Pakse

We have been pleasantly surprised with Pakse, as much as we are only here for 1 night, we have managed to pack a whole load in, and it’s been really enjoyable. Situated about 4 hours south of Savanakhet , Pakse is the capital of Champasak Province in southern Laos. Its name means mouth of the river, and it’s located on a peninsula between the Mekong and Xe Don.
​
The first stop on our itinerary today was to visit the incredible Bolaven Plateau which is one of the main reasons that many visitors even find themselves in Pakse. It’s about a 40minute drive and it was roasting hot so being told we could swim in the waterfall when we arrived was beyond brilliant! It is made up of a large plateau that is covered in rivers, majestic jungle and cascading waterfalls and we stopped at one of the largest for an icy cold swim and some group piccies while enjoying the sunshine! 

​From there we visited a smaller coffee and tea farm located about 5 minutes away where we were able to sample local teas and I had the best fat white of my life. FINALLY, a good coffee in Laos! It was wonderful. They even had Kopi Luwak coffee…the most expensive coffee in the world. The price for a single cup of luwak coffee runs $ 35 to $80 and a one pound bag of beans costs $100 to $600 – mostly because the process involves it being shit out by the civet cat. Rare but even as a coffee lover I wouldn’t go near it.

For sunset we packed a lot in as we went to visit the Golden Buddha. Up a huge hill across the Mekong from downtown Pakse sits a giant golden Buddha at Wat Phou Salao. We took the road but passed many locals getting in their 10,000 steps and walking up. It is beautiful up there are had great views of the Japanese friendship bridge.
​
We finished the evening Check out the happy hour at the rooftop bar of the Pakse Hotel and Restaurant. La Panorama has two-for-one cocktails and the most gorgeous views of the sunset.