Pakse - the southern door to Laos

See the locations on Pakse Google Map by #treasuresoflaos

Picture by marhas
Sunset in Pakse



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Time for a Lao beer at Hongfa Restaurant...

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...with an impressive view of the Mekong River


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Small traffic on road 13


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Some buildings with old flair


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Also the red communist flags are part of the old flair. But US-Dollars are welcome everywhere.


Picture by Nataraj Metz


Picture by marhasOld decorations, seen from road 11

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Shophouse near Champasak Plaza


Vat Luang:

Picture by Nataraj Metz

Picture by h.hoefl

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Temple cats

Picture by marhas

Picture marhas

Picture by marhas

Picture by Veigo


Vat Tham Fai

Picture Nataraj Metz

Picture Nataraj Metz


Picture by Naomi
Outside fruit and vegetables market as it used to be...

Picture KuBa
...and the modern Champasak Plaza with escalators inside


Mekong River:

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In dry season the river banks are used as farmland, in the wet season they are under water


Chinese Association:

Picture by marhas

Picture by marhas


Xe Don River:

Picture by Nataraj Metz


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Sunset over Pakse and the Mekong River



Where to stay

Champasak Palace Hotel: From 26 USD. Ask for a room with terrace towards Xe Don River and you will have a peaceful setting in front of you. And if you stay on the east wing, it will also be quiet, otherwise you may here music from tourgroups, who like karaoke...

Picture marhas

Picture by marhas

This hotel has an outstanding architecture. It has been built from 1968 by the Prince of Champasak, Chao Boun Oum, Prime Minister of the royal governmemt from 1960 to 1962 and an ally of France and the USA (read a story by Harward Crimson). Before the palace was finished, the communist Pathet Lao mouvement took ower the power in Laos and Boun Oum had to flee to France. The palace now was used by the state. In 1995 a Thai company took it over, completed the building and opened the hotel. About the hotel you read mixed reviews on tripadvisor.com. The quality of the rooms seems to be different, the breakfast is not great but the meals for lunch and dinner are well done. From the top of the hotel you ennjoy a great view across Pakse.

Picture by Veigo

Picture by marhas

Picture by marhas
Terrace towards Xe Don River

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Russian bridge across Xe Don River


Picture marhasWunderful floor in the restaurant

Picture by marhas

by marhas
In the garden restaurant

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The spirit house


Arawan Riverside Hotel: From 35 USD. Not so good review on tripadvisor.com. Better reviews on agoda.com

Picture Nataraj Metz


Champasak Grand Hotel: From 45 USD. Lao Nippon Bridge Mekong Riverside. A comfortable hotel, often used by Asian tour groups, but quite distant (3 km) from the town centre. Quite good reviews on tripadvisor.com.



Pakse Hotel: From 25 USD. Eco rooms without windows, rooms on the top floor with fine views, according to travelfish.org

Picture -=KuBa=-.

The rooftop restaurant. See Tennessee Embassy's views from the rooftop restaurant.


Laochaleun Hotel: "Average" is the rating of travelfish.org

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Lankham Hotel:

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Picture marhas


Royal Pakse Hotel:

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Salachampa Hotel:

Picture rjhintz


Seng Aroun Hotel: From 24 USD. 13 Road. Clean rooms, but a bit small, says travelfish.org. Good reviews on tripadvisor.com

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Thaluang Hotel: From 10 USD.




Guesthouses:

Phonsavanh Guesthouse: From 4 USD. Basic rooms according to petitfute.com, see room-picture by escapade-asie.blogspot.com

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Sabaidy 2: Good reviews on tripadvisor.com. Most popular backpacker choice according to travelfish.org.


Where to eat

Café Sinouk:

Picture by marhas

Picture by marhas

Picture marhas
At Champady you sip an exzellent coffee.



How to arrive

By Bus

From Ubon Ratchathani: Bus by https://www.transport.co.th/. Leaving Ubon Ratchathani at 7.30 and 9.30 pm. And returning from Pakse Champasak road 14.30 and 15.30.
Help for finding the timetable on transport.co.th: On top orange navigation bar choose first tab from left, go down to second listing, this opens grey drop down menu, drive with the mouse over each option and look at the URL in bottom bar of your browser window, you will see north, northeast, pakse, etc at the end of the URL, then click your destination.

You can also take a bus to Chong Mek at the Lao border and then a minibus zu Pakse. Or you take a taxi to Chong Mek and from there another taxi zu Pakse.
You will get a visa on arrival at the border of Laos.



Tours from Pakse

Discovery Indochina: Half day to Tad Fane Waterfalls, ethnic minority villages of the Lavai and Yaheune tribes and a tea and coffee plantation. One day to Vat Phu, first by boat to Champasak, after Vat Phu 2 hours elephant tour from Ban Khiet Ngong to Phu Asa temple.
SODETOUR (Societe de Developpernent Touristique): On the corner of Rte 13 and Thanon Tha Luang
Lane Xang Travel & Tours: Next to the Suksamlan Hotel on Thanon Wat Luang
Inter-Lao Tourisme: on the ground floor of the Champasak Palace Hotel.