Word: mekong
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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Tucked away at the southern most tip of Laos, Si Phan Don (Four Thousand Islands) is an 8.5-mile-wide (14 km) archipelago where the Mekong fans out and the land dissolves into thousands of muddy, grass-covered islands, islets and sandbars. The fact that only three islands offer tourist accommodation (rudimentary at that) tells you that this far-flung part of Champasak province is in no danger of being generally discovered - yet. But the more astute backpackers are trickling in on tiny wooden ferryboats, in slowly growing numbers, lured by the chance to do not very much at dirt...
...Phan Don is best reached from Pakse, a midsize city that serves as a transport hub for southern Laos. From Pakse, you can make the 90-minute journey by minibus to the Mekong where longtails wait to ferry passengers across to Don Det and other islands. As for the timing of your visit, well, now would be good. All the disquieting signs of backpacker tourism are appearing - the Internet cafés, cheap pizza parlors and beach bars blasting reggae. There are rumors, too, of 24-hour electricity: great for business, not so good for lovers of sublime escapes. Just...
...pictures of new species discovered in the Mekong Delta...
...been developed during the lifespan of marine mammals that are alive today, so they "haven't evolved to handle the industrial noise we're putting into the ocean, which has doubled every decade for the last 50 years," Jasny adds. (See pictures of 10 new species found in the Mekong Delta...
...company - and grandson Jacques made a pilgrimage to see what had become of the grand dame. They found dank corridors and chickens pecking their way around the building. Bathrooms doubled as kitchens. There were cracks in the walls and holes in the roof. (Read "Cruise in Style along Laos' Mekong River...