Champasak Map

Laos Maps


Champasak is a small town located in the province of the same name, which happens to be one of the most frequented areas in southern Laos. The town is also the capital of the province. 

The town of Champasak used to be the seat of the Kingdom of Champasak, an independent Lao state. In 1945, the state was dissolved by the French when they founded the Kingdom of Laos. Anyone who visits the area would find it hard to believe that Champasak used to be a former seat of royalty; after all, it is a quiet and lazy town. However, there are some things which indicate Champasak's glorious royal past: there remain French colonial-era structures, as well as a deteriorating stone fountain found in the centre of the main street.

Champasak may be small, but it is home to one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites: the Vat Phou (also called as Wat Phu or Wat Phou).  This is the area's main draw for tourists. Vat Phou is a ruined Khmer temple complex that currently serves as the heart of Theravada Buddhist worship. The ancient complex was made to show the Hindu vision of the relationship between nature and humanity.