The Best of Cambodia & Laos

WHERE TO STAY & DINE
In Champasak, most restaurants are also guesthouses and vice versa. Unless specified,
credit cards are not accepted.
Anouxa Guest House This is the best of a series of riverside guesthouses and restaurants.
It is situated at the southern edge of town. Each room has its own river-facing
veranda. You can enjoy with A/C or without. The staff is very friendly and the place is
well maintained. The Lao and Western food is not adventurous but it is solid and satisfying
(main courses 20,000 kip–40,000 kip).
1 mile north of the Fountain Circle. & 031/213-272. 17 units. 80,000 kip fan; 150,000 kip A/C. Amenities:
Restaurant. In room: A/C.
Inthira Champanakone Hotel This is a brand-new luxury boutique resort in an
old French colonial house. It is beautifully adapted, the house being the restaurant and
reception area. In the courtyard they have constructed a series of two-story minihouses,
each one being a separate unit. The rooms are small but cute with polished wooden floors
and a circular staircase leading to the sleeping area at the top. The restaurant serves a
mixture of Lao, Thai, Italian, and French food (main courses 18,000 kip–55,000 kip).
Inthira (Indira) is the name of the sun goddess in Indian mythology but more importantly
is also the name of the owner’s daughter.
Ban Vat Amard. & 031/214-059. www.inthirahotel.com. 8 units. $60 double. Amenities: Restaurant;
room service. In room: A/C, TV, fridge, minibar.
Khamphouy Guest House A basic but functional option with good views of the
river and restaurant attached (main courses 20,000 kip–40,000 kip). They also have a
well-maintained fleet of bicycles for hire.
Ban Watthong, 14 A Rd. (south of the circle). & 031/252-700. 8 units. 20,000 kip fan; 30,000 kip A/C.
Amenities: Restaurant. In room: A/C.
La Folie Lodge Located on Dong Daeng Island, across from Wat Phou, on the banks
of the Mekong, this splendid operation allows you to bask in luxury, atmosphere, and
history all at the same time. The cabins are super grand in a rustic and almost totally
wooden fashion. If you wish to contemplate the mystic and eerie splendors of Wat Phou
while also sipping cocktails by the pool, La Folie is the place for you.
Dong Daeng Island. & 030/534-7603. www.lafolie-laos.com. 24 units. $125 double. MC, V. Amenities:
Restaurant; bar; outdoor pool; room service. In room: A/C.
ATTRACTIONS
Wat Phou (Wat Phu) This spectacular temple on a hillside was designated a
World Heritage Site in 2002. It is a dramatic complex of temples, steps, statues, and lakes
stretching up a mountainside. It is one of the historical highlights of a visit to Laos.
Wat Phou is one of a chain of spectacular Khmer ruins spanning Thailand, Cambodia,
and Laos dating back from height of the Angkor empire when the Khmers ruled from
the South China Sea to the Andaman sea and as far north as Burma. It has a more rundown
feel than either Phimai or Phanom Rung in Thailand and certainly has yet to
benefit from the energy of conservation that is taking place in Angkor Wat, although
things are moving along. Wat Phou is situated at the base of Mount Phou Kao, 6km (3 3 ⁄4
miles) west of the Mekong. There was a temple on this site as early as the 5th century,
but the ruins you see now are from the 11th century to the 13th century. The temple is
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SOUTHERN LAOS 15
CHAMPASAK