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Jai Ganesh

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Registered: 2005-06-28

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Khone Phapheng Falls

Khone Phephang Falls

Gist

The widest waterfalls in the world are the Khône Falls on the Mekong River in Laos, with a total width of 10,783 m (35,376 ft). The falls measure 15–21 m (50–70 ft) in height and have a flood flow of 42,500 {m}^{3}/sec (1,500,000 cusec).

It is the widest waterfall in the world at 10,783 metres (35,376 feet or 6.7 miles) in width from one edge of its multiple channels to the other. The Khone Falls are the largest in southeast Asia, and are the main reason that the Mekong is not fully navigable into China.

Summary

The Khone Falls and Pha Pheng Falls form a waterfall located in Champasak Province on the Mekong River in southern Laos, near the border with Cambodia. It is the widest waterfall in the world at 10,783 metres (35,376 feet or 6.7 miles) in width from one edge of its multiple channels to the other.

The Khone Falls are the largest in southeast Asia, and are the main reason that the Mekong is not fully navigable into China. The falls are characterised by thousands of islands and countless waterways, giving the area its name Si Phan Don or 'the 4,000 islands'.

The highest falls reach to 21 metres (69 ft); the succession of rapids stretch 9.7 km (6.0 mi) of the river's length. The average discharge of the cataract is nearly 11,000 {m}^{3}/s (390,000 cu ft/s), with the highest flow on record at over 49,000 {m}^{3}/s (1,700,000 cu ft/s).

Navigable efforts

Because the Khone Falls stop the Mekong river from carrying boat traffic to and from China, French colonialists in the late 19th century made repeated attempts to navigate the falls. Their efforts failed, which led to the construction of the Don Det–Don Khon railway on Don Det and Don Khon islands.

Wildlife

Hemimyzon khonensis, a species of hillstream loach, is known from a single specimen collected in the Mekong at the Khone Falls. The falls are home to the plabuck, an endangered species of catfish said to be the largest freshwater fish in the world. The plabuck is alleged to reach lengths of 3 m (10 ft) and weights of up to 293 kilograms (646 lb).

Details:

Khone Phapheng Falls in Laos: World's Biggest Waterfall

If you want to see the biggest waterfall in all the world by volume and by width, it is in southern Laos where the mighty Mekong River falls in cataracts into a pool. It goes by several names such as Khone Phapheng in Laotian and Khone Falls, and in French, it is called Chutes De Khone.

This waterfall might be what kept the civilization of the Laotian Mekong basin distinctive because though it was very useful for native people to float around on over its broad placid face in Laos, it kept travel, trade and naval invasion from the sea at bay.

Most people never see it. It is out of the way of most tourist travel. There are no large cities or airports right by it, and the transportation infrastructure there is primitive. So it is a good idea to arrange for a private driver who can take you there, take you around, and take you back for meals and hotel. Here is important information about the waterfall, what to do around it, and prices for entry and transport.

Highlights of Khone Phapheng Falls

A huge crashing volume of white water: Hear it roar! Many rivers have a greater volume of water. However, those rivers don't have big falls like this.

Good for: people who love natural places, waterfalls, and majestic scenery

Not overly touristy: The whole area is off the beaten track in the extreme south of Laos where it is more quiet, sleepy, and lazy. The island towns are good for relaxation, and you'll you find many foreigners simply doing that. The main international travelers are Thais, Vietnamese and Westerners. There are no large Chinese and Korean tour groups as in the north.

Lots of other things to do nearby: It is in Champasak Province that is rich in things to do without crowds. You can find awesome places such as 4,000 small islands and the waterfall. You could kayak on the broad Mekong River, stay and eat in laid back native towns, go to other waterfalls, and kayak out to see dolphins!

Khone Phapheng Falls Quick Facts

* Height, breadth and volume: The main drop is 14 meters (45 feet), and the stair of cataracts have a total drop of 22 meters.
* Width: It is almost 11 kilometers wide. At any one point though, you'll only glimpse a small portion of the falls.
* Volume: The flow is 9,500,000 liters (2,500,000 gallons) per second. This is almost double the volume of Niagara Falls.
* Suitable for: nature lovers and photography

Additional Information

Khone Falls, series of cataracts on the Mekong River, extreme southern Laos, on the Cambodian border. The falls are the principal impediment to navigation of the river and have impeded economic use of the Mekong by the peoples of the Cambodian plain to the south and those of Laos to the north; a narrow-gauge railway was once built for transport around the falls. The double series of cataracts is caused by a resistant bed of basalt over which the river tumbles 45 feet (14 m) to a pool 269 feet (82 m) above sea level. The strata causing the falls are also responsible for several islands, the largest of which, Không, has a small port based on the portaging of goods around the falls. The Khone has the greatest volume of the world’s waterfalls, its 2,500,000 gallons (9,500,000 litres) per second being nearly double that of Niagara Falls.

More a glorified set of rapids than a waterfall, but oh, how glorious it is. The largest and by far the most awesome waterfall anywhere along the Mekong, Khon Phapheng is pure, unrestrained aggression, as millions of litres of water crash over the rocks. While pricier than the similar Tat Somphamit, this place, with its gardens and walking paths, is more attractive. You can also get down closer to the rapids.

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