4000 Islands - Arrival in Laos

On the 4000 Islands, you immediately notice that life here has a different rhythm than in Siem Reap. Everything is slower and much more relaxed.
After arriving, we treated ourselves to a refreshing drink in our hammock right by the Mekong. Later, we went to the neighboring restaurant for dinner, where we were surprised to find out that the owners are from Switzerland.

The next morning, we rented bicycles to visit the two islands of Don Det and Don Khon. We rode over bumpy roads, through fields and forests, to a beautiful waterfall. Afterwards, we bought watermelon shakes at a private beach, where we could cool off in the river.

On the last day, we had a kayaking tour planned.
With kayaks and a guide, the six of us first went down the river to the island of Don Som. We got out of the kayaks and walked for 30 minutes to a small waterfall. From there, we continued on foot to a bay, where we could swim and enjoy our lunch of fried rice and grilled skewers. Then we continued with the kayaks, which were transported to the bay for us, downstream on the river. First, it was very leisurely, then a bit more adventurous. At a rapid that our guide led us into, the kayak in front of us capsized. Since it came in our way, we also got a little splash as it pushed us right into the biggest water vortex. After we were back in the kayak and collected our flip-flops, we paddled to a small island. There, we were picked up by a boat to visit the Irrawaddy dolphins in a side arm of the Mekong. After a short kayak ride back to the mainland, we then switched to a transporter. After a 20-minute drive, we arrived at the largest waterfall in Asia, the Khon Phapheng. The masses of water cascading down a width of 1 km were very impressive.
After another car ride back to Ban Nakasong, we paddled with our kayaks towards the sunset, back to Don Det.