, Laos

This is the widest waterfall in the world. Almost twice the size of Para Falls, it has a width of 10,783 meters. The falls are part of the Mekong River in Laos, and occur where the river splits into seven major and many other smaller channels. It consists of several different thresholds.

Khon Falls is the widest waterfall in the world.

Khon Waterfall on the Mekong River is located in Laos near the village of Khon near the border with Cambodia. In the area of ​​the waterfall, the Mekon River is divided into many branches so that the total width of the waterfall is about 20 km with a height difference of up to 21 m. There is a park near the Khon waterfall. The waterfall can be reached from both the Laotian and Cambodian sides. Khon Falls is the main obstacle to navigation along the Mekong River along its entire length.

The easiest way to get to Khon Waterfall is from the Laotian town of Pakse, which has an international airport. We arrived in Pakse by plane from Luang Probang. Being pressed for time, we immediately agreed with the taxi driver at Pakse airport that he would take us to the central cascade of the Khon waterfall (about 120 km one way), give us 2 hours of time to communicate with this miracle of nature, and then return us to Pakse and drop you off at our pre-booked hotel.

The driver charged us $235 for the service. I offered the option of paying $100 in advance and the same amount upon return to Pakse. That's where we stopped. I note that taxi drivers can also take you to several branches of the Khon Falls. At the same time, the duration and cost of the excursion will increase.

About 1.5 hours of driving along the highway and we approach the calm riverbed of the Mekong. Then the park around the waterfall begins. We purchase entrance tickets for $10 per person. Then you can walk or ride along the paths of the park on local carts. You can feel the approach of a waterfall by the sound of water and rapids in the river.

Finally we come out to the equipped observation deck and see the central cascade of the Khon waterfall as in the pictures of advertising brochures.

You can go down to the water and walk along a wooden bridge made of reeds to the seething stream.

To the right and left of the central cascade we see the side streams of the Khon Falls.

Below Khon Falls, the Mekong flow gradually calms down, although there are many rocks along the shore.

After the excursion we return to Pakse. Our hotel has a rooftop pool where you can swim and at the same time admire the town of Pakse from above.

In the very south of Laos, on the border with Cambodia, lies one of the wonders of the world. In November-January, during the dry months between the monsoons, the Mekong becomes shallow and along a 50-kilometer stretch forms a network of channels, channels, sandbanks and about 4,000 river islands. This place is called - Sipandon (Si Phan Don), which translated means "Four Thousand Islands".

The largest of the permanent islands are inhabited all year round and provide an opportunity to get a closer look at the life of coastal villages. Tourists arriving in Sipandon usually settle on three islands - Don Khong, Don Det and Don Khon. Our choice fell on the latter.

From Pakse we took a bus to some remote place called Nakasang. That's it, then only by boat.

At first, what I saw did not make an impression: well, the river, well, the trees, bushes and islands sticking out of the water. But first impressions are often deceiving.

Having landed on the island, we went to look for shelter. Along the river bank there are small wooden bungalows on stilts with verandas, where European tourists relax in sun loungers and hammocks. Some read books, some sip beer, some just sleep. In a word, a calm and serene holiday.

We stayed in a small hotel Souksan Guesthouse. One of the co-owners of the guesthouse is the colorful Briton Tom. He lived in France, but five years ago some wind brought him here to Laos on the island of Don Khon. Tom fell in love with these places and even bought a plot of land. At first I lived without electricity, which was brought to the island only three years ago. We learned from Tom what interesting things there are on the island.


On Don Khon, several colonial buildings still remain from the French, as well as the remains of a railway (by the way, the only one in Laos) and a pier.

On the island you can also see picturesque waterfalls, including the largest, according to Tom, waterfall in Southeast Asia - Khon Phapheng.

There are also rare river dolphins near Don Khon Island in the waters of the Mekong.
The next morning we rented bicycles and went to watch dolphins.


The village we settled in was amazing. Exotic too! Wooden huts with the names restaurant and guesthouse proudly displayed on them. In any “hotel” you can buy bus tickets anywhere - to Vientiane, Luang Prabang or Vang Vieng, to Cambodian Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, Vietnamese Danang, Hue and Hanoi, and even to Bangkok. At the same time, the price tag is quite moderate. For example, we bought two tickets to Phnom Penh for only $24. Once again I am convinced that Southeast Asia is a paradise for independent travelers.

Our path lay to the north of the island. We were driving along a narrow path through the jungle. Along the road every now and then we came across small villages.

