1st Savannakhet Vintage Festival 2019

[DavidFL]

The 1st Savannakhet Fun Festival is a vintage festival designed to promote the old town of Savannaket in Southern Laos.

The dates are 22-24 November 2019
Old Savannakhet will be decorated as a 70s style town,
The organizers will have musicians & bands playing 60s-70s music
Old movies will be shown.
Old vintage photos will be on display
Vintage cars & bikes are welcome to join in the event.

The Old town Kaysone Phomvihanh Conservation Project

Savannakhet on GTR

Savannakhet Accommodation

Savannakhet Restaurants

Savannakhet Motorbike Shop Service

Vientiane - Route 13 South - Savannakhet

Pakxe To Savannakhet With A Stone House, A Monkey, And Riverside Track.

Chiang Mai – Attapeu Via Siphandon (Mekong 4000 Islands) Return

A Mekong Promenade Part 2 – South Laos

 

[DavidFL]

If you are going on a bike & let the organisers know you are going one week before, they will arrange for you to enter Savannakhet across the bridge from Mukdahan.

 

[DavidFL]

The renowned Chiang Mai Blues band with Mai Anupol will be playing at the Savan Fun Fest.

So if anyone likes blues music & wants to enjoy a unique event in Southern Laos, mark the dates down 22-24 November.

 

[DavidFL]

Anyone interested in going?

There are 3 good bands from Thailand playing
1. Chiangmai Blues with Mai Anupol from Chiang Mai.
Chiangmai BLUES
2. Midnight Ramblers the rolling stones band from Bangkok.
Midnight Ramblers
3. The Tarantinos band from Bnagkok
The Tarantino's band

I may have a stab at it as a 2 day ride from Chiang Khong.
Depart Chiang Khong Wednesday 20th November.

 

[DavidFL]

2 Magic nights in Savannakhet for me to enjoy the event.
I was booked in for 3 nights but opted out for 2 only, on account that if I stayed a 3rd night there would be a 4th & a 5th night, & I would not make it back for the GTR dinner in Thoeng.

It was a 2 day ride from Chiang Khong to Nakhon Phanom, with a night in Loei on the way down, & arriving in NKP at 2.30PM in the afternoon. I did think to cross over to Tha Khek & Savan the same day but opted for a night in NKP.

Crossing the Friendship Bridge 3 from Nakhon Phanom to Tha Khek.

The hardest part was exiting Thailand, with all the documents processed on the Thai side, Thai customs say you shouldn't be going, Laos will send you back. No problem I replied, I can fix it on the Laos side. And on the Lao side it could not have been easier, visa on Arrival issued, then my information was already in the Lao customs computer from 4 months earlier. The form was immediately printed out, signed and I was in. Honestly it could not be easier!

A few hours later I was in Savan, had a late breakfast at the Macchiato coffee

Then checked into my hotel for the weekend: the Bouasavan. Location: خرائط ‪Google‬‏‏

to be continued

 

[DavidFL]

Some event highlights...

The official start parade

Three of the bands playing - Chiangmai Blues, Midnight Ramblers & Tarrantino got gigs at the festival through introductions from GTR, so I was particularly keen to check out the event.

A first in Savannakhet with farang bands playing farang music. And it went down extremely well.


The sound check from Tarrantino

Chiangmai Blues

Midnight Ramblers with Joe Cummings

Tarrantino

The Chiangmai Blues in action

more to come

 

[DavidFL]

The aim of the event was to help promote the classic old Savannakhet town, provide some business & income for the locals, put some life back into the old town, so they were able to maintain their lifestyle & not sell off their properties to big developers.
Khun Lek, one of the organizes with the Savan Cafe & from Mukadhan says that once upon a time, before the communists took over in Laos there was little entertainment in Mukdahan & the locals in Mukdahan used to come to Savannakhet to party on the weekends, plus go to the cinema.

The old cinema in Savan was showing movies for the event.

Period costume was also supposed to be a feature of the event.

Classic bikes were also display

plus a few odd cars.

more to come..

 

[DavidFL]

For many people I suspect this was their first time to see a farang band play farang music.
After being under a fairly strict communist rule for decades it may have seemed like a dream come true for some to actually witness this in their "home town."
Some villagers were not sure not sure what to make of it all & stood gaping at the stage & action.

Others joined in joyfully like there was no tomorrow.

There was a fabulous community spirit

 

[KeithS]

Wish I would have been paying attention.... I used to live in Savannakhet and would have loved to have made the trip. Thanks for the post. What’s next?

 

[DavidFL]

Wish I would have been paying attention.... I used to live in Savannakhet and would have loved to have made the trip. Thanks for the post. What’s next?

Yeah it was a unique event & fantastic experience to see it come off.
I'm amazed there was little interest in going from riders, or even the expats in Vientiane, because the bands playing were top notch.
Perhaps the promotion was not quite right.
Whatever I look forward to the 1,200 kms ride there next year.

What's next...well we have one in Chiang Khong on 21 December
2019 Chiang Khong Music Fest

 

[DavidFL]

There was a group ride around town, that was scheduled for 3PM, but did not get away until 4PM

We rode 700 metres & stopped for a photo session that lasted 40 minutes at which stage I bailed out & went back to my hotel.

A few piccies for a happy ending in Savan

There was a busy street market set up

The famous Savan Fun Fest Bus

The belles & GTR

A good night Savan

I had a brilliant time & shall return for the next one.

 

[KeithS]

Although it’s a year away, I’m in for next year for sure

 

[DavidFL]

The 2023 event is on 24-29 January 2023.