Where to Stay in Pakse, Laos: Best Hostels for Indian Backpackers
✅ Last verified on-the-ground: 2026-07-17
Looking for the best hostel for backpackers in Pakse? Pakse, in southern Laos, is a slow town most travellers use as a launchpad for the 4000 Islands or the Bolaven Plateau loop, but it’s worth a night on its own for the Mekong riverfront. For related planning, see our guide on Best Hostels in Baguio for Indian Travelers Budget Stays Areas to Stay.
Quick Answers
| What | Answer | Price (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest dorm in Pakse | Non Pakse One Cup Hostel, ~₹173 (~40,000 LAK or ~$1.79) | ~₹173 (~40,000 LAK or ~$1.79) |
| Best social hostel | Sanga Rooftop Hostel (rooftop bar, mixed dorms) | ~₹259 (~60,000 LAK or ~$2.69) |
| Best for quiet / solo | Chato Hostel, smaller, calmer crowd | ~₹216 (~50,000 LAK or ~$2.24) |
| Best for groups / party | You Empire Hostel and Bar | ~₹194 (~45,000 LAK or ~$2.01) |
| Walk to Mekong riverfront from any hostel | 5 to 15 minutes | Free |
Subodh’s Pro Tip: Pakse is small enough that almost every hostel sits within a 10-minute walk of the riverfront. Don’t overthink the location, pick the vibe. You may also find Chiang Dao Hostel Guide Best Hostels for Indian Backpackers useful for this trip.
How to Get to Pakse
Most Indian backpackers arrive in Pakse one of three ways: sleeper bus from Vientiane (the capital), slow boat down the Mekong (less common since the railway opened), or international bus from Ubon Ratchathani across the Thai border. If you’re routing north after Pakse, our Vang Vieng hostel guide covers the next stop on the loop for travellers continuing north into Laos.
| Route | Mode | Duration | Price | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangkok to Pakse | Direct bus (crosses at Huay Kon / Chong Mek border) | 14h 30m | ₹3,567 (~37 USD) | Book on 12go |
| Vientiane to Pakse | Sleeper bus (overnight) | Overnight | Check 12go | Book on 12go |
| Savannakhet to Pakse | Sleeper bus | ~6 to 8h | Check 12go | Book on 12go |
| Thakhek to Pakse | Sleeper bus | ~8 to 10h | Check 12go | Book on 12go |
| Vang Vieng to Pakse | Sleeper bus | ~14 to 16h | Check 12go | Book on 12go |
The Bangkok direct sleeper is the route most Indian travellers take: it crosses the Huay Kon / Chong Mek border overnight and drops you in Pakse at dawn. Bring your passport photo copies ready; the border formalities are slow but staff speak basic English. If you’re already in Laos, sleeper buses from Vientiane and Thakhek are cheap and run nightly. Many travellers pair the Pakse sleeper with a night or two in the capital first; our Thai entry-point guide covers the usual Thai entry route before crossing into Laos.
Safety Alert: Pakse International Airport handles some regional international flights, including services from Bangkok, but schedules and routes change often. The Bangkok direct bus is a more reliable and often cheaper option for Indian passport holders than routing through Vientiane by air.
Where to Stay
Pakse has six hostels worth your attention, all clustered near the Mekong riverfront and within walking distance of the night market. For travellers continuing south to Si Phan Don, our 4000 Islands hostel guide covers the dorms on Don Det and Don Khon. Prices below are dorm beds in low season, pulled from Hostelworld listings verified on 17 July 2026.
| Hostel | Cost/night | Vibe | Book Here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanga Rooftop Hostel | ~₹259 (~60,000 LAK or ~$2.69) | Rooftop bar, mixed dorms, social hub of Pakse | Check prices |
| Sanga Hostel | ~₹237 (~55,000 LAK or ~$2.46) | Sister property of the rooftop, quieter street-level setup | Check prices |
| Chato Hostel | ~₹216 (~50,000 LAK or ~$2.24) | Calm, smaller, bookish crowd near the river | Check prices |
| You Empire Hostel and Bar | ~₹194 (~45,000 LAK or ~$2.01) | Built-in bar, party hostel, late-night crowd | Check prices |
| Dream Station Hostel | ~₹194 (~45,000 LAK or ~$2.01) | Clean, friendly, good for first-night-from-border | Check prices |
| Non Pakse One Cup Hostel | ~₹173 (~40,000 LAK or ~$1.79) | Cheapest in town, basic, sociable | Check prices |
| My pick: Sanga Rooftop Hostel if you want to meet people, or Chato Hostel if you want to sleep and read a book before the long bus south. Both speak English, both accept kip in cash, and both are within 10 minutes’ walk of the Mekong. |
What to Eat
Pakse’s food scene is small but the local Lao dishes here are some of the freshest in the country because of the Mekong river fish and Bolaven Plateau coffee grown 90 minutes away. For Indian backpackers, this is also where you start running into the limits of “vegetarian-friendly Southeast Asia.” There is a genuine Lao vegetarian tradition (Buddhist lent, monks’ food), but it requires you to point and ask.