Sometimes I felt like I was transported in a time machine. People here live the same way as their ancestors did hundreds of years ago - in wooden shacks on stilts, eating what the garden and the Mekong provide. Children run around half naked. Although if you look closely, you can see a satellite dish in the yard.

As mentioned above, in the Mekong below the falls lives a population of freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins, which are endangered and protected by the World Wildlife Fund. I don’t understand how they even took root here. The water in the river is monstrously dirty. After all, tons of waste is dumped into the Mekong. Is this why they disappear?

We rented a boat and went to see the dolphins. We stood in the middle of the river and began to peer into the river surface. But no one showed up. I remembered how in Vladivostok Chinese tourists were taken on a boat to watch mermaids. The Chinese peered into the sea, but the mermaids did not appear. And then the guide told them that the mermaids had apparently swam to another place and offered to feed the seagulls in return. So I sinfully began to doubt whether there are dolphins here at all? Although on the shore one European tourist said that midday is not the best time to go. I don’t know, maybe dolphins have a siesta and they sleep at this time. But we still saw them! And these are really dolphins. And then on the shore I saw a poster that said: “Dear tourists. Dolphins are wild animals. And we do not at all guarantee that you will be able to see them.” In general, this is a hint that no one will return your money.
And on the second day we went to see the largest waterfall in Southeast Asia - Khon Phaphaeng, translated as “Voice of the Mekong”. It is also called the “Niagara of the Mekong”. In fact, its height is only 15 meters. And it is the largest in terms of water consumption. This is not just one, but a whole cascade of waterfalls flowing from different levels of the Mekong Plateau.

Tourists, as a rule, get to it by land and watch the waterfall from a specially equipped platform. The owner of our hotel, named Papa Luang (as he introduced himself), invited us to see the waterfall from the inside, so to speak. Papa Luang is a funny guy. We never saw him sober. Even in the morning. So this time he boarded the boat with a bottle of local Lao Lao vodka and a “zapivon” - a bottle of beer. Despite the fact that I was already very drunk. First we swam along some channels, then we made our way through the jungle, and then we walked along rocks and rocks towards the sound of a waterfall. At the same time, our semi-sober guide, with a bottle in his hands, deftly jumped from stone to stone, and we - children of urbanization - could barely keep up with him.
Finally we came to the waterfall! He was literally a few meters away from us.

Of course, it doesn’t look like Niagara, but it’s also beautiful. On the other hand, are there really ugly waterfalls? At this point, the river, breaking up into several powerful streams, falls from stone ledges.

We sat on a rock and admired this magical sight. And I also managed to swim in a mountain stream. This is real ecotourism!
In the evening we sat on the veranda and enjoyed the sunset.

Sunsets over the Mekong are especially beautiful. And in general it’s good here on the Mekong. Calmly. Heartfelt. Here we were overwhelmed by the Lao leisurely and relaxed attitude to life. There's nowhere to run, no need to rush...
We left Laos with sadness. This poor and underdeveloped country has captivated us. I captivated with its natural beauty and the friendliness of its inhabitants. When we said goodbye to Tom, he said a good phrase: “You see that this world is small.” And really, why not return to Laos?

Kon Falls is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world. It is registered under the protection of a national reserve and is recognized as a national treasure of the Earth. Kon Falls is located on the Mekong River. The width of its drainage area is thirteen kilometers.

Kon (Khon) Falls is the calmest of all the waterfalls. His disposition is most favorable to sick people.

The power of this waterfall is aimed at a calming effect, it has magical energy. Many people who visited the Kon waterfall were convinced of its positive effect on the human body.
Kohn was discovered in 1920 by researcher E. Khokhan and was named after him.

Kon Falls is a cascading structure; like Victoria, it includes many waterfalls flowing from different levels of the Mekong Plateau. The beauty of this waterfall comes from the vibrant colorful flowers growing along its banks.
Kon is also a well-accessible spot for observation.
Its viewing area is well landscaped. Tourists appreciate this.

Many extreme sports enthusiasts have tried to conquer the Kon waterfall, and many have succeeded. Cohn almost always favors this. But fatalities also happened there. But this happened mainly due to the little or insufficient preparation of the conquerors.

It is a series of cascades of rapids, rapids and waterfalls, 3 of which have a drop of 15 to 21 m (with a width of 0.8 to 1.7 km).

The average water consumption is 10 - 12 thousand m3/sec, the highest (in summer and autumn) up to 30 thousand m3/sec.

The widest waterfall in the world is located in Southeast Asia, in Indochina. Kon, or Khon, is located on the Mekong River 15 km from Don Khon Island on the border of Laos and Cambodia.