pakse is a small, quiet city in southern laos, situated on the mekong river. there isn?t much to do in the city other than wander around, see a few temples, and enjoy some peace and quiet. the real draw of this place is that it's a launching point for visiting wat phu, an often-passed-over unesco site that's well worth the visit.pakse is not exactly a hot-spot in laos but it doesn?t mean it should be written off as a destination! after your bender week/s in vang vieng why not head down to this relaxed city to enjoy some awesome locally grown coffee & watch the sunset over the mekong? once in pakse you can rent a bike and explore the many surrounding areas.?wat phu (or vat phu, with phu pronounced as ?poo?) is an ancient temple with a rich history. the standing temple that visitors come to see today was originally constructed as a hindu temple, but after the khmer empire fell, it was eventually converted into a buddhist temple. the mixing and matching of different religions translates into a fascinating combination of images and relics combined in a single site.