Off to Savannakhet - Any Suggestions as to what to do?

[Topper]

We're off on a visa run today to the pride of the Laos PDR - Savannakhet.

Any suggestions as the what to see, do or where to eat there?

TIA!

[crackerjack101]

There's an Italian/Thai pizza place up river that is the best I've found in Sav. I Can't remember the name but reception or a tuk tuk driver will know it.


https://teakdoor.com/members-only/192...vannakhet.html

[Dillinger]

Get pissed by the river. There's not much else there mate.

[Norton]

I Can't remember the name

Maybe Dolly's cafe. I've eaten there in the past. Decent food, decent price and nice atmosphere.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura..._Province.html

[crackerjack101]

No, it wasn't Dollys. I the link to the thread I did ( above) there's a photo of the neon sign which I assume is the name if you can decipher it. It is back to front though.

[Norton]

Friend told me he had good Mexican at Pilgrims Kitchen. He is a Brit so perhaps not that good.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura..._Province.html

[crackerjack101]

She who will be obeyed says it might be called the Royal Palace Kitchen.

[Norton]

Are you driving up from Bangkok? If so stop by Roi Et and say hi. Almost on the way.

[crackerjack101]

What ever this means;

[crackerjack101]

Are you driving up from Bangkok? If so stop by Roi Et and say hi. Almost on the way.

A most enjoyable stop off. The only problem is Norts doesn't reciprocate.

[thaiguzzi]

Friend told me he had good Mexican at Pilgrims Kitchen. He is a Brit so perhaps not that good.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura..._Province.html

Its not bad (as a Brit who likes Mexican), nor is the Indian.
Place is run by a Californian woman married to an Indian bloke (both nice people) who ran PK in Luang Praban before migrating south to Savannakhet.
So it has some authenticity.
A couple of hundred yards away and you are in the night market.
Plenty of pubs with live music, students, restaurants, nice ambience, right up to the river there.
The town has really improved in the last 5 years, and i've been coming for 15 years.
I actually look fwd to a night or two in town these days, as opposed to dreading it 10-12 years ago...

[crackerjack101]

That's interesting TG, we'll spend more time exploring next trip. Thanks.

Its not bad (as a Brit who likes Mexican), nor is the Indian.
Place is run by a Californian woman married to an Indian bloke (both nice people) who ran PK in Luang Praban before migrating south to Savannakhet.
So it has some authenticity.
A couple of hundred yards away and you are in the night market.
Plenty of pubs with live music, students, restaurants, nice ambience, right up to the river there.
The town has really improved in the last 5 years, and i've been coming for 15 years.
I actually look fwd to a night or two in town these days, as opposed to dreading it 10-12 years ago...

[parryhandy]

I stay at the casino, which is out of town and has a late night karaoke bar, so I can't get into too much trouble. Savannakhet could/should be so much better though. Waste of a great location. I remember when they were processing visas the same day i.e. you had to wait the same day until 2pm to collect so I didn't bother booking a room. It was the longest 5 hours of my life.

Savan Vegas - Welcome

Best restaurant is the Chez Boune, pricey but nice food, though haven't been recently.

[Dillinger]

The suite at Dao Savanh is huge and has a jacuzzi. A bit dated but good value at around 3k.
It's on the river, has a swimming pool, free tandems, free lift to the bridge via their tuk tuk a good breakfast and in walking distance to bars with live music and decent eateries.

Far away from those cheap, scruffy teflers in Aura and Avalon too

[Bogon]

Dolly's is a place run by an English bloke called Michael. Not a million miles away from the church.

Nice bloke and cooks the food. He has a wealth of knowledge about the surrounding area, so best go down, grab a beer and bend his ear.

TripAdvisor has all the info...https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura..._Province.html

[Topper]

Thanks all, the Pilgrim Inn and Lins cafe are on the list. Maybe drinks on the river at sunset if its not pissing down.

We're not driving but taking the visa run van from on nut there.

