The Mekong River: South East Asia’s Longest River

The Mekong River is the longest river in Southeast Asia, the 7th longest in Asia, and the 12th longest in the world. It has a length of about 2,700 miles (4,350 km).

The Mekong River rises among the glaciers of Tibet before flowing through the Yunnan province of south west China. Here the river is characterized by steep-sided gorges hiding inaccessible meanders, and it’s not until it reaches the more southerly stretches that it becomes Southeast Asia’s iconic, languid and tranquil waterway, supporting the livelihoods of more than 60 million people

After rising in southeastern Qinghai province, China, it flows through the eastern part of the Tibet AutonomousRegion and Yunnan province, after which it forms part of the international border between Myanmar (Burma) and Laos, as well as between Laos and Thailand. The river then flows through Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam before draining into the South China Sea south of Ho Chi Minh City(formerly Saigon).

Vientiane (Viangchan), the capital of Laos, and Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, both stand on its banks. About three-fourths of the drainage area of the Mekong lies within the four countries the river traverses on its lower course—Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

A patchwork of islands, wetlands, fruit farms and stilted villages makes up the Mekong Delta in the far south of Vietnam. This is where the Mekong disgorges most of the water it has carried for more than 2,400 miles (4,000km) into the South China Sea. The delta’s landscape offers an enchanting mixture of rice paddies, lotus flowers and pagodas.

Destinations: China / Tibet / Myanmar / Cambodia / Laos / Vietnam / Thailand