Pakse
Travel Guide
Maps
In a nutshell
Visit Ban Saphai on Don Kho, an island 17km away that is renowned for its silk weaving. Or go see several waterfalls in the area, best done under your own steam. One of them rates as one of our prettiest spots in Asia.
The provincial capital of Pakse is one of the most Thai-like towns in all of Laos, and one that, up until recently, most travellers and backpackers tended to use as a transit point and little else. The tourism infrastructure is less developed than the more popular north, making it a bit harder to explore, but Champasak Province has much to offer -- and Pakse is an ideal base to explore much of it from.
In our opinion this was a mistake -- admittedly, it doesn't measure up to the low-key splendour of Luang Prabang, but nevertheless it has a definite charm, some beautiful wats, and two gorgeous rivers, great for enjoying some eats and drinks by the water side and watching the sun smoulder into the horizon.
But Pakse seems to be making a transition from transit point to staging area -- the Lao Government has put a lot of careful work into cultivating new, ecologically friendly and well-regulated tourist destinations that combine the adventure of exploring the unknown with the convenience of regular and reliable services. You can easily spend a week or so just making day trips and overnights from Pakse, and winding up right back in town to plan the next stage of your journey.
We see Pakse shaking off the reputation from paper guidebooks -- it's a comfortable spot for hanging out, recharging your batteries, and picking up information, with an ever-improving guesthouse scene, some great food, and excellent local hospitality.
Best known for its spectacular Khmer ruins at Wat Phu and the stunning cluster of islands near the Cambodian border known as Si Phan Don (4,000 islands). Here you'll also find elephant trekking in Ban Khiet Ngong, stunning waterfalls rimming the Bolaven Plateau, and you'll get a glimpse into authentic, traditional Laotian life on the islands of Don Kho near Pakse and Don Deng near Champasak Town, making a tour of the region well worth the extra effort.
Travellers should be prepared to spend longer in this province than expected. Besides the excellent hospitality of the locals, there's a growing list of worthwhile things to do. Another reason is the rather slow pace of public transportation. Though Champasak has generally good roads, as in much of Laos, the transport that runs along them does so at its own creaky pace, loaded to the roof with more goods and baggage than people, making frequent stops along routes that offer a small selection of daily departures.
Partly as a response to the slow buses, motorbikes have become a popular alternative, and are easily rented in the provincial capital of Pakse long-term. For those so inclined, this is recommended, as it will allow you to better explore the province without spending half your time sorting out departures, waiting in terminals, and languishing on a long, slow bus ride. Increasingly, group package tours offer to take care of some of these hassles for you, but nothing can beat stopping off at a road-side food stall in the middle of nowhere, or coursing down back roads along streams and canals through fields of rice against a scenic backdrop of mountains.
Many backpackers and travellers to Champasak province elect to head straight down to Si Phan Don (4,000 islands) to while away a few days in a hammock, but for those with more time on their hands, Champasak and Pakse are well worth more than a cursory glance.
Visa
Cambodia just got a lot easier to visit: one-month visas on arrival are now available at the Veun Kham - Dom Kralor border for US$20 -- an 'overtime' fee of US$1.50 will be levied on weekends, holidays, and after 16:30 Be aware though that the new Laotian visa on arrival is not available going the other way -- you'll have to get a Laotian visa at an embassy in Cambodia or elsewhere before you hit the border. Of course, Thailand still offers a free 30-day visa on arrival, but according to the new rules, if you're planning to spend more than 90 days in Thailand during a six month period, you'll have to apply at an embassy for a 3-month visa. Once you're stamped into Laos, you can cross back and forth to the Chong Mek side in Thailand to go shopping and do your banking without having to check in and out of the country. If you leave Chong Mek your passport will be checked, but as long as you stay in town and return the same day, there's no problem.
For more information on the crossing to Cambodia, please see our story: How do I cross the Cambodia to Laos border?
Related reading
Is Lao Airlines safe to fly?
Exploring Laos' Bolaven Plateau
Southern Laos by scooter
Crossing the Cambodia Laos border
Check Pakse hotel rates on Agoda. Best price guarantee!
