# 4000 Islands (Si Phan Don): getting to Don Det and Don Khon

> Pakse to Don Det by van and boat in about 3 hours, vans to Siem Reap and Phnom Penh via Nongnokkhene, and Khone Phapheng, Li Phi and the islands.

**Source:** https://laosbustickets.com/4000-islands-don-det/  
**Language:** en  
**Last verified:** 25 October 2026  
**Written by:** Laos Bus Tickets, Vientiane, Laos
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## Quick answer

From Pakse, van-and-boat tickets reach Don Det in about 3 hours, leaving 08:30 to 12:00, from about USD 10.50 sold online for November 2026. From Siem Reap or Phnom Penh, day vans cross at Nongnokkhene in about 8 to 9 hours, from about USD 20.70. The islands have no road bridge: the boat from Nakasong is part of every ticket.

## How do I get to Don Det and Don Khon?
From **Pakse**, take a van-and-boat ticket: about **3 hours** to Don Det, leaving 08:30 to 12:00, from about **USD 10.50**, sold online for November 2026. From **Siem Reap** or **Phnom Penh**, day vans cross at Nongnokkhene in about 8 to 9 hours. The islands have no road bridge, so every ticket ends with the boat from Nakasong.

## Pakse to Don Det and Don Khon: the van, then the boat from Nakasong

The road from [Pakse](/pakse-bus-tickets/) runs about 150 km south on Route 13 to **Nakasong**, the pier on the mainland; small boats cross from there to Don Det and Don Khon. Through tickets cover both.

**Pakse to Don Det, sold online for November 2026, one adult, boat included.**

| Company | Leaves Pakse | Reaches Don Det | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pakse Travel | 08:30 | 11:30 | USD 11 |
| Airbus | 09:00 | 11:45 | USD 10.50 |
| Sarah Transport Laos | 08:30 | 12:00 | USD 12.30 |
| Green Paradise | 09:00, 12:00 | 12:00, 15:00 | USD 12.29–16.38 |
| Nakasang Paradise Travel | 09:00 | 11:30 | USD 14.34 |
| MMB Travel | 08:30 | 11:30 | USD 16.25 |

MMB Travel starts from the Chitpasong bus station; the others pick up in town. For **Don Khon**, Airbus runs 09:00 → 12:00 for about USD 11.55. The boat on its own is not sold online: it is part of these tickets.

**Back to Pakse:** Green Paradise leaves Don Det at 11:00 and 16:00 (about 3 hours, from USD 12.29), Pakse Travel and MMB Travel at 11:00 (USD 13 and USD 16.25), and Airbus at 15:15 (USD 10.50).

_The Mekong at Don Det: small boats like this one carry everyone across from Nakasong._

## Don Det to Siem Reap and Phnom Penh across Nongnokkhene

Vans and buses run straight from Don Det into Cambodia through [Nongnokkhene–Trapeang Kriel](/laos-cambodia-border-crossing/), the only crossing between the two countries, about 30 minutes south of the islands. Prices are sold online for November 2026.

**Don Det and Cambodia, sold online for November 2026, one adult.**

| Route | Company | Departs → arrives | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Don Det → Siem Reap | Namo Angkor Travel | 09:00 → 17:00, 10:45 → 18:45 | USD 20.70–22.50 |
| Don Det → Siem Reap | Dara Panha Sak Transport | 11:00 → 18:30 | USD 24 |
| Don Det → Siem Reap | SRL Transport | 09:00 → 17:00, 11:00 → 19:00 | USD 27 |
| Don Det → Siem Reap | Dara Panha Sak Transport | 15:00 → 05:00 (night, next day) | USD 25 |
| Don Det → Phnom Penh | Trans Passion | 08:45 → 17:45 | USD 30 |
| Don Det → Phnom Penh | Rally Tour and Travel | 11:00 → 18:30 | USD 30.70 |
| Don Det → Phnom Penh | SRL Transport | 11:00 → 20:00 | USD 40 |
| Don Det → Phnom Penh | SRL Transport | 15:00 → 05:00 (night, next day) | USD 35 |
| Siem Reap → Don Det | Namo Angkor Travel | 07:45 → 15:45 | USD 20.70 |
| Siem Reap → Don Det | Grand Apsara Voyage | 08:00 → 15:00 | USD 23 |
| Phnom Penh → Don Det | Seng Horn 168 | 07:30 → 15:30 | USD 24 |
| Phnom Penh → Don Det | Dara Panha Sak Transport | 20:00 → 09:30 (night, next day) | USD 28 |

