Savannakhet

Savannakhet town is situated on the banks of the   Mekong river opposite Mukdahan in Thailand.  The province bridges the country between Thailand and Vietnam and the town is a very active junction for trade between the two countries.  The town itself can be easily explored by foot and has a number of interesting temples, including Vietnamese temple and school and a large Catholic church. Much of the town's architecture is French Colonial.

                   
                 Catholic Church, Savannakhet               Wat Sainyaphum, Savannakhet 

Savannakhet - Out and About

The Ho Chi Minh Trail

During the Vietnam war, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) used a network of trails, caves and gravel roads to move ordnance, tanks, trucks, men and provisions to South Vietnam.  The trail became known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail and its existence at the time was denied by the NVA.  The USA, on the other hand, denied saturation bombing the Trail, within Laos - with 900 sorties per day and over one million tonnes of explosive.

All of the jungle area of the Trail, previously destroyed with defoliants and herbicides has grown back.  It is possible to visit parts of the trail - but this must be done with a guide, since there remain tonnes of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in the area.  Venturing off by yourself is not recommended!

Abandoned tank on the Ho Chi Minh Trail