Champasak

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.

 

The ruins draw a steady crowd of day-trippers from Pakse and further afield -- you can even do a day trip from Ubon Ratchathani in Thailand if you'd like -- but, with its handful of colonial mansions, typical Chinese shopfronts and pretty wooden houses try to allow for at least an overnight stay if time allows.

Even in high season, this is a sleepy place. Along the solitary main road water buffaloes and wandering geese are more common sights than cars and buses, and the riverfront, with its smattering of small restaurants and hammock-strewn cafes creates an ideal getaway from the midday heat.

Although some skip here, opting to head straight from Pakse to Si Phan Don, for those with a spare day or two, this is a great little hideaway in its own right, with a charming atmosphere that leads many a visitor to linger far longer than they planned.

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