Laos - The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

Pakse: Gateway to Southern Laos' Coffee, Waterfalls, and Ancient Temples Welcome to Pakse, the southern Laos city that tourism brochures describe as a "gateway" because they can't think of a more exciting way to say "place you'll inevitably pass through to get somewhere else." Located at the confluence of the Mekong and Se Don rivers, this former French colonial administrative center has transformed from "brief stopover" to "actually worth a few days" thanks to its proximity to the Bolaven Plateau's coffee plantations, ancient Khmer ruins, and waterfalls that would make your Instagram followers assume you've learned Photoshop. Where in the World? Pakse sits in Champasak Province in southern Laos, making it the unofficial capital of the south. The city itself straddles the Mekong River, with most of the action happening on the east bank where French colonial buildings mingle with modern concrete structures in an architectural...