Mekong River

In late November 2019, I returned to Jinghong in China. This time hoping to travel further into China to where the Mekong enters Yunnan province from Tibet. Independent travel in China although not impossible is difficult so I decided on hiring a driver/ guide. With help from my guesthouse owner and his English to Mandarin

We stop off at the Qu Deng Ge Temple in Yunnan Province China. Close to the town of Deqin and the Tibetan border. Even though we are still in China 80% of the population are Tibetan. The Temple is a place for Tibetans to pay homage to the sacred mountains. Walking around the temple always

Just 80km upstream from Nong Khai is the small village of Sangkhom. I chose to stay at the Buoy Guest House as they offer small riverside cottages. They also kindly organized an evening boat trip. Not far from town, the mountain Wat Pha Tak Sua offers amazing views over the River and into neighbouring Laos.

Returning to Nong Khai after Sangkhom, I again caught the 507-18 bus this time to Chiang Khan. On a beautiful stretch of the river, Chiang Khan is a very popular weekend getaway for Thais. Souvenirs, clothing, snacks, meals, and nibbles can be purchased along its walking street. Bicycles can be hired and if you are

Leaving Laos across the original friendship bride and getting through Thailand immigration I arrive at the border town of Nong Khai. Apart from the smaller cargo boats ferrying goods back and forth to Laos, there appeared to be no options to travel further via the river. Wanting to visit and stay at some of the

Having finished exploring the towns upriver from Nong Khai I set out to visit the 3 Thai riverside towns below it. Having again booked a riverside motel the views across to the limestone mountains of Thakhey Laos are just stunning. I was up early to see some local ladies exercising and doing their dance practice.

From That Phanom I catch a bus to Mukdahan then another minivan across yet another friendships bridge this time the number two. Through the now-familiar Laos immigration, fill in the visa application form, attach one passport photo and $30 American, then wait. I spent a few days exploring Savannakhet and found some great restaurants and

Vientiane is the Riverside Capital city of Laos. And once again the River borders Thailand and is just a 40-minute bus trip across the Friendship Bridge to Nong Khai Thailand. I spent Christmas in Vientiane and the city was preparing for the New Years’ eve celebrations. You can view Vientiane’s location here

From Savannakhet its yet another bus trip, this time to Pakse. I had booked a riverside motel that turned out to be some distance from town. After quite some time googling and asking directions my taxi driver was excited to finally find it. The views of the river and mountains were certainly worthwhile. The Arawan

Cai Rang is the largest floating market in the Mekong Delta. All the fruits and vegetables being sold are grown in the delta. Produce available from the boats is advertised on long bamboo poles. At the end of the morning, we had a great breakfast of coffee and Pho which is a noodle soup.

A trip up one of the many waterways from Can Tho. I am planning to get back and explore more of this fascinating country. To be continued

There is a bus from Pakse to Champasak. I chose the far more exciting option of the car ferry across the Mekong. I am unsure of the wages and conditions but on this particular day it seemed like a pretty nice way to make a living.