Don Det and Don Kohn are twin islands in the Mekong River in the Si Phan Don (“Four Thousand Islands”) archipelago in Champasak Province of southern Laos. These car-free islands, connected by a small bridge at the southern end of Don Det, are magical for running, featuring lush tropical vegetation, paddy fields, and pretty views of the Mekong River. The former Don-Det Railway is now a 7 km paved path connecting the two islands. Our thanks to Lena Andersson, CEO of Go! Running Tours, for suggesting this route!
Don Det Loops
There are a couple of options for running on Don Det. A loop of the outer path is 6.4 km. A more popular route is the inner 6.7 km loop, which includes a road along the river on the eastern end of the island, then using the paved path on a former narrow-gauge railway that passes through Don Det’s interior. There are beautiful views of the fields, made more golden by the ever-shifting light. Keep an eye out for water buffalo and other wildlife! Note: From km 4, the road is not paved.
Don Khon Running
For a longer run, connect to Don Khon via the small bridge at the southern end of Don Det. You can continue along the railway path for another ~1 km, or on some other small roads at the northern part of the island. There’s a 13 km walking path around Don Khon, but it’s more rugged and less developed than the loop around Don Det.
Don Det and Don Kohn are twin islands in the Mekong River in the Si Phan Don (“Four Thousand Islands”) archipelago in Champasak Province of southern Laos. These car-free islands, connected by a small bridge at the southern end of Don Det, are magical for running, featuring lush tropical vegetation, paddy fields, and pretty views of the Mekong River. The former Don-Det Railway is now a 7 km paved path connecting the two islands. Our thanks to Lena Andersson, CEO of Go! Running Tours, for suggesting this route!
Don Det Loops
There are a couple of options for running on Don Det. A loop of the outer path is 6.4 km. A more popular route is the inner 6.7 km loop, which includes a road along the river on the eastern end of the island, then using the paved path on a former narrow-gauge railway that passes through Don Det’s interior. There are beautiful views of the fields, made more golden by the ever-shifting light. Keep an eye out for water buffalo and other wildlife! Note: From km 4, the road is not paved.
Don Khon Running
For a longer run, connect to Don Khon via the small bridge at the southern end of Don Det. You can continue along the railway path for another ~1 km, or on some other small roads at the northern part of the island. There’s a 13 km walking path around Don Khon, but it’s more rugged and less developed than the loop around Don Det.
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