Laos - Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Northern Thailand - page 723

10.30am. A bus to Danang (110,000K) leaves Tuesday, Thurday and Saturday at 10pm,
continuing to Hanoi (200,000K, 24 hours, 650km).
Getting Around
A túk-túk to the bus terminal will cost about 20,000K; prices double after dark. The town
is fairly sprawled out so it might be a good idea to rent a scooter (70,000K) from Souan-
navong Guest House ( Click here ) . Hire a bike (10,000K) along Th Ratsavongseuk.
East on Route 9
If you're heading east towards Vietnam, there are several places worth stopping at, includ-
ing Dong Natad Provincial Protected Area , just 15km from Savannakhet. The provincial tour-
ism office ( Click here ) runs informative day and overnight treks here, with local guides
explaining the myriad uses of the forest, and overnighters staying in a village home.
Three-day treks into the remote Dong Phu Vieng National Protected Area offer a similar but
more extreme experience, staying in Katang villages.
Further east is Sepon , with a couple of decent guesthouses. About 20km east of there is
Ban Dong , a sleepy village on what was once an important branch of the Ho Chi Minh
Trail. Today there are a couple of rusting American-built tanks (kids will direct you) that
are among the most accessible war relics in southern Laos.
Buses and sŏrngtăaou head in both directions along Rte 9 between Savannakhet and
Dansavanh; your best bet is to travel in the morning.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Champasak Province
Pakse
031 / POP 75,000
Don't expect Luang Prabang from this dusty, ex-Indochinese capital, but if you're moving
north from the escapist Si Phan Don (Four Thousand Islands) or headed south to Cambod-
ia, chances are you'll stay here a day or two and probably grow to like the place. Thanks
to Green Discovery Tree Top Explorer zip-lining adventure, and a more active 'eco' drive