Nakasong on the eastern bank of the Mekong

Nakasong on the eastern bank of the Mekong

Nakasong, also called Nakasang, is in southern Laos, in Champassak Province, on the eastern bank of the Mekong. The town is near National Road 13, one of the country’s main road links. If you are looking for hotels in Nakasong, its location by the river and near an important road link can help you get your bearings.

Bus station, road and boat pier

It is about 50 metres on foot from the bus station in Nakasong to the boat pier. Boats depart from there for Don Det and Don Khon, two of the main tourist islands in Si Phan Don. The distance of about 50 metres refers to the walk from the bus station to the pier; onward travel to the islands is by boat. Check the latest departure time before continuing your journey.

A 2,800-metre-long concrete road runs from National Road 13 South to the pier in Nakasang village. This makes the two distances easy to distinguish: about 50 metres is the walk from the bus station, while 2,800 metres is the concrete road from National Road 13 South to the pier. In a 2017 article, travel guide Ms Paphaisone Phaboliboun quoted a fare of 15,000 Kip per person, including a bicycle, for the boat trip from Nakasang to Don Det. This fare information is from 2017; check the current price when planning your budget today.

A regional look at Champasak

Within the wider destination of Champasak, the cultural landscape offers a distinct cultural point of interest. The Champasak Cultural Landscape, including the Wat Phou temple complex, is a planned landscape that is more than 1,000 years old and developed from the 5th to the 15th century. It is arranged along an axis from the mountain peak to the riverbank, with temples, shrines and waterworks extending for about ten kilometres. Wat Phou is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Champasak Province.

Nature experiences are also part of the wider destination of Champasak. In Dong Houa Sao National Protected Area, visitors can hike and camp from Nong Luang village; Tree Top Explorer is also located there. The activities combine trekking with ziplines, canopy walkways and a via ferrata. Ask about current access rules and how local guides are organised before visiting. At Tad Fane, full- and half-day hikes are offered to the top of the waterfalls and to nearby ethnic villages. The Champi and Pak Koot rivers meet to form Tad Fane, whose twin waterfalls plunge 120 metres. The activities differ mainly in format: Dong Houa Sao combines hiking and camping with Tree Top Explorer, while Tad Fane hikes are defined more closely by their duration and destinations.

The Four Thousand Islands, also known as Si Phan Don, are a group of small islands scattered across the Mekong. The waters around the islands are a habitat for Irrawaddy dolphins. Don Det and Don Khon, reached by boat from Nakasong, are two of the main tourist islands in Si Phan Don. The names refer to different points of reference: Nakasong is the town with the pier, while Si Phan Don is the group of islands spread across the Mekong.

Another aspect of the wider destination of Champasak is coffee tourism: in and around the town of Paksong, it includes tours and cafés. The regional context therefore includes nature activities and coffee-related experiences alongside islands and cultural landscapes.

Discover more destinations: Muang Khong, Pakxong, Ban Gnik, Pakse, Khinak, Champasak.

Go to the wider travel overview: Champasak.