The Lao side opens 06:00 to 18:00. Cambodia's e-visa is accepted at Trapeang Kriel; entering Laos here, a Lao eVisa is not, so you need a visa on arrival or an exemption. The [border page](/laos-cambodia-border-crossing/) has the fees and the steps.

## Khone Phapheng, Li Phi falls and life on Don Det

- **Khone Phapheng:** the largest waterfall by volume in Southeast Asia, where the Mekong drops across a wide fault line and cannot be navigated; about 6 km south of Don Det and 13 km from the Cambodian border.

- **Li Phi falls (Somphamit):** rapids and cascades on Don Khon, with suspension bridges over the channels. Lao people call them Somphamit, after a sacred Buddha image lost in the river; Li Phi is the name for the whole 20 km stretch of falls.

- **Don Det and Don Khon:** Don Det is the most laid back of the islands, with guesthouses, bars and restaurants along the river. In French colonial times a railway was built across the islands to link Laos with Saigon.

- **Don Khong:** the biggest island, and the easiest to reach.

- **The dolphins are gone.** The Irrawaddy dolphins once watched from boats at the Cambodian border have died out there: the last one died in February 2022.

_Khone Phapheng, about 6 km south of Don Det: the falls that stopped boats on the Mekong._

## Routes

| Route | Mode | Border crossing | Duration | Bookable online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4000 Islands → Siem Reap | Bus or van | Nongnokkhene – Trapeang Kriel | approx 8 hrs advertised | Yes |
| 4000 Islands → Stung Treng | Bus or van | Nongnokkhene – Trapeang Kriel | 4–5 hrs | Yes |
| 4000 Islands → Phnom Penh | Bus or van | Nongnokkhene – Trapeang Kriel | 9–10 hrs advertised | Yes |

## Common questions

### How do I get from Pakse to Don Det?

By van and boat on one ticket: about 3 hours, leaving 08:30 to 12:00, from about USD 10.50, sold online for November 2026.

### Is there a bridge to Don Det?

Not from the mainland. Every trip ends with the boat from Nakasong, which through tickets include.

### How long is Don Det to Siem Reap?

About 8 hours by van through Nongnokkhene, leaving 09:00 to 11:00, from about USD 20.70 for November 2026.

### How do I get from Don Det to Phnom Penh?

By van, about 8 to 9 hours, from about USD 30; night buses leave at 15:00 and arrive around 05:00.

### Can I see dolphins at the 4000 Islands?

No. The last Irrawaddy dolphin of the pool at the Cambodian border died in February 2022.

### Where is Khone Phapheng?

About 6 km south of Don Det, 13 km from the Cambodian border: the largest waterfall by volume in Southeast Asia.

## Sources

- [Tourism Laos: Champasak Province](https://www.tourismlaos.org/southern-provinces/champasak-province/): Wat Phou, the Bolaven Plateau and its waterfalls, and Khone Phapheng
- [Lao Department of Immigration](https://immigration.gov.la): checkpoint list, opening hours and visa status
- [Mongabay](https://news.mongabay.com/2022/04/death-of-last-river-dolphin-in-laos-rings-alarm-bells-for-mekong-population/): the death of the last Irrawaddy dolphin of the Lao–Cambodian border pool, February 2022

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_Written and kept up to date from Vientiane by people who have lived in Laos for two decades and take these buses, trains and boats themselves, around the country and across its borders. Each page is checked against Lao government, immigration and operator sources and the news, and the routes it lists are tested online on several dates. We recheck whenever something changes, not on a fixed schedule ([how we check things](https://laosbustickets.com/about/#how-we-check))._