The Best of Cambodia & Laos

Southern Laos
Southern Laos is often overlooked
as eyes are drawn to the splendors of
Luang Prabang and the dramatic scenery
of the north. Southern Laos offers something
different especially if you have a little
more time or intend to travel from Laos
across into Cambodia, a journey that is
now very easy. Pakse is not as packed with
old French colonial buildings and glittering
temples as other cities but although
it’s a commercial hub it is a relaxed place
to base yourself with a good location,
good facilities, a compact and convenient
1 PAKSE
center, and some good restaurants. Champasak
is a riverine gem and the southern
islands of Si Phan Don have become the
favored chill-out zone of a whole new
generation of budget travelers. The
Bolaven Plateau provides a welcome relief
from the heat. Above all the real gem of
the south is the ancient Khmer temple
complex of Wat Phou, one of a chain of
several spectacular architectural relics running
north of Angkor itself across Laos,
Cambodia, and Thailand.
Pakse is the crossroads and administrative center of southern Laos. As crossroads go, it is
a very relaxed and laid-back place. It is not packed with attractions but it is a pleasant
city in which to pass a day or two. Being at the confluence of the Mekong and the Se
Don rivers there are plenty of spots to enjoy a cool drink while taking in superb river
views. Its geographical position as a center of commerce has been further boosted by the
opening of the Lao-Japanese Bridge over the Mekong across which trundles an endless
procession of trucks carrying goods from Thailand. This has increased trade and the
modern part of town that adjoins it is a bustling area of markets, truck stops, and commerce.
The old part of town (where the hotels and restaurants are) is far quieter. If you
have limited time it makes sense to use Pakse as a base for day trips to Wat Phou, the
Bolaven Plateau, and islands in the Mekong.
In terms of orientation pretty much everything you need is to be found on near Rd.
13 from the old French Bridge up to the roundabout next to the Champasak Palace
Hotel.
GETTING THERE
BY PLANE Pakse Airport is situated 2km (1 1 ⁄4 miles) from town heading north up Rd.
13. Lao Airlines (Rd. 1.; & 031/212-252; open 8am–11:30pm and 1:30–4:30pm
Mon–Fri) has daily flights to Vientiane and twice weekly to Luang Prabang. A one-way
flight to Vientiane costs $129. There are also international flights to Siem Reap and
Bangkok. A jumbo from the center of town costs about $1. Departure tax on international
flights is $10.
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