The 4000 Islands

Si Phan Don, the 4000 Islands, is a languid, tropical idyll in the far south of Laos, where the mighty Mekong River braids out into a vast maze of channels around countless islands and sandbars before tumbling over rapids toward Cambodia. A place of utter tranquillity and slow river life, its main islands, Don Det, Don Khon and Don Khong, offer hammocks and bicycles, old French colonial relics, waterfalls, and the chance to spot the rare and endangered Irrawaddy river dolphins.

What you'll find

• The river islands - the maze of Mekong channels and islands.
• The Irrawaddy dolphins - the rare river dolphins, spotted by boat.
• The waterfalls - the powerful Khone Phapheng and Li Phi falls.
• The slow island life - the hammocks, bicycles and river calm.

When to go

November to February, the cool dry season, for the most pleasant weather; the river is lower then, exposing more sandbars, while the wet season swells the falls. The rare dolphins are best sought in the dry season near the Cambodian border.

Practical notes

It is remote, in the far south near the Cambodian border, so reaching it takes a journey via Pakse and a boat, and it is a place to relax and do very little rather than tick off sights. The endangered Irrawaddy dolphins are very few and sightings are not guaranteed. Facilities are simple and laid-back. Its appeal is the profound tranquillity and slow river life.

Nearby

The Wat Phou temple, the Bolaven Plateau and the Cambodian border are within reach.