Travel blog: The 4,000 islands of Laos

Anna Kainberger is taking a year-out from her career to travel in south-east Asia, Australasia and the South Pacific, along with Hawaii and the USA. This month she will be reporting from Laos and Cambodia. Here is her sixth blog entry:

The 4,000 islands are part of the most southern tip of Laos, an area where the Mekong fans out into hundreds and thousands of little islands, providing it with its name (if you count every single little grass hill sticking out of the Mekong).

The area is fairly untouristy and not very developed, but the world is catching up and there are new bamboo huts and river front bungalows being built right this second. The Lao people know a good idea when they see one and tourism provides a very good and steady income in these areas.

I arrived at Don Dhet by boat from Don Khon ($2.50 - 1 hour) and just made my way by foot to find a little place to stay. Accommodation on the 4,000 Islands is very cheap, for as little as $2 you can rent a little riverside bungalow with your own bathroom and a fan and so it is no wonder that I decided to stay on Don Dhet for Christmas.

There are three main islands to visit around Si Pan Don, Don Khon the biggest of the three main islands, which even has electricity and a local bus serving it, crossing the river by ferry.

Yet, apart from renting a bicycle to explore the area or go kayaking it is really not much of a place, so I decided that I had to go a little bit further.

Don Dhet offers plenty of accommodation, bicycles, kayaking, fishing tours, various little restaurants including an Indian as well as just the island itself - a little Asian rice-paddy paradise.

Don Dhet is also connected by bridge with Don Khong, which offers the same amenities as Don Dhet as well as access to the big Khon Phapheng Mekong waterfall and a few small beaches from where you can swim in the Mekong or go on a little Irrawaddy dolphin spotting boat trip.

Irrawaddy Dolphins are a rare freshwater Dolphin found in the area. Lao legend says the following about the creatures: A Laos girl fell in love with a snake, against her parents' will married the snake and then was eaten by it during their wedding night.

The girl's parents were distraught and cut open the snake to retrieve their daughter and when released from the snake she had to go and wash, so she jumped into the Mekong.

Having suffered from a broken heart she stayed in the Mekong still mourning her snake husband, still visible to this day in form of the Irrawaddy dolphin.

The dolphin is unfortunately nearly extinct and although the government are trying to protect the funny-looking creatures, most of the newborn calves last year have died. Pollution and fishing nets do their share of destruction here and it is worth going on a trip to see them as you may not be able to much longer.

Everything goes at its own pace on the 4,000 Islands and it is very easy to just spend a day in a hammock reading a book looking out into the Mekong. I simply enjoyed the views and scenery, taking the occasional dip in the Mekong to freshen up or went for a relaxing walk around the island.

Talking to the local kids or renting a bike to reach one of the beaches on Don Khon was also fun and hassle-free and enjoyable.

Electricity goes out at 22.30 every night in most places and internet will be expensive due to the satellite connection so it is the perfect place to hang loose for a bit and getting some well-deserved rest from travelling. Beer Lao is cheap and definitely one of the best Asian brews around, $1 for a large bottle: compare that to an overpriced pint of Stella back home in London?!

Christmas was a calm yet nicely done affair, the locals hosted a party on a small beach and there were Christmas roasts on offer in the various restaurants, travellers uniting in front of the fireside gazing at the stars, celebrating together.

I stayed on Don Dhet for eight days and then decided that it was time to head further south, saying good bye to Laos before crossing the boarder into Cambodia at Strung Treng.

Visas at Strung Treng can be arranged on arrival, just make sure you have cash in dollars available, as there are no ATMs on the 4,000 Islands or the road until you reach the boarder. Visas cost $22, plus $1 stamp fee when leaving Laos.

As I was heading into Cambodia I had exchanged dollars before leaving for my trip and I recommend you keep a stash of dollars with you as it is widely accepted in both Laos and Cambodia.

Read Anna's last blog entry