Bolaven Plateau

"The Bolaven Plateau in southern Laos is a poor, but fertile agricultural area known for its coffee plantations and spectacular waterfalls. Various coffee growing co-operatives are now established growing the coffee beans for domestic Cafe Lao and export abroad.The main ethnic group living in the Bolaven Plateau are the Laven people - Bolaven literally means the "home of the Laven".The Bolaven Plateau was heavily bombed during the Vietnam War and unexploded ordinance (UXO) is still being found and diffused. The French first introduced coffee to the area when Laos fell under French colonial rule in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.An area of fantastic, natural beauty the Bolaven Plateau is slowly escaping its grinding poverty with the help of fair trade initiatives and a nascent tourist industry."