Pack to Pakse

Why Pakse?

If traveling for a while in Laos (and in nearby Cambodia) getting tired is inevitable. Despite the roads being surprisingly good (even better than in Bolivia which is a much richer country), the vehicles are old and overcrowded. Slow trips and unexpected delays are the norm.

Under such circumstances, a peaceful riverside location with all the commodities needed is welcomed; that’s Pakse’s role in the Backpackers’ Universe.

What’s Pakse

Unique among the main Laotian cities, Pakse was founded by the French in 1905. The result was that its center was built exclusively in French colonial style, adding to the charm of the visit.

From that time until the Champasak Kingdom was incorporated into the Kingdom of Laos, Pakse was its capital. Located on the eastern bank of the Mekong River, a bridge spanning it allows traveling to Ubon Ratchathani in Thailand. This has transformed Pakse into one of the two main cities in southern Laos; the other is Savannakhet, which is connected with a similar bridge to Mukdahan in Thailand.

Where’s Pakse

The town is strategically located at the confluence of the Mekong and Xe Don rivers, and between Thailand and the Bolaven Plateau. Accordingly, its name means "Mouth of the River Se."

South of the town is the Mekong River. The Xe Don joins it at the western end of the downtown area and then makes a curve southwards, meaning the town is located on what looks like a tiny isthmus. On the western end of the isthmus is a bridge over the Xe Don leading to the northern bus terminal. Most of the guesthouses, hotels, travel agencies, internet kiosks and restaurants are east of that bridge.

Serendipity is the best advice while attempting to choose among the hotels; there is no need to make reservations. Restaurants and internet kiosks close early; do not expect to send those shiny new pictures overnight or to enjoy a midnight dinner by the river. The high number of tourists created an international food scene: Korean, Thai, Chinese, Italian, French and other restaurants offer a wide variety of dishes. However, after having traveled so far, it would be a sin not to enjoy the excellent Lao cuisine, or its Lao-French relative. On the junction of Road 13 with Road 35 is Ketmany, an excellent restaurant specializing in Lao and Thai dishes.

Most of the roads in town are numbered – though in a random fashion - and draw an irregular grid on the isthmus. The main road is number 13; the number here is important because this is the stretch of Highway 13 (which runs along Laos on the north-south axis) within town. The northern and southern bus terminals are along it, but outside the downtown area.

How’s Pakse

Pakse has become the major tourist’s stop in southern Laos and the travel hub to the Laotian Deep South; as a result it features a surprising number of establishments catering for travelers.

Despite that, it retains its colonial flavor and slow pace. Resting between trips in the area while enjoying sunsets, eating Laotian and French food and strolling along the river promenade are the main activities while in town.

Money

I have commented in the past about unexpected events in Laos while attempting to change money; remembering a few facts would ensure a pleasant stay.

With an exchange rate of over 10000 kip to the dollar, moving around with dollar notes is rather useless: a coffee with fried buns at the market costs about a quarter dollar; a basic lunch around half dollar. Thai baths are somewhat more convenient, but not much more. The best is to move around with Lao kip notes. These can be exchanged at all local banks at fair rates; do not exchange at market stalls, it is illegal and people got in troubles in the past (the stall owners are punished if caught).

If leaving Laos, don’t take kip notes since they cannot be exchanged. Nonetheless, they make colorful souvenirs. If traveling to Vietnam, the kip can be exchanged into Vietnamese dong at the border crossings. However, the exchange rate is not very good; the best advice is to get rid of the kip notes and get enough dong for a meal or two until the next city is reached. There, all banks would exchange dollars and Thai baht notes into Vietnamese dong.

Except for Vientiane, there are no ATMs in Laos; the closest ATM to Pakse is on the Thai side of Chong Mek. Some banks may give money against a credit card (for an up to 4% commission!), but the best is entering Laos with enough cash. In an emergency, money can be sent through Western Union. In Pakse they are located in the post office and work only during weekdays.

