Visiting Plain of Jars - Visitor Information for PDJ Laos - HoboMaps.com - Go Back to Plain of Jars Info Page- - - Home

Jar Site 1 lower area image below:

Description & Location - the Plain of Jars is not an official area and has no clear boundaries but is roughly the gray-colored area seen on the satellite image below. It's a rather flat basin on a plateau located in Xieng Khouang Province northern Laos. The size is approximately 450 square kilometers - 10 to 20 km wide east to west & 30 km north to south. Xieng Khouang is pronounced "Shiang Kwang" and Phonsavanh is pronounced "Ponsavan".

Why Visit PDJ? - To stir the imagination. To see and explore a unique landscape with a unique history and unsolved mysteries. It's one of the most tortured landscapes on the planet that continues to suffer from mankind's ravages while also experiencing renewal efforts.

You can stand on a hilltop today surrounded by megalithic jars and look out over a lowlands area that at one time may have been an ancient lake and imagine tree-covered hills surrounding that lake. What must have been a large and rather prosperous civilization has simply vanished without leaving us anything other than the jars.

Why Not to Go to PDJ -The PDJ today still has dangerous UXO lying about and people who want to wander about anywhere are advised to find some other place to do it as visitors should stay on roads and pathways.

Phonsavanh is the only town of any size on the PDJ and there's no nightlife - not a place for party animals. Gourmet diners will be disappointed as will those seeking ancient cultural experiences. Shopping is limited and not great value. Very few temples still exist and none seem to have interesting architecture or ancient history.

Phonsavanh is a relatively new town developed after the older capital at Muang Khoun (then known as Xieng Khoung) was totally destroyed by US bombing in 1969. Wat Piawat at the old capital has partially survived and is a great photo op.

Trekking is limited to areas already cleared of UXO and well-trodden paths.

Water sports are also limited with no organized kayaking or tubing and swimming (wading actually) is limited to ponds near caves or waterfalls.

Getting to PDJ - most visitors arrive by bus via Hwy. 7 coming from the east after turning off Hwy. 13 at the Phou Khoun junction. Hwy. 7 is a fine paved road with little traffic that makes it attractive for cycling but there is no nice reliable accommodation between Phou Khoun and Phonsavanh and the 135 km distance is too much for bicycling in one day for all but the most fit. Hwy. 7 also extends to Vietnam and along the way westward, Hwy. 6 branches north to Sam Neua and Vieng Xai.

Hwy. 1D has recently been improved greatly and goes southeast from Phonsavanh to Muang Khoun the old capital and then heads south towards Paksan. Direct bus service to/from PDJ is available from Vientiane, Paksan, Vang Vieng, Luang Prabang and Sam Neua.

Local Transport - the town of Phonsavanh is small enough to walk around but most other places of interest at the PDJ require some sort of transport. Bicycles and motorbikes sometimes are available for daily rental but only at one or two places so be sure to arrive as early as possible to get one.

Tuk tuks are the main taxis for visitors and in the central area drivers seem to speak a little English.

Songtaew buses go out from the bus stations to outlying areas but aren't usually used by visitors. Tourism authorities restrict their use in taking visitors to the jar sites and other tourist attractions where they prefer use of registered guides.

Tourist Info - there is a Provincial Tourism Office in Phonsavanh at grid code KI218 on this map HERE that is open 08:30 to 11:30 & 13:30 to 16:00. The town has many travel agents and tour guide places in the central area.

Phonsavanh town in the past has been rated poorly by some visitors but it's now a nice quiet place with most streets newly paved, new sidewalks, streetlights and even new traffic signals. The general archicture is still uninteresting. It's a newly-built town established after the old capital was destroyed in the Vietnam War era, the Secret War in Laos. Not much to do in town but it has all the typical tourist services.

Accommodation - there are over 60 places of visitor accommodation at PDJ with nearly all in Phonsavanh town. Prices are reasonable and quality is fine with good reliable electric and water service.

Hiking & Cycling - the PDJ has not been known in the past as a great place for hiking or cycling, in part due to fears of UXO and the lack of good maps showing safe areas for independent exploration. Local guides and travel agents don't make money from these activities and hence the lack of promotion.

Serene bicycle or motorbike trips can be made on the back roads route from Phonsavanh town to Jar Site 3 - highlighted on the PDJ map HERE.

Short half-day hikes from town can be made to the cemetery hilltop north of town and the Vietnam and Laos Memorial hilltops south of town. All have great panoramic viewpoints.

Visiting Jar Sites Without a Guide
Jar Sites 1, 2 & 3 are open to the public. Site 1 is only about 10 km from central town but Sites 2 & 3 are much further south. From central Phonsavanh town its about 24 km to Site 2 and 30 km to Site 3 one way.

A trip out to see all 3 sites would be about 38 km on the way out (including side trips to Sites 1 & 2) and 30 km back without side trips for a 68 km round trip total. Trying to visit all 3 sites by peddle bicycle in a single day may end up peddling back in the dark.

Visiting Jar Sites on Guided Tour
Several tour agencies have daily tours to Jar Sites 1, 2 & 3 along with stops at the Provincial Tourism Office, Whiskey Village and a Russian tank and a noodle soup lunch at Site 3. If the weather is good we suggest asking the guide to let you walk the path between Sites 2 & 3 along a scenic ridge instead of riding in the minivan.

Some Jar Sites other than 1, 2 & 3 are open to visitors but we’ve had no luck getting organized tours or guides to take us to them as they’re further away from town and far apart. Some quarries are also open and cleared of UXO but not part of tours yet. 

Phou Keng Quarry Now Open
The Phou Keng Quarry site was opened in early 2012. It is located at grid code JN164 on this map HERE and can be reached by going south on the road that joins Hwy. 7 between km markers 125 & 126 west of Phonsavanh. The quarry is about 18 km from central Phonsavanh via this route.

About 1,000 concrete steps go up a steep ravine at the quarry site to the summit of Phou Keng mountain where there is a secret tunnel and a natural cave plus nice views. Unfinished jars lie on both sides of the steps for easy viewing. Many of the jars at Jar Site 1 are thought to have come from this quarry.