Best Tourist Places to Visit in Attapeu, Laos, Asia
Attapeu also spelled as Attopu or Attapu is the capital city of Attapeu Province located in southeastern part of Laos. It is placed between latitude 14.8° in the north and longitude 106.833° in the east and is positioned about 571 kms from national capital Vientiane. Attapeu Province is spread over an area of 10,320 sq. km. Attapeu was earlier known as ‘the land of heroism’.
Attapeu Province shares its borders with Sekong Province in the north, Champasak Province to the west, Kon Tum province, Vietnam on the east, Ratanakiri Province and Stung Treng Province, Cambodia to the south and southwest respectively.
Dong Ampham Forest and Xepaine Forest are the two biodiversity areas of Attapeu. The famous landmarks of Attapeu include Wat Sakae Temple, Xaysetha Stupa, Wat Luang Muang Temple and Wat Pha Saysettha.
History of Attapeu:
During the rule of King Saysethathirath, Attapeu was one of the divisions of Lane Xang Kingdom. Attapeu played a major role in independence war against French Government.
Food, Culture and shopping in Attapeu:
The population of Attapeu comprises of different tribes such as Lao, Alak, Katang, Kaleum, Suay, Oy, Taoy, Sadang, Nge, Lavea, Lavenh and Katou. Lao is a widely spoken language in Attapeu. The natives celebrate all Buddhist festivals with great enthusiasm.
The natives of Attapeu have different cooking and serving methods. The higher majority of Attapeu natives the lovers of non vegetarian dishes like Larb Ngua, Larb Gai, tam som, tam mak hoong , tam kow phun, kaeng nor mai, tom padaek, tom jeaw pa, ping ped, ping huwah, pedmok khai and ua dok kae. Also the city of Attapeu houses the food corners from Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Indian, Indonesian, Nepalese, and Vietnam.
The people of Attapeu have special talent in producing handicraft products of wood, cloth and ornaments. Other than handicraft shops, Attapeu hosts several modern shopping centres of clothes, shoes, watch and electrical and electronic centres.
Connectivity to Attapeu:
Attapeu is served by Pakse Airport. It takes 5-6 hour to reach Pakse from Attapeu. Currently airport is under construction in Attapeu. Attapeu has bus station, located couple of miles out of the town and due to this, tourists can hire taxi to reach bus station. Buses are accessible at regular intervals at Attapeu Bus Stand to reach other main cities of the country.
Tourist Attractions in Attapeu:
Dong Ampham National Biodiversity Conservation Area:
Dong Ampham National Biodiversity Conservation Area covers an area of Attapeu Province and Sekong Province of Laos located on the boundary of Vietnam. The park is spread over an area of 200,000 hectares and was established in the year 1993. Xe Kaman River and Xe Xou River are the major rivers flowing through Dong Ampham National Biodiversity. The park is home to siamese crocodiles, large cats and elephants.
Nong Fa Lake:
The volcanic lake Nong Fa Lake is located within the Dong Ampham National Biodiversity in the mountains of Sanxay District, Attapeu Province. It is one of the beautiful lakes in Laos at the depth of 78 meters, situated 12 kms away from Vietnam border.
Wat Sakae Temple:
Wat Sakae Temple is a Buddhist worship place situated in Attapeu of Laos. It is visited by most numbers of Buddhist pilgrims during Lao’s New Year.
Other tourist attractions in Attapeu include:
- Tad Feak Falls
- Xaysetha Stupa
- Wat Luang Muang Temple
- Wat Pha Saysettha.
Best time to visit Attapeu:
Between November and March is the best time to visit Attapeu.
Accommodation Options in Attapeu:
The best hotels in and around Attapeu are as follows:
- Dokchampa Hotel
- Huang ang Hotel
- Guesthouse Dokchampa Nr. 70
- Vangxang Hotel
- Attapeu Palace Hotel
- Phoutthavong Guest House
- Souksomphone Guest House
- Dok Champa Guest House
- Aloonsotsai Guest House
- Thanh Nga
- Saysekong Hotel