Kaysone Phomvihane travel guide
Colonial streets, That Ing Hang and the bridge to Mukdahan
Savannakhet, officially Kaysone Phomvihane, is a quiet Mekong city with a French colonial centre, old temples and a dinosaur museum. Visit between November and February. One or two days is enough. Many nationalities get a Lao visa on arrival or an e-Visa.
Kaysone Phomvihane, still called Savannakhet by almost everyone, is the provincial capital and the second-largest city in Laos. It faces Mukdahan in Thailand across the Mekong, joined to it by the Second Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. Faded French colonial buildings fill the old centre around the Co-Cathedral of St Therese (built in 1920). Few Western visitors stay more than a night.
That is a shame. Wat Sainyaphum, a large old temple near the river, and the small Dinosaur Museum, showing bones dug up in the province (labels in Lao and French only), fill a pleasant morning. Street stalls on Ratsavongseuk Road sell baguettes and roti for breakfast. That Ing Hang, a revered 16th-century stupa 13 km north-east, is best reached by bicycle on the back road past Beung Va lake.
Buses link the city with Thakhek in 2 to 3 hours and Pakse in about 5. The night bus from Vientiane takes around 8 hours. On foot, watch the pavements, which have open holes down to the drains.
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Colonial streets, riverside temples and a revered stupa outside Kaysone Phomvihane.
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Best time to visit Kaysone Phomvihane
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Under 20 mm of rain a month and lows of about 16C in December and January, comfortable for the old town and the ride to That Ing Hang.
Highs near 35C in April, then rain building to over 300 mm a month in July and August.
Buddhists gather at That Ing Hang each December for its annual Boun Pha ceremony.
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Getting there
Friendship Bridge, long-distance buses and ZVK
Savannakhet works as a crossroads more than a destination, and its links show it. Most foreign visitors roll in by bus from Mukdahan, crossing the Second Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge straight into town. Lao Airlines and Lao Skyway fly from Vientiane to the small airport (ZVK), which sits a short tuk-tuk ride from downtown. Coming by road from the capital, there are two choices. Local buses leave through the morning and stop constantly for people and cargo, taking about nine hours. The night VIP bus has air conditioning, a toilet and fewer stops, and takes about eight because it is held to a gentle speed. Some Vientiane to Pakse services also call here on the way south.
- Savannakhet Airport (ZVK)
- Flights from Vientiane; a short tuk-tuk ride to the centre
- From Mukdahan, Thailand
- Bus over the Second Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge
- From Vientiane
- About 9 hours by day bus, about 8 by night VIP bus with seats or sleeper berths
- Local buses continue to Thakhek (2 to 3 hours), Pakse (about 5) and the Si Phan Don islands (about 7), with direct runs to Sepon, Sekong and Salavan too.
- Sleeper berths on the night bus are double beds shared by two passengers; solo travellers often buy both halves.
Where to stay
Near St Therese or on the Mekong front
Sleep in Savannakhet's compact old quarter, where the cathedral, the plaza, the river and the breakfast stalls are a few minutes apart on foot and you rarely need a tuk-tuk. Guesthouses in the outer suburbs mostly serve a local clientele and suit visitors less.
- Old quarter around St Therese
- Shuttered colonial streets and the old plaza; quiet after dark, suits walkers and photographers
- Ratsavongseuk Road
- Baguette stalls, Dolly's Café and tuk-tuks close at hand; more traffic noise
- North riverfront
- Small bars facing Mukdahan, the only evening scene in town, so expect some noise
- Chao Kim Road
- Budget rooms used to foreign guests, such as Leena's; a longer walk to the centre
Getting around
Pedal power to That Ing Hang, tuk-tuks in town
The colonial core, the riverfront and Wat Sainyaphum lie close enough together to cover on foot, and a bicycle stretches your range to That Ing Hang and the farmland around it. Tuk-tuks circulate through the centre and are the easy option for the airport or the bus station. None use meters, so settle the fare before climbing in. Reliable rental motorbikes are scarcer here than in most Lao towns, which matters because the minor district roads are often rough. Traffic needs watching. Streets that once carried mostly bicycles now fill with teenagers on fast motorbikes who overtake on either side, often without helmets. Walking at night, stay on the lit main roads, watch for open holes in the pavement that drop into the drains and keep clear of dogs.
- Tuk-tuk
- Agree the price before setting off
- Bicycle
- The best way to That Ing Hang, on the back road past Beung Va lake
- Skip the busy main road towards Seno when riding to That Ing Hang; the rural back road is quieter and greener.
Know before you go
What makes Kaysone Phomvihane worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The old centre around St Therese, with its faded colonial facades.
- Cycling to That Ing Hang on the rural back road past Beung Va lake.
- Breakfast baguettes and roti from the stalls on Ratsavongseuk Road.
Good to know
- Watch the pavements for open holes into the drains, especially at night.
- Set tuk-tuk fares before you get in.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Kaysone Phomvihane, month by month
Tap a month to see what to expect. Figures are long-term averages for Savannakhet.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Savannakhet (NOAA, via Wikipedia).
