Pakse

Travel guide

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.

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Pakse reviews

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Welcome to the Boomtown
By exacto (dabbler - 13 reviews)
Written on 19th February, 2010 after a visit to Pakse in January, 2010
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.

Sights & activities   History & culture   Scenery & environment   Eat & drink

Traveller's scene   Romance   Value for money   I'll be back (or not)

Also reviewed by exacto: Champasak, Chiang Mai, Kamphaeng Phet, Ko Maak, Lopburi, Mukdahan, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nong Khai, Phitsanulok, Savannakhet,

Pakse...
By chaos23 (dabbler - 6 reviews)
Written on 13th June, 2009 after a visit to Pakse in November, 2008
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!

Sights & activities   History & culture   Scenery & environment   Eat & drink

Traveller's scene   Romance   Value for money   I'll be back (or not)

Also reviewed by chaos23: Champasak, Don Dhet, Ko Tao, Luang Prabang, Vientiane,

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