The Mekong River covers 4,184 kilometers, going from Tibet to the South China Sea. The river connects the various cultures of Indochina and flows through 6 nations: Laos, China, Myammar, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. There are over 1,200 fish species, making Mekong the third most impressive river in the world, third to the Amazon and Congo.
In the past, most of the river was off limits. Now restrictions are mostly lifted and there are various opportunities that appeared in the past ten years. Many of the Laos river stretches offer opportunities for kayaking tours, excursions for mountain biking and even four wheel drive expeditions.
The problem is that you have to go to the Mekong River as soon as you can since China is currently involved in projects to use the river for its energy potential. Two large dams were raised and more such projects are in consideration.
The list of travel activities possible on the Mekong River include:
Riverboat Floating
A great expedition cruise ties Ho Chi Minh to Siem Reap. You can see a large part of the region in a short time. There are 2 custom built colonial era steamers from Pandaw Cruises that are great. You will float past the capital of Cambodia and enjoy great scenery along the way.
The 4,000 Islands – Kayaking And Rafting
You can easily kayak through one of the most remarkable landscapes that Southeast Asia has to offer in the Khammoune Range limestone karsts. There are 4,000 islands that are formed close to where Mekong pours over fault line, creating Khone Falls. The region is an 11 kilometers stretch of cataracts and rapids, some of the wildest in the entire world. You can experience some incredible white water rafting here but opportunities for those that just want to relax are available in inflatable kayaks.
Full Mouth To Source Exploration
This is definitely something that you may want to consider. It does take a lot of time and you will need to go through various different trips but it is a guarantee you will appreciate the Mekong River. It is particularly interesting to visit the delta area. It covers 40,000 square kilometers. The area is known as Cuu Long in Vietnamese.