Wat Phu Champasak, Laos Considered the most sacred religious site in Southern Laos, the temple site of Wat Phu Champasak dates back to the Chenla Period (6th to 8th centuries) and was later part of the Khmer Angkor Empire (9th to 13th centuries).  Although the surviving structures are not as grand as those near Siem Reap, Cambodia, the surrounding countryside makes a visit to Wat Phu well worth a stop for serious temple buffs and casual travelers alike.  Situated at the base of Phu Pasak (Pasak Mountain), Wat Phu ascends in three levels up the side of the mountain to the main temple sanctuary commanding breathtaking views of the countryside.  Historians believe that this site was chosen by the Khmers because of a natural spring that flows from near the top of the mountain and also because the peak of Phu Pasak resembles a Shiva phallus.  The temple site is located 8km southwest of the tiny village of Champasak and we feel that the best way to visit the site is by bicycle.  This allows the traveler the opportunity to see rural Lao villagers engaging in their daily activities on the leisurely ride to the temple site.  Traveling by bicycles also allowed us to spot hidden treasures along the way that most people speed by in the back of a jumbo (a local form of transportation, such as this wonderful Buddha image embedded in a tree.

This Buddha image is now completely engulfed by a yree.  It once was part of a temple that has been since destroyed.

A false door and surrounding stone carvings, one of the few pieces of Wat Phu that remains intact.

Detail of a carving on a door lintel.

Crumbling stairway leading from the first level to the second level of the temple complex.

View from the top level of Wat Phu.

Detail of a door lintel depicting the powerful Hindu god Vishnu.

Brian is dipping his head under the natural spring that flows from Phu Pasak (Pasak Mountain).  Good luck is said to come to those who cleanse themselves with the waters of the sacred spring.  Besides, he really needed to take a shower, it's a hot and sweaty climb up the mountain.

A collection of offerings in the main temple sanctuary.  The locals believe that bad luck will come to those who take pieces of the temple therefore, many of the "lost" objects have been returned.  In the photograph above, you will notice many stone window ballustrades and bricks that were once part of Wat Phu Champasak.

Three Buddha images in the main sanctuary on the top level of the temple.

A cornice featuring a Naga (mythical snake) that has fallen off of the temple and is now being reclaimed by the ground.

The main sanctuary of Wat Phu Champasak.

Carving in a very large boulder of the Hindu gods Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva located near the main sanctuary.

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