Sights and Tastes

As Thailand, Laos is home to a large Chinese minority. Chinese food is popular at the night markets and is usually prepared by members of this group, but Pakse – like Hoi An in Vietnam – features a Chinese Society building on the 10 and 5 roads junction.

Nearby, on Road 5, is the Daoueng Market. This is a good place for trying the Lao cuisine and to purchase Pakxong coffee, its source is very close – in the town of the same name – and thus is fresh. If traveling with a small electric kettle, then buying sock-filters in the market and preparing an authentic Laotian coffee in the hotel room is possible. Lao people drink coffee only during the mornings, thus this is the place for trying the elixir. Another good day market is next to the southern terminal; however, being eight kilometers from downtown it is not the most convenient place for a coffee.

Right after dark, the best place for a dinner is on the Mekong riverside, where the Night Market almost manages to hide the liquid views; if arriving there before dark, then the elongated fish farms on the river can be appreciated. Two smaller night markets are on the intersection of road 1 with road 10 and on the street nearest to the Xe Don River to the north – both of them do not allow river views. The most popular dishes are grilled fish from the river, other grilled meats (served on sticks), fruits, laap salads and steamed buns. Several soy drinks – including "bubble tea" (a soy drink with tapioca) – are very popular.

Untangling the Vines

Names in Laos can get tricky. Finding a province, a district and a city bearing the same name is common. Locals address them equally and expect you to understand to which one they refer.

This is the case with Champasak. The province is at the southwestern corner of Laos. Its capital city is Pakse; however, there is within the province a district called Champasak and its capital town and administrative center is called Champasak as well. Unluckily for the traveler, the last town was the capital of the Champasak Kingdom and is a major tourism attraction in the area.

How to remember all this?

The best way is to understand the local history, at least in a basic level.

Lan Xang – the Kingdom of the Million Elephants – was the first Lao state. It was established in 1354 by Fa Ngum and it extended at its peak from China to Sambor below the Mekong rapids at Khong Island and from South Vietnam’s border to the Khorat Plateau western side. The kingdom’s name referred to its strong army and was contemporaneous of the Khmer Empire and Ayutthaya. Its first capital was Luang Prabang, but later it was moved to Vientiane.

The kingdom remained in this shape for a long time until it split in 1707 into three principalities: Luang Prabang, Vientiane, and Champasak. All of them became Ayutthaya’s vassal states. The town of Champasak was the capital of the southern principality.

In 1893, the French annexed the three principalities as part of French Indochina, though the Champosak King remained in his place until 1945 when the Kingdom of Laos was created. Since then, Champasak had become a province, under the People’s Democratic Republic of Laos. I gave a more detailed account of these events in my Huay Xai and Nan journals.

However, the town of Champasak began its decline earlier. In 1905 the French founded Pakse at a strategic point on the eastern bank of Mekong River – forty kilometers north of Champasak, which is on the western bank – and moved there the Champosak puppet kingdom’s capital.

Nowadays, the small town seems to be there for the exclusive benefit of the travelers crossing the area. At its center are several guesthouses along the riverside promenade.

Reaching Champasak

From Pakse, Champasak can be reached with buses from the southern terminal or boats from the dock, see the travel entry in this journal for details.

The Stuff Legends Are Made Of

In the mid-17th century, Nang Pao ruled over Champasak. She found comfort in the arms of a prince from another kingdom and an illegitimate daughter – named Nang Pong - was born.

The queen decreed that all unmarried mothers must sacrifice a buffalo for their sins. The custom survived in southern Laos until a generation ago; even now unmarried mothers are known as "Nang Pao’s Daughters."

Wat Phu

Wat Phu (The Temple on the Mountain in Lao) is located 10 kilometers south of the town of Champasak and fifty south of Pakse. It is one of the oldest archaeological sites in Laos and was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The temple is next to the Si Phan Don area and thus is best combined with a tour to at least one of the Four Thousand Islands.

Reaching the temple is possible with tuk-tuks from Champasak or with a rented bicycle. The temples can be accessed daily between 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM; the access fee is 5000 kip (about half dollar).

