Savannakhet

A former French colonial provincial center, the riverside town of Savannakhet is today the urban hub of a vast rice-growing plain. It's distinguished by some fine examples of French colonial architecture. There are some options for eco-trekking north of Savannakhet in Tha Kaek at the fantastic Khong Lor Cave, but given the distances and slow transport down here, this will take a lot of extra time. Most visitors bypass it for the more interesting options farther south.