This steaming sticky rice is Laos’ most famous dish. It is rolled into small balls, and served in a bamboo basket, and often dipped in other foods and sauces. Klao Niaw is so popular that it is eaten with practically all Laotian dishes.

Larb belongs to the most popular national dishes of Laos. It is made from pork, chicken, beef, duck or fish, and can be served with garlic, lime juice, spring onion or mint, along with roasted rice. Laap can be served cooked or raw and you may find vegetarian Laap made with tofu or mushrooms, too.

Baguette is a friendly reminder of the old dark French colonialization time in Laos. Baguette is split in half and generously filled with lettuce, sliced tomatoes, carrot, onion and optional cheese, moo yor (pork lunchmeat), chopped ham and topped with pâté or chili sauce. Filled baguettes go well with a cup of strong filtered coffee for an ideal breakfast.

Temperatures in Southern Laos are heavily influenced by altitude. This Southern part of Laos enjoys lower temperature level than that in the northern, central and eastern regions. The first months of the rainy season (May to July) are very hot and rainfall is often short-lived, while in the last few months (late July to September) rains have become more constant and sometimes heavy, especially in the south of the country. In the whole of Laos, during the rainy season, daytime temperatures average 29 ° C in the lowlands and 23 ° C in the mountain valleys. The best time to visit Southern Laos lie therefore in the dry season, between November and March.

Airplane: Pakse International Airport (PKZ) offers flights connecting Pakse with Vientiane, Savannakhet, Siem Reap, Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City.
Buses are the most convenient means of transportation to and within Southern Laos. Pakse as the southern hub is the place where visitors connect their stay to other parts of the region. Buses from Pakse to Don Khong, Don Det and Don Khon Islands, Paksong, Salavan and Sekong, etc are available.

Khone Phapheng Waterfall is the largest waterfall in Southeast Asia. The water that travels here continues to travel along the Mekong River to Cambodia. Because of its beauty, the locals called these falls as the jewel of the Mekong. In the area of Khone Phapheng Falls, bathing is strictly prohibited due to turbulent and very powerful water currents.
Vat Phou (or Wat Phu) Temple complex is recognized as an UNESCO World Heritage site in 2002. The complex is located on a hillside and features a ruin remaining from the Khmer temple. Its origin dates back to the late 10th and 11th century, which makes Wat Phu even older than the famous Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Wat Phu was dedicted to Shiva, a Hinduist God, then in the 13th century it was converted into a Buddhist monastery.
Bolaven Plateau is crossed by several rivers and has many scenic waterfalls, attracting nature lovers from different backgrounds. The region is characterized by coffee and tea plantations and lush vegetation. Bolaven Plateau is also historically significant during the French colonization and the Vietnam war times.
Champasak is home to the UNESCO World Heritage site Champasak Cultural Landscape. Travelers have the opportunities to discover French colonial buildings, Buddhist temples, Shadow puppet theater evening show and try relaxing massage at the spa.
4000 Islands (Si Phan Don) is actually a section of the Mekong River that speads out into a 10 kilometer-wide labyrinth of shallow waterways and islands, whose size do vary greatly. The most popular are definitively Don Dhet, Don Khon and Don Khong islands.

Mekong river: floats through six Asian countries (China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam). In Laos, it is known locally as Mae Nam Khong. Visitors can take a slow boat down the river and visit local villages.
Southern Vietnam is prosperous with a rich water network of countless canals, streams and rivers. Tourists can experience both the fabulously bustling and energetic flair at the modern city Saigon as well as the peaceful life on the Mekong delta and lush green fruit orchards.

OUR PICK: Four to five full days in the Southern Laos, staying on the islands for sightseeing and relaxation, visiting famous sites, then heading north to explore other parts of Laos or departing for a trip in neighbor country like Thailand and Vietnam.
Boat tour: in Don Khong, Don Det and Don Khon Islands.
Shopping tour: shop around local markets in the region. Be an early bird and visit the morning fresh market at 6 a.m. on Don Khong island.
Coffee- and tea-making workshop with locals: at Jhai Coffee House, Mr Koffie’s Coffee Tour & Roasting Workshop, Sinouk Coffee Resort and Plantation, Bolaven Plateau Coffee Producers and Mystic Mountain Coffee – Jeep Safari.
National park tours: There are various national parks in the Southern Laos to choose from for a memorable visitation, such as the National Biodiversity Conservation areas of Phou Xiang Thong, Dong Hua Sao, Dong Amphan, Dong Phou Vieng, Phou Xang He.
Cultural tours: visitation to notable historical and cultural sites, temples, pagodas.
M.I.C.E tous: theme tours, educational tours, charity tours and meditation tours