Champasak City is the capital of Champasak province in Laos.
Understand
Champasak is now an agricultural village along the banks of the Mekong river. It has been the seat of a kingdom until late in the 20th century. On the roundabaout on the main street is a memorial remembering the departure of the former royal family. There are some typical Lao houses made of wood and several French colonial houses, built for Prince Boun Oum and his father Chao Ratsadai. The main attraction of the city are the ruins of Wat Phu, located 8 km southwest of the city.
Get in
By boat
It is a 2½-hour ride on longtail boats from Pakse.
By bus
Champasak lies at a distance of 28 km from Pakse. A new road has reduced the travel time between the two cities to less than one hour. Busses leave Pakse Southern Bus Terminal until 15:00.
Get around
See
- 1 Wat Phou.
- Wat Nyutthitham.
- Wat Phuthawanaram (8 Km South of the city).
Do
- Champasak Spa, ☏ 856 20 56499739. 10:00-12:00, 13:00-19:00.
- The Champasak Shadow Puppets Theater performs every Tuesday and Friday a theater play with traditional puppets, candles and live music. Every Wednesday and Saturday it shows a black-and-white fiction movie from 1924, that was filmed in the jungle of northern Laos. The screening of film is accompanied by the theater's musicians. Performances start around 20:30 and tickets can be purchased at the venue (Lao citizens free entry, non-Lao citizens 50,000 kip).[1] The documentary "Theatre d'Ombres de Champassak" [2] produced by Vincent Moon gives an impression of the show and its musicians.
Buy
Eat
Drink
Sleep
- There are several smaller guesthouses and hotels in Champasak, often located at the river side of the main road.
- Inthira Hotel, Ban Vat Amard, Champasak District, Champasak Province, ☏ 856 31 511011, ✉[email protected]. US$60 (2011).