Primarily a kick-off point for excursions to Si Phan Don or northern Laos, Pakse or Pakxe enjoys a wonderful location at the junction where the Mekong and Xe Don rivers meet. It is one of the largest towns in Laos and the most populous city in the southern province of Champasak. Worth visiting are the scenic temple grounds of Wat Tham Faian and the Buddha Sandstone Carving Center at Wat Chomphet. The largest and most impressive temple is Wat Luang, now used as a training facility for monks. Travellers use Pakse as a base to explore Tad Lo and Wat Phu, as well as the rest of Champasak province, with its pre-Angkorian temples, coffee plantation and remote islands.