Pakse (or Pakxe; French: Paksé; Laotian: ປາກເຊ [pȁːk séː] 'mouth of the river'; Thai: ปากเซ) is the capital and most populous city of the southern Laotian province of Champasak. Located at the confluence of the Xe Don and Mekong Rivers, the district had a population of approximately 77,900 at the 2015 Laotian census. Pakse was the capital of the Kingdom of Champasak until it was unified with the rest of Laos in 1946.
There's not much to do in Pakse. However, it is a good base for travel to the Bolaven Plateau and Si Phan Don.
Pakse can be considered as a staging point for archaeological trips in this part of Laos for two reasons: 1) to visit the Champasak Provincial Museum (listed in See above) as an introduction to local archaeology, and 2) as an alternative to Champasak city as a jumping off point to see Wat Phou. Wat Phou is a designated UNESCO site and is the Lao counterpart to Angkor Wat/Angkor Thom. It's the finest of its genre outside Cambodia. It's possible to organise a day-trip to Wat Phou near Champasak, where you can also stay easily.
Rent a motorbike and head east towards Pak Song (Paxxong). The journey is pretty, and there are heaps of waterfalls to stop by near Pak Song. The Champasak Provincial Tourism Department puts out a few nice brochures including one on the Bolaven Plateau that details these including Tad Fane, Tad Champee, Tad Ueang, and Tad Pha Suam. Admission tends to be the same at every place, 5,000 kip per person, 3,000 kip for the bike.
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The majority of restaurants, over 50, are concentrated on the road which runs parallel to the Mekong, a five-minute walk from the main street). Most offer Lao or Vietnamese cuisine and some western dishes, have English menus, and are low-priced. Several restaurants catering to tourists are found near most of the accommodation along and nearby the main street. These are higher-priced but offer more variety in non-Lao food, such as Indian, Italian, Korean, burgers, steaks and pizza.
Most hotels and guesthouses in Pakse can be found along the main street between the French Bridge and the roundabout or a short way into its side streets. Prices in Pakse are very high compared to the rest of the country; even higher than Vientiane. Expect to pay around double what you pay elsewhere in Laos and consider booking ahead.
If you plan to do the Bolaven Plateau Loop, rent a motorbike or buy a bus ticket beware of the company Lao Adventure(r) Travel. The Lao woman in the office will try to scam you in any possible way just to get money out of your pocket. There are also a lot of reviews on tripadvisor about the bus tickets she tries to sell you for a 'special price'. Apparently the office changes names quite often. On Google Maps you will find it as Laos Keywords Travel. Located on the No. 12 Road, when you come from the north, just shortly before the main road No.13 on the left hand side.
Pakse is the main town and a major transportation hub for southern Laos; if you plan to go to the Bolaven Plateau, Wat Phou, or Si Phan Don, you will probably have to spend some time here. The town is on the Mekong River.