Local dishes to try
- Khao Niaw Sticky Rice + Jaew (Lao chilli dip): the Lao rice-and-dip ritual, ~₹43 (~10,000 LAK or ~$0.45) at any local spot. Every meal starts with this. Non-veg if the dip has pork, but the plain jaew Bong (eggplant dip) version is veg and is what monks eat.
- Lao-style Pho at Heng’s Rice Noodle Shop (ເຂົ້າປຽກ): clearer and more herbaceous than Vietnamese pho, if you’re comparing cuisines across the region, the central Vietnamese version is similar but heartier, served with bean sprouts and lime, ~₹65 (~15,000 LAK or ~$0.67). Order it without the meat stock and add tofu if you want veg.
- Fish noodle soup at Mrs Khamla Fish Noodle Soups: the dish Pakse is genuinely famous for, Mekong river fish in a clear broth, ~₹86 (~20,000 LAK or ~$0.90). Skip if you’re veg, but it’s a must for non-veg travellers.
- Or lam (Lao stew) at Champa Hom Restaurant: slow-cooked meat and veg stew with sakhan vine, ~₹129 (~30,000 LAK or ~$1.34). They do a veg version on request.
Vegetarian / Indian-friendly picks
- Champa Hom Restaurant will do a veg orlam and a veg sticky rice plate on request. Lao staff speak limited English, so pointing at the picture on Google Maps and saying “vegetarian” works.
- Pakse Night Market has grilled corn, sticky rice mango, fresh fruit shakes (₹65-₹86 (~15,000-20,000 LAK or ~$0.67-$0.90)), and Lao-style fried rice you can ask to be made without egg or meat. Open from about 5pm to 10pm.
Subodh’s Pro Tip: Pakse does not have a dedicated Indian restaurant. If you’ve been craving dal-roti, the closest options are in Vientiane or over the border in Ubon Ratchathani. Pack a few Maggi sachets from Thailand if that’s a deal-breaker for you. Our Vientiane guide covers the capital stop on the loop where Indian food is easier to find.
What to Do
Pakse itself is small. Most travellers stay one or two nights and use it as a base for the Bolaven Plateau loop or the boat south to Don Det (4000 Islands). Here are the six things worth your time, ranked by value:
- Wat Luang: the biggest temple in Pakse, golden stupa, free entry, 30 minutes, donations welcome. A good first stop when you arrive to reset from the bus.
- Mekong riverfront at sunset: free, 45 minutes, sit on the steps across from any hostel, watch the boats. Worth it every single time.
- Bolaven Plateau day trip: coffee plantations, Tad Fane and Tad Lo waterfalls, ~₹647-₹1,079 (~150,000-250,000 LAK or ~$6.71-$11.19) if you hire a tuk-tuk driver for the day. Most hostels (Sanga, You Empire, Dream Station) can arrange it.
- Pakse Night Market: free entry, eat for ~₹129 (~30,000 LAK or ~$1.34), two hours, the most social thing in town at night.
- Chinese Temple: small, atmospheric, the better photo stop than Wat Luang in the early morning, free entry, 20 minutes.
- Library House (Book Library House tour): a quiet bookshop-cafe if you want an air-conditioned hour. Buy a coffee (~15,000 LAK) and pretend to read.
Adventure add-ons if you have an extra day
- Firefly Viewpoint after dark: seasonal, ask the hostel, ~₹432 (~100,000 LAK or ~$4.48) with transport. A 30-minute boat ride through trees lit up by fireflies. Worth it if it’s running.
- Miss Noy Motorbike rental (Book Miss Noy Motorbike tour): ~₹345-₹518 (~80,000-120,000 LAK or ~$3.58-$5.37) per day for a manual Honda Wave. The Bolaven Plateau is a motorbike route, not a tuk-tuk route, if you’re confident on two wheels.
- Mountain bike Pakse Rental (Book Mountain bike Pakse Rental tour): ~₹173 (~40,000 LAK or ~$1.79) per day for a half-day ride along the Mekong. Cheaper than a motorbike and just as good for the river stretch.
- Dok Champa Massage (Book Dok Champa Massage tour): traditional Lao herbal compress massage, ~₹345-₹518 (~80,000-120,000 LAK or ~$3.58-$5.37) per hour. The right reward after the sleeper bus from Vientiane.
Skip
The “Luang Prabang day trip from Pakse” is sometimes sold at hostels. Skip this one and reach Luang Prabang by flight instead, or as a separate stop on the Laos leg.
