The Best of Cambodia & Laos

300
CENTRAL LAOS
14
SAVANNAKHET
Phonepaseud Hotel This is the best option in town for both midrange and toprange
accommodations. It consists of a very pleasant series of semidetached bungalows in
leafy grounds. You can park your vehicle right outside your bungalow, making packing
and unpacking very easy if you are on a self-drive. The staff is friendly to the point of
being playful, and they spend an awful lot of their time both looking at and talking about
the giant whitefish in the tank in reception. Some of the rooms could be a little lighter
but they are all large and comfortable. If you really want to splash out on the Super-VIP
Suite for $100, you will be treated to a palatial space with a TV screen so large that it will
cause you to feel positively Lilliputian. The one disadvantage of this hotel is that it is
some distance from town. Getting a tuk-tuk seems to be no problem, however, and the
staff will flag you down a ride and negotiate the standard price. There is an attached
restaurant with a perfectly acceptable serving of local dishes and a Western breakfast
(main courses 25,000 kip–35,000 kip).
Santisouk Rd. & 041/212-158. Fax 041/212-916. 69 units. $35–$45 VIP; $100 VIP suite. MC, V. Amenities:
Restaurant; room service. In room: A/C, TV, fridge.
Saisouk Guest House This is the backpacker option of choice and is very basic, but
perfectly well maintained and well run. The English-speaking owners are friendly and
understand their market well. There are 10 rooms, of which two are A/C doubles and the
rest fan doubles (four with shared bathroom) in a fairly pleasant old wooden building.
But don’t expect to be encountering luxuries such as hot showers anytime soon.
Phetsalat Rd. & 041/212-207. 8 units. 30,000 kip fan and shared bathroom; 40,000 kip fan and bathroom;
60,000 kip A/C. No credit cards. In room: A/C (2 rooms).
Sala Savanh In Lao this name means “Paradise Lodge.” It is a renovated colonial
building dating from 1926, located in the heart of the central district of the old city. It
has charming grounds with a shaded sala in which to relax. The atmosphere is genuinely
retro and cozy with a touch of faded grandeur. The rooms have a homey feel with darkwood
floors, slatted shutters, and rustic bedspreads.
129 Kouvoravong St. & 041/212-445. Fax 041/252-096. www.salalao.com. 5 units. $28 double. No credit
cards. In room: A/C, TV, fridge.
Xayamoungkhoun Guest House This is a clean but slightly run-down option in
a very central part of town. The rooms are large and airy. The building itself is from the
French colonial era and is airy with tiled walls (slightly flaky) and wooden floors. The
nicest feature is the large second floor communal balcony. A major advantage of this
place is that the management is very friendly and helpful. They also offer tours.
House 84, Ravongseuk Rd. & 041/212-426. 15 units. 50,000 kip fan double; 70,000 kip A/C double. No
credit cards. In room: A/C (5 rooms), TV, fridge (5 rooms).
WHERE TO DINE
Where once Savannakhet was a bit of a trial on the food front, these days you have quite
a number of attractive options both Lao and French. Apart from the many restaurants
the riverfront near the old immigration building is a place to sit in low plastic chairs and
chow down on steaming bowls of soup cooked at the table on earthenware pots full of
hot coals. Around here during the day you will also find vendors selling khao ji pâté
(warm baguette sandwiches with pâté and vegetables). All restaurants listed are cash only.
The Dao Savanh FRENCH This is an excellent authentic French restaurant
in a beautifully renovated (in 2006) colonial-era town house. When you first