The thigh bones
Huge pieces in the cases.
Adriaan Castermans — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Chaoborus — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Chaoborus — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pescov — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pescov — CC0
The Dinosaur Museum in Savannakhet is a small museum showing fossils found in southern Laos, a pleasant surprise in a quiet city on the Mekong. It cannot match the big museums of capital cities, but it reveals that Laos was once home to huge dinosaurs. It suits children and anyone wanting a short activity in town. Its collection comes from nearby areas including Xonbouly district and contains the remains of three types of dinosaur according to one guide, among them sauropods and iguanodons. Labels are in French and Lao. The museum is simple in its fittings, but it connects directly with local discoveries. You enter a small building with a dinosaur painted on its front and find cases with huge thigh bones, vertebrae and teeth, fossil fish and a claw from a spinosaur-type dinosaur. Drawings and skeleton displays on the walls show what these creatures looked like. One visitor reports a short tour with a staff member, and the whole place can be seen quickly. It stands on Khanthaburi Road in the city centre, within walking distance of the Mekong bank and the old quarter. Hours vary, and one source gives Tuesday to Sunday from 8:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 16:00, so avoid lunchtime and check before you go. Carry kip in cash, and allow about half an hour to an hour.
Huge pieces in the cases.
A small, striking piece.
A trace from long ago.
Khanthaburi Road, Ban Sayaphoum, Savannakhet
Yes. Children usually love the big bones, and the visit is short.
Labels are in French and Lao, so a staff member or a translation app may help.