Lin's Cafe

When I started searching for things to do and see in Savannakhet, I was really surprised with the lack of recommendations online. Despite being the second-largest city in Laos, there's not nearly as much to do here as there is in smaller but more popular cities like Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang.

Nearly every guide mentioned Lin's Cafe, though, so I knew I needed to pay it a visit!

Like the Pudding Shop in Istanbul, Lin's Cafe is a backpacker's institution; a reliable cafe with good food, fast Wi-Fi, clean restrooms, strong coffee, and recommendations to share with travelers.

I was having trouble finding a place to eat in this sleepy town, so I headed to Lin's for lunch.

I started off by ordering a Beer Lao Dark (the best beer in Asia), which came served in a bucket of ice.

I also ordered a plate of yellow vegetable curry, which arrived promptly.

The food was good. It wasn't anything special, but it was filling, hearty, and reasonably priced.

Yesterday evening I was waiting in my bungalow for my evening work duties to begin when suddenly the power went out! It was only 6pm, but it was already getting dark outside, and I suddenly found myself in the dark without Wi-Fi. This was a major problem, as my job requires me to be online at 8pm every night!

By 7pm, the power still hadn't come on, and my phone's battery had died. 

Panicking slightly, I knocked on the door of the hotel's owner, a kind older Laotian lady who can thankfully speak very good English, to ask her advice on what I should do. She didn't know when the power would be back on (it was out for the whole city district), and she recommended that I head over to Lin's Cafe, where I should be able to work.

I packed my laptop into my backpack and, trusting my memory (as my phone had died and I was subsequently without a GPS) to navigate me back to Lin's, I set off through the pitch-black streets.

About 20 minutes later, I arrived at Lin's. I bought a mango shake, plugged my electronics into the outlets, and connected to the blessedly blazing fast Wi-Fi for work.

I stayed at Lin's from 7pm until my duties finished at 9. I was so thankful for their late-night hours!

After work, it was time to head back to my hotel. It was going to be a long walk in the dark, but I steeled myself for the journey. 

Laos is actually a remarkably safe country, and I never felt scared on the walk back.

Along the way, I passed the Cathedral of St. Theressa, the co-cathedral of Laos. It was all lit up, and its facade gave me a comforting glow as I made my way past.

There were, fortunately, plenty of people still out and about at 9pm. Many of them asked where I was going, and helpfully cheered me on and pointed my way to the guesthouse.

Eventually, I made my way back to see the cheerful glow of electric lightting eminating from my bungalow! The power was back, and I couldn't have been happier!

It had been a pretty rough day, but I was grateful to be back safe and sound in my cozy bungalow. I fell asleep quickly, ready to face the next morning.