About 500km south east of Vientiane is the important river port and market town of Savannakhet. The main activity of Savannakhet is as a transit point for goods being shipped to Thailand across the Mekong from Vietnam and China. About 15km to the north of Savannakhet is the 16th century That Ing Hang, one of the most important religious sites in southern Laos.
Further south still near where the borders of Thailand, Cambodia and Laos meet is Pakse, a strategically located commercial centre and the starting point for exploring the ancient Khmer ruins of Vat Phu, just to the south of Champasak, and the Four Thousand Islands. The Angkor-period Vat Phu temples date from the 6th to 13th century and were built on a sacred hill rising 75 metres above the surrounding plains. The Four Thousand Islands, many of which disappear under the Mekong in the rainy season, is an area of rapids, waterfalls and seasonally cultivated islands just north of the border with Cambodia. At Oun Moung there is an ancient Khmer sanctuary hidden in tropical forest. One of the best ways to visit Vat Phu, the Four Thousand Islands and Oun Moung is on a four day cruise from Pakse.
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