South central Laos - The Rough Guide to Laos - page 323

and are now displayed for visitors to see. Museum workers, showing off their exciting find,
often encourage tourists to hold the fossilized bones.
Savannakhet Museum
Kanthabouli Rd, just south of the post office ∙ Daily 8.30-11.30am & 1.30-4pm ∙ 5000K
The unkempt Savannakhet Museum displays an odd collection of exhibits, including rust-
ing guns and mines from the Second Indochina War and a couple of two-thousand-year-old
bronze kettle drums recently discovered in Savannakhet Province. The drums were designed
and made by the Dong Son people of northern Vietnam, and their presence here hints at the
existence of an ancient trade route between the two regions. Entering the museum, be sure to
look out for the huge gold bust of Kaysone , Savannakhet's most revered native son.
That Ing Hang
Around 15km northeast of Savannakhet; follow Route 9 north for 12km, where a sign points to the right; follow
this road for 3.5km to the stupa ∙ Daily 8am-6pm ∙ 5000K ∙ A round-trip from the centre in a tuk tuk should cost
100,000K
A much-revered Buddhist stupa dating from the sixteenth century (although some locals
claim it's over a thousand years old), That Ing Hang is located just outside Savannakhet
and can be reached easily by bike, motorcycle or tuk-tuk. The stupa is covered in crude yet
appealing stucco work, and the well-manicured courtyard that surrounds it offers a pleasant
opportunity for a stroll and photographs.
The stupa is best visited during its annual festival in February when thousands make the
pilgrimage, camping in its grounds. During the celebrations, the door to a small chamber at
the base of the stupa is opened, and male devotees queue up to make offerings to the Buddha
images inside. By custom, women are prohibited from entering this inner sanctum.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: SAVANNAKHET
By plane The airport is on the southeastern side of the town, off Makhaveha Road, a few
blocks from the centre. Regular Lao Airlines ( 041 212140, laoairlines.com ) flights con-
nect Savannakhet with Vientiane (2 daily Mon-Fri; 1hr) and Pakse (5 weekly; 30min).
Bybus Most buses offload at the station on the north side of the town, with tuk-tuks on hand
to make the 2km run into the city centre (10,000K).
Destinations Attapeu (2 daily; 10hr); Da Nang (1 daily; 13hr); Dansavanh/Lao Bao (3 daily;
6hr); Dong Ha, Vietnam (daily; 7hr); Don Khong, for Si Phan Don (1 daily; 7hr); Hué, Vi-
etnam (1 daily; 13hr); Pakse (9 daily; 5hr); Salavan (1 daily; 8hr); Thakhek (at least 7 daily;
8hr); Vientiane (8 daily; 8-9hr); Xekong (1 daily; 5hr).
By sawngthaew From the New Market in the middle of town sawngthaews depart
throughout the morning for destinations on Route 9. Note that these services may also call at