The Mekong in Laos.

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The Mekong so dominates Lao topography that to a large extent the whole country parallels its course. More of the river flows through Laos than through any other Southeast Asian country. We might not be able to travel much on the river itself, but we'll be able to stick closely to it, stopping at towns which have grown up on it's banks. The middle reach of the Mekong with its fertile flood plains running from Sainyabuli to Champasak, forms the flattest and most tropical part of Laos. This is rice growing and farming country. The Mekong here, is also an important source of fish - a vital part of almost every Loatian's diet. Near Si Phan Don in the deep south of Laos the river can expand to fourteen kilometers across during the rainy season, skirting around thousands of islands as it continues it's way ever southwards.

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