Quiet and pleasant riverside provincial capital (Savannakhet)

Member Name: Pablo_Sevilla

Product:	Savannakhet
Date:	27/05/09 (5 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quirky sights unique to Lao; Catholic church, some small taoist temples, not many other travellers

Disadvantages: Not worth more than a day or two

Savannakhet is the provincial capital of the Savannakhet province.

Savannakhet is your typical Laotion riverside city. The only thing that seperates it from Thailand is the mighty Mekong river which at this point is at one of it's widest widths well over a kilometer wide.

It's proximity to Thailand and the completion of a road link connecting it with Vietnam a few hours to the east means that it's become a significant trading town and the Lao government have designated Savannkhet as a 'special trading zone' giving tax breaks to investors. So the city looks like it may go through some big changes over the next decade...

But for now Savannkhet is a laid back riverside city with enough to make it warrant a day or two.

The city is home to ethnic Vietnamese and a small Christian community making it a unique place in Lao with Chinese/Vietnamese Buddhist and Taoist temples and Lao's only catholic proper church.
The riverside area is a decent area place to grab a noodle soup and watch the boats on the mekong over a beer Lao.
There is also a very small dinosaur fossil exhibition that costs less than a dollar. What it lacks in size it makes up for in charm because the Lao people who work there don't get many visitors and thus will enthusiastically tell you everything you need to know about dinosaur fossils in Lao!

All these things make a day here worthwhile. There aren't many other travelers compared to places like Pakse and Vientiane, which is part of the appeal for some.

Definitey worth a look, if not only for the quirky sights mentioned above, it's a good place to break up the long journey between Pakse and Tha Kaek or Vientiane, but if you are short of time you should perhaps consider skipping it.

Summary: Great place to break up the journey to Vientiane or Tha Kaek further north or Pakse further south