Colonial houses, Lin's Café and the Mekong front in a day and a half
Kaysone Phomvihane, still widely called Savannakhet, rewards a day and a half on foot. Start with a baguette or roti on Ratsavongseuk Road, wander the shuttered colonial houses around the Co-Cathedral of St Therese and the old square, see the free exhibition at Lin's Café, and end on the Mekong front.
Lin's Café, about 100 m north of the square, has a small free exhibition upstairs on the town's French-era buildings, which helps the walk make sense. Reach the Dinosaur Museum before 11.30, when it closes for two hours; the bones on show came from Xonbouly District, and labels are in Lao and French only.
Over the midday break, eat and then find shade at Wat Sainyaphum, the big temple by the river. Once the heat eases, rent a bicycle and take the rural back road past Beung Va lake to That Ing Hang, the 16th-century stupa 13 km north-east of town and one of the most sacred in Laos. The entrance to Dong Natad forest is close by, with Nong Lom lake at its centre, where teal and butterflies are the reward for a short walk.
Next morning, coffee near the cathedral and a last stroll before the bus. Evenings belong to the riverfront bars at the north end, facing the lights of Mukdahan.
Baguettes, roti and Lao coffee in Savannakhet
Breakfast is what Savannakhet does best. Vendors on Ratsavongseuk Road fill crusty baguettes with jam, scrambled egg or pâté, a French-era habit, while others make sweet roti on flat griddles; coffee comes strong and sweet in local cafes, and many people eat standing up or on a cafe bench.
Coffee comes two ways. Local cafes pour it Lao style, with a layer of sweet condensed milk at the bottom of the glass and strong coffee on top, so stir before you drink. For a latte or an iced coffee, Dao Heuang has one branch in the courtyard in front of the Catholic church and another on Sisavangvong Road. Lin's Café serves organic Lao beans, hot or iced, along with fruit shakes and pasta.
Dolly's Café, near the church on Ratsavongseuk Road, mixes Lao, Japanese and Western dishes and is a safe choice for vegetarians. After dark, the cluster of small bars and cafes on the river at the north end of town is where people gather over Beer Lao. Beyond that and the casino out of town, there is no nightlife to speak of.
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How we research our Kaysone Phomvihane travel guide
Savannakhet's bridge crossing to Mukdahan and bus links are checked with Lao official sources and the operators, along with entry rules for land borders.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Kaysone Phomvihane.
General
Yes. The city was renamed after the former leader Kaysone Phomvihane, but Savannakhet is still the name most people use.
Yes, with an early start: the old streets and Dinosaur Museum in the morning, then the 13 km bike ride in the late afternoon. A spare morning makes it less of a rush.
Very. Both months average over 300 mm of rain, against under 20 mm a month from November to February, the dry spell to aim for.
Cycle if you can. The back road past Beung Va lake runs through farmland, while tuk-tuks use the busy main road towards Seno.
Open holes in the pavement that drop into the drains, loose dogs and teenagers on fast motorbikes. Keep to the lit main roads.
The colonial core, the riverfront and Wat Sainyaphum lie close enough together to cover on foot, and a bicycle stretches your range to That Ing Hang and the farmland around it. Tuk-tuks circulate through the centre and are the easy option for the airport or the bus station. None use meters, so settle the fare before climbing in.
Getting there
Yes. Cross-border buses leave Mukdahan, cross the Second Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge and drop you in Savannakhet, with immigration on both banks.
Very close; a tuk-tuk gets you downtown in minutes. Lao Airlines and Lao Skyway connect it with Vientiane.
Roughly eight hours, as it keeps to a slow speed. The daytime local bus stops constantly and needs about nine.
Savannakhet works as a crossroads more than a destination, and its links show it. Most foreign visitors roll in by bus from Mukdahan, crossing the Second Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge straight into town. Lao Airlines and Lao Skyway fly from Vientiane to the small airport (ZVK), which sits a short tuk-tuk ride from downtown.
Timing & weather
Daily, 8 to 11.30 am and 1.30 to 4.30 pm. Labels are in Lao and French, not English.
The best time to visit Kaysone Phomvihane is Nov to Feb. Almost no rain and nights down to about 16C, good for walking and cycling.
- Best overall: November - February (Under 20 mm of rain a month and lows of about 16C in December and January, comfortable for the old town and the ride to That Ing Hang)
- Hot, then wet: March - October (Highs near 35C in April, then rain building to over 300 mm a month in July and August)
Stay & facilities
On Ratsavongseuk Road, where vendors fill baguettes with pâté, jam or egg and fry roti alongside. Get there early.
Visa & documents
Most visitors need a visa, available on arrival at international airports and main land borders or as an e-Visa online. Citizens of some countries, including several ASEAN states, are visa-exempt. All arrivals complete the Lao Digital Immigration Form (LDIF).
Health & safety
Laos is generally safe. Unexploded ordnance from the Vietnam War remains in rural areas, and some governments advise against non-essential travel to Xaisomboun Province.
