Four Thousand Islands - Don Det

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So from the Capital we caught a bus down to probably my favorite place in Laos, the island of Don Det situated in an area known as Four Thousand Islands. The region gets its name because at this particular point the Mekong river widens and many islands emerge in the middle. Don Det was one of the larger islands in the area.

Living on the island, we stayed a week, was like taking a step back in time. There are no roads, only dirt tracks. There is only electricity for 2 hrs a night and there is literally nothing to do. This to some people may sound hellish but it was anything but.

While it was an island Don Det had a very different feel to a Thai island, even a relatively undeveloped one such as Koh Lanta. For a start you are by a river instead of the Sea. This gives the place a more agricultural and rustic feel, living on the island was definitely back to basics. I felt more immersed in the culture of the local people on Don Det than I did anywhere else on my travels thus far. Walking down the dusty streets you can see people going about their daily life. Along the river little boats ferry back and forth carrying rice or other products from one place to another. Adults fish on the river and little kids play. Every time I went out it struck me just how different it was from my life back in England. The people here have simple lives and only a few possessions but they are happy. I can’t help but feel they have something that a person like me from a western country can never have.

Loas is a stunning country made all the more beautiful in the fact that it is so untouched by tourism. Thailand has natural beauty in abundance but there is always a 7 eleven in the shot, here, it’s noting but nature.

The pace of life is very slow and there is not really anything to do on the island. The main activates can be completed in an afternoon. They were visit the largest waterfall in SE Asia by volume and see the freshwater dolphins of the Mekong who live close to the border with Cambodia. After that it’s simply relaxation time. I was so surprised how quick a day can go when you are doing literally nothing for 12hrs straight. Aside from that it’s too hot to do anything. At night time we ate, drank and played cards. There was a Rasta bar on the island which played the same cd everynigt, had a monkey jumping around the place to entertain the regulars and the owner poured ridiculous measures of alcohol for ridiculously cheap prices. At the back was a diving board to jump into the river should you need to cool off. Does it get much better?

One of my favorite memories of Don Det was simply taking a bike ride and exploring the island. It’s a really hard to express how you feel when you come to a place like this; all I can say is that during the whole time I had a smile on my face.

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Photos

A street scene on the island
Its nice to be in a place with no roads.

The balcony of our accomodation overlooking the river.
Ah the art of doing nothing! My pace of life has slowed down a knotch or two since leaving home.

Baby in a hammok
We were staying with a local family and this was there little terror.

Dam digging dogs!
As everthing shut at 11 we had to locate to the side of the river after hours. This is the last picture this camera evertook as the dog is about to flick sand into the lense. Cheers!

Me dolphin spotting on the Mekong
I saw them, my camera didnt.

Kyaking
Typical Ozzies, can't go anywhere without a beero.

Biking
About as energetic as the day got

At the falls
Arriving at out destination ready to cool off after the exertion.

Scurrying down to the water to escape the heat.
We were dissapointed to find the water was as hot as a bath!

Comments

[Rach]

MEMORIES!!
Ohhh man, what i would do to go back to DonDet, they were some awesome times, so glad we stayed on longer, i reckon i could live life at that pace :)