Dating back to the 6th century, the temple became later part of the Khmer Empire and feature many architectural characteristics of the last. Wat Phu was built on Phu Pasak (Pasak Mountain, though "hill" would be a better description) in three levels.

The temples and surrounding structures are in poor condition, especially while compared with the splendor of nearby Angkor. Yet, there are a few worthy sights: a Buddha image within a tree – similar to the one in Ayutthaya – beautiful stone carvings of Vishnu and other Hindu gods in typical Khmer style and good views of the surrounding area.

The entrance is through a causeway flanked by two barays, followed by two pavilions void of roofs. Behind one of them is the Nandi Pavilion, from where the Royal Road to Angkor commenced.

The name is not casual, Nandi was the mount of the Hindu god Shiva, and Wat Phu was originally dedicated to that god. Beyond this pavilion and higher on the mountain is the main complex. Mostly destroyed, the foundations and some walls can still be enjoyed. There is a spring here which was used in the past for showering the temple linga in a special chamber.

Other Activities

Dolphin viewing is offered by the guesthouses in Champasak. Freshwater Irrawaddy Dolphins live in small numbers in the Mekong River and can be seen here and in Kratie, Cambodia. With high foreheads and short snouts they are quite different from regular dolphins. Chartered boats leave from the Kong Ngay Beach to the southern tip of Don Khon Island. The best times for seeing them are early morning and late afternoon.

Another nature related adventure is elephant riding at Ban Khiet Ngong. The rides include passing through a jungle and feeding the animals. The "drivers" use a special language (it is not Lao) while speaking with the beasts.

Si Phan Don

Si Phan Don means "Four Thousand Island" (in Laotian and most other East Asian languages nouns have only one form, plurals are implied by the accompanying number) is the name of an area on the Mekong River near the border between Laos and Cambodia. Reaching almost fifteen kilometers width during the rainy season, this is the Mekong River widest point; thus it is shallower and features many islands, especially during the dry seasons.

A few islands are inhabited and can be visited. The villages on them are self-sufficient, leaving out of fish and self-grown rice, sugar cane, coconut and vegetables. Don Khong offers the best deals, while Don Det caters mainly for backpackers. Another popular island is Don Khon. Only Done Khong has paved roads, which were built by the French.

Other attractions along the river include the Tat Somphamit rapids, Irrawaddy dolphins and the Khone Phapheng waterfall, where the Mekong suddenly drops in elevation at the Cambodian border. For information regarding the dolphins, see the Champasak entry in this journal.

Khone Phapheng Falls

The Khone Falls and Pha Pheng Falls are on the Laotian Mekong River near the Cambodian border. With a total height of over twenty meters, these rapids stretch over ten kilometers and feature many narrow waterways.

Attempting to transfer gold and timber from Laos to France, the French built a railway to allow trans-shipment across the rapids in 1924. Nowadays, the ruins can be seen. The Khone Falls are one of the main obstacles in making the Mekong River navigable from Vietnam to China.

Ban Saphai

Another island of interest is Don Kho, roughly twenty kilometers north of Pakse on the Mekong River. A village named Saphai - renowned for silk weaving - is located on it. The islanders live in typical stilt houses and use the space below the house as a workshop where they make threads and weave fabric by hand.

The island was the French administrative center of Champasak for a few years, before the completion of Pakse. Only ruins are left from the French buildings. Bout tours from Pakse are available; staying overnight is also possible and there is even a tiny restaurant there.

Reaching the island independently is possible. Travel northwards from Pakse until the town of Saphai and turn left until the riverside is reached; a small ferry boat leads to the island.

Tad Fane

Another water-related attraction in the area is Tad Fane, two high waterfalls within the Dong Hua Sao National Biodiversity Conservation Area. The attraction is forty kilometers from Pakse, along the road to Pakxong. Tours to the waterfalls top can be booked there ($5 per person) as well as treks including the waterfalls, a village and a coffee plantation ($10 per person). Considering that the coffee grown in the area is widely considered to be one of the best in the world, the adventure is unavoidable. Buses from Pakse’s southern bus terminal reach the waterfalls and tuk-tuks can be rented for the day.

