Travel from Luang Prabang to Pakse

By bus the journey from Luang Prabang to Pakse is scheduled to take 20 hours 30 minutes.

Bus Times from Luang Prabang to Pakse

There is currently 1 service a day from Luang Prabang to Pakse available to book online.

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Luang Prabang Bus Stop

RG Adventure services from Luang Prabang to Pakse commence with a pick-up from any hotel in Luang Prabang.

Pakse Bus Stop

RG Adventure services from Luang Prabang to Pakse terminate at the Pakse SCL Bus Station on Road 13 in Pakse. This bus station is close to the KM2 Bus Station.

About Travel to Pakse

Pakse is a relatively large city, the third largest by population in Laos, located nearly 1,000 km by road to the south of Luang Prabang. Pakse itself has no major tourist attractions. It is, however, a major transport hub for travel to Cambodia, the lower part of the north eastern region of Thailand, as well to several major visitor attractions in Southern Laos.

Pakse City

Pakse City has between 85,000 and 120,000 permanent residents (estimates vary) and by far the best facilities for travellers in this part of Laos. In terms of places of interest to visit in the city, there are generally considered to be two: Dao Hueng Market, and Wat Luang. The riverside views are also spectacular. Pakse is at the confluence of two rivers, the Mekong and the Xe Don, and the riverside views are a major feature of the city.

Pakse has far fewer tourist hotels and restaurants than Luang Prabang, however, it does have more than Thakhek or Savannakhet, which are the other two major towns in the southern half of Laos. There are around 30 hotels in Pakse City available to book online from major hotel booking websites. These range from river view rooms at the Champa Palace Hotel, which cost from $60 USD a night, to the Vie Hostel Pakse which charges from $7 USD a night for a bed in a shared dormitory.

Pakse City also has a cluster of restaurants around Road 13 which cater specifically to foreign tourists, many serving international cuisine. There is plenty of French influenced food available, Italian pasta and pizza, as well as ‘international cuisine’ such as burgers and french fries. Pakse City also has an Indian restaurant, Amin Restaurant. For those on a budget or wanting to try the local food, Laos and Thai style cuisine is widely available at generally far lower prices than the foreign inspired dishes offered in the city.

Bolaven Plateau

Of the main tourist attractions near Pakse is the Bolaven Plateau. The plateau is a highland area, with elevations ranging from 1,000 to 1,350 metres above sea level, the western perimeter of which is located about 30 km by road to the east of Pakse.

The main places that visitors tend to go to in the Bolaven Plateau are its many waterfalls, some of which are spectacular and unusual. These include the 40 metres high Tad Yuang Waterfall and the wide horseshoe shaped Tad Pha Suam Waterfall.

Private motorised transport is required to visit the Bolaven Plateau. The main points of interest are located far apart, as well as some distance from Pakse, and there’s little public transport available in the area, which is sparsely populated. Some visitors hire a taxi, others join organised tours, which is a cheaper, option, and some adventurous travellers rent motorbikes.

There are also two well known motorbiking routes referred to as the Bolaven Loop. The ‘big loop’ is 335 km long, and the ‘small loop’ route is around 150 km. Overnight accommodation is available in the Bolaven Plateau along with places to eat.

Vat Phou

Vat Phou is an ancient Khmer temple located 44 km by road to the south of Pakse. This is a striking temple, 1.4 km long which is located at the base of a cliff. It’s often described as being the best Khmer temple outside of Cambodia.

Vat Phou is also very old, with parts of the temple dating back to the 2nd Century, which makes it near to a 1,000 years older than the most famous Khmer Temple, Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Major alterations were made to the temple in the 7th Century, 12th Century, and the 13th Century, nonetheless, Vat Phou is a very different type of temple to the ones you can find in the Angkor Archaeological Park.

Onward Travel from Pakse

From Pakse the next destination for most leisure travellers is either Don Det or Udon Ratchathani in Thailand:

• Don Det: Don Det is one of two large islands in the Mekong River located to the south of Pakse, close to the border with Cambodia. Don Det’s main town is a lively destination popular with younger travellers, who tend to stay up late drinking and spend the day time participating in activities such as river tours or floating down the river on large rubber rings.
  • Distance by road from Pakse to Don Det: 150 km
  • Journey time by bus from Pakse to Don Det: 2 to 5 hours
  • More information and to buy tickets: See bus times from Pakse to Don Det
• Ubon Ratchathani: Ubon Ratchathani is a major city in the north east of Thailand known to leisure travellers for its many temples and annual wax model festivals. Ubon Ratchathani is also a major transport hub with an airport, a train station, and a bus station with direct services to Bangkok and many other destinations in the central and north eastern regions of Thailand.
  • Distance by road from Pakse to Ubon Ratchathani: 44 km
  • Journey time by bus from Pakse to Ubon Ratchathani: 3 to 5 hours
  • More information and to buy tickets: See bus times from Pakse to Ubon Ratchathani

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