Joanna James
Among the greatest water channels in the world, the Mekong River flows along 6 countries into the core of Southeast Asia. Along the banks of the Mekong is an incredible display of wildlife, topography, and cultures.
As one of the longest rivers, the Mekong begins from the lofty Tibetan Plateau and crosses some 4500 km to fall into the South China Sea. It traverses an expanse of nearly 800,000 km and crosses countries like Myanmar, Laos, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand. The river is a significant juncture in connecting and unifying diverse people, religions, cultures and landscapes of Southeast Asia. A luxury Mekong river cruise, such as the ones offered by Mekong Kingdoms, is a great way to traverse the regions of this mighty river!
The Mekong is nourished by the Tibetan Himalayas and its melting snowcaps and begins its voyage via the steep valleys in Yunnan province, China. Mustering force from multiple branches along the path, the water density increases drastically as it rushes along the Golden Triangle. Mekong bypasses the remarkable Khone Falls of Southern Laos and widens into the vast Mekong Delta.
The Mekong runs across so many countries that it is no surprise that many names are used for it. Every name echoes a certain feature of the river and shows the importance of the river to a variety of ethnicities and cultures. The Chinese refer to it as Lancang Jiang, implying "turbulent river". It is named Mae Nam Kong and Mae Kong in Laos and Thailand, which means "mother water". In Vietnam, it's often called Cuu Long, which means "Nine Dragons" due to the many tributaries on the delta. Plus, many additional titles are added to identify it, like River of Stone, Dragon Running River and Big Water.
The River Mekong is an incredibly potent river with substantial deviation in its outpour and volume depending on the annual monsoon seasons. In upper territories, navigation is usually challenging due to the waterfalls and rapids found along its path. The river is subjected to excessive seasonal differences. 75% of its water gushes once the Monsoon descends in July up until October. Its typical outcome is significant flooding of the outer territories along the river. As parts of the delta area don't have sufficient outlets, the flow will begin switching upstream in some locations. This forces the water levels to increase to usher in the "flood pulse", which has devastating effects on the regional communities living beside its banks.
The Mekong's biological diversity is believed to be only second to the Amazon Basin. Along its path, there are at least 16 WWF Eco-regions! Thousands of fish, mammals and amphibians are recorded along its waters and banks including multiple rare, unusual, and unexplored animals. The delta area is especially abundant and filled with species like the Siamese crocodile, Mekong Giant Catfish, the Sarus crane, Giant Ibis and Mekong Stingray. The river is also the last remaining bastion of the WWF's red-listed Irrawaddy dolphin. The Mekong system is particularly well-known for its variety of gigantic species of fish, whilst woodlands encircling the river are home to a surfeit of incredible mammals and birdlife.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
