Blogs from Savannakhet, South, Laos, Asia - page 2

There is probably no point repeating how terrible our journey from Don Det to Savannakhet was. Travelling in Laos is simply awful, roads are really bad and maximum speed is 50 and sometimes even 30 km/hour and 100 km take easily 6 hours on a bus. Arriving to Savannakhet in very late evening with several hours delay was more a norm than a surprise to us. As it was shortly after the biggest storm ever with proper rain and crazy lightnings crossing the sky and one of them hitting a close power station, the town was dark and dead. Everyone was hiding at home and there were no tuk-tuks available at the bus station so we had to walk to town in dark and surrounded only by emptiness of the city and by barking of angry ... read more

So Vientiane was a bit dull as a city but we did venture 25km out to see the Buddha park which is a big field with a load of statues of Buddha - more fun than it sounds as we had a great time being slightly disrespectful and doing all the different Buddha poses next to the statues. We made sure no-one was looking though so that makes it alright doesn't it? After those fun times we got a bus down to Thakhek and found not a lot there, our Dutch buddies were planning on doing 'The Loop' there which is the only thing travellers go there to do. The morning after we arrived we all tuk-tukked up to the travel lodge where Mr Ku gave us all a motorbike lesson, a map and rented us ... read more

Continuing my journey back northwards, past Pakse where I entered Laos, and into Savannakhet, another border town connected to Thailand via a Friendship bridge across the Mekong. Savannakhet is Laos's second largest city after it's capital Vientiane, but you wouldn't have guessed it walking around downtown. The place almost always seems deserted! But the signs of prosperity due to the influx of Thais from across the border, as well as Vietnamese who enter from the east, are obvious. Plenty of banks, guesthouses and hotels, as well as some boutique cafes, and relatively good roads. There must be a lot more tourist dollars/ baht/ dong pouring in since the building of the Savan Vegas Casino just outside of town. Baht is essentially legal tender here (tuk tuk drivers quote in Baht first), and with Thai seemingly spoken ... read more

I said my goodbyes last night to everyone and left for the bus station at around 7pm. The bus was due to leave at 20.30 but as there were 6 too many people we were delayed by about half an hour and as usual on 'Lao' time we didn't arrive in until 6am this morning. I was the only westerner on the bus and the driver kept asking if id prefer a sleeper bus?? The guest house said if I didn't mind an a/c cold water room I could check in early, given that I'm only here for 1nt I took the room ( Leena guesthouse) and headed out in search of breakfast. I've just come across a great little place called 'lin's cafe' really feels like being in someones home. I've had scrambled eggs and ... read more

Geo: 16.4958, 105.756After a sleeper bus ride from Vang Vieng through some beautiful landscapes (when we had daylight) and hellish rain, we arrived in this border town with Vietnam at 5am. After a long, much needed snooze in a proper bed, I decided to take myself out for a wander to see what was about, as Lonely Planet seem to only have 3 things on the book, so to speak. I was directed by the lady with broken English at the hotel, to turn right to the river! I hoped this was the right way, but with blind trust, off i tottered, brolly in hand. I went from a mud track, to a gravel track, to a road where i spotted a sign to the river.... hurrah! As i went, i passed the Wat from LP, ... read more