Wat Phu and Champasak town
Wat Phu and Champasak town
About 12 kilometers from Champasak town (the former capital of Champasak province), 6 km from the Mekong river and about 45 km from Pakse (the present day capital of Champasak province) you can find Wat Phu (sometimes also spelled Vat Phou). A wonderful place to visit!
Wat Phu was built as a Hindu temple complex and there is evidende of a temple on the site as early as the 5th century. The Khmer Hindu style temple complex is located at the base of mount Phou (Phu) Khao and the temples and structures that can still be seen today date back from the 11th to 13th centuries. It became a centre of Theravada Buddhist worship as well and even until today is seen as an important religious site for Buddhist people. Every year there is a Wat Phu Festival held on the premises of the temple and this festival is visited by many people, both from Laos, Thailand, Cambodia as other countries.
The view from the mountain is great and it is a nice place to relax, enjoy some food and enjoy the area and the ancient old temples around you. There is a museum ans a few places to get something to eat and/or drink.
Wat Phu is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2001. One of the two in Laos (the other one is the historical centre of Luang Prabang).