Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Welcome to the
Mekong Region
The Mekong. It's an exotic name guaranteed to fire up the
imagination. Riding high on the global hot list, it is home to such
iconic sights as Angkor Wat, Halong Bay and Luang Prabang.
A River Runs Through It
One of the world's great rivers, the Mekong winds its way down from the foothills of Tibet
to the South China Sea, encompassing some of the most diverse backdrops in Asia. Its dra-
matic journey southward takes in remote national parks and immense waterfalls in Laos,
traditional towns and 21st-century cities in Thailand, freshwater dolphins and forgotten
temples in Cambodia and a patchwork of emerald greens in Vietnam's Mekong Delta.
Old Asia, New Asia
Experience old Asia and new Asia jostling for space. One minute it's Bangkok, riding the
Skytrain to a state-of-the-art shopping mall, the next it's an elephant careering through the
jungle in Cambodia. In the cities, the pace of life runs at a dizzying speed, matched only by
the endless rush of motorbikes and call of commerce. In the countryside, life seems time-
less, the rural rhythms the same as they have been for centuries, with pyjama-clad peasants
tending the fields and monks wandering the streets in search of alms.
Memorable Journeys
Travelling in the Mekong region is as much about the journey as the destination, although
it is not always as smooth as the brochures would have you believe. Float down the river by
slow boat from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang, passing by distant minority villages in a land
that time forgot. Ride a bicycle around the ancient temples of Angkor. Or explore the bust-
ling backstreets of old Asia from the comfort of a
cyclo
(bicycle rickshaw). Experience
some rough with the smooth for the real flavour of the Mekong region.
