Salavan ( ສາລະວັນ) is the capital of Salavan Province in southern

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...

. It is also a provincial district. It is 125 km from

Pakse Pakse (or ''Pakxe''; French: ''Paksé''; Laotian: ປາກເຊ 'mouth of the river'; th, ปากเซ) is the capital and most populous city of the southern Laotian province of Champasak, and the second most populous city in Laos. Loc ...

on a partially paved road.

Geography

Salavan is in the southernmost area of Laos, one of the most isolated regions of the country. The city is in a densely forested area that has seen little development outside the city. Dozens of indigenous villages of various tribes surround Salavan.

Culture

Salavan's local culture is influenced by the

Lao Loum The Lao Loum ( lo, ລາວລຸ່ມ; th, ลาวลุ่ม, , ) is an official Lao People's Democratic Republic designation for lowland dwelling Tai peoples, including the majority Lao people. The Lao Loum, literally meaning 'lowland L ...

, lowland Lao who form the majority of the population of both the city and country, as well as hill tribe and former colonial French cultures. Salavan is starting to become a popular backpacking destination for tourists in

Indochina Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west an ...

and has a "frontier town"-like feel because of the dearth of settlements outside the city. Salavan is known for its version of Lao dance, which has spread to throughout the entire nation. The

Lao language Lao, sometimes referred to as Laotian (, 'Lao' or , 'Lao language'), is a Kra–Dai language of the Lao people. It is spoken in Laos, where it is the official language for around 7 million people, as well as in northeast Thailand, where it ...

is the most spoken language in the city. French is also spoken by a minority, a legacy of the French colonial rule.

References

{{Districts of South Laos Populated places in Salavan Province