Travel from Don Det to Savannakhet

By bus the journey from Don Det to Savannakhet is scheduled to take 8 hours.

Bus Times from Don Det to Savannakhet

There are currently 2 services a day from Don Det to Savannakhet available to book online.

Buy Tickets from Don Det to Savannakhet

Use the Search Box below to buy your tickets from Don Det to Savannakhet.

Don Det Bus Stop

Green Paradise bus services from Don Det to Savannakhet depart from the Green Paradise Tour and Travel Office in the north of Don Det.

Savannakhet Bus Stop

Green Paradise bus services from Don Det to Savannakhet terminate at Savannakhet Bus Station.

About Travel to Savannakhet

Savannakhet is located about 400 km by road to the north of Don Det and 460 km by road from Vientiane, making it an ideal place to stay overnight to break up the long journey from Don Det to Vientiane. Savannakhet is also close to a major border crossing into Thailand, and the location of a Thai Consulate where you can apply for a visa.

Savannakhet City

Savannakhet is the second largest city in Laos with a population of around 120,000. It’s not, however, popular as a tourist destination in its own right and the facilities for leisure travellers are not as extensive as other cities which attract more visitors, such as Pakse. The city does have some points of interest, a pleasant riverside location, and a relaxed atmosphere. It’s not, however, somewhere many tourists choose to linger beyond a couple of days whilst en route to somewhere with more things to do and see.

Hotels in Pakse

Major hotel booking websites list around 15 hotels and guesthouses in Savannakhet. By far the top local hotel is Savan Resorts where rooms typically cost from $80 per night. Savan Resorts is located 8 km outside Savannakhet City and its destination in its own right with a casino, restaurant, bar, and gym. Most of the guests tend to be from Laos, Thailand or China travelling in their own car.

One of the best hotels in the city itself is the 3 star Hoongthip Hotel which charges from $20 USD a night. Joli Guesthouse and Leena’s Guesthouse tend to be popular choices for younger independent travellers on a tight budget.

Food in Savannakhet

There are lots of places in Savannakhet where you can eat inexpensive Lao and Thai dishes. The city also has several restaurants which serve other types of food including pizza, Korean, Mexican, and Vietnamese. For European style food the best option in Savannakhet is to visit one of the city’s two dedicated French restaurants, Restaurant Chez Vansom and Restaurant Café Chez Boune.

Local Points of Interest

Savannakhet doesn’t have any major tourist attractions. There are, however, some places to explore if you have a day or two to spend in the city. These include:

• Historic Buildings: Savannakhet is thought to have around 200 historical buildings. Some relate to the period (1893 to 1953) when the city was part of French Indo-China. Others relate to the city’s much older history going back as far as the 16th Century. Savannakhet has a compact city centre and it’s small enough to tour on foot.
• That Ing Hang: Located 13 km by road to the north east of Savannakhet, That Ing Hang is the most significant temple in the area. Local belief is that the main stupa, constructed in the 16th Century, is built on the same spot as a stupa dating back to 307 BC which contains bone fragments of the Lord Buddha.
• Xe Champhone Loop: The Xe Champhone Loop is a 35 km motorbike route along mostly minor roads to the south east of Savannakhet. The route passes by several old temples and Monkey Forest, which is a large area of protected forest with around 300 wild monkeys.

Travel to Thailand

Savannakhet is on the opposite side of the Mekong River to Mukdahan in Thailand. The distance between the two cities is only 1.5 km, however, leisure travellers are strictly prohibited from travelling between Savannakhet and Mukdahan by boat. Instead visitors wishing to make the border crossing from Savannakhet into Thailand need to do so via the Second Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge, which is 7 km by road to the north.

The cheapest way to get from Savannakhet to Mukdahan is to take a local bus service which departs hourly from Savannakhet Bus Station. You don’t need to book this service, you simply turn up and wait for the next available bus. The journey costs the equivalent of 50 Thai Baht or about $1.5 USD. From Mukdahan you can travel by bus directly to Bangkok or alternatively travel to Phitsanulok for bus and train connections if you plan to travel to Chiang Mai or other destinations in the north of Thailand.

Travel to Vietnam

Savannakhet is also a transit point for travel to Vietnam. From Savannakhet it’s only 240 km to the border with Vietnam travelling on relatively good roads, with scheduled tour bus services travelling beyond the border to major destinations in the central and northern parts of Vietnam:

• Savannakhet to Hue (8 hours to 11 hours 30 minutes)
• Savannakhet to Da Nang (10 to 13 hours)
• Savannakhet to Hanoi (21 hours)

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