Wat Phou – Mount Asa

Recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, Wat Phou is a spectacular pre-Angkorian temple that sits amidst the rice fields and waterways of southern Laos.  The temple was constructed in three levels: the bottom level is focused on the water reservoir and promenade, the second level features quadrangular pavilions and galleries of carvings, and the top level is the sanctuary itself.  The temple was built by the rulers of the Khmer empire before the construction of Angkor Wat. The temple served as the most important economic and political center of the region and still is one of the Lao people’s most revered temples.

Drive to Champassak, through streets lined with French colonial buildings, and continue on to Ban Kiet Ngong. Stop en route at Ban Nong Bune, a wood carving village, to enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.

The small Lao village of Ban Kiet Ngong is the starting point for your 90 minute elephant ride through the forest (2 persons per elephant) and up to Mount Asa. This tour is part of a community-based tourism project developed to help the local villagers and provide conservation awareness. Along the way, you will have stunning views of the Xe Pian National Park which is settled between Champassak and Attapeu provinces. Stretching along the Mekong with many wetlands and unspoiled forest areas,this park offers a huge biodiversity with 29 recorded ecosystems with birds species such as egrets, sarus crane and horn-bill as well as mammals such as wild elephant and gibbons. Return to Pakse this afternoon. End of services.