The far south - The Rough Guide to Laos - page 354

is the peak of the mountain, they discovered a small Shivalinga of carved stone. Sadly, the
archeologists found it necessary to remove this artefact that had crowned the sacred moun-
tain for untold centuries, catching raindrops that would eventually filter down to the cave of
lustral waters at the foot of the mountain. The trophy now rests in the small museum at the
entrance to Wat Phou.
Hong Nang Sida Temple
1km south of Wat Phou (a trail runs between the two sites)
Hong Nang Sida is a small twelfth-century Khmer temple, built on an ancient thoroughfare
that once stretched from Wat Phou to Angkor Wat. This little-visited ruin can be taken in in
just a few minutes: the dimensions of Hong Nang Sida are modest compared with those of
Wat Phou, and very few of the sandstone blocks from which it was constructed are adorned
with carvings. Still, as with Wat Phou, the warm light on the venerable stone walls is partic-
ularly magical during sunrise and sunset.
Houaytomo Temple
Around 15km southeast of Champasak ∙ Hire a pirogue at the tourist office in Champasak for the return trip
south along the river (250,000K) ∙ 10,000K
If your thirst for Khmer temples has yet to be quenched, a visit to Houaytomo , a tenth-cen-
tury temple, is an option. Best visited as a day-trip from Champasak, the ruin is set in the
midst of a lush forest on the banks of a stream, for which it is named. Also known by various
other names, including Oum Muang, the temple is thought to have been dedicated to the con-
sort of Shiva in her form as Rudani, and was “discovered” by Frenchman Etienne Edmond
Lunet de Lajonquière early in the twentieth century.
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Xe Pian NBCA
Just southeast of Houaytomo and running the entire length of Route 13 all the way to Si Phan
Don is the XePianNBCA , roughly triangular in shape and bounded by Route 18 to the north.
Although many tourists travel right alongside it for almost 150km en route to Don Khong,
few are aware they are right next to Laos's southernmost NBCA and one of the country's
largest (2400 square kilometres) nature reserves. The terrain here is mostly plains, although
there are mixed deciduous forests and several peaks between 300m and 800m. In the east, the
Xe Kong flows into Cambodia through the park, and tigers, elephants, leopards and rhino-
ceros may survive here. The best way to visit the NBCA is from Pakse, where tour companies
can organize treks through the park, including trips to the “elephant village” of Kiatngong
and the enigmatic ruins atop Phou Asa , nearby.