Champasak Palace
Laos, Champasak, Pakse

Described quite accurately in one guidebook as looking like a giant wedding cake, the Champasak Palace may be a bit of a behemothic eyesore from the outside, but once inside, you will get sweeping verandas and spectacular views over the surrounds. Built by a now-dead prince as a residence he never lived in, the Palace is now owned by a Thai group and, if this is in your budget range, is certainly worth considering. Rooms are clean if a little aged and the service prompt and friendly. The hotel has a kitch 50s feel to it, not dissimilar to the historical atmosphere of the Atlanta in Bangkok or the Galle Face in Colombo -- its biggest disadvantage is the 10-minute walk to the downtown area and the lack of a pool.

Facilities at Champasak Palace

• Bar/Pub/Lounge
• Beauty Salon/Barber

• Fitness Centre
• Foreign Exchange

• Massage
• Restaurant

The Rooms at Champasak Palace

• Air Condition
• Hair Dryer

• IDD/Direct Dial Line
• Minibar/Fridge

• Television

About Pakse:

Pakse has a number of comfortable places to stay and is a good base from which to explore the surrounding area. The town has one of the largest markets in the region. Within Pakse is the Champassak Museum where you can see relics from Wat Phu as well as from the Bolaven Plateau.

The province of Champasak is home to one of Asia's great, but least visited temples, Wat Phu. The province also houses much of the Bolaven Plateau, an area that is home to a number of ethnic minorities. To the south is Si Pan Don (four thousand islands), where the Mekong reaches up to 14km wide during the rainy season and the Khone Phapeng Falls.