Tad Nguing

Two kilometers from the last is another waterfall. Less popular than the former, it offers thus a better option to enjoy nature in relative solitude. If traveling with a rented tuk-tuk, both sites can be combined into a single visit.

The narrow, long strip of Southern Laos reminds, in its geometrical and geographical characteristics, of Vietnam. Despite the shore being here by the Mekong River and the mountains being on the west instead of the east, the set is similar. Regardless its remoteness, Southern Laos is the most accessible part of the country.

Pakse’s Bus Terminals

Pakse features three bus terminals. The new one is roughly eight kilometers south of the town, while the old one is at the same distance, but northwards. Tickets sold by the travel agencies in town include the ride to the terminal or pick up from town if traveling to Vientiane. Tickets to international destinations need to be purchased at the travel agencies.

The VIP Bus Terminal is near the stadium. It serves only buses to Vientiane, Ubon Ratchathani and Bangkok Index and offers better services than the other terminals, including internet and coffee.

To and from Thailand

Thailand's southernmost cross to Laos is through Chong Mek, or Ban Mai Sing Amphon as called in Laos, the only overland cross between the countries.

Chong Mek is about one hour from Ubon Ratchathani in Thailand; thus reaching it from Bangkok is easy. On the other side of the border, Chong Mek is forty kilometers away from the bridge over the Mekong and Pakse. The Laotian side is better developed and houses a big market – called Vangtao - catering for Thai shoppers. The cross is open daily between 6 AM and 6 PM.

At Chong Mek it is possible to cross into Laos without a passport by paying five baht at the Thai side, but only if staying in the village and returning to Thailand in the same day. Thailand offers visas on arrival for most nationalities; Laotian one month visas can be purchased there. A point to keep in mind is that Laotian immigration regulations change often and unexpectedly, thus it is advised to reach the area with a visa. Note that an extra fee is requested after 4 PM, weekends and official holidays.

Buses leave Pakse for Ubon Ratchathani at 7 and 8:30 AM and 3:30 and 4:30 PM; the trip longs about two hours. In the opposite direction, buses leave at 7 and 9 AM and 2:30 and 3:30 PM. They stop at Chong Mek for the passport stamping.

Bus tickets to Bangkok – via Chong Mek and Ubon Ratchathani - are sold by travel agencies in Pakse. However, that’s substantially more expensive than travelling independently to Chong Mek and from there to Ubon Ratchathani. The difference in travel time is insubstantial.

To and from Vietnam

Pakse’s northern terminal offers buses to Vietnam, through the Lao Bao border cross. The destinations offered are Lao Bao, Dong Ha, Hue, and Da Nang. Being Vietnam a very long country, entering roughly at its middle doesn’t make much sense if planning a visit to the whole country. See my Planning Vietnam journal for more details.

Cambodian Connection

The most overwhelming entry is from Cambodia, on a boat floating over the shallow Mekong. Cambodian visas on arrival can be purchased at the Voem Kham - Dom Kralor border cross, though Laotian visas cannot. If entering the area from Cambodia, the best is to purchase a visa at Phnom Penh – or much earlier at Bangkok (this last option is the less expensive).

If entering from Cambodia, the Si Phan Don area is the first sight. It is famous for its Irrawaddy Dolphins; however, the town of Kratie in Cambodia is a better place for a close encounter with them. There, the Mekong is narrower and deeper and the dolphins concentrate in a better-defined area.

Nonetheless, the Laotian side is perfect to see typical Lao-Thai riverside villages. The long way to the area and its slow pace invite for a significant stay of a week or so. Nakasong is the southernmost town in the area; Pakse is the next significant town northwards.

The Southern Bus Terminal in Pakse serves Voem Kham directly. On the way there it is recommended to stop at Nakasong; minivans to Nakasong leave daily at 8:30 AM. From there, ferries reach Don Dhet and Don Khon, the two most popular islands on Si Phan Don; their fare is included in the minivan ticket.

