LA · Champasak Province · 15.12°N 105.78°E

pakse

Mekong evenings, a hillside Buddha and a market full of southern Lao food.

Best time
November to February is dry and pleasant. It heats up to a sweltering April, and the rains peak in August and September, when the side roads turn to mud.
How long
2 days, plus day trips
Getting there
No direct flight from KL. On the days AirAsia flies to Vientiane (about 2 hours 40 minutes), Lao Airlines connects to Pakse in about 1 hour. Or fly via Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani in Thailand and cross the border by road, about 3–4 hours. Laos is 1 hour behind KL.
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LA · Champasak Provincepakse15.12°N 105.78°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Mekong evenings, a hillside Buddha and a market full of southern Lao food.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingPakseLA, Champasak Province
KLpakse
≈ 1,405 km from KL, as the crow flies
Multiple rows of golden statues of the Buddha seated, with yellow and red flowers, at Wat Phou Salao (Golden Buddha temple), in Pakse, Laos.

Photo: Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Southern Laos's main town, where the Xe Don flows into the Mekong. It's a relaxed base for the Khmer ruins at Vat Phou, the coffee and waterfalls of the Bolaven Plateau, and the road south to the 4,000 Islands.

Makan

  1. Khao piak senThick rice noodles in broth, the standard market breakfast. Chicken versions are common.Map ↗
  2. Grilled Mekong fishWhole fish with sticky rice and a sharp chilli dip, good for sharing.Map ↗
  3. Bolaven coffeeGrown on the plateau just east of town and served strong, with condensed milk.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Wat Phou SalaoA big golden Buddha on the hill across the Mekong, looking back over the town.Map ↗
  2. Dao Heuang MarketOne of the biggest markets in Laos: Bolaven coffee, produce, dried fish and everything in between.Map ↗
  3. Vat PhouA UNESCO-listed Khmer temple stepping up a hillside near Champasak, about an hour south.Map ↗
  4. The riverfrontSunset over the Mekong from the riverside restaurants, as the day's heat goes.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Vat Phou and the Bolaven Plateau lie in different directions, so give each its own day.
  • There's almost no halal food in southern Laos. Fish, eggs, sticky rice and vegetable dishes are the fallback, so bring snacks for the day trips.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.