Getting Connected
Laos SIM cards are cheap and good. Unitel and Lao Telecom both work in Pakse and the Bolaven Plateau, with Unitel having the better 4G coverage in the south.
- Physical SIM at the airport or any Unitel shop in town: 30-day tourist SIM with 30 GB data, ~₹216 (~50,000 LAK or ~$2.24). Bring your passport. The airport booth is faster than the town shops for first-timers.
- eSIM alternative: Get Nomad eSIM for Laos if you don’t want to swap physical SIMs. Same 4G coverage, activation by QR code on landing.
- WiFi at hostels: reliable at Sanga Rooftop, Sanga, Chato, Dream Station, and You Empire. Slow at Non Pakse One Cup (it’s cheap for a reason). Cafes on the riverfront mostly have working WiFi too.
Subodh’s Pro Tip: If you’re crossing from Thailand, your AIS or TrueMove SIM will roam but at extortion rates. Buy a Lao Unitel SIM at the Huay Kon border instead of waiting for Pakse.
Daily Budget Breakdown
Pakse is one of the cheapest backpacker cities on the Laos leg.
| Category | Budget/day |
|---|---|
| Dorm bed | ~₹216 (~50,000 LAK or ~$2.24) |
| Food (3 meals, mostly local) | ~₹259 (~60,000 LAK or ~$2.69) |
| Local transport (tuk-tuk around town) | ~₹129 (~30,000 LAK or ~$1.34) |
| Activities (Bolaven Plateau split between friends) | ~₹345 (~80,000 LAK or ~$3.58) |
| Beer / coffee / misc | ~₹129 (~30,000 LAK or ~$1.34) |
| Total | ~₹1,079 (~250,000 LAK or ~$11.19) |
That’s roughly ₹1,075 (~$11.14) a day if you eat local, stay in dorms, and split the Bolaven Plateau tuk-tuk with two other travellers. Add another ₹216 (~50,000 LAK or ~$2.24) per day if you rent your own motorbike.
Common Mistakes
Three specific things Indian backpackers get wrong in Pakse:
- Treating it as a pass-through. Most travellers arrive on the Bangkok sleeper at dawn, see the bus station looks grim, and skip town the same day. That misses the Bolaven Plateau, which is the single best thing in southern Laos. Stay two nights minimum.
- Exchanging Thai baht at the bus station. The Bangkok-to-Pakse sleeper drops you at a tiny border exchange booth with a 15% spread on baht-to-kip. Better rates: any Unitel shop in central Pakse, or just withdraw LAK from an ATM at BCEL bank on the main road using a forex card (HDFC, Niyo Global, or Forex card all work, ₹200 (~$2.07) to ₹500 (~$5.18) foreign transaction fee per withdrawal).
- Skipping the eSIM and buying three SIMs. The Unitel 30-day 30 GB SIM is enough for the whole southern Laos leg. Don’t buy a new SIM in Vientiane, then Pakse, then Don Det. One Unitel SIM covers Pakse, Bolaven, and Si Phan Don.
FAQ
Is Pakse safe for solo Indian women?
Yes. Pakse is small, the hostels above all have female-only dorm options on request, and the night market is busy until 10pm. Avoid walking alone along the riverside paths after 11pm, they’re poorly lit.
Can I get Indian food in Pakse?
Not really. There’s no dedicated Indian restaurant in Pakse. Vientiane has the best Indian food in Laos. If you need Indian food in southern Laos, Ubon Ratchathani across the Thai border has several.
How many days do I need in Pakse?
Two nights, three days is the right amount: one night to arrive and rest, one full day for the Bolaven Plateau loop, and a morning to catch the bus or boat south.
Is Pakse worth it if I’m skipping the 4000 Islands?
Honestly, no. Pakse is a logistics city. If you don’t need it for Bolaven or Si Phan Don, skip it and go straight from Ubon Ratchathani to Vientiane by air.
What’s the cheapest way from Pakse to Bangkok?
The direct overnight sleeper bus (₹3,567 (~37 USD), 14h 30m, Book on 12go). It crosses the Huay Kon border around 2am and drops you at Bangkok’s Mor Chit bus terminal.
Should I stay in Pakse or go straight to Don Det (4000 Islands)?
Stay one night in Pakse, then go to Don Det. The Bolaven Plateau is worth the stop and you don’t want to arrive in Don Det at 6am with no place to sleep until check-in.
Subodh’s Take
Pakse is the city no one loves but everyone passes through. That’s fine. Treat it as a base, not a destination, sleep at Sanga Rooftop if you want to meet people, take the Bolaven Plateau day trip, eat fish noodle soup at Mrs Khamla, and move on. Travellers heading further into Cambodia after Pakse can ask at their hostel for the best onward connection across the border.
— Subodh
