Vat Phou
Ruined Khmer temple complex climbing a hillside above the plain, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A long causeway leads to terraces and sanctuaries, with a spring shrine and wide views at the top.
Champasak (Pakse and Wat Phou)
The Bolaven Plateau, a cool coffee and waterfall area, is part of this southern province, along with the UNESCO-listed ruins of Wat Phou temple.
Attractive locations
Oum Moung
Ruins of a small Khmer temple near the Mekong, built in stone among rice fields. It is quiet and rarely crowded, and fits well into a day with Vat Phou.
Champasak Cultural Landscape
UNESCO-listed area around Vat Phou, covering ancient temples, a planned landscape and traditional villages. Visitors can cycle or drive between the ruins, riverside lanes and old French-era buildings.
Xe Pian National Protected Area
Large forest reserve east of the Mekong with wetlands, rivers and wildlife. It protects birds and other animals, and local guides run trekking and canoe trips with village visits.
Bolaven Plateau
A cool, fertile upland in southern Laos known for coffee and tea farms, waterfalls and minority villages. Visitors usually tour it by motorbike or car from Pakse.
Tad Fane Waterfall
Twin streams plunge a long way into a forested gorge on the Bolaven Plateau. Visitors view the falls from lookout points across the canyon.
Airports
Pakse International Airport PKZ
It is about 29 km in a straight line from Champasak (Pakse and Wat Phou).
Scams and safe taxis
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan25.4 °C5 mm
- Feb27.7 °C4 mm
- Mar29.8 °C30 mm
- Apr30.5 °C67 mm
- May28.8 °C151 mm
- Jun27.2 °C185 mm
- Jul26.2 °C308 mm
- Aug26.0 °C312 mm
- Sep26.1 °C281 mm
- Oct25.9 °C101 mm
- Nov25.5 °C21 mm
- Dec24.7 °C10 mm
Driest months: Jan, Feb, Dec. Wettest months: Jul, Aug, Sep.
Costs
Prices here are about 22% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Who can help
Emergency
Police 191. Fire 190. Ambulance 195.
local government
Tourism Marketing and Promotion Department (Ministry of Culture and Tourism)
Helps with: Lao government department that runs the tourismlaos.org website. Its contact details are given on the site's Before You Go page for tourism enquiries.
Who qualifies: Anyone travelling in Laos or planning a trip there.
Phone: +856-21-212248
Address: Lane Xang Avenue, Hatsadi Village, Chanthabouly District, Vientiane Capital
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Lao PDR
Helps with: The UN migration agency, working in Laos since 2002. It gives humanitarian help to migrants, displaced people and returnees and supports the government on migration management.
Who qualifies: Migrants, displaced people and returnees. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +856 21 26 77 95
Email: [email protected]
Address: UN House, 3rd Floor, Lane Xang Avenue, Vientiane
local government
Police emergency number 1191
Helps with: Reaches the police in Laos. The number comes from UK government travel advice, which also lists 021 251 128 for the tourist police in Vientiane.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 1191
local government
Ambulance emergency number 1195
Helps with: Reaches the ambulance service in Laos. UK government travel advice also lists 030 525 7239 for the ambulance.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 1195
local government
Fire emergency number 1190
Helps with: Reaches the fire service in Laos. The number comes from UK government travel advice.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 1190