CHAMPASAK IN LAO – BACKPACKING BUDDHIST PARADISE
Temples of East Asia | Ricky | July 14, 2010 at 3:52 amIf you’re in the South East of Asia, and you’re cruising up from the area of Phnom Penh; then this is a must stop over. You could rest your tired feet at the town of Champasak which lies in Lao.
An Introduction:
Champasak lies in Lao, which is a landlocked country in South East Asia. Not as popular as it’s neighbors, Lao has remained unvisited by hordes of tourists.
Champasak as a town lies around 25 miles downstream of Pakse’s southern hub. It is accessible from the Ban Muang docks; you could take a boat down from the shore that is located opposite the highway, once you’re there.
A reminder of the town’s distinctive past stands in the form of a stone fountain, which is half decayed at this point in time. The entire town (well, literally almost all of it) is laid out on the stretch of a single road that runs parallel to the River Mekong.
There is hardly any traffic to speak of and the town is generally quiet. Which is exactly why it makes for a good stopover.
The Grandeur of the days gone by:
Champasak is like the backpacker’s paradise. There is, however, much more to this place than just a hammock nap or sweet banana milkshakes.
People in Champasak seem to have the ‘go with the river’s flow’ kind of mentality happening. The pace of things is leisurely.
The French were the ones who consolidated the region and added the ’s’ to its name – it’s currently called Laos. Before 
that it was called Lao and had three separate Lao kingdoms. One of them happened to be the Kingdom of Champasak; and the kingdom of the yesteryears is still seated in the town that bears its name.
You might find it difficult to believe that this town was once host to royalty. There is a little to remind you of the days gone by. But some of the colonial buildings remain standing; as lone witnesses of the sombre days gone by. These buildings carry with them the burden of time and humidity; both of which seem to have taken a toll on them.
You could make a trip down to one of those mellow restaurants at the riverside and sip on a beer as you watch the Mekong do its business of flowing by.
The Jewel of the Crown:
Champasak boasts of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The ruins of Wat Phu Champasak are the unique selling point of this otherwise sleepy town. The temple complex of Wat Phu served as the nexus of spiritual fervor in the ancient times. It boasts of a culture that is as old as over 2000 years back.
There are frangipani blossoms that bloom at multiple levels of the site; and you could soak in the experience as a devotee as you ascend the stone stairs. You’ll pass statues that have been adorned in saffron robes and flowers that scream ‘fresh’.
The only time of the year when you might find it unlikely to get accommodation is during the months of February when there is the Bun Wat Phu Champasak festival. Buddhist revelers from across the world will come and partake in the festivities.
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oh wow… this would be a small part of india, i suppose, this really shows the ancient culture, the way its built, the architecture and the construction ofcourse is marvellous..
You’ll pass statues that have been adorned in saffron robes and flowers that scream ‘fresh’.isnt that wonderfull..!!
as the festival comes close in february, even though its a bit diifficult to get in there, its almost a worth site seeing..
Hi, thanks for the post!
We were at the border of Thailand when we decided to head towards the Champasak through the Chong Mek border crossing, at Vang Tao, from where the highway leads east towards the city of Pakxe.
We crossed the border at Chong Mek which was relatively straightforward, as there were large border posts on both sides of the border, as well as large outdoor markets.
It is possible to obtain a Lao visa from this border post, and Thai baht and American dollars are widely accepted for purchases on the Lao side of the border.
We had been to Champasak a few years ago, but I still remember the sad and touching story of the queen who once ruled a mighty kingdom..
The queen Nang Pao was lonely and fell inlove with a neighbouring prince and soon became pregnant..This kicked a huge controversy though the beautiful queen continued to rule..Her illegitimate daughter took over the crown after her ,after which the empire was slowly stripped of its royalties due to invasion by neighbouring rulers.
Due to the unfortunate turn of events, Nang Pao declared that all such unfortunate mothers should give away a cow for their sins to be forgiven..
Thanks for the post
Hey Starcy,
That story was poignant indeed..Where did you hear it from..?
I gather from the post that Champasak is indeed of extreme significance in Buddhist history..
That’s something really intersting I’ve come across in a while!
Thanks
Thanks Jake.
I had been here a few years back and though there aren’t tour guides as such, I chatted up a bit with the local people and an educated and well informed man told me this story..The whole place seems to know it..!
Thanks for the information Starcy..
Wish you good luck in your journeys…!