South central Laos - The Rough Guide to Laos - page 329

ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION: XEPON
Bybus Buses plying Route 9 drop passengers at the market towards the western end of town.
From here, they run to and from Dansavanh/Lao Bao (4 daily; 1hr), Muang Phin (4 daily;
1hr) and Savannakhet (4 daily; 4hr).
By sawngthaew Any sawngthaew passing through Xepon will stop at the market (you may
have to flag it down). From here it's possible to get to Ban Dong , though getting there and
back on the same day can be tricky, as there are few Savannakhet-bound sawnthaews running
in the afternoon. Sawngthaews leave the market for the Lao Bao border post throughout the
day (20,000K).
Exchangeservices There's a Western Union branch at the eastern end of Xepon's main drag
(Mon-Fri 8am-3.30pm).
Motorbike rental You won't find an official rental place in Xepon, but the guys at the mo-
torbike shop near the bus station may be willing to let you rent one of their old bikes for the
run into Ban Dong.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
There's a surprisingly large number of cheap guesthouses in Xepon, but they're all pretty
similar, with hastily assembled en-suite rooms in bland concrete buildings. The food scene is
limited: your best bet is to head to one of the noodle shops opposite the bus station, which
do tasty pork noodles for 15,000K, or try the market, where you'll find fresh fruit, bread and
snacks.
ViengXay Just to the east of the market, on the opposite side of the road 041 214895. One
of the more central options, with cheap double rooms and a small “tourist office” beside the
lobby (no English is spoken), where a folder from the to urist offi ce in Savannakhet gives you
the latest information on transport to and from Vietnam. 50,000K
The Ho Chi Minh Trail at Ban Dong
If you're travelling by public transport, the best time to visit Ban Dong is in the morning, as there are so few
late-afternoon buses plying this stretch of highway; the most reliable way to reach the village is by motorbike
As you head east out of Xepon, the highway gradually climbs through the foothills of the An-
namite chain, passing bomb craters - often obscured by brush - and unexploded ordnance,
dragged to the roadside by villagers clearing their land. Women squat by the road with their
intricately woven baskets, selling bamboo shoots - a local speciality. The area's abundant
bamboo crop is in fact partially a by-product of the spraying of defoliants by American forces
who hoped to expose the arteries of the Ho Chi Minh Trail: hardy bamboo is quick to take
root in areas of deforestation.
Rows of drink shops, competing to quench the thirst of Vietnamese truckers, signal your
arrival in BAN DONG , a popular stop on any tour of the Ho Chi Minh Trail . Villagers are