Location
Pakse locates on Champasak Province, on the south of Laos.
History
This city was founded by the French as an administrative outpost in 1905, and was formerly the capital of the Lao Kingdom of Champasak until 1946. During the Franco-Thai war the French ceded Pakse to Thailand. The city served as the primary seat and residence to Prince Boun Oum Na Champassak, an important figure in the Laotian Civil War. Since 1975, Pakse has become an economic power and of regional importance within the region.
Best time to go
Best time to visit Pakse is between November and April.
Main sight-seeings in Pakse
Khon Phapheng Waterfall
The Khone Falls are the largest in southeast Asia and they are the main reason that the Mekong is not fully navigable into China.
The highest falls reach to 21 metres (69 ft); the succession of rapids stretch 9.7 km (6.0 mi) of the river’s length. The average discharge of the cataract is nearly 11,000 m3/s (390,000 cu ft/s), though the highest volume on record was reached at over 49,000 m3/s (1,700,000 cu ft/s).
Wat Phou
The fascinating pre-angkorian ruins of Wat Phu is one of Southeast Asia’s most dramatically situated temples. These intriguing Khmer ruins are perched at the base of Mount Phu Kao. Wat Phu is one of the Lao World Heritage sites recognized by UNESCO in 2001, this wonderful archeological site of Khmer civilization dates back to the 5th century, predating the famous Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
Boloven Plateau
The Boloven Plateau is known for its cooler temperature being located high above the Mekong Valley. Rivers run off this high plateau in all directions and then plunge out to lush forests along in a series of spectacular surging waterfalls. A trip to the plateau provides a refreshing break from the heat and allows you to observe the cultivation of rich coffee, tea, cardamom, bananas, and other crops that can be seen en route