Over 9000 Islands? Would work just as well as 4000!
By Jon. Filed in Travel |
No way is there 4000 islands here, even if you attempted to include every bit of rock that shows as the level of Mekong falls it just would not total 4000. However this isn’t to say that the local name: Si Phan Don is something of an exaggeration, there is a large number of islands in the region, some of which only appear if the river is low, and all of the ones I saw were spectacular, its just 4000 islands of any size could not fit in the area they do. The islands that are there are a mix of palm fringed paths, bamboo huts, rice paddy’s and of course travellers, all surrounded by the great redolent Mekong river.
The vibe on the islands is one of a place at peace with itself, a slice of the Laos that placed it firmly on the traveller circuit and has kept it there to this day. Despite all the changes taking place across the country – the results of investment from it’s richer neighbours combined with the endless hunt for the tourist dollar – the pace of life on the islands, particularly Don Det & Don Khon, is as slow as the flow of the Mekong. While I may have bemoaned a slow pace back when I wrote about Vientiane, here it is expected and I have to admit I fell for it. But only for a few days before I had the urge to get back to the hustle and bustle of, well, anywhere not in Laos. So having a need to be in Thailand I headed back to Bangkok.