Champassak
What is now the sleepy, one-street town of Champassak was once the capital of the Kingdom of Champassak no less. Today the small town stretches along the right bank of the Mekong River, some 40 kilometres south of Pakse – the largest town in the eponymously named Champassak Province. When the French first arrived in the region, in the mid-19th century, Pakse was a small fishing port at the confluence of the Se and Mekong while Champassak was the seat of the monarch and the most important settlement.
‘Downtown’ Champassak today The Kingdom of Champassak was summarily abolished in 1945 when the French united the separate kingdoms of Luang Prabang, Vientiane and Champassak to create the Kingdom of Laos.
Since then, strategically-placed Pakse boomed while Champassak Town slumbered but this does explain why today the latter possesses a larger stock of old, French-period architecture, as well as venerable old Buddhist wats, than its much larger neighbour.
One of the town’s venerable old Buddhist wats Furthermore, the southern stretches of Champassak Town occupy an area called Muang Kao – an ancient, pre-Angkorian city which dates back as far as the 5th century. Little remains today except a few brick vestiges and some earthen ramparts, but many period artefacts are at present housed in the nearby Wat Phu Museum. Wat Phu itself is a largely 11th-century Angkorian, Hindu temple complex which received UNESCO World Heritage listing in 2001 and is today one of Laos’ most prestigious tourist attractions.
View from Wat Phu looking towards Muang Kao ancient city and the Mekong River on the horizon. The ancient temple is thus the big draw, although the vast majority of visitors will simply see it on a day trip from their hotel in Pakse and remain pretty much oblivious to the rest of Champassak. While sleepy and laid-back are borderline understatements, the town is not without significant charm and its cluster of riverside guesthouses, cafes and coffee shops offers some delightful Mekong-side dining and supping opportunities while the lack of traffic affords some pleasant strolls around the old town.
Sunrise view from our riverside resort Our Champassak itinerary, featured on our South Laos Mekong Adventure and Far North to Far South tours as well as our off-the-beaten-track Thailand and Laos small group tour, Emerald Triangle, includes a morning boat journey down the Mekong from Pakse to Champassak, followed by an afternoon stroll around the village. After a night’s riverside accommodation, the following morning features a tour of World Heritage Wat Phu itself and either an afternoon at leisure or a boat trip to Don Daeng Island for the energetic.
