Crusing the Mekong River in Cambodia
June 5th, 2008
credit: Pluca
The Mekong is one of the world’s major rivers. It is the 12th-longest river in the world, and 7th longest in Asia. Its estimated length is 4,350 km (2,703 mi), and it drains an area of 795,000 km².
From the Tibetan Plateau it runs through China’s Yunnan province, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. All except China and Burma belong to the Mekong River Commission.
China has allowed travel on the Mekong, and Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam also have made river touring easier. Several boutique travel operators have started running boat trips on the Mekong and its tributaries. International interest in river trips appears to be growing. A report by the Passenger Shipping Association showed that globally, river cruise bookings rose over 20 per cent last year. [#]
For travellers who don’t want to paddle, several cruise operators now offer trips on the Mekong. Pandaw Cruises runs replicas of colonial-era teak steamers, with diesel engines, on seven- and nine-night trips between Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and Siem Reap, Cambodia, the port closest to Angkor Wat, turning off the Mekong on to the Tonle River and Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in South-east Asia.
Suggested Itinerary: Cambodia Mekong Discovery
- Siem Reap
- Angkor
- Bantey Srei
- Tonle Sap
- Siem Reap
- Kampong Thom
- Stung Treng
- Kratie
- Phnom Penh
- Siem Reap
The ideal time to travel the Mekong is in early dry season, November to January, before the waters run low. This is also the coolest time of the year in South-east Asia, though as a result airfare can be more expensive.
credit: T-Oh! & Matt
The Mekong river is famous for the Mekong giant carp. It is the biggest species of carp in the world. It is also one of the biggest freshwater fish in the world. It has beautiful scales that change colours depending on the lighting.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you grab this RSS feed!
