Laos: Mekong River Cruise

The Mekong River is the lifeline of Laos. This river originates in the Yunnan Province of China, travels south, forming the boundary between Laos and other countries such as Myanmar and Thailand. The path of the Mekong crosses Cambodia and then ends in southern Vietnam, forming the famous Mekong Delta. One of the most popular things to do in Laos is to take a slow long boat down a portion of the Mekong River. We had this amazing boat with a very clean bathroom, service of tea and coffee all to ourselves and our guide for 3.5 hours. We stopped at two villages. One that produces Whiskey and another that produces cotton. The 3.5 hour boat ride was certainly a highlight of Laos. We felt we were in Nirvana with such breathtaking sites.

It was interesting that although the majority of the people are Buddhists, which technically does not condone alcohol, we encountered many villages lie this where they distilled whisky or brewed beer. There are also alcohol advertisements and billboards everywhere. I guess there must be a “for medicinal purposes” clause!Read more