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On the western bank of the slow-flowing Mekong River, some 40km south of Pakse, sits the quaint riverside town of Champasak. A modest place, Champasak is popular with backpackers who are either visiting Wat Phu or who have been attracted by the generally very relaxed pace of life. Without the hustle and bustle of Pakse and certainly without the crowds of Don Dhet and Don Khon, Champasak retains the best of both worlds, all well-wrapped-up in a blanket of traditional Lao hospitality.
The Khmer-period ruins of Wat Phu, some eight kilometres to the southwest of "town", were granted their UNESCO World Heritage status in 2001, but aside from a large carpark, a semi-modern looking administrative centre and a museum, the ruins are largely as they've been for centuries.
Well worn and heavily weathered, this is the most important Khmer site in Laos. An attractive but rather small affair, what Wat Phu lacks in size and grandeur it more than makes up for with charm and atmosphere. Overshadowed by Phu Pasak and littered with frangipani, Wat Phu's somewhat rambling almost teetering appearance belay it's importance. The site predates many of the finds in Angkor and Thailand and if you're lucky enough to have an uncrowded early morning or late afternoon to yourself the whole place has a bit of a lost city feel to it.
Here are some discussions off the Travelfish forum, perhaps related to Champasak. You can find the full forum here.
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