Tavendang Guesthouse

The food was exceptionally bad, and the service was extremely slow. We waited 45 minutes for a green curry that arrived yellow, though the lady insisted it was green. It tasted awful and nothing like green curry, and the portions were small. The place was noisy, with kids screaming constantly and loud music from behind, despite us choosing this remote location hoping it would be quiet. The rooms are as basic as they come, with a small, smelly mosquito net, no hot water, and a price like many others in town. The bicycles are falling apart and have absolutely no maintenance. I left after the first night. I’ll attach a video of the kind of noise you get.

Mama Finn and her daughter Dat were so nice to us, and we rented bicycles from them for our whole stay. Their meals were really tasty. The room was nice, with a good ceiling fan, a very comfortable bed, an okay bathroom, and hammocks on the porch that were perfect. We stayed five nights, and the only drawback was that the guesthouse is about a 15-minute bike ride from the center of dondet. Still, our stay was perfect.

Mama Dang and her family were lovely. The place has a gentle, peaceful feel, set on the other side of Don Det near the French bridge. I stayed in a bungalow at the back, with a big terrace and hammock, and a cute window looking out to the wild garden and rice field. The room is simply designed but charming. Out front, the riverside restaurant is a great place to enjoy the Mekong river, Don Khon, and the sunrise.

The riverside view was beautiful, especially sitting and listening to the rain. I was fine with having no AC or cold water, and with the sounds of animals. It took me back to being a kid with my grandparents. Every meal was delicious, just super. I love kids, so watching the family's little ones having fun made me feel that life is happiness. It touched me when the young girl gave us a Laos bracelet to wish us well as we left. I hope the beautiful family has good things ahead too.