Pakse is the capital of Champasak Province, founded by French colonialists in 1905. The kingdom was destroyed in 1946 after which the Kingdom of Lao was created. Pakse is located at the mouth of the rivers Xedong and Mekong. The term Pakse means the ‘Mouth of the River Se’. Total population of the area is 70,000.

In the Pakse district alone, there are about 62 tourist sites: 32 natural, 7 historical, and 27 cultural. There are many French colonial style buildings remaining in the city. One of Pakse’s most attractive buildings is the former Palace of Prince Boun Oum Na Champasassak, which is now the Champasak Palace Hotel on road 13.

The Champasak Palace was intended to be a residence of the Prince of Champasak, Chao Boun Oum. However, he had to abandon it in 1974 before it was finished. After the revolution, the building was completed and served as a venue for the communist party congresses and accommodation for visiting dignitaries. The palace was converted into a hotel in 1995 (until today) after a Thai company succeeded in its negotiations with the Laotian government.