.MAPS AND ATTRACTIONS:

The major attractions to be seen and experienced in Laos are:

Plain of Jars 
The mysterious Plain of Jars is an undeveloped area near Phonsavanh in Xieng Khouang Province where huge jars of unknown origin are scattered, the biggest weighing as much as six tonnes (6.6 tons).  Local folklore says that, in the 6th century, the warrior king, Khun Jeuam, brought his army from Southern China and defeated the evil chieftain, Chao Angka.  The mighty battle was followed by a mighty feast, at which hundreds of gigantic jars of lao-lao rice wine were consumed.  Khun Jeuam was, apparently, as bad at tidying up as he was good at throwing parties, for he left behind all of the empty jars, of which nearly three hundred remain, scattered around the flat plains near Phonsavanh, including his own six-tonne 'victory cup.'  There is little physical evidence to say that this fanciful legend does not hold at least a little truth.  Major wars have been fought on the plains over the centuries, as both Lao, Siamese and Vietnamese armies attempted to win control of them.  In the nineteenth century, Chinese bandits further pillaged the plains so that, by the time French archaeologist, Madeleine Colani, arrived in the mid-1930s, almost all that remained of the ancient civilization of the plains were the jars.  Colani claimed to have discovered beads, bronzes and other artifacts that led her to believe that the jars were funerary urns, dating back 2,000 years - an opinion that is held by many researchers today.  However, Colani could not shed any light on how the huge jars, carved from non-indigenous limestone, had been transported to the plains - or why so many remained, despite centuries of war.  Another mystery surrounds the artifacts Colani found at the site, for they have all since vanished.  Some researchers claimed that they were made to store dead human bodies as was the practice of ancient believers.  This conclusion derived from the fact that human bones along with daily utensils and ornaments made of clay and metal were discovered in the area.  According to many researchers, these jars are between 2,500 to 3,000 years old.  It is believed that they were made by stone age men who lived in this part of Laos at that time.   One last mystery:  Though many battles have ravaged these plains, most devastating were the secret battles and air raids of the Second Indochina War.  Hundreds of thousands of bombs rained down upon the plains, destroying, among many others, the beautiful town and temples of Xiang Khouang, while running battles were fought and lost among the jars.  American bombers also jettisoned unused bombs over the plains as they returned from raids on Vietnam.  Yet, despite all the surrounding devastation, the jars were virtually untouched.  The jars have been fashioned from solid stone, which doesn't seem to have come from the area.  Many of the smaller jars have been taken away by collectors, but there are still several hundred in the five major groups.  Thong Hai Hin, the biggest and most accessible site, has two pavilions and restrooms as well as the largest jar on the plain.  

Wat Phou  

Wat Phou is an ancient stone palace, an architectural marvel, located on the eastern slope of Kao mountain, at about 45 km from Pakse district.  A Khmer temple from Angkor period, it is a mix of Hindu and Buddhist motifs.  Its is the crowning jewel of Champassack province and perhaps of the entire country.  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.  Originally built at the base of a sacred mountain -- a symbol of Siva to the Hindus -- Wat Phu became a Buddhist shrine in later centuries. Its grand processional causeway, which leads to a steep ascent to its mountain temples, may have inspired the entrance to Angkor Wat.  Pilgrims come in February for the Wat Phu Festival.  They leave offerings and engage in various competitions including bull fighting.  Energetic visitors may want to climb the nearby 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.  

Four Thousand Islands:

When the water level falls back in the dry season, thousands of small islands rise from the river, giving the area the name Si Phan Don "Four Thousand Islands"  The biggest island with 55,000 inhabitants is Don Khone Island, 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 bypass 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.  Si Phan Don bordering Cambodia, the Mekong spreads out to about 14km, its widest point.  It is home to waterfalls and rapids, fishing villages and pakha, the fresh water dolphin.  Many islands are inhabited, the villagers leading a quiet river based life.  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.   The 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.