[beerlaodrinker]

Get pissed by the river. There's not much else there mate.

Gotta agree with dill . Theres not much going on but the locals are super friendly. Pony up and stay at dao savannh. For the full Lao experience head out to the bars along the road leading to the airport. You may well be the only farang there but you will be made to feel welcome. It is what it is. I used to rotate out of savan from the minesite and would occasioaly get stuck there for a night. It was always interesting. I would be interested to read your thoughts on the place when you get back

[Chico]

when you come back,stop off at Mukdahan town some good bargains to be had at the markets,was there last week spent a really nice night there. and picked up some good stuff.

[HuangLao]

when you come back,stop off at Mukdahan town some good bargains to be had at the markets,was there last week spent a really nice night there. and picked up some good stuff.

Mueang Mukdahan.

[Neverna]

There's an Italian/Thai pizza place up river that is the best I've found in Sav. I Can't remember the name but reception or a tuk tuk driver will know it.
https://teakdoor.com/members-only/192...vannakhet.html

No, it wasn't Dollys. I the link to the thread I did ( above) there's a photo of the neon sign which I assume is the name if you can decipher it. It is back to front though.

What ever this means;

Krua chaow wang (ครัวชาววัง) - but it appears to be in Mukdahan and not Savanaket.

https://th-th.facebook.com/pages/cat...5886864502530/

[thaiguzzi]

Maybe Dolly's cafe. I've eaten there in the past. Decent food, decent price and nice atmosphere.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura..._Province.html

For some reason over the years i've missed this place.
Will give it a go next year i'm there.
I normally take my lunch or breakfast at Lin's Cafe, another nice place to wile away a couple of hours. The Lao baguette with scrambled eggs or omelette, homemade yoghurt and Lao coffee is an outstanding brekkie.

[thaiguzzi]

I stay at the casino, which is out of town and has a late night karaoke bar, so I can't get into too much trouble. Savannakhet could/should be so much better though. Waste of a great location. I remember when they were processing visas the same day i.e. you had to wait the same day until 2pm to collect so I didn't bother booking a room. It was the longest 5 hours of my life.

Savan Vegas - Welcome

Best restaurant is the Chez Boune, pricey but nice food, though haven't been recently.

It is a nice place these days - if you get out and about a bit and don't stay in that shithole of a Chinese money laundering casino, outside of town in the middle of nowhere.
Not exactly broadening your horizons.
As i said, now with the live music bars full of uni students and college kids, a sort of middle class with a bit of money to spare, the place has really come along in the last 4-5 years, around and just off the night market.

Chez Boune may have been the best a decade ago, but these days it is showing its age, and has been usurped by far better eateries.

[crackerjack101]

Krua chaow wang (ครัวชาววัง) - but it appears to be in Mukdahan and not Savanaket.

https://th-th.facebook.com/pages/cat...5886864502530/

HA, you're right, my bad, well I'l blame the wife. Goods pizza though.

[parryhandy]

It is a nice place these days - if you get out and about a bit and don't stay in that shithole of a Chinese money laundering casino, outside of town in the middle of nowhere.
Not exactly broadening your horizons.
As i said, now with the live music bars full of uni students and college kids, a sort of middle class with a bit of money to spare, the place has really come along in the last 4-5 years, around and just off the night market.

Chez Boune may have been the best a decade ago, but these days it is showing its age, and has been usurped by far better eateries.

yes your probably right but I totally gave up on Savannakhet a few years ago after the place never seemed to get any better. Will probably give some of the places mentioned here a try if I ever go again but found the whole experience so hot and tiring last time round that all I want to do after the consulate visit is hit an AC place where I can relax and get everything with zero effort. Absolutely no interest in Laos uni students or middle class or the place in general really as I find it a totally depressing place that doesn't seem to progress.
Told myself last time never again and will either try Manila next time or get an extension.

[Luigi]

I'd imagine sitting next to the Mekhong with some icy cold Beer Lao, right around sunset time must be pretty high on the list.