Si Phan Don

The mighty Mekong River and its tributaries together create perhaps the single most important geographic feature of Laos. In direct contrast to the mountainous Northern/Central landscape, the Mekong Delta lowlands are perfectly flat. Nestled in the wide river just above Cambodia is Si Phan Don, Four Thousand Islands, literally. However, the few you’re likely to visit on this scenic 50 km-long stretch are so laidback you’re liable to turn into a hammock-bound icicle. The series of channels open up slowly, the first chug on the Mekong giving the barest taster if the enormous riches of the river, its wildlife and its people. There must be some rule in Laos saying the farther south you go the more tranquil it becomes, because just when you think your blood pressure couldn’t drop any more, you arrive in Si Phan Don. It’s actually the most chilled and relaxed region in not just all of Laos, but all of Asia. The lush scenery, spectacular sunsets and almost untouched natural ambiance of the place make it a must-see.

Don Det has a good pattern of footpaths, some through the fields used to grow coconuts and bamboo, past jungle patches with wild mangoes and more exotic trees, leading to coves where you see fishermen with their Mekong harvest of 2ft-long fish. The river-oriented village life is more detached from time than from the riverbank. The key attraction of the country is its undoubted status as the least westernized, the most relaxed and therefore the most authentic of all Indochinese nations. The winding layout therefore offers a much more serene tubing location than Vang Vieng. We spent hours drifting through the maze of islands in emerald waters, perfectly peaceful with barely a soul in sight. 

The launching point is an unspoiled beach at the tip of Don Det, which hosts campfires and their accompanying acoustics each night. There are a few other river-based sights including the largest falls in Southeast Asia and the Mekong pink dolphin. On Don Khon, near the village of Ban Khon, are the raging rapids of Taat Somphamit. But Khon Phapheng takes the cake for the largest volume waterfall in SE Asia, covering 13 km. You can sit in awe on a little platform bar hanging over the falls, sipping BeerLao.

Just before the river falls dramatically into Cambodia, the endangered species surface for air every two minutes. After extensive killing by the Khmer Rouge with bomb fishing, as well as unsupervised mesh fishing nets, only around 100 remain. Harsher tribulations of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge control of Cambodia will be witnessed when we visit Angkor Wat in Siem Reap. Estimated to take 300 years to construct today, it was completed in 40… an empire I’ve been dreaming of seeing for years!