A wetland formed behind the village of Champasak in the 1990s, when a reservoir was created at the foot of Phou Kao. Rice can be grown there year-round. This local connection to the landscape and agriculture gives Champasak a distinctive starting point for discoveries among water, crafts and regional culture.
Exploring the Mekong
On guided kayaking trips, visitors can set off upstream from Champasak and paddle down the Mekong, or cross from Champasak to the island of Don Daeng. The tours therefore differ in their destination: you can choose a downstream trip or a crossing to the island. Anouxa Kayaking also offers half-day kayaking trips on the Mekong, starting at Anouxa Guest House in Ban Phoxai. Check current tour availability before your trip.
Ferries run between Champasak and Ban Muang from the renovated Ban Phaphin Pier, from sunrise to sunset. The pier is accessible by car, minivan and bus. Operating hours may change, so confirm the schedule before you travel.
Crafts, cuisine and activities
Along the Trail of Initiatives, visitors can meet basket makers, weavers and potters on foot. Some offer introductory classes. The trail takes you past a range of crafts, while classes with individual artisans offer a closer look.
Ms Khamdeng offers a special perspective on weaving: she weaves traditionally, combining patterns from her home region of northern Laos with patterns from southern Laos, where she now lives. Visitors can learn to weave at her shop. Champasak also offers classes for anyone interested in cooking, where you can learn local recipes. Ask local providers in advance about upcoming class dates and availability.
Cycling offers another way to explore: Mr Khemphet rents out mountain bikes and leads cycling tours with a local guide. Whether you would rather learn to weave or cook, or explore by water and bicycle, these activities offer different ways to discover Champasak.
In the wider Champasak destination
The Champasak cultural landscape, including the Wat Phou temple complex, is a planned landscape more than 1,000 years old that developed between the 5th and 15th centuries. Wat Phou is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Champasak Province. Along an axis running from the mountaintop to the riverbank, temples, shrines and waterworks extend for about 10 kilometres.
In the Dong Houa Sao National Protected Area, visitors can hike and camp from Nong Luang village; Tree Top Explorer is also located there. The experience combines trekking with ziplines, canopy walkways and a via ferrata. Most of the protected area's attractions are accessible via Route 16E. It runs from Pakse to Paksong and the Bolaven Plateau through Champasak and Salavanh provinces. Road conditions and route arrangements may change; check locally when making specific plans.
Other natural highlights in the wider Champasak destination include Tad Fane, where the Champi and Pak Koot rivers meet to form twin waterfalls that plunge 120 metres. Full- and half-day hikes are available to the top of the falls and to nearby ethnic villages. Tad Champi offers a peaceful retreat in nature, suitable for picnics or quiet meditation.
The Four Thousand Islands, also called Si Phan Don, are a group of small islands in the Mekong; the surrounding waters are home to Irrawaddy dolphins. Xe Pian National Protected Area covers 2,400 square kilometres in the southeast of Champasak and is home to biodiversity of global significance. These regional landscapes and destinations add to the wider picture of Champasak.
Discover more destinations: Pakse, Ban Gnik, Nakasong, Pakxong, Khinak, Muang Khong
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