Savannakhet - a ghost town in South Laos.

Savannakhet was growing district town until the Second Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge across the Mekong river from Savannakhet to Mukdahan was opened. Today 80 % of local shops are closed. There are a few cars and some French colonial buildings in the state of massive decline.

Some streets in downtown have still dirt surface.

The colonial buildings at Plaza remind me the French colonial capital Grand-Bassam in Côte d'Ivoire where every falling apart mension was occupied by several families.

The catholic church was built by Vietnamese during the colonial era.

Wat Sainyaphum is surrounded surprisingly by huge compound full of peaceful greenery.

I recommend Hungthip Restaurant with tasty Thai and Lao dishes.

Mekong River looks very quiet. The are no more boats and ferries between Thailand and Laos. Entire traffic goes across the bridge located 5 km from downtown.