monks

walking down a street in Savannakhet, Laos

Taken on: 1st June, 2009. Copyright: All Rights Reserved - See monkey holding peach's page of Flickr

Read more about Savannakhet

The sleepy southern Lao province of Savannakhet stretches from Thailand to the west to Vietnam to the east. The name means, roughly, 'Golden Land' and was historically touted as the place to find the 'best of the best' in Laos.

Being home to large swathes of forest and three NBCAs, it's a budding centre of Lao ecotourism, but most travellers treat the province and its eponymous provincial capital as little more than a thoroughfare en route to elsewhere. But for those with time on their hands, a number of activities and attractions are nestled here, and the capital is another charming, crumbling town where it's easy to lose a day or two just hanging around.

The same-named provincial capital, Savannakhet is a classic leftover from the French colonial period -- petanque included. Historically this provincial capital was a French trading outpost, and wandering around town you'll still find the occasional trader's house -- both French and Chinese ... Read our complete Savannakhet travel guide

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