Champasak Laos Travel Guides and Tips
Champasak is a sleepy village 33km south of Pakse on the banks of the Mekong just where the river starts to broaden into a massive delta and the Four Thousands Islands. On the opposite side of the river to the main north – south road visitors generally only travel to Champasak to see the Vat Phou ruins 6 kms further along the road.
We found Champasak a great place to spend some quiet time after a number of months on the road.
Get there: From the central Paskse market you can catch a ride in a Songthaew ( a small truck type thing with seating on the tray) that ferries locals to and from the market.
Stay: We stayed at the delightful Hotel Inthira, prices from about about AUD$99 (although we stayed off season and got a bit of a deal)
Vat Phou Temple Complex Laos
Vat Phou
Vat Phou is a ruined Khmer Hindu temple complex at the base of mount Phou Khao. There was a temple on the site as early as the 5th century, but the surviving structures date from the 11th to 13th centuries. It has a unique structure: The elements lead to a shrine where a lingam dedicated to Lord Shiva was bathed in water from a mountain spring. The site later became a centre of Theravada Buddhist worship, which it remains today.
worship, which it remains today.
