Southern Laos
Perpetually popular with backpackers despite the rundown rooms (in a mix of wooden and concrete construction) due to both the low prices and the hearty welcome from the English- and French-speaking owners. They're a good source of local info and can arrange sunset boat trips.
The rooms, and riverside restaurant, are hidden behind the slovenly storefront; you'd never notice this was a guesthouse if it weren't for the sign.
5.21 MILES
Bucolic Wat Phu sits in graceful decrepitude, and while it lacks the arresting enormity of Angkor in Cambodia, given its few visitors and more dramatic…
25.81 MILES
Tat Fan is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Laos. Twin streams plunge out of dense forest and tumble down more than 120m to form the Huay Bang…
27.36 MILES
Se Pian NPA is one of the most important protected areas in Laos. The 2400-sq-km park boasts small populations of Asiatic black bears, yellow-cheeked…
26.2 MILES
Probably the most developed of the Bolaven Plateau waterfalls, Tat Yuang, as some signs spell it, is impressive, with its twin torrents falling about 40m…
27.11 MILES
Not to be confused with the far inferior waterfall of the same name along Rte 20 on the way to Tat Lo, this is the smallest of the four waterfalls west of…
14.51 MILES
The centrepiece of this hilltop temple across the Mekong from Pakse is the giant golden Buddha statue looking out over the city. The views from his perch…
25.41 MILES
Just 1km north of the main road (Rte 16), this is the first large waterfall you reach on the drive up from Pakse. The waterfall is beautiful, and its 40m…
20.66 MILES
This temple just past the stone carvers in Ban Don Khoh is well worth a visit, not only for its 30m-tall gold-painted Buddha but also some of the…
0.17 MILES
About 300m south of the fountain circle you'll find the large former home of Chao Boun Oum (the king's younger brother), built in 1952 in French colonial…
2. Chao Ratsadanai's Residence
0.22 MILES
This faded 1926 French Colonial building was once the residence of Chao Ratsadanai, the king's father.
2.98 MILES
Where the road to Wat Phu turns away from the Mekong, the remains of the Champasak's ancient city ('Muang Kao') begin. Founded in the mid-5th century by…
4.04 MILES
About 5km south of town along the Mekong stands the oldest active temple in Champasak, and one of the most interesting in southern Laos. The soaring Thai…
4.81 MILES
The Exhibition Hall near the ticket office showcases dozens of lintels, naga (mythical water serpents), Buddhas and other stonework from Wat Phu and its…
5.21 MILES
Bucolic Wat Phu sits in graceful decrepitude, and while it lacks the arresting enormity of Angkor in Cambodia, given its few visitors and more dramatic…
5.77 MILES
An easy 2km walk to the south of Wat Phu – follow the signs from near the main gate – stands Nang Sida temple, which probably dates from the middle of the…