November 17th, 2004 | The lowdown by Gordon Candelin

River Ride Up the Mekong.

Stung Treng is not particularly well known as a tourist destination in Cambodia, but surprisingly, there a number of things to do if you are based here for a couple of days.

One of the most fascinating is to rent a speed boat to the Laos border. The trip itself takes roughly and hour and half, but you won't be bored. The view is fantastic - speeding along the Mekong, which is broken in a thousand places by swirling edddies, mini rapids and whirlpools - yes, real whirlpools, some strong enough to shift the long, sleek (and extremely noisy) speedboats.

The scenery changes considerably, become more hilly and rugged the further north you go. You will pass through inundated forests along the way; ask the driver to take you though some of these fascinating waterways.

The ride ends just before the Lao border. There is a police station where visas can be arranged for those who will continue traveling north through to Laos. Otherwise, it is possible to dock on the other side of the river and walk about 400 yards north to a Lao market. Opinions varied on whether we were officially in Laos - the locals said yes, the police said no, but it given the food, language and music, we were.

A few hundred yards further up the river from the dock is a small island - a spot of dirt really right in the middle of the Mekong, in the no-man's-land between Laos and Cambodia. Ask the boat driver to take you here for a swim. It is also a very good place to see the Mekong Dolphin, a rare breed of fresh water dolphin that is fast disappearing.

Speed boats can be arranged in Stung Treng on the riverside near the docks. Ask any of the locals lounging around for information. A day trip will cost between $45 - $50, and the boats can seat 8 (albeit uncomfortably). Leave early, and expect to begin heading back towards Stung Treng around 4:30 p.m.