I found on arrival at Pakse after a frustrating six hour bus trip from Savannakhet,that in half an hour a mini bus was leaving for Don Kong,the largest of the 4,000 islands,it meant another three hours of travel but the promise of an anticipated destination at the end of a long day won out over a transit rest stop at Pakse.So with the last light of the day disappearing and after probably the last ferry crossing of the day my mini bus dropped me outside a guesthouse on Don Kong.
At the last possible moment the following day I tagged along with a Chinese tour group of seven for an epic day tour of the islands.The day was overcast and untypical grey as we boarded a long tail boat at the guesthouse.A two hour cruise through islands big and small brought us to Don Khone which along with its neighbor Don Det are the two most tourist populated islands.The two islands are connected by an old French railway bridge,Det is the choice of the younger, party loving crowd and Khone by the older quieter culture.Both being veritable townships of cheaper guesthouses and restaurants.
On disembarking the boat we set off on a five kilometer bicycle ride along the track which was once the railway to the far end of Don Khone,and indeed to the far end of Laos.Here we board a smaller boat for the short crossing to Cambodia where for an entrance fee of three dollars,no passports,no questions, we were allowed ashore.We are here in hope of a sighting of the very rare and endangered freshwater Irrawaddy dolphin,a small species of grey/ blue animal, less than one hundred in mumber,and thought to have been trapped in this very small environment at some time in history.Once a sighting has been made we return to our boats and head towards that spot,where we drift around in the hope of a closer encounter and hooray it happens.They are fast and cute and too illusive for the photographic skills of yours truly but is was magical and each new breach drew shrieks of delight from my fellow travelers.
All too soon we return to our parked bicycles and we pedal off in the direction whence we came but divert to the Somphamit waterfalls said to be the biggest in SE Asia,the roar and violence are in direct contrast to the serenity of our previous location,I am almost mesmerized by a large bird,a crane or perhaps stork perched in the midst of the falls looking for its next meal.
We return to the township for lunch and the heavens open,it pours with rain relentlessly for a couple of hours before easing enough for us to splash our bikes through the muddy puddles and return to our original boat. Heading for Nakasang,the small mainland port that serves as the ferry terminal for Don Det and Don Khone here we disembark into a minibus for the trip to the Khong Phapheng Falls which are perhaps even more impressive than Somphamit.
Returning to our boat and resuming our journey in the deepening gloom of nightfall and the cold drizzling rain driving uncomfortably in on us,I am grateful to my new Chinese friends who share umbrellas and take pity on the unprepared ferang from Australia.
Arriving,finally back at the guesthouse a couple of LaoLao cocktails soon warm me up after a big day out.
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