Coffee in Salavan
Province
Salavan is characterized by rugged mountains, forested plateaus, and fertile lowlands in the northwest of the Bolaven.
Fertile volcanic soils in the highlands support the production of high-quality Arabica and Robusta coffee, making Salavan part of Laos' premier coffee-growing region.
The tropical monsoon climate brings heavy rainfall from May to October and cooler temperatures on the plateau.
The province is also drained by the Xe Don and Xe Bang Hieng Rivers, supporting agriculture and traditional farming practices.
The central part of Salavan province is on the Bolaven Plateau. Beyond the plateau and the Mekong River, the landscape features lowland plains and a mountainous region near the Vietnamese border.
Salavan Province is one of Laos’ key coffee-producing areas, alongside Champasak and Sekong provinces. Arabica coffee from the Bolaven Plateau is a significant export product and visitors can also buy it in villages along the main roads.
Case Study – Nambeng Coffee Group
Nambeng Coffee Group is an award-winning company that partners with smallholder farmers to ensure rigorous cultivation standards.
They use wet and honey processing methods to improve bean quality and roasts coffee locally for premium specialty markets.
Nambeng won the Arabica Experimental Process award at the Lao Green Coffee Competition in 2021.
A year later, in 2022, Nambeng scored nearly 85 points for their naturally processed green beans, qualifying them to participate in the first-ever coffee auction in Laos. They were also chosen to participate in the World of Coffee (WOC) exhibition in Greece in 2023.
See it for yourself…
Historical Beauty in Salavan
Salavan, in southern Laos, is a land of rolling hills, fertile valleys, and the three major rivers of Sekong, Sedon, and Houay Champi.
The 1,300 km2 Xe Bang Nouan National Protected Area shelters clouded leopards, elephants, black-cheeked gibbons, great hornbills and peacocks, among other species. Tad Lo and Tad Hang waterfalls make for great natural swimming pools.
Lao, Alak, Ta Oy, and Laven ethnic communities preserve traditions through weaving and animist rituals while the Ho Chi Minh Trail remnants mark its wartime past.
With its rich biodiversity and expanding coffee sector, Salavan is becoming a key player in Laos’s specialty coffee industry.
