Lonely Planet Laos
Page 35
DD Bistro & CafeINTERNATIONAL$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %051-212355; Fountain Sq; mains 20,000-80,000K; h7am-10pm; aW)
This new glass-fronted cafe overlooking Fountain Sq offers a fusion menu of Lao, Thai and international dishes in a cool atmosphere, both figuratively and literally, thanks to the powerful air-con. Twinings teas, coffees with a kick and fresh juices are also available.
oKhop Chai DeuFUSION$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Inthira Hotel, Th Chao Anou; mains 30,000-90,000K; h7am-10pm; aWv)
Classy and low-lit, this fine restaurant is as sophisticated as sleepy Tha Khaek gets. Based in a pretty French colonial-era building, the open-range kitchen, visible but behind glass, dishes up tasty Lao salad, burgers, substantial tenderised steak and decent cocktails from the sleek glass bar. You can eat on the street if it's cool out.
Smile Barge RestaurantLAOTIAN$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Th Setthathirat; meals 25,000-100,000K; hnoon-11.30pm; W)
Riverside Smile is atmospheric with lanterns hung from the walls, and decked verandahs under the shade of trees where you can coolly work your way through a menu of steak, soup, salad, fried fish and vegie dishes. Aptly enough, it also includes a floating barge on the river to complement the sprawling restaurant on land.
8Information
Internet Access
There are a couple of places on Th Chao Anou, north of Fountain Sq, that offer decent internet connections. They are open approximately 10am to 10pm and charge 6000K per hour.
Wangwang Internet ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Fountain Sq; per hr 7000K; h7.30am-9.30pm) Offers internet on a few laptops, as well as scooter rental ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-56978535; Fountain Sq; per day 50,000-220,000K; h8am-9pm).
Medical Services
Tha Khaek Hospital ( GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Th Chao Anou & Th Champasak) Fine for minor ailments. Seek out English-speaking Dr Bounthavi.
Money
BCEL ( GOOGLE MAP ; Th Vientiane) Changes major currencies and travellers cheques, and offers cash advances on debit or credit card.
Lao Development Bank ( GOOGLE MAP ; Th Vientiane) Cash exchange only, plus an ATM.
Police
Police ( GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Th Kuvoravong & Th Unkham)
Tourist Police ( GOOGLE MAP ; %250610; Fountain Sq) The police here know how to write insurance reports, if you can track down an officer.
Post
Post Office ( GOOGLE MAP ; Th Kuvoravong) Offers expensive international phone calls.
Tourist Information
Tourist Information Centre ( GOOGLE MAP ; %020-55711797, 030-5300503; www.khammouanetourism.com; Th Vientiane; h8.30am-5pm) This excellent tourist office offers exciting one- and two-day treks in Phu Hin Boun NPA, including a homestay in a local village. There are also treks to the waterfall by Ban Khoun Kham and Tham Kong Lor (800,000K). Offers advice on journeying the Loop as well.
GETTING TO VIETNAM: THA KHAEK TO DONG HOI
Getting to the border Despite the fact that Rte 12 is now fully paved, for falang (Westerners) the Na Phao (Laos)/Cha Lo (Vietnam) border crossing (7am to 4pm) remains one of the least used and most inconvenient of all Laos' borders. This is partly because transport on both sides is slow and infrequent, though there's a daily sŏrngtăaou (passenger trucks) from Tha Khaek (50,000K, 3½ to four hours, 142km) at 8am bound for Lang Khang, 18km short of the border. If you're determined to cross here, take the early departure as there's no accommodation in the area and you'll almost certainly have to wait a while for transport all the way to the border.
At the border The Lao border offers 30-day tourist visas on arrival. Some nationalities require a Vietnam visa in advance, so check with the Vietnamese consulate ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %041-212418; Th Sisavangvong, Savannakhet) in Savannakhet. Most regional visitors and Scandinavian, British, French, German, Italian and Spanish visitors do not need a visa.
Moving on On the Vietnam side, the nearest sizeable city is Dong Hoi. A bus does run directly between Tha Khaek and Dong Hoi (90,000K, 10 to 14 hours), leaving Tha Khaek at 7pm on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, making this the most logical way to cross this border.
