Landing on a rainy day on a single-runway airstrip in Pakse, I had no idea what to expect from Laos. But honestly, heading into a country with zero expectations is often the absolute best way to soak in every raw moment. What initially looked like a sleepy little river town turned out to be vast, vibrant, and bursting with life.
Finding Home on the Xe Don River
Our base camp for four nights was the stately Champa Palace Hotel, perched right along the edge of the Xe Don River. Built in 1975, this grand property was originally intended to be a royal palace before history took a turn.
Don’t let older online reviews fool you—most of those were written prior to its recent renovation! Our stay was incredible. The rooms were spotless, cooled by powerful air conditioning; breakfast was a standout, offering a great spread of both Asian and Western options to power us up for long exploration days.
Positioned just a 10-minute walk from the Champasak Historical Heritage Museum and a quick 3 km jump from Pakse International Airport, the location was super convenient. Plus, the walkway leading out to the Love Bridge made for a lovely stroll at sunset before grabbing dinner at a local café nearby.
Scooter Initiation & The $0.00 Lost Document Miracle
Naturally, we had to rent scooters to drive up toward Paksong to meet our jeep tour guide at a coffee shop.
Now, I have never driven a scooter before. If you’ve never experienced South Asian traffic dynamics, you might imagine cruising down a quiet road. In reality? It’s pure, chaotic, organized madness: hundreds of scooters and cars bottlenecking at a single traffic light. It was a true baptism by fire, but I survived the ride up!
The ride back to Pakse after dark, however, threw a dramatic twist.
About 7 km outside of town, we hit a bumpy section of road. Out of nowhere, the violent shaking sent my cell phone airborne right out of its handlebar mount! I slammed on the brakes, lost balance, and dropped the scooter on my leg. Fortunately, I escaped with just a minor scratch, and because no traffic was immediately behind me, I darted across the road and managed to retrieve my phone intact.
We headed back to the hotel, showered, and went out for dinner. But when it came time to pay the bill, panic hit: the little document pocket behind my case was empty. My ID, health insurance card, and three bank cards were gone. They had flown out when the phone hit the pavement hours earlier! Don’t ask why I was carrying all of those with me. ☹
We hailed a taxi, drove back out 7 km into the pitch-black countryside, and began sweeping the roadside. Guided only by my phone flashlight and the taxi’s headlights, a miracle happened: we found every single lost document. Our taxi driver turned to us and said that if this had happened anywhere near the city center, those documents would have been gone forever. Talk about luck!
CC 1971 Café: Drinking Orange Americano in a Bomb-Blasted Power Plant
We met our guide and driver at what is easily one of the most incredible café spaces I’ve ever set foot in: CC 1971 Café.
Housed inside the derelict, shell-shocked ruins of a 1970s power plant that was heavily bombed during the conflict between the Pathet Lao and Nationalist forces, this place is a living piece of history. Rather than tearing down the ruined structure, an enterprising local turned it into a breathtaking café. The walls still feature bullet holes and bomb cracks, creatively decorated with military artifacts including artillery pieces, old bomb casings, and actual warplane jet engines.
Surrounded by WWII and Secret War remnants, the rich aroma of fresh local coffee fills the air. I ordered an Orange Americano for about $2.20 USD, and it was absolute perfection in the tropical heat.
Off-Roading Through History: The Mystic Mountain Coffee Tour
From there, our main coffee destination was Mystic Mountain Coffee Farm on the famous Bolaven Plateau.
Our ride? A rugged, ancient, dusty 1945 army-patterned Jeep. It was the ultimate machine for tackling the uneven dirt tracks ahead.
Our first stop was Tad Moun Waterfall, where we took the Jeep right into the water for a wild off-road splash before continuing up to the farm. Along the red dirt trails, local kids played on bicycles and waved curiously as our vintage green machine rumbled past.
When we arrived at the plantation, we were treated to the absolute best meal we had during our entire trip in Laos. Prepared by our host's wife, the home-cooked Lao feast was packed with fresh local flavors!
The farm itself was filled with surprises:
· Pepper trees and massive local spiders (which, amazingly, some locals grill and eat as a snack!).
· A hike up to a panoramic viewpoint and camping area overlooking the lush coffee farm and dormant volcanic cones in the distance.
· A massive, cratered bomb hole from the war era; a sobering reminder of the region's history hiding beneath the green canopy.
At the end of the day, we roasted green coffee beans with the farm owner using traditional, old-school fire roasting methods. Sipping that smoky, hand-roasted cup made us laugh about how complicated and expensive modern commercial roasteries can be!
The Story Behind the Beans: Our host, Mr. Khamsone, is truly one of the most hospitable, warm, and inspiring people you will ever meet (not to mention a fantastic photographer and filmmaker!). Born on the plateau, he saved money from working as a bellboy to buy his first piece of land back in 1993. When a devastating frost destroyed half his crop in 2014, instead of giving up, he launched these immersive jeep tours to sustain his farm and support local village families. Today, the rich volcanic lava soil of the Bolaven Plateau produces world-class coffee, and Khamsone’s ethical, community-first approach is something every specialty coffee lover can get behind.
Ancient Temples & Riverside Cruising
The following day, we hopped back on our scooters for a 45 km ride south to explore Vat Phou (Wat Phu).
Located at the base of Mount Phou Kao, this UNESCO World Heritage Site contains the ruins of an ancient Khmer Hindu temple complex that actually predates Angkor Wat in Cambodia! Walking through the sandstone pavilions and climbing the steep stone staircases, flanked by ancient frangipani trees and carved stone lintels, offers breathtaking views over the surrounding plains and the Mekong River.
After spending a couple of hours wandering the ruins, we took a slow ride back through Muang Champassak, stopping at a humble roadside stand for local coffee and enjoying lunch right alongside the calm riverbanks.
A Daytime Push to the Golden Buddha: Wat Phousalao
To cap off our final adventure in Pakse, we made a run up to Wat Phousalao (The Golden Buddha Temple).
Perched high on a hill overlooking Pakse, a giant golden Buddha statue sits quietly watching over the entire city. The climb up the steep staircase, flanked on both sides by mythical seven-headed Naga serpents, definitely gets your heart pumping in the daytime heat, but the view from the top makes the sweaty climb forgettable.
Standing at the base of the Great Buddha, the entire landscape opens: the wide Mekong River stretching out below, green hills in the distance, and the long bridge cutting straight across into the heart of town. It’s simple, free to visit, and gave us one last panoramic perspective of this incredible region before wrapping up our trip.
Final Thoughts on Pakse
Pakse is a place that quietly rewrites how you view South-Asian travel. It’s lush, green, deeply atmospheric, and packed with resilient history. But above all, it’s defined by the warmth of its people and, of course, some truly extraordinary coffee.
Until next time,
Happy Brewing!
Erica
