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Champassak,
lies to the southwestern Laos, the capital of
Champassak is Pakse, which located at the confluence
of the Mekong and the Sedon rivers. Southeast
Asia's biggest waterfalls, Khone Pha Pheng, are
within easy reach by boat or by road.
There are many different minorities in Champassack.
They have their own language, cultures and life
styles.
Champassack lush, fertile land encouraged rice
cultivation. It's one of the largest producers
of rice in the country. Parts of Bolaven Plateau,
which rests on the border of Saravane and Champassack
are used for cultivation of coffee, cardamon,
bananas, and other crops.
Other
parts, however, still offer pristine nature, especially
in the mountainous central part constituting Dong
Hua Sao Forest reserve, a proposed protected area
which has dense jungle and abundant wild animal
life. It locates at Phapho Village: located 67
kilometers south of Pakse on the road No.13
When the water level falls back again in the dry
season, thousands of small islands rise from the
river, giving the area the name Si Phan Done (4000
islands). The biggest island with 55,000 inhabitants
is Done Khong, a peaceful place for an overnight
visit. Several waterfalls drop over the escarpment.
Some of the most spectacular are Tat Phan with
height of 120 meters and Khon Pha Pheng
Another interesting island in this area is Done
Khone, where the French built a 14 km long railway
to by pass the rapids. Visitors can follow the
old railway line, view and old locomotive, pass
a massive French built bridge and watch a series
of huge rive cascades called Tat Somphamit, also
know as the Li Phi falls.
From
the southern tip of Done Khone a small island
is accessible from which Irrawaddy dolphins can
be watched during the dry season and it is exited
only on place in Asia. Mekong Dolphin Conservation
Center is located on Done Khone Island. Tourists
are welcome to visit the center. To visit the
center, visitors must go by road to Bane Veunkham
village and then take a boat north a few kilometers
to the center.
Forty six km south of Pakse, Wat Phou, one of
the most important sights in Laos, is located.
Wat Phou literally means mountain temple. The
different levels of the temple structure, built
along the slope of the adjacent mountain, date
from the 6th century to the Angkor period of the
9th to 13th century
The upper platform of the temple affords a wonderful
view of the Mekong plain. Energetic visitors may
want to climb the near by Phou Passak, whose peak
is shaped like a lingam or Shiva phallus. Another
Khmer monument, Muang Tomo or Oum Moung, can be
visited on the opposite side of the Mekong. It
is, however, less accessible than Wat Phou
The area has the remains of an ancient Khmer stone
temple on Mount Phou Asa.At the most southwestern
tip of Laos, along the Cambodian border, the Mekong
river reaches its maximum breadth of 14 km (during
the rainy season).
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