8Getting There & Away
Bus
Tha Khaek's bus station (Rte 13) is about 3.5km from the town centre and has a sizeable market and basic guesthouses to complement the regular services going north and south. Buses for Vientiane (60,000K, six hours, 332km) depart at 4am, 5.30am, 7am, 8.30am and 9am, as well as a VIP service at 9.15am (80,000K) and a sleeper VIP at 1am (90,000K). From 9am to midnight, buses stop en route from Pakse and Savannakhet every hour or so. Any bus going north stops at Vieng Kham (Thang Beng; 30,000K, 1½ hours, 102km), Pak Kading (40,000K, three hours, 149km) or Paksan (50,000K, four hours, 193km).
Heading south, buses for Savannakhet (30,000K, two to three hours, 125km) depart every half-hour, and there's an air-con departure for Pakse (70,000K, six to seven hours, 368km) at 9am and regular local buses every hour during the day (60,000K). There are two daily departures to Attapeu (90,000K, about 10 hours) at 3.30pm and 11pm. Buses originating in Vientiane leave at around 5.30pm for Don Khong (150,000K, about 15 hours, 452km) and around 5.30pm for Non Nok Khiene (90,000K, about 16 hours, 482km), on the Cambodian border. They stop at Tha Khaek between 5pm and 6pm, but you'd need to be in a hurry.
If you're heading to Vietnam, a bus for Hué (120,000K) leaves every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at 8pm. There are also departures for Danang (120,000K) at 8pm every Monday and Friday; for Dong Hoi (90,000K, 10 to 14 hours) at 7am on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; and for Hanoi (160,000K) at 8pm on Tuesday and Saturday.
Sŏrngtăaou
Sŏrngtăaou (passenger trucks) regularly depart when full from Talat Phetmany ( GOOGLE MAP ; Th Kuvoravong) to Mahaxai Mai (20,000K, one hour, 50km). A direct service goes to Ban Kong Lor (60,000K, four hours) at 7.30am.
Talat Lak Sǎam (Sook Som Boon Bus Terminal; GOOGLE MAP ) serves buses into the Khammuan Province interior. There's a daily departure at 8am for Lang Khang (40,000K), and one at 8pm for Na Phao (60,000K, 3½ hours, 142km), 18km short of the Vietnam border.
GETTING TO THAILAND: THA KHAEK TO NAKHON PHANOM
Getting to the border Crossing the Mekong at the Tha Khaek (Laos)/Nakhon Phanom (Thailand) border is now only possible for locals. Travellers can catch an international bus (18,000K/70B, around 1½ hour) to Nakhon Phanom via the Friendship Bridge from the main bus station in Tha Khaek. Buses run every 30 minutes from 7am to 4.30pm. If crossing the border after 4pm you'll have to pay an overtime fee.
At the border In Tha Khaek, Lao immigration issues 30-day tourist visas on arrival and there's a BCEL money exchange service and 24-hour ATM at the immigration office. In Thailand, travellers are given visa-free, 30-day entry.
Moving on Once in Nakhon Phanom, buses depart for Udon Thani (regular) and Bangkok (at 7.30am and from 7pm to 8pm). Faster and almost as cheap are the budget flights to Bangkok offered by Air Asia and Nok Air with several flights per day.
8Getting Around
It should cost about 20,000K to hire a jumbo (motorised three-wheeled taxi) to the bus terminal, though you'll need to negotiate. From the bus terminal, jumbos don't budge unless they're full or you're willing to fork out 30,000K or more to charter the entire vehicle. Rides around town can cost around 15,000K per person.
Car & Motorcycle
A handful of places around town offer motorbike hire.
Mad Monkey Motorbike ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-59939909; www.madmonkey-thakek.com; Fountain Sq; per day scooters 60,000-100,000K, 250cc dirt bikes 250,000K; h9am-8pm) The best place to hire a tough, reliable motocross bike to tackle the Loop and other adventures. Mad Monkey has a couple of Honda 250cc dirt bikes and some perky 150cc Kawasaki Fox dirt bikes, plus the usual automatic and semi-automatic scooters. The owners are also a great source of information on the Loop.
Wangwang Offers the biggest range of motorbikes in town, including dirt bikes, scooters and more.
Mr Ku's Motorbike Rental
Located at Thakhek Travel Lodge. Mr Ku has reliable scooters for tackling the Loop and getting around town or to the closer caves.
Around Tha Khaek
1Sights
North & South of Tha Khaek
Pha That SikhottabongBUDDHIST TEMPLE
(ພະທາດສີໂຄດຕະບອງ )
About 6km south of town is the much-venerated Pha That Sikhottabong, which stands in the grounds of a 19th-century monastery of the same name. Considered one of the most important tâht (stupa) in Laos, Sikhottabong was first renovated by King Setthathirat in the 16th century, when it assumed its current general form.