Accommodation: Pakse
Champasak Palace Hotel |
Lan Kham Hotel |
Lao Cha Leun Hotel |
Narin Thachalern Hotel |
Pakse Hotel |
Phonesavanh Guesthouse |
Phonesavanh Hotel |
Sabaidy 2 Guesthouse |
Salachampa Hotel |
Sang Aroun Hotel |
Sedone River Guesthouse |
Souksamlane Hotel |
Thaluang Guest House |
Vannapha Hotel |
Accommodation: Tad Fane
The Tad Fane Resort |
Text and/or map last updated on 5th September, 2010.
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Pha Taem National Park (Thailand)
Pak Song
Phibun Mangsahan (Thailand)
Tad Lo
Tha Teng
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The above are all within 200km of Pakse.
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Book Online
Arawan Riverside Hotel
Salakiew St, Phonesavanh Village, Pakse District, Champasak ProvinceFrom: US$40.00 with Agoda
Champa Residence Hotel
No.13 RoadFrom: US$40.00 with Agoda
Champasak Grand Hotel
Lao Nippon Bridge Mekong Riverside Road, P.O. Box 419From: US$55.00 with Agoda
Champasak Palace Hotel
Road No.13 Ban Prabath, P.O.Box 718From: US$39.00 with Agoda
Imoun Homestay & Restaurant
106/10 Ban PakhuaydeauFrom: US$13.00 with Agoda
Mekong Paradise Resort
Ban NonhsavangFrom: US$54.00 with Agoda
Pakse reviews
Backchat from the Travelfish community
Very Charming City
I loved this city. There was something very innocent and charming about it that made me feel drawn to the scenery and the people.
The buildings resemble french renaissance-like architecture, etched by the elements. Motorcycles swarm the streets, red sand along the sides of the roads. It felt like I had travelled back in time.
I was surprised at the types of hotels available. If you want, you can find a ''high end'' hotel that is clean, with air conditioning, and very much resembled a nice western style hotel for rates that would be a steal in North America.
The only thing I regret is not being more adventurous and actually taking a stroll through the small streets and into the depths of the city. I wish we would have been brave enough sit at a local cafe and try some local cuisine. We were just so paranoid that we'd catch a stomach bug, we missed out on just being in the moment and embracing EVERYTHING the city had to offer.
My favorite activity was riding on the back on a motorcycle at night, and seeing the city that way. We stopped at a night market and then had a beer on a floating pub along the riverside. It sounds cheesy, but it was honestly a magical and humbling experience.
I think about going back almost all the time. Seeing the faces of the locals and their lifestyle makes the fact that the western world is so different and so alien very real.
By Snarf (dabbler)
Written on 5th July, 2011 after a visit to Pakse in May, 2010
Also reviewed by Snarf: Don Khong,
A charming 'little' town - if you ignore the sprawl
When you get off the bus in Pakse the tuk-tuk drivers will say "center? center?" and they mean it. Taking a bike out of the town takes longer than you'd expect, but if you're just spending time waiting to depart to another destination no reason to waste the money on wheels - you can explore the best parts of town on foot.
The traveler area really centers on Lan Kham Hotel, and you'll probably end up there for information, a bike, or a delicious noodle-soup lunch at some point - the staff are very friendly and it's a short walk to most guest houses from there.
A great dinner option is to just stroll down the Mekong Riverbank and find a nice table set-up or stop into the bars to socialize - the town is in boom mode but the people are still the same friendly Lao people, and its a great place to catch the sunset over the river.
There's a lot of nice stuff to explore at night around Pakse Hotel and behind the main street (No 13 South Road) there is a collection of older buildings nice for an evening stroll and it looks to be the Chinatown of the area. And if you want a massage ignore the places on No 13 and go to the nicer Spas across from Pakse Hotel's main entrance.
We used Pakse as an on-again-off again base for the Bolaven, Champasak, and 4,000 Islands and I never regretted having to come back if it was for an afternoon or a full nights rest. If you know when you're going to be around make sure to make reservations as the best places fill up fast - and many people have been seen spending there first hours searching for a place to put their bag.
