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Cambodia's Hidden Mekong
From island beaches and flooded forests to giant catfish and rare freshwater dolphins to simple river life reminiscent of a bygone era, the undiscovered Mekong River provides an opportunity for an experience like no other. Beginning at great falls in North Cambodia, we follow one of the world's most bio-diverse and unique rivers to the delta.
Part 1 Unique Geographical Landscape
In North Cambodia, the Mekong passes through waterfalls, flooded forests and converges with two other great rivers.
Part 2 Amazing Diversity
South of Stung Treng, the Mekong features diverse animal life, including dolphins and giant catfish, as well as diverse geography, including islands, sandbars, various channels and rocky rapids.
Part 3 Time Travel
The river emerges from the jungle and passes through simple villages, farms and populated islands.
Part 4 Mother Water
The river that brings life to millions fills Cambodia's great lake to the West and continues to the delta in the East.
Unique Geographical Landscape
It is a welcome relief, after the thousands of tourists crawling over the ruins of Angkor Wat, to arrive at Cambodia's most beautiful natural wonder, the great Mekong River. Stretching from the Tibetan Himalayas through Southern China and Laos, the Mekong drops spectacularly at the Cambodia border in a waterfall that is for the most part hidden deep in the jungles. After cascading through a number of rocky gorges, the river spreads out for miles, creating Cambodia's unique Ramsar wetlands, home to a variety of bio-diverse habitats and bird species. While not easily accessible, a boat trip, or better yet a kayak trip through the remote Mekong flooded forests offers an opportunity to view an amazing geographical landscape. A lazy current flows through massive trees and root systems, cranes and egrets look up from muddy sandbars and nothing can be seen except jungle and water for as the eye can see. Fifty kilometers down river, a simple nature lodge overlooks a scenic channel of the Mekong. Khmer-run, the lodge is unlikely to see more than a couple foreign visitors per month in the busy season. Featuring neat bungalows almost guaranteed to come with an insect-catching tree frog, private balconies and freshly cooked river fish, the lodge is the perfect place to relax after a long trip. Further down river, the quiet provincial capital of Stung Treng sits at the confluence of three of Cambodia's four great rivers. Here the Mekong, the Sekong and the Se San meet in a wash of colors and sediments. One of the great fishing towns of Cambodia, Stung Treng is famous for its tasty and rare freshwater fish that are found nowhere else in the world but this stretch of river. Continue to Part 2.
Flooded Forests by Paolo Magrassi
Kayaking
Wetlands Sunset
View of the Mekong from a riverside bungalow balcony
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| Copyright: Adventure-Cambodia, updated June 2010. | |
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