Savannakhet Old Quarter

Savannakhet was a substantial administrative town under the French, and the streets behind the Mekong bank still carry the buildings: two-storey shophouses with shutters and arcades, a few larger villas, and the pale yellow St Teresa's church, all facing onto Talat Yen square. Some have been restored as cafés and guesthouses, more are empty, and a number are visibly failing. The effect is of a town centre that was built for more activity than it currently has, which is exactly why people find it worth walking.

What you actually see

• Talat Yen square - the open centre of the quarter, with the church on one side.
• St Teresa's church - a pale yellow Catholic church from the 1930s, still in use.
• The shophouse streets - arcaded two-storey terraces, some restored and many not.
• The dinosaur museum - a small provincial museum of fossils found in the surrounding province.

When to go

November to February is the cool dry season and the only comfortable time to walk here. March to May is severely hot on the open square. Evenings along the riverfront are when the town comes out.

Honest expectations

This is a handful of blocks, not a preserved historic centre, and the decay is real rather than picturesque. There is little in the way of sights, and the appeal is atmospheric. Many buildings are closed and cannot be entered.

Nearby

That Ing Hang is twenty minutes northeast, and the second Thai-Lao friendship bridge crosses the river here.