Savannakhet

Last updated: 2008-01-09

Savannakhet is situated right on the Mekong River in Southern Laos, directly opposite Mukdahan on the Thailand side of the border. It is relatively large and spread over quite a large area, second only in size to Vientiane, the country's capital city.

Arriving at the Savannakhet bus terminal, there are the usual tuk tuk and samlor drivers hanging around to entrap you as you step off the bus but they're not nearly as pushy as those found in neighbouring Thailand. It is possible to walk into town if you're travelling light and like to spend some time orienting yourself on foot. The walk takes about 30 minutes, although it is a very humid walk in the hot season, or if you have anything more than a shoulder bag. If you take a tuk tuk, expect to pay around 10,000 Kip per head for the 2 kilometre journey into town.

This city is one of the classic French colonial throwbacks and although often in a state of deep decay, there are plenty of old colonial style buildings to be seen around town, especially in the town centre.

The tourist office is close to the post office and just off Khantabuli Road and should be your first port of call. The staff are really friendly and will probably bring you a glass of water as you peruse the brochures (in Laos culture, it is quite rude not to accept the drink and at least take a sip). They speak pretty good English and there is a free map of the city available... this is invaluable for finding your way around, especially on foot. The town's grid layout can be very confusing to outsiders and the free map is vital, which has useful points of reference.

The main square of the town centre is almost deserted at any time of the day. You can almost imagine tumble weed rolling through the square and the shops and businesses here are clearly struggling to survive and many buildings are empty and in an advanced state of disrepair, which is a shame because they could be made to look very attractive if they had some investment.

The main centre of activity seems to be along the central length of Ratsavong Suek Road, where you will find a number of internet cafés (usually with high speed access to the net) and at the time of writing, the only ATM in town (outside BCEL Bank)... Be warned, this ATM will only give you money if you have a Mastercard... attempt to use your Visa card and you will be unable to draw funds (this may have been a temporary fault but you should be aware that ATM's are not reliable in Laos). If this is at the weekend, you're in trouble, because there is no other way to get money. You will have to wait until the bank opens and ask one of the bank staff to draw on your credit card and they charge three percent for this service. Running out of money is no fun in a place like this... take enough cash for your stay.

Getting around if you don't like walking can be hard on the legs as things are quite spread out. That said, it's small enough to walk around if you're fit. A good idea is hiring a bicycle and many guesthouses offer this service. Hiring a motorbike is NOT a good idea however as the legal issues are a grey area. Further, if you don't know the local rules of the road, the chances of a nasty accident are high... Laos is not a place you want to be in need of serious medical help.

There are quite a few backpacker types wondering around town and as a result there is no shortage of places to eat, including Western dishes. The pace of life seems quite slow for such a large place and the streets off the main drag are quiet and tranquil. The overall feel is small town and everything is low rise. Many women wear the traditional Laos dress, including students. At night however, many of the younger set will dress less formally. There are a few discotheques in town and there is more nightlife on offer than in neighbouring Mukdahan. At least a couple of discos are worth the trip (ask a samlor driver) although disappointingly, they close at midnight. Mostly Laos and Thai disco music is played. There are also karaoke pubs all over town.

A word of warning if you have a Laotian girlfriend/boyfriend, or meet someone in a bar... under Laos law, it is not possible to stay with a Laos citizen unless you are married to them. This is really a very grey area. Some foreigners have reported that the police have caused major hassles after the hotel reported to the police that they had a Laos citizen in their room. Others have reported that they have had no problems in this regard... however, it's best to stay under the radar and don't upset anyone. Breaking the law of the land is never a good idea.

Accomodation

The Hoong Thip Hotel is probably the only place in downtown Savannakhet with all the amenities, such as hot water shower, restaurant (closed for renovation during our visit), internet in reception etc and there is a Karaoke club built onto this property. The room was large and clean but rather dull and the window looked out to a dirty wall just 12 inches away with no natural light. For the price (around 25 $US) you can't complain. The reception staff were unusually nonchalant and gruff for such a friendly country.

Getting to Savannakhet

Access is very easy from Mukdahan, with regular buses throughout the day for around 50 Baht one way. You will of course need your passport and a visa on arrival is available when you get to the Laos side of the road bridge (arrive before midday) for 1500 Thai Baht. The boat crossing is now closed to foreigners, only Thai and Laos nationals can use the boats from Mukdahan, all others must use the bridge to the North.

Savannaket has it's own airport but at the time of writing there are no international flights and the domestic airline was not operating any flights to Savannakhet.

The road from the border with Vietnam has been improved and there are buses to Savannakhet from the Lao Bao – Hoi An crossing.

Buses from Vientiane run hourly throughout the day, take around 9 hours to complete the journey and cost around 60,000 Kip. There is an overnight VIP bus for a few Dollars more and the journey takes 7 hours.

Visas for Vietnam

There is a Vietnamese consulate in Savannakhet on Sisavangvong Road, where you can submit your visa application if you plan to travel onto that country. You may need up to four days to process the application. Opening times are 07:30 to 16:00 and closed for lunch 11:00 to 13:30.