One of the main places you won’t want to miss during your visit to Laos, even though it’s not exactly well preserved, is the ancient Khmer religious complex of Wat Phu Champasak, located at the base of Phu Kao Mountain, just 6 kilometers from the Mekong River in Champasak. The road to get to it from Pakse, its location and the views will make it worth the trip.
At Wat Phu (or Vat Phou) we find the ruins, the temple, the sanctuary and a museum corresponding to the Khmer civilization. These ruined temples, which bear a special similarity to the Temples of Angkor and are more than 1,000 years old, extend over an area of 39,000 hectares and have a surprising geometric shape due to the axes used. As for the ruins of the Wat Phu Champasak sanctuary itself, these have an extension of 1.5 kilometers, so they can be explored on foot.
There is evidence of a temple existing in the 5th century, but the structures still standing today date from the 11th to the 13th centuries. The temple was a single structure and was eventually transformed into a Theravada place of worship, as it is today.
This place simulates a pre-Angkorian city and allows you to see a representation of how the Khmer civilization developed during the 5th to 15th centuries in Laos.
One of the most important facts is that in 2001 it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This is one of the reasons why it welcomes many visitors year after year, as it is one of the main tourist attractions in the country.
The complex is made up of six terraces located on three levels, which are accessed via the staircase that runs through the entire site.
As you climb up and enter the various pavilions, the grandeur of the area begins to emerge behind you. What at first seemed like a set of stones eroded by time is transformed into a place with a certain mystical air. The symmetry of its architecture makes everything look beautiful in harmony. There are two “baray” (reservoirs filled with water and flowers) that give it an even more exotic appearance.
Once you reach the upper level, you can access the sanctuary, a structure with figures of Buddha carved in stone and a cell where the sacred “ligam” of Shiva is kept (a lintel found inside and representing the story of Krishnavatara).
There is also a large stone slab containing the Khmer-style Trimurti, which is the holy trinity in Hinduism and consists of Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. We can also see figures and reliefs.
One detail that we once thought was fantastic is the tranquility of visiting it without any tourists… has this ever happened to you? Here is the proof.
The Khmer ruins of Vat Phou (Wat Phu) are located 6 kilometers from the Mekong River and about 40 kilometers south of Pakse. The best option is to go by private transport from Pakse (so you can rent a motorbike, book a tour that includes transport by van or mini-bus or even take a cruise on the Mekong). But there are no buses or public transportation available to get to Wat Phu.
Consider joining a tour to Wat Phu Champasak and mystic waterfalls.
