Champasak

Champasak’s main draw is Vat Phou, an ancient Khmer temple complex recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site, its ruins climbing a forested hillside above the Mekong. Beyond the temple itself, the surrounding countryside remains largely rural, with quiet river villages and plenty of scope for cycling or slow boat trips along the water. It suits travellers happy to explore at their own pace rather than follow a fixed itinerary, a world away from Laos’s more visited towns.