Salavan Travel

Best time to visit

The best time to visit Salavan is from November to March, this time is considered to be the dry season. 

Start from May to October, the rain will take place throughout the region. July to September would rain the most. It is a scenic province of rock and valley, rivers, and forests when travel is difficult in the monsoon season. As a result, the period between May and October is a decidedly low season.

Check the below table for the general idea of Salavan weather throughout the year.

Salavan's current weather and 7-day forecast

SALAVAN WEATHER

Be among the first to explore this remote yet easy-to-access province. Explore Salavan’s nature and unique culture, and view its war-torn past.

Salavan district

It is a capital, administrative, economic and cultural center of Salavanh province, It is located on the river bank Sedone.

In the past Salavan town was completely burned and destroyed during Indochina war in 1971 Nowadays the town has been rehabilitated and developed steadily under the well-design urban development plan. The remains of two french style building from the french colonial time still are found in Salavan.

Souphanouvong bridge

Over the Sedone river, the bridge was built in 1942. It was designed by Mr. Souphanouvong who became the first President of Lao PDR in 1975. It was destroyed by the American bombing in 1968. You can still see the huge broken bridge lying on the riverbank. From Salavanh town 25 km by north on the Route 23.

Tadlo tourism centre

There are two waterfalls, it is located between Salavanh and Laongam district, it is far from ach other one km Tadhung waterfall is the high 5 m and wide about 40 m, the most easily accessible. The other 2 waterfalls are Tadlo waterfall is the high 4 m and wide 30 m, the most easiest accesible to there, they are very nice water fall, and nice for relaxing, there are many guest houses, retaurants and drinkshops you can should as you want for sleeping and relaxing, there are many activities such as eleplant riding around Tadlo centre, trekking with alocal guide, sun bathing ang swimming, you can travel to Tadlo by dialy bus from Pakse district for 2 hours and from Salavanh town 30 minutes or Don’t forget when you want to come by car or motor, you sould rent them from only Pakse district.

Tad Tevada water fall

Tad Tevada water fall is located in Hangpunoy village, Salavanh district, it is from Salavanh town 30 km (good road 14 km and after bad raod ), you can travrel from Salavan town to Pakse district and stop 14 km by No20 road, then turnletf at Soung village and continue to there, you sould go by car, motorcycle is easy accessible, it is a nice place for relaxing, picnic ( family & friend ), water fall is cover by forest and the quite cool, beuatiful water fall which around by mountainous.

Nongbua lake

Nongbua lake is located in Nongbua village Salavanh district. It is far from Salavanh town about 14 km, in the part this village is very famouse about spirite and ghost, especially crocodile’s ghost, which villager believe them and it is lied close to the Sedone river, there are three crocodiles live in Nongbua lake, and some wildlife If you want to visit this place, you should rent a motorbike from Pakse district or go to them by foot, bicycle is comfortable so when you visit Nongbua lake you should respect and obey by Elder tell you.

The bulk of the province’s hotels and guesthouses are further east in Salavan Town, the provincial capital. Most establishments are quite new as Salavan’s importance as a commercial and tourism hub is growing. Accommodation ranges from family-owned guesthouse to full-facility hotels and many options in between. Budget hotels and guesthouses generally run $7-15, most with clean and somewhat small rooms. The mid-range category offers rooms around $25-35, while hotels can fetch between $35-60. Rooms are also available in Laongarm, Khongxedon, Toumlan, and Ta-Oy Towns.       

Facilities vary with room choice and price. While hotels tend to offer in-room Wi-Fi, service at guesthouses is spotty, and it’s best to check before booking. Almost all rooms have satellite TVs (with few if any Western channels), hot-water showers, and air conditioning, though less expensive fan rooms are available. Some hotels have restaurants, but most selections are Lao, Thai, and Vietnamese. Several guesthouses offer complimentary coffee in their lobbies. Some desk staff speak English.

