Mekong River Cruse

Mekong River, Laos – 2018. While in Luang Prabang we took a five hour cruse up the Mekong River to the Pak Ou Buddha Caves and back, stopping at Ban Xang Hai which is a small village with a tourist market. We had lunch on a floating restaurant where the Ou River (Nam Ou) meets the Mekong. We were in one of the local style river boats which are quite slow when going up river but that was fine because the scenery is great and ever changing. There is heavy jungle in some places, floating houses, river boats, farmers’ crops, small villages, high hills and limestone cliffs. The Pal Ou Caves are about 30 kilometers upriver from Luang Prabang.
This is a vegetable garden planted on the lower banks of the Mekong River. The area is underwater during the rainy season
The start of a vegetable garden planted on the lower banks of the Mekong River. The area is underwater during the rainy season. Boats are the main means of…
A temple barely visible through the large trees growing up the banks of the Mekong
A floating boat house with to long tail boats in it
These are local house boats
A Chinese firm is building a high speed rail line across the Mekong. A portion of the temporary construction bridge was washed away in a flood
Boats are the main means of transportation for the people living along the river
Floating houses used by fishermen
Floating houses and a workshop used by fishermen
An abandoned shack on the banks of the Mekong
A farmer’s corn field on the banks of the Mekong
Jungle and mountains (on a rainy day)
Boats are the main means of transportation for the people living along the river
Floating house and a workshop used by fishermen
Boats are the main means of transportation for the people living along the river
The Mekong River just upriver from where the Ou River (Nam Ou) enters
High limestone cliffs at the confluence of the Ou and Mekong Rivers
A combination house and cargo boat
A small village on the banks of the Mekong
A very long dragon boat in storage