Bolaven Plateau - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

Champasak Palace, in Pakse, Laos, was intended to be a residence of the Prince of Champasak, Chao Boun Oum. However, he had to abandon it in 1974 before it was finished, as the Royal Lao government was overthrown by the communist Pathet Lao. After the revolution, the building was completed and served as a venue for the communist party congresses and accommodation for visiting dignitaries. The palace was converted into a hotel in 1995.

Wat Phou or Vat Phu, which translates to “mountain temple” was built during the late 10th to early 11th century, which makes it older than Angkor’s best known monument, the Angkor Wat, which was built during the first half of the 12th century. Over the following centuries structures were added to the temple until the 14th century when the Angkor empire went into decline.

Dong Hua Sao covers an area of 1,100 sq km. This protected area is located in the province of Champasak within the districts of Bachieng . The lowland plains comprise over half of the protective area with the elevation ranging from 100 to 1000 m. The area’s vegetation consists mainly of evergreen forest in the lowlands and the uplands with dry dipterocarp forest and mixed deciduous forest. It is one of the conservative area of a wide range of wildlife.

Phou Xieng Thong National Protected Area is a national protected area in Salavan and Champasak provinces of southern Laos. This park, the country's only park on the Mekong river, is home to a wide variety of animal and plant species, some endangered. The park is an ecotourism destination. This park has a large variety of flora and fauna and is also a center for a large variety of wildlife.

The vast Sekong River Basin is one of the most important Mekong tributaries. Originating in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, the Sekong River flows through Laos and then enters Cambodia to join the mighty Mekong River. Contributing ten percent of the water flow to the Mekong River, the Sekong River joins with the Sesan and Srepok Rivers to form the 3S River Basin, a major sub-basin of the Mekong River system.

Si Phan Don (4,000 Islands) is an archipelago in the Mekong River containing a large number of islands of varying shapes and sizes, some of which are often submerged during the monsoon season. The southern islands of Don Dhet and Don Khong are the most visited, while the rest are uninhabited due to their minute size.