Tham Pa FaCAVE
(Buddha Cave; 5000K; h8am-noon & 1-4pm)
When Mr Bun Nong used a vine to scramble up a sheer 200m-high cliff in 2004, he discovered a narrow cave mouth and was greeted by 229 bronze Buddha images. The Buddhas, ranging from 15cm to about 1m tall, were sitting as they had been for centuries facing the entrance of a cave of impressive limestone formations.
No photographs are allowed inside the cave, but it is an atmospheric spot tended by local ascetics. It's 14km from Tha Khaek; a tuk-tuk costs 100,000K.
Khoun Kong LengLAKE
(ຂຸນກອງແລງ 5000K)
Nestled amid the limestone karsts of the Phu Hin Bun NPA is the stunningly beautiful Evening Gong Lake. The luminescent green waters spring from a subterranean river that filters through the limestone, making the water crystal clear. It's only about 30km northeast of Tha Khaek.
You must ask at the village before swimming in the lake. Once you get approval, only swim in the stream that flows from the lake, near the wooden footbridge, and not in the lake itself. Fishing is banned.
To get here, head north along Rte 13 and turn right (east) at Km 29 onto a dirt road. After 2km, turn right (south) again, and bump up over hills and through villages for 16km until you reach Ban Na Kheu. It's another 1km to the lake.
East on Route 12
The first 22km east of Tha Khaek on Rte 12 is an area with several caves, an abandoned railway line and a couple of swimming spots and can be visited as a day trip or as part of the Loop. This is part of the vast Khammuan Limestone area, which stretches roughly between Rtes 12 and 8 and east towards Rte 8B. There are thousands of caves, sheer cliffs and jagged karst peaks. All these places can be reached by tuk-tuk, bicycle or motorcycle.
Tham Lot Se Bang FaiCAVE
(ຖ້ຳລອດເຊບັ້ງໄຟ )
The most impressive, and yet least visited, cave in Khammuan is the amazing Tham Lot Se Bang Fai. Located in Hin Namno NPA, the cave results from the Se Bang Fai river plunging 6.5km through a limestone mountain, leaving an underground trail of immense caverns, impressive rock formations, rapids and waterfalls that have been seen by only a handful of visitors.
The cave wasn't professionally mapped until 2006, and the Canadian-American that led the expedition concluded that Tham Lot Se Bang Fai is among the largest river caves in the world. Traversing the entire cave involves eight portages and is only possible during the dry season, from January to March. Local wooden canoes can only go as far as the first portage, about 1km into the cave, making inflatable rafts or kayaks the only practical option for traversing the entire length of the cave.
The base for visiting the cave is Ban Nong Ping, a mixed Lao Loum/Salang village about 2km downstream from the cave entrance. Homestays are available as part of an organised tour with ecotourism operator Green Discovery. With a week or so advance notice, you can organise a trip here, starting from about US$265 for a larger group of six or more to as much as US$550 per person for a couple.
Tham XangCAVE
(ຖ້ຳຊ້າງ, Elephant Cave 5000K)
Famous for its stalagmite ‘elephant head’, which is found along a small passage behind the large golden Buddha, this is one of the closest caves to Tha Khaek (it's about 4km away). Bring a torch (flashlight).
Tham Xieng LiapCAVE
(ຖ້ຳຊຽງລຽບ )F
Turning off Rte 12 at Km 14 (before a major bridge) you'll come across a sign pointing to this cave. Follow the dirt track south for about 400m near the village of Ban Songkhone (about 10.5km from Rte 13), to the stunning limestone cave Tham Xieng Liap, the entrance of which is at the base of a dramatic 300m-high cliff.
The cave is about 200m long and, in the dry season, you can walk/wade through and swim in the picturesque valley on the far side. Paa faa (soft-shelled turtles) live in the cave, while the cliffs outside are said to be home to the recently discovered kan yoo (Laotian rock rat). In the wet season you'll need to rent a boat (30,000K) from the Xieng Liap bridge.
Tham Nang AenCAVE
(ຖ້ຳນາງແອນ 20,000K; h8am-5pm)
The last cave along this stretch of Rte 12 is the touristy Tham Nang Aen, about 18km from Tha Khaek. It's well lit inside, but a little kitsch in terms of the colour scheme. It is also possible to take a small boat deeper into the cave via an underground river.
