We are meeting with my (Jonas) parents in Hanoi at the end of September which meant that we were on a bit of a time constraint. Our time in Cambodia was rather short, but then we could take a bit more time to enjoy Laos. Entering all the way in the South, we kept going North along the Mekong. The first place we decided to visit were the 4 000 islands close to the border with Cambodia. 

This area is special because of all the small islands in the Mekong. We decided to visit the island of Don Det and boarded a longboat from the town of Nakasong to get there. On the way to the island we realized that the current high water level actually flooded many of the smaller islands, leaving only groups of trees sticking out of the brown murky water to imagine all the islands that are usually there. We stayed at a small guest house on the sunset side of the island and it was just a great time we had there. Our bungalow was rustic with only a bed, a small fan, a mosquito net and a bathroom that uses the river water. Being used to this kind of simple accommodation, we were happy and enjoyed the view over the river and the two hammocks on our porch. One day we walked around the islands and visited the Li Phi waterfalls which are massive rapids where the whole river drops a few meters over a large area. Our second day we only relaxed in our little paradise of a bungalow. In the evenings we had dinner in the little restaurant that was run by the owner of our bungalow and enjoyed the sunset over the river. 

Back on the mainland we had to get some distance covered and kept on following the Mekong until we reached the city of Pakse. There we rested for another day and decided to rent a motorbike to visit the famous waterfalls nearby and explore the area. We did not meet many other tourists on our trip as the rainy season seems to keep many people away. Yes, it is raining here regularly but often at night or short showers that fade quickly. We did get wet a few times but that was usually a welcome refreshment from the heat.

Our last stop was in the city of Thakehk. There is not that much to see there and we decided to be lazy and chill in our hotel room for the day and that felt like a real treat. Leaving Thakehk in direction of East meant leaving the Mekong but entering a really beautiful area surrounded by hills, cliffs and mountains. It was a great place to enjoy both the natural beauty of the country, as well as the happy and friendly people that we passed. Everybody smiled and waved at us as we passed by, making the cycling even more enjoyable. At last we climbed one hill to reach the border of Vietnam, getting us closer to our current destination of Hanoi. 

All the best from Vietnam, 

Keep cycling, 

Vroni, Droni and Joni