ancient ruins
Wat Phu
A ruined Khmer Hindu temple complex on a mountain slope in southern Laos, predating Angkor Wat and linked by a processional causeway.
30 km · about 35 min drive
AsiaLaosChampasak Province
Pakse
Champasak Province, Laos · Asia
About Pakse
Pakse is worth a stop: 30 minutes from Phônthong, 30km from Wat Phu.
Pakse is in Champasak Province, Laos, with about 78,000 people. The nearest town is Phônthong, about 16 km away.
Pakse (or Pakxe; French: Paksé; Laotian: ປາກເຊ [pȁːk séː] 'mouth of the river') is the capital and most populous city of the southern Laotian province of Champasak. Located at the confluence of the Xe Don and Mekong Rivers, the district had a population of approximately 77,900 at the 2015 Laotian census.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Pakse?
Within an hour or so of Pakse: Wat Phu (30 km), Bolaven Plateau Waterfalls (36 km), Wat Sirindhorn Wararam Phu Prao (36 km), Tad Fane Waterfall (36 km).
Where is Pakse?
Pakse is in Champasak Province, Laos, about 16 km from Phônthong.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 77,900
- Continent
- Asia
- Country
- Laos
- Region
- Champasak Province
- Timezone
- Asia/Vientiane
- Coordinates
- 15.1202, 105.7990
Tags
Worth the detour from Pakse
4 notable places within an hour's drive.
waterfall
Bolaven Plateau Waterfalls
A lush highland plateau in southern Laos dotted with spectacular waterfalls, coffee plantations, and ethnic minority villages.
36 km · about 40 min drive
photogenic
Wat Sirindhorn Wararam Phu Prao
A hillside temple near the Lao border whose main ordination hall carries a mural of the Bodhi tree painted in phosphorescent pigment, glowing green for a few hours after dusk. The show starts around 6pm.
36 km · about 40 min drive
waterfall
Tad Fane Waterfall
Twin streams plunging around 120 metres into a forested gorge on the Bolaven Plateau, seen head-on from a viewpoint beside the coffee-country road. Both falls run hardest just after the wet season.
36 km · about 40 min drive
When to drive here
Year-round
Tropical latitude: plan around the wet season rather than temperature.
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