Trees with aerial roots exposed above the water, islands of white sand dotted in the clear water, Irrawaddy dolphins and aquaculture ponds among the canals and flooded forests: these are just some of the attractions that attract tourists to the upper Mekong during the dry season.
North of the town of Stung Treng, in the province of the same name, lies a 14,600-hectare wetland that stretches for almost 40 kilometres along the Mekong River, straddling the border between Cambodia and Laos.
It is listed as a Wetland of National and International Importance under the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty that works to conserve wetlands.
Each monsoon, entire forests are submerged by the waters, only to reappear when the rains stop and the Mekong, in flood, returns to the limits of its banks.
“The flooded forests are rich in natural and ecological resources, including huge fish holes and endangered birds. The Ministry of the Environment is working hard to protect this area of the Mekong,” explains Un Porsoeun, Director of the Tourism Department in Stung Treng province.
He adds that because of the region's abundant natural resources, there is a large market for ecological and adventure tourism on the Mekong, which offers the chance to discover limestone rocks, rapids, endangered birds and flooded forests with aerial root trees.
During the dry season, when most of the water recedes, islands of white sand surrounded by clear water protrude from parts of the riverbed, creating perfect camping spots. Camping on the river's beach is also a very popular activity for tourists.
In some areas, communities build huts on the river beach. In fact, Koh Han Community Based Ecotourism, a tourism group operating in the area, has built many huts for visitors.
“In this area, there are flooded forests and rare birds,’ explains Porsoeun, adding that he only works with “operators who help promote and raise awareness of nature-based tourism”.
There are many nature-based attractions in the area, including the Mekong Bird Resort, Koh Khe, Koh Han and Koh Langor - a group of islands - and Anlung Chheuteal in Thala Barivat district, home to the Irrawaddy dolphin, close to the Cambodia-Laos border.
“This trip on the Mekong is my favourite. Even though it's a bit difficult because I can't swim, I love seeing the Irrawaddy dolphins, visiting the flooded forests, camping and swimming in the river”, explains Heang Hana, 24, who visited the region with a tour operator.
The attraction of the region, however, remains its Romchek trees, which are gnarled and twisted in the direction of the monsoon water flow.
“We're different from other regions in that we have Romchek trees that visitors want to see with their roots above ground,’ explains Porsoeun. Because of the water level, the former is only open to the public between October and May and the latter between January and May,” explains Phaeng Sophat, head of the Upper Koh Khe ecotourism community.
However, given the presence of many local and foreign tourists, the provincial authorities are aware that an increase in the number of visitors could harm the local environment.
“We therefore advise tourists, either directly or through tourism companies, to keep the environment clean. We need to work together to avoid producing waste, cleaning up and not destroying wetlands,” explains Mr Porsoeun.
He points out that WWF data shows that there are unfortunately only three Irrawaddy dolphins left living in Anlung Chheuteal today, so their environment must be preserved.
Raksmey Hong with our partner The Post
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