A boat ride on the majestic Mekong River in Laos is the perfect opportunity for people hoping to experience the magnificent natural wonders of the Laotian countryside and the special fauna and flora the lives and feeds along this impressive river. The daily lives of the people living in modest huts on the Mekong's shore also serve as an insight into life in some of the more remote parts of Asia, which continues as it has done for centuries.

Starting in the Tibetan –Qinghai Plateau and flowing through most of the Southeast Asian mainland, the Mekong passes through countries such as Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Thailand, it has been the traditional source of life in this part of the world for centuries and still serves to irrigate vast rice fields that yield some of the largest quantities of rice ever produced. Most communities have a simple relationship with the river, living from its generous bounty while respecting its power and in some cases worshiping the Gods they believe created it. During local festivals and rituals, local people often pay their respects the river either in words, music or dance. Cruising along the river, passengers experience narrow stretches with little more water than a mountain stream, right up to or large fast-flowing stretches of raw bubbling power. The landscape also changes often during the cruise with virgin forest and rice fields following each other and the banks sometimes rising to become cliffs and mountains that seem to literally reach for the sky. A calming excursion on the Mekong also offers a great opportunity to witness some of the most diverse ecosystems in the world with more than 1300 different species of fish calling the waters home, including the famous Mekong giant catfish. A large variety of birds also inhabit the forests along the riverbanks, while mangroves serves as habitat for fresh and salt-water fish and crabs. The endangered Irrawaddy Mekong dolphin is also occasionally seen on excursions, as are wild elephants.

When it comes to people, those living along the river are known for their gentle nature and hospitality towards strangers. Local villagers are happy to show new foreign friends around their village and even share their daily catch with visitors and invite them to join their festivals. A closeness with nature and the generations they have spent living from the river and surrounding forested areas also make them excellent guides to the local environs. Many of the younger villagers have studied some English and everyone you meet is keen to share the wealth of knowledge they have on local plants, animals and their culture. A beautiful contrast to many of the busy cities in the region, such as Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh City, a tour on the Mekong River is guaranteed to make even the most stressed out traveller feel relaxed and in one with the source.

Original source http://www.vatphou.com/mekong_river_cruises.html

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