Saravan

Saravan is the closest town to the Bolaven Plateau in southeastern Laos. Beyond a visit to the growing area of one of the best coffees in the world, the circular plateau has an altitude of around 600m and therefore is cooler than the rest of the south. It is a good place to visit hill tribes; Lawae, Katu, Alak, Ta-oy, Suay and Mon-Khmer groups inhabit the area. As with most Laotian provinces, the capital is the only town in it and serves as an administrative center and as a huge market, which occupies the town's center.

The way to Saravan splits 7.5kms north of Pakse; hence, if planning to visit it, the best option is to do it as a stop between Pakse and Savannakhet. Since the bus returns through the same route, is a time-consuming detour.

To reach Saravan and Attapeu – the provinces in the Laotian southeast - it is better to take any of the buses departing eastwards from Pakse, though buses from Savannakhet are also available. The buses leave from Pakse’s southern bus terminal between 6:30 AM and 3 PM; though delays may happen. On certain occasion, the roof of the bus I was traveling with was bent inside due to the incredible amount of luggage uploaded on it; it took well over an hour to put everything on place.

Savannakhet and Vientiane

Savannakhet is one of the busiest cities in Laos due to its location along the trade line between Thailand and Vietnam. Despite being a port, it lacks many of the maladies of those; its small center is clean and offers a look into a utopian, semi-industrialized Laos. If traveling southwards from Vientiane, then the town would be crossed in the way to Pakse. The two towns are excellently connected by bus.

Route Nine leads from Savannakhet to the Lao Bao crossing into Vietnam and crosses the Ho Chi Minh Trail. If you do not plan to leave the country from there, then it is better to see the trail from Phonsavan in the northeast.

Buses reaching Vientiane directly exist, though the trip can take an undefined period of time; it is recommended to allow for unexpected delays. In one occasion, the bus I was traveling with run out of fuel on Vientiane’s outskirts; flat tires can also cause delays. If traveling directly to Vientiane, the night buses (6 and 8 PM from the Northern Terminal) are recommended.

Air

The airport is on the town northern outskirts. It offers flights to domestic destinations and international ones to Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Tickets can be bought at the travel agencies in town, or from the Lao Airlines office on the promenade.

River

There are boats leading south of Pakse, though the service varies often and sometimes is not available. The best is approaching the dock and asking there. Travel agencies in town can provide accurate information. Charter boats exist but are significantly more expensive. A trip to Champosak should cost $5, if combining it with Si Phan Don, the total would rise to about $17. In comparison, a charter boat can cost well over a hundred dollars, depending on the trip details.

In Town

Pakse is small; unless attempting to reach the out of town terminals, the best is walking around. Tuk-tuks (motorized tricycles) and samlors (tricycles) can be rented; it is recommended to agree on a price before boarding them. 5000 kip for reaching the terminals is a sensible price, though if the bus ticket was bought from one of the downtown agencies, then the trip to the terminal would be included in the price.

Motorbikes can be rented at the main hotels in town for around 8$ per day. Driving in relaxed Laos is easier than in Cambodia or Vietnam.

Do you really care what type of coffee I like?

I don’t like iced or flavored coffee. Hot and black is perfect. Despite my many visits to Starbucks in several continents, I had never tried their iced or flavored beverages. If I’m feeling adventurous, I go for a cappuccino.

Lost in the Jungle

I arrived for the first time at Pakse after having crossed the border from Cambodia. In those days the border was not officially open; less than twenty travelers per year crossed it. Deep within the rainforest, I witnessed there the most beautiful sunrise in my life, the first sunrays slowly diffusing through the trees and softly illuminating the lazy river.

After having spent the night in the Cambodian part of Voem Kham, I crossed to the Laotian part planning to catch a truck – any passing vehicle in fact – to Nakasong.

On my way out of the tiny village – next to the only curve the unpaved road had – I smelled the unmistakable aroma of Laotian coffee and all my plans were forgotten at once. Looking around, I spotted a suspicious hut: smoke was rising from its roof. Following the heavenly signal, I entered the hut – it had no door – and met the usual Laotian coffee machine. I asked for coffee in rudimentary Lao and sat next to the only table, sharing it with the only other customer. Both – the owner and the customer – looked at me with undisguised curiosity.