By caseyprich (dabbler)
Written on 14th February, 2011 after a visit to Pakse in ,
Also reviewed by caseyprich: Battambang, Can Tho, Champasak, China Beach, Da Nang, Don Dhet, Gili Meno, Hoi An, Hue, Kampot,
Na Dao Restaurant
We Hit Pakse a few times on our trip through the Bolaven Plateau area this Dec-Jan, we ate several times at Na Dao Restaurant and it was great.
The Lao owner was raised in France and has brought back to Pakse phenomenal French culinary expertise. It is my understanding that he used to have a restaurant in Vientiene (or maybe Luang Prabang). Nonetheless, the food is phenomenal, the atmosphere is terrific, and the service wonderful. Na Dao offers French and Lao dishes with a new menu daily.
The food is slightly more expensive than what one would expect in Pakse, however it's not outrageous and the price definitely reflects the quality. Free Wifi is also available. I have some pictures of the interior if anyone is interested.
Na Dao Resturant
+856 31 255558
When Crossing the Lao-Nippon Bridge from Chong-Mek the resturnt is located on the SW corner of the large intersection.
Oh, and while in Pakse we stayed at the Mekong Paradise Resort, a splurge on our last night. I don't think its listed here, but its located along the road towards Pakse Golf. Rooms with Phenomenal river view from 30-60 USD a night.
By Sethlake (dabbler)
Written on 11th January, 2011 after a visit to Pakse in January, 2011
Also reviewed by Sethlake: Attapeu, Pak Song,
Welcome to the Boomtown
My first impression of Pakse was of a clean, orderly, cheerful town, and that positive impression held up and more during two visits in January 2010. As a travel destination, Pakse has a nice selection of good value accommodation and a really great variety of restaurants, including two Indian restaurants and at least one very popular pizza place. Pakse is an excellent base for exploring the Bolevans Plateau, a great stopover on the way to or from the 4,000 Islands and Cambodia, a place for day trips to Wat Phu, and with its full range of tourist services(internet, laundry, ATM, scooter rental, etc.) the perfect place to relax and recharge for a few days, which is what most folks I met seemed to be doing.
Most of the independent traveller scene is right along the main road through town or within a few short blocks walk. The roads are wide, relatively flat, and don't have much traffic, making Pakse a good place for bike or scooter riding. There is quite a bit of new construction, but that is along the river near the bridge across the Mekong. The variety of food and activities and laid-back atmosphere reminded me of the best parts of Chiang Mai 20 years ago. Be sure to enjoy a sunset stroll along the river while you are there, and for a real treat, try a one-hour foot massage (35,000 kip) at Dog Champa Massage, right across from the Pakse Hotel.
It is often possible to catch a boat downriver to Champasak from Pakse for about 70,000 kip per person. The 2-hour ride passes villages with their fishing boats and kids playing in the water. Steep, forested cliffs line the west bank of the river along much of the route. Bring ear plugs for the engine noise.
Pakse's international bus station is a few km south of town and is actually pretty nice. From here you can catch a bus to Champasak, the 4,000 islands, and destinations in Cambodia like Siem Reap, Strung Treng, and Phnom Penh. This is also where you catch the International Bus back to Ubon, Thailand. That bus runs twice per day at 0830 and 1530. The cost is 200 baht or 55,000 kip per person, and takes 3 hours to get to Ubon, including time at the border.
By exacto (dabbler)
Written on 19th February, 2010 after a visit to Pakse in January, 2010
Also reviewed by exacto: Champasak, Chiang Mai, Kamphaeng Phet, Ko Maak, Lopburi, Mukdahan, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nong Khai, Phitsanulok, Savannakhet,
Pakse...
Pakse is a nice little city and in many ways the last resort of civilisation in southern Laos -- or so it seems -- it is home to the last ATM, the last airport, and is close to Thailand, which at least gives the market more to sell.
It has a mixture of French, Chinese, Vientnamese and Khmer culture, architecture and styles. Take a trip to the Bolaven Plateau and visit coffee plantations or jump in a waterfall. Enjoy the sunset at the Mekong and don't forget to visit the wats!
By chaos23 (dabbler)
Written on 13th June, 2009 after a visit to Pakse in November, 2008
Also reviewed by chaos23: Champasak, Don Dhet, Ko Tao, Luang Prabang, Vientiane,