A UNESCO Heritage Wat Phou at Champasak
A UNESCO Heritage Wat Phou at Champasak
Photo by : Danou

Destinations

Champasak/Pakse

Champasak Province lies to the Southwest of Laos. The capital city is Pakse, located at the confluence of the Mekong and the Xedon rivers.

Due to its great location, Pakse was established by the French colonialists in 1905 as an administrative capital. About 90,000 people reside in this city, which is one of the main political and economic centers of Lao PDR. Most are of Chinese or Vietnamese ethnicity, but there are several different minorities in Champasak who have their own language, culture and lifestyle.

In Champasak, you can find Southeast Asia’s biggest waterfall, Khone Pha Pheng, which can easily be reached by boat or road. Ancient Khmer temples, some of which predate the famous temples at Angkor in Cambodia, can also be found.

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Brief History

Pakse was founded and administrated as an outpost by the French in 1905 and was the capital of the Lao Kingdom of Champasak until 1946, when the Kingdom of Laos was formed.

This city used to serve as the primary seat and residence to Prince Boun Oum Na Champassak, who played an important role in the Laotian Civil War. The Champasak Palace was built by him but was not completed as he needed to flee in 1974. One year later, the Palace fell to Pathet Lao forces.

Since then, Pakse has grown to be an economic power within Laos. The bridge over the Mekong connecting Thailand and Pakse has helped the city better integrate with it surrounding countries.

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Overall Weather

Pakse has three seasons:

- Cold-dry (November to January)

During the cold-dry season, the average temperature is around 29C with the temperature dropping as low as 20C and soaring as high as 33C. The coldest month will be in January. This season is the best time to visit Pakse due to its comfortable and cool temperature. However, be warned that temperature usually starts to drop after sunset, so please bring along something warm to wear.

- Hot-dry (February to April)

During the hot-dry season, the average temperature is around 32C with the temperature reaching a minimum of 22C and a maximum of 38C. Do bring along some sunblock and umbrella to keep yourself cool and to prevent sunburns. It is also advisable to stay hydrated.

- Rainy season (May to October)

During this season, the average temperature is around 28.2C with the temperature reaching as high as 38C during the early part of the season. The temperature may also reach as low as 20C as it approaches the cold-dry season. Rainfall will be the heaviest in August and September. It is best to bring along an umbrella during this season.

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Flights to Pakse

By air

Pakse International Airport is the third of the three international airports in Lao PDR. International flights to Pakse are not daily occurrences, unlike in Vientiane and Luang Prabang, but there are still options from Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam and Bangkok in Thailand.

Here is an overview of possible flight connections for you. 

From Ho Chi Minh - Vietnam

12:00 pm

1:35 pm  

  Lao Airlines 516               

 - 

T

 - 

T

S

   SGN-PKZ

From Bangkok - Thailand

12:50 pm

2:20 pm  

  Lao Airlines 224               

S

M

W

F

  BKK-PKZ

Domestic flights from Vientiane

8:00 am

9:15 am

  Lao Airlines 305               

S

M

-

W

-

F

-

  VTE-PKZ

2:50 pm

4:20 pm

  Lao Skyway 216

S

M

T

W

T

F

S

  VTE-PKZ

4:00 pm  

5:15 pm  

  Lao Airlines 303

S

M

T

 -

T

F

S

  VTE-PKZ

Domestic flight from Luang Prabang 

10:40 am 

12:20 pm

  Lao Airlines 513               

M

W

F

  LPQ-PKZ

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Public Bus details in Pakse

Transportation from Provinces to Pakse             

Departure

Destination

Kind of Bus

Distance

Departure Time

price*

Remark

Vientiane

Pakse

Local

 

10:00am

12:30pm

13:30pm

14:00pm

14:30pm

15:00pm

15:30pm

16:00pm

110,000 Kip

13h

Express

 

07:15am

18:00pm

19:00pm

20:00pm

140,000 Kip

10h

VIP (sleep)

 

20:30pm

21:00pm

170,000 Kip

8h

Oubon (Thai)

Pakse

VIP

 

08:00am

70,000 Kip

 

Ban muang Champasack

Pakse

Express

 

07:30am

35,000 Kip

 

Khammouane

Pakse

VIP

322 Km

Every hour from 08:30am

70,000 Kip

 

Express

60,000 Kip

 

Xieng Khouang, Bounmixay southern bus station

Pakse

 

 

07:15am

120,000 Kip

16 Hours

 

 

 

Transportation from Pakse to Provinces   

Departure

Destination

Kind of Bus

Distance

Departure Time

price*

Remark

Pakse

Donkhong

Express

 

07:30am

55,000 Kip

 

Dnokhong/ Meuang Khong

Song-theaw

 

09:15am

15:30pm

50,000 Kip

Southern Bus Station

Donkhon Island

 

09:00am

15:30pm

50,000 Kip

Ban Nakasak

 

09:00am

15:30pm

50,000 Kip

Champasak District

 

10:00am

11:00am

12:00pm

20,000 Kip

Dao Heung Market

Paksong District

 

08:30am

09:30am

12:30pm

20,000 Kip

Southern Bus Station

Sekong Province

Local

 

07:00am

08:00am

09:00am

11:30am

35,000 Kip

Northern Bus Station

Vip

 

15:15pm

45,000 Kip

Express

 

07:30am

08:30am

09:30am

10:30am

11:30am

40,000 Kip

Sengchalern Bus

Attapeu Province

Local

 

07:00am

08:00am

09:00am

11:30am

45,000 Kip

Southern Bus Station

Vip

 

15:15pm

55,000 Kip

Express

 

07:30am

08:30am

09:30am

10:30am

11:30am

50,000 Kip

Sengchalern Bus

Khammouan Province

Local

 

07:30am

08:30am

09:30am

10:30am

11:30am

60,000 Kip

Sengchalern/southern Bus Station

 

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Getting Around in Champasak

Getting around Champasak

Song taews and tuk tuks can be hired to travel around Champasak. You can also approach any district bus stations, your guesthouse or hotel to arrange transportation around the province.

If you would like to travel by boat, you can join a Mekong River luxury cruise which brings you along the Mekong River. There are also many tour operators that can arrange a tour for you around Champasak. For Independent travelers, motorcycles, bicycles, and cars can be rented in the province too.