The turn-off to the cave is indicated by a clear sign just past a left-hand bend 16km from the junction with Rte 13. The 700m-long track should be passable at all but the wettest times.
Tham Pha ChanCAVE
(ຖ້ຳພະຈັນ, Sandalwood Buddha Cave )F
Tham Pha Chan has an entrance 60m high and about 100m wide. A stream runs about 600m through a limestone karst and in the dry season it's possible to walk to the far side. At its western end there is a sandalwood Buddha image about 15m above the ground, hence the cave's name. To get here, head north towards Tham Pha Fa at around the Km 14 sign on Rte 12. When the road forks, head northwest for 9km to reach this cave.
Not far from Tham Pha Chan is the Nam Don Resurgence (ຂຸນນ້ຳໂດມ), a cave where the Nam Don (Don River) emerges from the ground. It's quite a physical marvel to see the water coming up and out from the cave, and the lagoon that sits at the bottom of the tall limestone karst is a beautiful swimming spot.
Unfortunately, both are accessed via a rough road that runs 9km north from about 10km east of the junction with Rte 13. Go by motorbike, tuk-tuk or arrange an English-speaking guide through Tha Khaek's Tourist Information Centre.
Savannakhet Province
Savannakhet is the country's most populous province and is home to about 15% of all Lao citizens. Stretching between the Mekong and Thailand in the west and the Annamite mountains and Vietnam in the east, it has become an important trade corridor between these two bigger neighbours. With the smooth surface of Rte 9 complemented by yet another Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, the province is witnessing even more traffic.
The population of around one million includes Lowland Lao, Tai Dam, several small Mon-Khmer groups and communities of Vietnamese and Chinese.
There are three NPAs here: Dong Phu Vieng to the south of Rte 9; remote Phu Xang Hae to the north; and Se Ban Nuan straddling the border with Salavan Province. Eastern Savannakhet is a good place to see remnants of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the primary supply route to South Vietnam for the North Vietnamese Army during the Second Indochina War.
Savannakhet ສະຫວັນນະເຂດ
Pop 140,000 / %041
Languid, time-trapped and somnolent during the sweltering days that batter the old city's plasterwork, Savannakhet (ສະຫວັນນະເຂດ) is an attractive blend of past and present Laos. The highlight is the historic quarter with its staggering – and that might just be the right adjective – display of decaying early 20th-century architecture. Leprous and listing, these grand old villas of Indochina's heyday now lie unwanted like aged dames crying out for a makeover. There's little to do in town but wander the riverfront and cool off in one of a clutch of stylish restaurants and bijou cafes that are steadily growing in number.
That said, there's plenty to do nearby and Savannakhet has a very dedicated Tourist Information Centre ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %041-212755; Th Si Muang; h8am-noon & 1-4pm Mon-Fri) and eco-guide unit, which offers myriad intrepid trips into the nearby NPAs.
Savannakhet is on a simple north–south grid, and although spread out, is pretty easy to navigate on foot.
Savannakhet
1Sights
1Musée Des DinosauresA2
2Savannakhet Provincial MuseumB5
3Wat RattanalangsiC3
4Wat SainyaphumA3
4Sleeping
5Daosavanh Resort & Spa HotelB6
6Fundee GuesthouseD1
7Phonepaseud HotelD1
8Pilgrim's InnB3
9Souannavong Guest HouseB3
10Vivanouk HomestayB4
5Eating
11Café Chez BouneB2
12Chai DeeB4
Dao SavanhB4
13Khao Piak Nang NoyB2
14Lin's CaféB4
Pilgrim's KitchenB3
15Riverside Snack & Drink VendorsA3
16Savannakhet Plaza Food MarketB4
17White House RestaurantC2
6Drinking & Nightlife
Sook SavanB4
8Information
18Eco-Guide UnitB4
19Savanbanhao Tourism CoB3
20SK Travel & TourB2
21Tourist Information CentreB4
22Vietnamese ConsulateC3
Transport
Lao AirlinesD5
23Savannakhet International AirportD5
1Sights
Much of the charm of Savannakhet is in simply wandering through the quiet streets in the town centre, between the old and new buildings, the laughing children and the slow-moving, petang-playing old men. The Tourist Information Centre's Savannakhet Downtown brochure features a self-guided tour of the city's most interesting buildings. The centre also offers guided tours of the historic downtown district.