Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Just west of the Xe Pian lie two
wetlands
of regional significance, Si Phan Don and the
Khone Falls. Here, the Mekong concludes its journey through Laos, swirling past the count-
less outcroppings of soil and rocks that constitute the “Four Thousand Islands” of the region's
name. Considered the richest fishing grounds in Laos, Si Phan Don possesses large tracts of
seasonally flooded forest, along the banks of the Mekong and on the dots of land in between,
which constitute a crucial spawning ground for the unknown number of fish species inhabit-
ing this portion of the river. At the southern tip of Si Phan Don - and the entire country for
that matter - lie the Khone Falls, an 8km-wide series of channels composed of waterfalls and
rapids flowing between rocky islands. The falls, which begin 5km north of the Cambodian
border, are a vital passageway for the Mekong's many species of migratory fish.
The seasonally flooded islands here are also an important sanctuary for
birds
and represent
one of the last nesting areas of the river tern, greater thick-knees and river lapwing, all of
which appear as the water level begins to recede in January. The trees of the wetlands'
flooded forests also provide perches for thick-billed pigeons, pied hornbills and green imper-
ial pigeons and offer a welcome spot for blue-tailed bee-eaters to rest after one of their aerial
insect chases. The area is also one of the rare places in Southeast Asia visited by red-headed
and white-rumped vultures, whose numbers are on the decline owing to hunting and a short-
age of food, caused partly by the fact that Laos now has fewer tigers, whose leftovers make a
favourite vulture snack. Other rare or endangered birds making the rounds in the area are the
grey-headed fish eagle, the woolly-necked stork and the giant ibis.
Beneath the surface, Laos's lower Mekong area possesses a stunning array of
fish species
,
including giant golden carp, featherbacks, eels and freshwater rays that grow well over a
metre in length, fish that climb the Khone Falls by sucking their way up the rocks with their
lips and the mysterious
ba leum
, a fish weighing 200kg that fishermen attempt to snare with
the entrails of dogs attached to a hook at the end of a 30m length of rope. Long the jewel of
the Mekong, the blunt-nosed Irrawaddy dolphin is now critically endangered.
Central and northern Laos
East of Ang Nam Ngum and less than two hours' drive from Vientiane, centrally located
Phou Khao Khouay
is perhaps the most accessible of the conservation zones. In this often-
steep upland area large tracts of evergreen forests dominate the valleys and hillsides, while
coniferous and scrub forests flourish in the thin soils masking sandstone bedrock formations
at higher elevation.
In the far northern corner of northeastern Hua Phan province, elephants roam the bamboo
forests of
Nam Et
protected area, more than half of which lies 1000m above sea level. Nam
Et has been severely affected by shifting cultivation which has left the area with relatively
little dense forest. It remains an important refuge for bears, endangered cats, such as the
clouded leopard and tiger, wild cattle, and dhole, the rare, reddish wild dogs that hunt in
