Bolikhamsai - Pakxan

Bolikhamsai province contains part of the wilderness area known as the  Nakai - Nam Theun National Biodiversity Conservation Area the largest conservation area in the country at 3700 sq km.  The area is home to over a dozen threatened species including Asiatic black bear, clouded leopard, elephant, giant muntjac, guar, Malayan sun bear, and tiger.

The saola (spindlehorn) or Vu Quang Ox - Pseudoryx nghetinhensis was discovered in neighbouring Vietnam in 1992 and sighted since then in Laos in the conservation area.  Only two other land mammals have been classified with their own genus this century.  The first live saola was captured in neighbouring Khammouane province in 1996.

The capital of Bolikhamsai is Paxxan, which can be reached from Vietntiane by bus in about three hours.