Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Destinations
Ban Saphai (roughly hourly; 30min); Champasak (roughly hourly; 2hr); Pak-
song (3 daily; 1hr); Si Phan Don (roughly hourly; 3hr); Vang Tao, for Thailand (roughly
hourly; 50min).
To Thailand
The easiest way to cross the border at Vang Tao (daily 5am-8pm) is to board
one of the VIP buses bound for Ubon Ratchathani (80,000K), which leave Pakse twice a day.
A cheaper, slower and more complex option is to take a sawngthaew from the New Market to
the border (20,000K). After you've crossed into Thailand, local sawngthaews will be waiting
to shuttle you to the town of Phibun Mangsahan, where you can transfer to buses to Ubon
Ratchathani, which has an airport and plentiful road and rail links. Whichever way you're
crossing, Lao and Thai visas are available on arrival at the border.
INFORMATION
Tourist office
The Provincial Tourism Office is on No. 11 Road, near the Xe Don River
(Mon-Fri 8am-noon & 1.30-4pm; 031 212021), and has bus timetables displayed on a
touchscreen computer, as well as information on
treks
.
TOURS FROM PAKSE
Pakse's location, combined with its well-developed tourist infrastructure, means there's an
excellent range of tours and day-trips on offer.
Tourist office
The main tourist office is a very good place to start. Trips here include
three days of trekking in the Xe Pian NBCA, an excursion that mixes kayaking, hiking and
camping with plenty of opportunities for wildlife spotting ($180 per person based on two
sharing).
Green Discovery
greendiscovery.org
.
Runs one-, two- and three-day trips to ride the
elephants at Kiatngong, with prices from $97 per person, based on two people taking the
trip. The same company also runs one-day trips to the Bolaven Plateau, taking in some of
the region's most impressive waterfalls (around $86 per person).
Pakse Travel
No. 12 Rd
paksetravel.com
.
A local company that organizes minivan ex-
cursions to Wat Phou and Si Phan Don, and can also arrange onward travel to Cambodia,
Thailand and Vietnam.
Vat Phou Cruises
No. 11 Rd, across from the tourist office
vatphou.com
.
Runs luxuri-
ous river cruises down the lower Mekong, taking three days to travel from Pakse to Wat
Phou and back. The company's office in Pakse, located just across from the tourist office,
offers last-minute rates that are significantly cheaper than the prices listed online.
