Kingfisher Lodge

Rural
Mountains
Culture
Wildlife
Family friendly

A quiet ecolodge beside Xe Pian wetlands, with village-led excursions

Kingfisher Ecolodge is a 16-bungalow eco-lodge on the edge of the Xe Pian wetlands, in southern Laos. Bungalows stand on stilts, built from local wood with glass frontages looking out over grazing buffalo and paddy fields. The wetlands sit inside the Xe Pian National Protected Area, a Ramsar-listed site, with the lodge about an hour from Pakse.

A two-storey restaurant doubles as a viewpoint. Choose to hike, cycle or kayak through the wetlands and surrounding forest, visit the nearby Khmer ruins at Vat Phu Champasak, or climb Phou Asa for the view back down. Sunrise over the wetlands, watched from the restaurant deck, is another highlight here.

Sustainability

Climate & conservation

Solar-powered hot water and lighting, some rooms hydroelectric
Single-use plastic-free lodge with a refill station
Working towards an elephant sanctuary to protect Laos' remaining elephants
Bungalows built from traditional local materials on stilts over the wetland
Member of Refill Not Landfill, with glass bottles and a guest refill station

Community & culture

Works with mahouts to phase out elephant riding in favour of ethical alternatives
Funded school improvements and road building in the local village
12% of revenue goes to the villagers under the park management foundation
Much of the food is bought from producers around Ban Kiat Ngong village
Sponsors village festivals alongside its school and road projects

Commercial

Scored 4 out of 5 butterflies on the Butterfly Club Eco Rating System

In brief

Price bracket: £
Type of property: Lodge
No. of rooms: 12 bungalows
Max guests per room: Rooms sleep up to 3
Facilities: Restaurant, Bicycle hire, Tours desk, Garden
Activities: Hiking, Mountain biking, Kayaking, Bird watching
Setting: Wetlands · National Park · Rural

Accessibility

Remote rural location reached by dirt road; bungalows are stilted with steps, so not step-free

£pp / night Visit website

Guide price · £ <£100 · ££ £100–300 · £££ £300–800 · ££££ £800+ pp / night