An easy 2km walk to the south of Wat Phu – follow the signs from near the main gate – stands Nang Sida temple, which probably dates from the middle of the 11th century and might have been the central shrine for a second ancient city. You can walk down the ceremonial causeway to the tower, which has collapsed into an impressively large pile of sandstone blocks. A brick 'library' is off to the side.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
1.08 MILES
Bucolic Wat Phu sits in graceful decrepitude, and while it lacks the arresting enormity of Angkor in Cambodia, given its few visitors and more dramatic…
25.82 MILES
Se Pian NPA is one of the most important protected areas in Laos. The 2400-sq-km park boasts small populations of Asiatic black bears, yellow-cheeked…
18.05 MILES
The centrepiece of this hilltop temple across the Mekong from Pakse is the giant golden Buddha statue looking out over the city. The views from his perch…
23.43 MILES
This temple just past the stone carvers in Ban Don Khoh is well worth a visit, not only for its 30m-tall gold-painted Buddha but also some of the…
19.38 MILES
This vast market near the Lao–Japanese Bridge is one of the biggest in the country. It's at its most chaotic in the food zones, but just about anything a…
3.61 MILES
About 5km south of town along the Mekong stands the oldest active temple in Champasak, and one of the most interesting in southern Laos. The soaring Thai…
Champasak Historical Heritage Museum
19.75 MILES
Highlights here include ancient bronze drums, stone carvings unearthed up on the Bolaven Plateau, stelae with Tham script dating from the 15th to 18th…
19.61 MILES
This modest, tin-roofed building isn't much to look at from the outside, but the one-of-a-kind paintings inside are the reason to visit. They show Jesus…
Nearby Southern Laos attractions
1.04 MILES
The Exhibition Hall near the ticket office showcases dozens of lintels, naga (mythical water serpents), Buddhas and other stonework from Wat Phu and its…
1.08 MILES
Bucolic Wat Phu sits in graceful decrepitude, and while it lacks the arresting enormity of Angkor in Cambodia, given its few visitors and more dramatic…
3.35 MILES
Where the road to Wat Phu turns away from the Mekong, the remains of the Champasak's ancient city ('Muang Kao') begin. Founded in the mid-5th century by…
3.61 MILES
About 5km south of town along the Mekong stands the oldest active temple in Champasak, and one of the most interesting in southern Laos. The soaring Thai…
5.92 MILES
About 300m south of the fountain circle you'll find the large former home of Chao Boun Oum (the king's younger brother), built in 1952 in French colonial…
6. Chao Ratsadanai's Residence
5.97 MILES
This faded 1926 French Colonial building was once the residence of Chao Ratsadanai, the king's father.
6.62 MILES
The Khmer temple ruin of Uo Moung, beside a small tributary of the Mekong, is believed to have been built late in the 9th century during the reign of the…