Wat Phu Champasack

Eleven hour bus ride south from Vientiane along the Mekong lies Pakse.The capital of the Champasak province. You can also fly there from only a few other places. Most people who pass through here do so for a few reasons. You can take a boat down and stay in Champasak for the Wat Phu ruins or hire a tuk-tuk out of Pakse for the 1/2 day excursion which puts you on a neat little ferry to taxi the vehicles and people across the river. Pakse is also close to the Chong Mek Thailand border crossing to head to Ubon. Cheap transport to the border can be had from the market outside of town. I paid 6000K for a spot in the back of a truck for the hour ride. Others Head south toward Cambodia for the 10,000 islands and some for the Bolaven Plateau.I found the town to be lovely. The French architecture adds to the delight. You can easily navigate the town by foot unless you want to head further out. The main market seems to be hopping early in the am. Another one is at the edge of town. What Phou Champasak was really special.Of course not as amazing as Angkor but if you like ruins they are a must see. Set up on a rising hill. Stairs take you up the many terrace levels to the top for some amazing views out over the countryside. The earliest structures date from 6-8th century through the Angkor period 9-13th centuries. There is a small entrance fee to visit. Look for the small sacred spring on the top level behind the main sanctuary. There wasn't many other visitors to Wat Phu while I was there. There was a alot of activity below on the fields as the annual Wat Phu festival was to begin in a few days. At that time thousands of worshipers will convene on the area for a couple of days. I hired a tuktuk for the ride to Wat Phu from Pakse. $6 for the day. Included the ferry across the Mekong and back. There are a few accom in Champasak where you could stay and rent a bike to get to the ruins. Not sure of current places.