Blogs from Khong Island, South, Laos, Asia

And just when I thought time couldn't pass any slower than in Tat Lo, I realised that I hadn't seen the rest of Laos yet... From Tat Lo, it was a 2h bus ride westwards back to Pakse, where I originally thought I might have to spend the night, as I thought I wouldn't be able to catch the last transport down south to Siphandon (4000 Islands). Turns out I was, and managed to get on the 4 p.m. sawngthaew for the 2h ride down south, barrelling at goodness-knows-what speed! The only problem was when I arrived at Ban Nakasang, which is the ferry launch point for Don Khong (the largest of the islands), it was already dark, and there being no guesthouses in the vicinity, I had to charter the entire boat at a higher-than-usual ... read more

Forget Greece. Si Phan Don has it all. Here, the Mekong is at it's most beautiful. This fifty kilometer, turquoise stretch of the river is scattered with islands - four thousand islands, to be exact. Here the river is enormous, swelling to it's broadest point - an amazing fourteen kilometer span from shore to shore during the wet season. Hardly a river - it resembles the sea, still, sedate, mammoth. Don Khong is the largest and quietest island. We are lulled into lethargy and spend hours watching long-tail boats and pirogues bobbing gently, men fishing with weighted circle nets, boys wading with nets on poles and water buffalo wallowing in the shallows. Ferries make the occasional trip to the mainland, carrying women with shopping baskets and men with motorbikes. A steady ebb and flow. The island ... read more

After the border crossing - a little delayed as we have to wake up the Laos officials, a couple from Algeria we're with have to repeatedly explain where their country is, in the end the officials seem to settle for near Europe and them, the Czech guy and two of us travelling together in our mini van all attempt to refuse to pay the bribe we're asked for - we finally get dropped on the mainland in Don Khon, ready to cross over to Four Thousand Islands. The boat drops us on Don Det - a beautiful Island but the North of which is very much backpacker ville and consists of bar/bungalow/travel agent/bar/bungalow/travel agent....etc and you don't really get to see much of the actual Island. From what we have read about the area we decide ... read more

This is the quickest post yet (on some very expensive internet that is run by generators because the islands don't technically have electricity). The 4000 Islands have been great (very hot), but tomorrow we are on our way to Cambodia. We are taking a minivan to the border and then we are heading directly to Siam Riep. Today we saw the biggest waterfalls in South East Asia, which were very impressive (obviously not as big as niagara falls...but none the less, very impressive). More from Cambodia, Lots of love, Nicole/Poke/Coco xoxoxo... read more

Sunday May 31st 2009 4000 islands Another early morning as we loaded up and headed for our boat to the mainland and left our four thousand islands chapter behind us. A minivan picked us up on the river bank and for once it was just the 2 of us but this was only for the 45 minutes drive to the Cambodian Border. It probably could have been a quicker drive if the drier didn’t stop off so she could pop into mass for a quick pray on the way though. We pulled up at the boarder and got pretty ripped on exchanging the remaining kip we had, didn’t actually spend too much in Laos in the end, and proceeded to get our passports exit stamped. I think we are supporting the local official’s rice whiskey habits ... read more