Sayse Guesthouse and Resort

Sayse Guesthouse and Resort sit on a well-manicured lawn, with comfortable rooms in Salavan Town. The guesthouse also offers room service. The rooms are air conditioned and include a ceiling fan and a seating area. On-site dining options include a restaurant, which is a convenient place to have a meal.

AB Guesthouse

The AB Guesthouse offers 10 well-appointed, comfortable rooms with a range of amenities.

Theo Khame Hotel

Theo Khame Hotel’s 9 rooms are surrounded by a pleasant landscaped lawn and offer full amenities.

Viphavanh Guesthouse

Viphavanh Guesthouse offers 15 comfortable rooms filled with amenities to ensure a pleasant stay. The guesthouse offers a restaurant.

Tadlo Lodge Salavan

Tadlo Lodge Salavan offers a comfortable setting and restaurant, coffee bar, and seating area with Wi-Fi access. A Pakse airport shuttle brings you to 14 recently refurbished rooms, with wireless internet access, bottled water and a seating area. Staff are available 24 hours a day.

Sokmixay Guesthouse

The Sokmixay Guesthouse offers on-site dining and free Wi-Fi, Sokmixay in Salavan Town. You’ll find a 24-hour front desk, and all rooms feature a TV, private bathroom, and a desk.

Sipraserth Guest house

The Sipraserth Guest house features a small dining area a 24-hour front desk and free Wi-Fi, and each room has a desk and a TV.

Sabaidee Salavan

One of the few dining options in town with an English menu, Sabaidee does a good job with all the standard Lao and Thai dishes, and also offers sukiyaki. The food is delicious and the Thai pop music not too loud. It's located off Rte 15, around the corner from the Phonexay Hotel.

Hours: 7am-8.30pm
Price: mains 15,000-50,000K

How to reach Salavan

Salavan remains relatively unexplored, though it’s easily accessed from Pakse.

Independent travellers can hire vehicles in Pakse, negotiate tuk tuks and song taews (Pickup trucks with benches) for visiting sites or travelling between districts. Busses are also available for inner-province transport. The number of hotels and guesthouses is relatively small and mostly located in Salavan Town and the Tad Lo tourist area.

As Salavan has no airport, most visitors arrive via Pakse, about 115 km away. Lao Airlines offers daily flights to Pakse International Airport from Vientiane and Luang Prabang. The carrier also flies from Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, and Siem Reap.  

Contact us for the latest flight schedule and price. Or you can check via some online platform such as SkyScanner.com or Kayak.com

Here you can find some tips to book the cheapest flight

Three busses depart in the late afternoon and early evening from Vientiane’s Southern Bus Terminal. A VIP sleeper bus leaves Vientiane for Pakse at 20:30. For those coming from Savannakhet, a bus departs at 13:30 for the half-day ride.

From Pakse, public buses depart for the 2.5 hour drive to Salavan three times a day, and minivan transportation is available to Tad Lo. Motorbikes and cars can be rented in Pakse, as Salavan has no motor vehicle rental services.

Heading to Salavan’s districts and attractions without transportation rented in Pakse can be challenging. The bus schedule to the outlying districts is limited. Busses leave Salavan Town for Laongarm at 11:00 and 12:00 for LAK20,000 and to Vapi at 10:30 and 13:30 for LAK30,000. One bus leaves for Samouay at 13:00 for LAK40,000, two to Ta-Oy at 09:00 and 12:30 for LAK30,000, and three for Khongxedon at 10:30, 13:30, and 14:00 for LAK30,000.

It is possible to hire tuk tuks and song taews for a one-way trip or for the day. Head to the district bus stations to negotiate with local drivers, or ask your hotel or guesthouse if they can arrange transportation.

We recommend you check the latest bus schedule and price via rome2rio.com

Getting around

Salavan is really best for those with their own transport—though not huge, the guesthouses, banks, eating spots, river and bus station are sprawled across around three kilometres. We saw some tuk-tuks at the bus station, but it would be hard to find one if you're just roaming the streets—count on walking or relying on your own transport.