| Cycle Touring Routes > Laos > Vientiane to Savannakhet > Map > Day |
| Day 7 Xeno to Savannakhet Kilometer 37 Miles 22 |
Ride/Road - Highway 9 West - Brand new sealed two lane
road with painted lines and a wide designated shoulder for
bicycles and scooters. At times it was so wide we cycled
side by side in the shoulder. Road work continues and the
machinery and bulldozers along the road pushed us onto
the highway. Traffic is light.
Hills - Lots of downhill with some gradual uphill. Undulated
parts of the road.
Weather - Good tail wind the entire way.
Other cyclists on the Road - At our guesthouse we met a
couple from Germany, Mark and Ceci, who are cycling and
"scootering" around Asia. Just days before leaving on their
trip, Mark broke his leg and the couple decided nothing
was going to stop them. Ceci is on a bicycle and Mark is
riding a scooter along with his crutches and all the packs.
What a great idea!
Savannakhet is a good size town along the river. It has a
small historical center build around the river, a lovely church
and a central square. Although the architecture of the many
of the buildings is lovely the historical area does look very
neglected and run down. The road that runs along the river
is not very built up and most of the activity is on the side
streets that extend from the river. There are several
attractive Wats, restaurants, cafes and many
accommodations.
We found several small supermarkets stocked with mostly
with Thai goods.
There is a good Vegetarian restaurant on Ratsavano Seuk
Road, one of the main roads in town. It is just past the
Center of Commerce Square (big yellow building). The
restaurant is on the same side of the street as the Square
Shopping Center. The sign is in English, Vegetarian.
Excellent local market selling everything a traveler could
desire, mostly Thai products. Sundries, hardware, fabrics,
plastic goods, plus a large fresh fruit and vegetable section
with dry goods. Found one man that sells tofu and fresh
soymilk set up on the edge of the produce area of the
market. Also found freshly baked baguettes. The Market
(Taalad) is 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) south of town. The bus
station is at the corner and the market is down the road
past the bus station.
There are many internet cafes in town, an especially fast
one is called Rabbit Internet on the main road, Ratsavano
Seuk, Rd. Cost is the lowest we have paid yet, 30,000 kip
/hour (.30)
Just before sunset on the street along the river local men
gather to play "foot" volleyball. It's a game where the
players pass a hard plastic ball to each other and over the
net by using their heads and feet (no hands). The court is
set up across the street from the Wat. Great to watch.
The sunset in Savannakhet is beautiful and there are
several places along the river to watch the sky turn into a
rainbow of colors.
Slept - Nongsoda Guesthouse
Location - Across from Mekong River on Tha He Rd
Cost - 90,000 ($9.00)
Amenities - Motel-style guesthouse. Huge, tile room
double bed en suite bath with bath tub, hot shower, western
toilet, a/c, big fridge, TV with English channels. Not fancy,
but nice. Enough room for a small dining table and two
chairs.
Rolled bikes right into room. Plenty of space.
road with painted lines and a wide designated shoulder for
bicycles and scooters. At times it was so wide we cycled
side by side in the shoulder. Road work continues and the
machinery and bulldozers along the road pushed us onto
the highway. Traffic is light.
Hills - Lots of downhill with some gradual uphill. Undulated
parts of the road.
Weather - Good tail wind the entire way.
Other cyclists on the Road - At our guesthouse we met a
couple from Germany, Mark and Ceci, who are cycling and
"scootering" around Asia. Just days before leaving on their
trip, Mark broke his leg and the couple decided nothing
was going to stop them. Ceci is on a bicycle and Mark is
riding a scooter along with his crutches and all the packs.
What a great idea!
Savannakhet is a good size town along the river. It has a
small historical center build around the river, a lovely church
and a central square. Although the architecture of the many
of the buildings is lovely the historical area does look very
neglected and run down. The road that runs along the river
is not very built up and most of the activity is on the side
streets that extend from the river. There are several
attractive Wats, restaurants, cafes and many
accommodations.
We found several small supermarkets stocked with mostly
with Thai goods.
There is a good Vegetarian restaurant on Ratsavano Seuk
Road, one of the main roads in town. It is just past the
Center of Commerce Square (big yellow building). The
restaurant is on the same side of the street as the Square
Shopping Center. The sign is in English, Vegetarian.
Excellent local market selling everything a traveler could
desire, mostly Thai products. Sundries, hardware, fabrics,
plastic goods, plus a large fresh fruit and vegetable section
with dry goods. Found one man that sells tofu and fresh
soymilk set up on the edge of the produce area of the
market. Also found freshly baked baguettes. The Market
(Taalad) is 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) south of town. The bus
station is at the corner and the market is down the road
past the bus station.
There are many internet cafes in town, an especially fast
one is called Rabbit Internet on the main road, Ratsavano
Seuk, Rd. Cost is the lowest we have paid yet, 30,000 kip
/hour (.30)
Just before sunset on the street along the river local men
gather to play "foot" volleyball. It's a game where the
players pass a hard plastic ball to each other and over the
net by using their heads and feet (no hands). The court is
set up across the street from the Wat. Great to watch.
The sunset in Savannakhet is beautiful and there are
several places along the river to watch the sky turn into a
rainbow of colors.
Slept - Nongsoda Guesthouse
Location - Across from Mekong River on Tha He Rd
Cost - 90,000 ($9.00)
Amenities - Motel-style guesthouse. Huge, tile room
double bed en suite bath with bath tub, hot shower, western
toilet, a/c, big fridge, TV with English channels. Not fancy,
but nice. Enough room for a small dining table and two
chairs.
Rolled bikes right into room. Plenty of space.