wolf a écrit :
>
> I'd welcome any experiences or comments. Is January a good time to visit
> these countries? How was the cruise experience, was the food/water OK
> and do the staff speak reasonable English?
Hello.
Did the whole mekong down from Chiang Kong (northern Thailand/Laos)down
to Kratie. It was end of january and the last leg from Kratie to Phnom
Penh was not possible by boat on account of too low water level.
All along the length of the river the view ist phantastic!
There seems to be no way to go all the way from Pakse (Laos) to the
cambodian border by boat on account of the rapids south of the 4000
islands region. You will have to find transport by the N°13 road to the
jettee on the border. All the rest of the Laos part and then from the
cambodian border down is doable by boat if waterlevel permits.
As the big wooden boats take their time, I made frequent stops; in
Cambodia : Steung Treng, Kratie. If you have vietnamese visas, you can
stay on this side too.
I think, january, already well into the dry season if not the end...,
ist the very last month to go by boat and be shure to get through.
Water: do you mean the water of the mekong or drinking water? Mekong is
ok but not clear on account of suspended particles.
Drinking water : I advise to take only sealed bottles of purified water;
our plumbing is not used to the "drinking" water the autochtones use.
Food: delicious fish and delicious vegetables and fruit. Accompanied by
rice most of the time. Cambodian (try Amok) food seems to be a bit less
hot than Laos or Vietnam food.
Hope that helps you some
Peter |