I went to Savannakhet to go to the Thai embassy and get a visa. Apart from this I don't see much reason for tourists to bother making the stop. There is an old section to the town which is quite scenic and architecturally interesting but doesn't take more than an hour or two to cycle around.
There is a dinosaur museum, believe it or not, the remains of quite a few dinosaurs have been found in the Savannakhet province and are displayed at the museum which has very friendly staff who are keen to help; possibly because they don't have many visitors. I did pity them a little and stretched my visit out as long as it was possible to look at a fairy-light outline of a dinosaur on a wall and some bones. Do pop in if you're stuck in the town. The provincial museum has a few displays housing a variety of artifacts from pottery to dead bombs and the notation is even in English here. The town's setting on the river is actually very scenic and the food stalls along the banks are the perfect spot to sit and gaze across the river to Thailand while planning your trip and enjoying a barbequed fish.
