We get more requests from people looking to stay Monthly at Souchitra during the European winter, here is a small guide : 

Monthly Discount : -30%

When entering Laos your tourist visa is 30 days, you can extend it with 30 more days in Pakse.

If you come from abroad, flights to Bangkok in Thailand 🇹🇭 are cheaper and the access to Laos is convenient :

From Bangkok to Champasak : 

1. Flight from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani near the Lao border (≈40$) 
2. Van to cross the Lao/Thai border at Chong Mek (5$) or Taxi (35$/1200฿). 1h drive, the border closes at 8pm.
3. Taxi to Souchitra from the border (around 35$) or a van to Pakse first (5$)

📝Important : You must register yourself for your Lao visa within 3 days before arrival (no more form at the border), here is the link to do it : https://immigration.gov.la/en/registration/arrival/

An other option is a flight from Ho Chi Minh 🇻🇳 to Pakse (≈150$). Comfortable option, ending your trip with a taxi from Pakse airport to Champasak (around 25$).

Cost average : 

• Paris 🇨🇵 to Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh : 700$ return

• With a French passport the visa cost is 40$ for 30 days.
• Food cost in Champasak is 3-5$ per meal
• A night at Souchitra when staying long-term is around 15$

Monthly cost : 700-800$ for food + accomodation. 

1000$ for transportation to come and go back.

If you are coming from Vientiane the capital of Laos you can get a flight to Pakse for around 60$/1h. We don't recommend the night bus Vientiane/Pakse as the road is not great.

Once in Champasak there is everything needed to live peacefuly :

• restaurants within walking distance
• your room is cleaned twice a week and you can message us in English or French if you need help
• convenient shops nearby
• Paksé is a bigger city where you can find many things, it is at 45min from us (35km) on a good road, 3$ to get there with local bus
• hiking and cycling loops around us, fresh air, nature and serenity.
• laundry service at 1,5$/kg at Souchitra

If you are staying a week or so then the restaurants around us are convenient and affordable for daily eating.

If you are looking for fruits there is 2 markets in Champasak : 

• Weekly market in the street next to us the Thursday around 6pm and Friday early morning from 6 to 7am
• Everyday market near the gas station at 3km from Souchitra 

If you stay monthly we do not have a kitchen but we offer a small fridge at the reception to keep things as for example yoghourts (shop at 150m from us).

Some guests bring a traveling cooker to boil eggs and vegetables, this is fine to use but be mindful about cleanliness to avoid ants.

No stir-fried allowed as it sticks to the walls.

🧳 November to February (Dry season 19°C - 32°C) : this is the high season of Laos, almost no rain and relatively cool weather. All the country becomes busy with tourism and we are usually almost fully booked for 4 months. Greenery remains until late December. We offer warmer blanket for colder nights in January. 

🌞 March to May (​Summer 24°C - 36°C) : It's better to visit monuments early morning (from 8am) or afternoon (from 2:30pm) as the weather gets hot mid-day. The riverside is the best place to be as you often get a cool breeze from the Mekong. April is a month of festivities and it gets louder than usual. Tourism usually suddenly stops from the end of March as high heat begins. 

🌧️ June to October (Green season 24°C - 32°C) : the most beautiful season as the vegetation becomes green. It rains a lot in September, apart from that it can be some rain each day or long periods of blue sky. If you can be flexible with your activities then this is the best season to get lower prices and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of Champasak. 

✅ The high season is good if you don't mind about tourism.

✅ The green season is good if you don't mind about unpredictable rain.

❌ Months to avoid are September (heavy rain) and April (hot and loud). 

*These are general guidelines but we cannot predict the weather.

📱Weather app : We've tried many providers and the most accurate has been Accuweather that we use with the "Weawow" app. Not always right but it gives a better estimation than others for Champasak.

From Champasak to Ubon Ratchathani in Thailand 🇹🇭 : 

Option A (15$) :

1. Wait for a songthaew (local bus) at Souchitra's gate from 6:30am. 2 of them pass in-between 6:30am and 7:15am (60,000kip/50min to Dao Heuang Market in Pakse).

2. From Dao Heuang take a tuk-tuk to the KiengKai bus station at about 2km.

3. Tickets to Ubon are available from 8:30am, costing 150,000kip (7$), with the bus departing at 9:30am. 

The journey takes approximately 4h, arriving in Ubon bus station around 1:15pm. 

Option B (40$ to 60$) :

🚕 An alternative is a private taxi to go straight to the border from Souchitra, around 35$. Before taking an other taxi or bus in Thailand.