Laotian Coffee

By the end of the 19th century, French settlers planted coffee in the volcanic ground of the Bolaven Plateau in south Laos, a place originally inhabited by the Laven people. Despite the extremely high quality of the local product, both Arabica and Robusta varieties, it is mainly ignored by the world, maybe a result of the low yields; for example in the year 2000 it was just 13900 metric tons, most of them used in the local market. The small quantities exported, always get record prices without any dependence in the international coffee market situation, a modest recognition of its high quality. In blind taste tests, the Laos coffee get almost always the first place, a result of optimal geographical conditions with a slow paced organic growth, a subtle reminder of the charming local culture. They still place quality before quantity.

A Laotian Coffee Machine

A coals oven, made from a conical bucket filled with concrete and with an aeration open in it bottom, is placed over a few layers of bricks, ordered perpendicularly to each other, is the basis to a big evaporation vessel. This vessel is cylindrical, with the diameter of the bucket and in his upper side there are two circular openings the size of a kettle, partially obstructed by two kettles. Inside the kettles there are filters made from a circular metallic frame, to which a conical cloth filter is attached. The diameter if the filter is about 13 centimeters and the length of the cotton cone is 15 centimeters when new and about twice this size after it is used for a while. The preparation starts by putting around fifty grams of very coarse grounded coffee to the cloth filter. Almost boiling water from the vessel is poured over the filter into the kettle and the filter is left inside the kettle that is continuously heated by the vapors from the vessel. As the filter with the coffee is immersed inside the filtered coffee, it experiences a prolonged process of cooking. The length of this stage is not constant and it depends on the number of customers, time of the day and other similar variables. Since from time to time more grounded coffee is added to the filter, any practical evaluation of this time is impossible. Long cooking time can cause the appearance of a mild acidity to the taste; therefore, it is preferable to approach the stalls early in the morning to enjoy the best quality product.

The result of this process is an extremely condensed coffee, used as a base to the preparation of several coffee drinks, the most popular being the coffee with milk To prepare it, around 15% of the volume of a small glass is filled with condensed milk, the cloth filter is placed over the glass and the condensed coffee is poured again over the filter and flows down to the glass. Only around half of the remaining volume is filled with coffee and the rest is filled with hot water from the vessel that has the double effect of diluting the strong coffee and gives a final heating to the mixture. As in Vietnam, the result is a black and white dichotomy, transformed after mixing into an opaque dark brown. The coffee, both because of the preparation method and the addition of condensed milk is very dense, with an extremely heavy body, reminding very much of a chocolate drink, leading to the most popular impression of first time drinkers: coffee-tasted chocolate. Another colorful characteristic is the, luckily temporal, effect of blackening the drinker teeth and tongue.

Extremely Rudimentary Lao

I do not pronounce correctly the tones of the Thai and Lao languages. Sometimes I get them right, others I mix up everything. A word I am unable to pronounce correctly means "hot." In areas where tourists are a common sight, that’s not a problem; the locals would make sure they understood me by repeating it in the proper tones. Here, apparently they didn’t want me to feel I "lost face" by making such a horrible mistake. Instead, the coffee shop owner prepared what she thought I wanted.

With dismay I saw how she poured a cup of the most perfect coffee in the world over a cup full of ice cubes. My Lao wasn’t good enough for explaining the mistake, asking for another cup could be offensive. Resigned to my fate, I picked up the cup and took a sip.

Needless to say, it was one of the best coffees in my life.

Out of Voem Kham

Minutes later, I was standing at the village entrance, beyond the Laotian immigrations booth. There was no traffic. The guards told me a bus was scheduled to pass around noon, but I didn’t want to wait; noon was four hours in the future.

Suddenly, I saw a cloud of dust and heard a heavy truck approaching. I signaled it to stop and repeated "Nakasong" several times. The man sitting next to the driver moved his head up and down and pointed at the back of the truck. I climbed and seated over a thick canvas. Below it was the merchandise: ice blocks.