Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
stalls set up across from the
Inthira
each evening, and there are usually a few stalls selling
fresh fruit, cold drinks and sugar cane on the riverfront.
TheKitchenAttheInthira
on Chao Anou Rd 051 251237,
inthirahotels.com
.
The res-
taurant on the ground-floor of the
Inthira
serves consistently good Asian and Western dishes
from a clean, shop-front kitchen. Pizzas, cocktails and cheeseburgers (38,000K) are all on
offer, and it's worth trying the “explorer” set menu (85,000K), which features a good mix of
Lao classics.
Daily 7.30am-10pm.
Nid Cake
On Vientiane Road, a short walk from the junction with Chao Anou Rd 020
5565 1008.
The home-made cakes here are super sweet (in both senses of the word), and can
be enjoyed in a shaded shop front dotted with cute gnomes. Cakes from 5000K; ice creams
also available.
Daily 7am-10pm.
Orlasone Fusion
Chao Anou Rd, north of the junction with Vientiane Rd 020 5522
2409.
There's a very good reason why locals flock to this open-air grill restaurant of an even-
ing. Fresh slivers of beef, pork and seafood are delivered raw for diners to cook and then dip
in the deliciously spicy sauces. Braver visitors may like to order a plate of heart or liver to go
with the rest of their meal.
Daily 4-11.30pm.
Phoukhanna
Vientiane Rd, east of Xayluedy 020 216 8088.
One of the quirkiest places
to drink in town, with probably the cheapest beer too (a big Beerlao is a steal at just 8000K).
Late evening is the best time to go, when young locals arrive to sing along to the loud music,
drinking and snacking in thatched huts strewn with fairy lights.
Daily until 11.30pm.
SongFangKhong
Kouvolavong Rd, just north of the square 020 5403 3350.
Surprisingly
authentic dishes from the country on the other side of the Mekong, prepared by a Thai chef.
It's a small operation with a tiny corner kitchen, so you'll have to wait a while for your
som
tam
(10,000K), especially at busy times.
Daily 10am-11pm.
Mahaxai Caves
East of Thakhek, Route 12 is swallowed up by a surreal landscape of karst formations. Hid-
den among the sea of jagged limestone hills are the
Mahaxai Caves
, many of which lie
within the Khammouane Limestone NBCA. A number of the more easily accessible caves
are popular both with Lao families on a weekend picnic and with foreign tourists. These
more visited caves line the Thakhek-Mahaxai road, the furthest one only about 20km from
Thakhek. The best caves here are spectacular and a day-trip out to explore them is a must if
you're staying in Thakhek.
Tham Ban Tham
Ban Tham ∙ 3000K
To find this cave, turn south down the dirt road that leads off Route 12 towards
BanTham
, a
small village nestling at the base of the first limestone escarpment. The gaping mouth of the
